With Allentown just behind us, and all my money spent on the treasures there, I didn’t think that I would be able to get another pass from the family to head out to Clay Harrell’s grand opening showcase weekend of the Vintage Flipper World outside of Ann Arbor, MI. I was able to float the idea past my wife guised as a relaxing weekend away–-a weekend where our son would stay with his grandpa. To my surprise, she agreed! Probably because she saw the excursion as an excuse to shop while I spent the day playing pinball. Regardless, I’m planning to attend the Saturday event!

I’ve referenced Clay Harrell’s VFW project on this site a couple of times already so I won’t rehash the rich history. Just know that Harrell has filled an old Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall with 190 pinball games from every era and re-named the place the Vintage Flipper World (still VFW…I see what you did there).

The details: The showcase runs Friday May 16 5pm-10pm, Saturday May 17 10am-9pm and Sunday May 18 10am-4pm. Tickets are offered on a first come, first serve basis and are available here. Payment can be made through Paypal, and a printed Paypal receipt is required for admission. Friday and Sunday entrance fee is $20, while Saturday runs you $25. With Saturday’s ticket comes an entry into a draw for a Bally Odds and Evens pinball machine. You need not be there in person to win. Clay limited the number of patrons in the venue to not only control crowds, but to keep the lines short on the more popular games. The Saturday ticket is a hot commodity, so buy it fast if you plan on attending!

The games: This list is here. It is extensive. There are going to be complaints from almost everyone that their favorite game of a particular era isn’t present. That said, I’m going to complain in the most positive way possible! I’m surprised that Centigrade 37 and Volley do not make the cut in the 1970s category…then again, those are pretty popular games you’d be able to find at a friend’s place or on a league night (I know of three collections within 45 minutes of my house that have a C37, so there you go). The Bally solid-state lineup is impeccable. The System 11 collection hits all the high spots, however notable from their exclusions are Earthshaker and Dr. Dude. Since I’m a fan of this era, I wish more games that are unique for their rarity were present (Transporter: The Rescue, Radical!)…because using the above EM scenario, I can play a High Speed or F14 Tomcat nearly anywhere, but my chances of finding a Radical! is very limited. The DMD era games make up the bulk of the collection and its a pretty complete smattering of favourites and rarities (including a Safecracker and a Cactus Canyon).

The tournament (if you can call it that): Clay is de-emphasizing tournaments at the VFW. No world rankings, no whopper points, no hefty buy-ins. Certain games will be declared tournament games and if you drop a quarter in, you have entered the tournament. Highest score at the end of the day gets all the money in the coin box. Clay & Co. have the right to disqualify anyone they deem a “pro” or “ringer”. This is a very bold move. In essence, this show is for collectors, casual players and pinball connoisseurs, not for “pros” who spend hundreds of dollars to qualify to win a pot of $250.

The swap meet: The VFW site has plenty of room for folks to come and show off their wares. Vendors are encouraged. Parts guys from Pinball Life and Pin Restore will also be there.

The venue: As a Kickstarter backer, I got to see pictures and videos of this venue throughout its various stages of construction, and it looks to be the perfect place for a pinball showcase such as this. The venue is over 6000sq/ft and includes a pinball workshop on site. Surrounded by acres of land, there is plenty of room to barbecue or camp for the showcase weekend. The venue is located on the outskirts of Brighton, MI–at 8891 Spicer Rd, Brighton MI, 48116. Lodging available in nearby Brighton for those coming from out of town.

From Clay’s comments to Nate Shivers the other day on Coast2Coast Pinball, I fear this may be the only chance, or one of very few chances, we get to explore the wonders of the venue and its treasures within. It is cleared to open four times a year, yet Clay pretty much came out and said they would only be open once this calendar year, and left a big question mark if it would even maintain a yearly schedule. One can only hope this the opening weekend is a success. For me, the three-and-a-half hour drive is a drop in the hat to play some rare games, and some favourites too. For pinball starved aficionados in Michigan, Southern Ontario and Northern Ohio, excitement should be high for this type of event.

Further Reading:
Vintage Flipper World (VFW) – Home Page