“It was fun and I thought maybe this would be a hobby for me to get into. The machines seemed relatively cheap.”
 Some operators from the 1980’s who had machines stacked up reached out to Smith. He purchased about a dozen sit-down cocktail machines, parts, electric boards, pinball machines.
“It was just finding broken machines, going in the garage and working on them,” Smith explained. “It went from there. It was great to be able to bring the machines back to life so people could play them again. Some of them went back to the 1960’s.”
For the pinball machines, they went from EM (electro-mechanical) to more digital. The older ones are more “make and break” contact, and have more parts inside. The digital ones have the boards in the back of the machine to run the action.
At present, Smith has six pinball games and one video game in his basement arcade. Plus there were several machines and parts in his garage. As well as a couple of Mario Brothers, there is a crane machine you can pull prizes from. Not everything in the garage at present is working, but he also has a few machines at his father Frank’s place in Ninga to keep kids in that community busy.
Over the last two years, Smith said he has serviced about 40 pinball machines and about 15 video arcade games. The oldest he has had is a 1967 Williams Magic City. He has done work on machines in Brandon for people who did not want to sell, but wanted to play them. A lot of people had machines sitting for a long time and Smith said he has showed them what he knows to help them service the games themselves.
“I find myself being asked a lot of questions, and just providing the info and stuff so they can enjoy them again. Just to lend a hand so they can use them again.”
He has refurbished a few of the older games, and collectors have contacted him to see what he has. There are sites for people to connect, and they discuss the machines and set up trades. Smith said he worked out some trades, sometimes fixed an older one for a broken newer model. An arcade man from Winnipeg was interested in his Sharpshooter pinball. He loaded it up and traded it for a newer machine about a year ago and that was his first digital, a broken Gladiators. He “shopped it out” once fixed, and traded up for three older EM’s from The Pas. He fixed them, and they were traded for a couple of broken ‘80’s machines.
“A lot of changing hands from one collector to another,” he said. “I haven’t sold my own, I’m more interested in them, in having them, that these machines from the ‘80’s and ‘90’s are still there to play, not being destroyed.”
He said the main issue with the machines he has seen is a lack of care. The pieces do not make contact, there is broken plastic, bulbs need changing, there is some acid wear. Mostly cleaning and the upkeep not done as they sat stale. Smith has found parts like driver boards are still available. With the video games, he enjoys working on tubes and boards and figuring them out.
The names he deals with will be familiar to older generations. Bally, Midway, Gottlieb, Chicago Coin, Williams, Stern were all popular in pinball and/or video games. Smith said pinball machines are still being made and will run tens of thousands of dollars. Even older ones are going up as COVID brought them back in style. A $500 machine will now cost $5,000. However for him, it has been about fun, collecting and helping people out.
“It’s not about sales or selling. It was about doing it as a hobby, with people stuck home with COVID. If I did these and if people wanted one to take home while they were stuck there I was willing to donate one to their house. It’s what it was all about, to help them get through. From there the name got out there, and other people had machines and they asked if I could go out there to help fix them.”
Smith said he would love to start his own arcade, but it would be difficult in small community, as there would have to be someone there all the time. He would love to find a backer, and a spot, so he could work the arcade as a job. At this point however, it remains a hobby. He has had birthday parties for families and some people have been over to the house.
 “I enjoy playing them, I enjoy having people come in to play them on the weekends. It’s something for people to do.”
As well, there are a few machines in the Sawmill. Run by Prairie Partners, the operation is a not-for-profit and the money brought in stays with the organization. It might not bring in a lot of revenue, but Smith figures his machines, like the stand up Pac Man, will help bring people in and have them enjoy themselves.
“It brings a smile to a child’s face, and even to adults too. It’s something for the public, for the town to play. I like to bring them back to life again for kids to play, so the community has something.”
Smith said he enjoys bringing something back from his past. In fact, he was able to get another Haunted House machine. It all goes back to what is familiar.
“I have the sights and the sounds in my head,” he explained. “Having that noise around again is almost comforting, the noise of the flippers, the music. I enjoy seeing others reliving their childhood, getting to hear that sound of their favourite arcade game playing, also getting to see the younger generations expressions and excitement when they see them for the first time. It has now grown on me and become and addictive hobby over the last two years.”

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff