Source
r/Tennessee•
dalinetta

Question: How common would it be to find a pinball machine in a convenience store in Tennessee?

I'm asking this for research on a story I'm writing.

Some background, I am a US citizen but live in Scotland. It's been 30 years since I've been in the US, so I have no clue here. When I lived in the US, it was still common to find that every convenience store you went in had Donkey Kong or something in the back of the shop to fleece the local kids of their quarters.

When I was even a little younger, most of those same convenience shops had pinball machines instead.

So, is that even a thing any more? Are there still video games in convenience stores in your great state?

Any and all replies would be greatly helpful to my project!

Thank y'all in advance!

Posted Jun 5, 2021, 8:13 PM UTC

2133
GuardianDevil2•

I cannot remember the last time that I have seen an arcade style game in a convenience store. There are several bars that I know of that have them but I think they would be too difficult and expensive to maintain in a retail establishment these days due to vandalism and abuse. People do not know how to behave themselves any more. It is easier to keep an eye on them in a bar/club setting. Plus I think kids today would rather play at home on their computers or game consoles than in a public setting.

10
dalinettaOP•

Thanks for your reply!

So, even video games would be a rare sighting really? I figured as much. I mean, they'd be collector's items these days. When I was a kid, I'd go down to the Magic Market with a few quarters and if you were any good at pinball you could play quite a while by winning free games.

And then Pac Man and all that came along and we'd spend our mornings before school in that same Magic Market- one kid playing and others watching.

So... If you haven't seen any video games, I'm guessing a pinball machine would be a real oddity?

1
GuardianDevil2•

I have not seen a video game in a convenience store or market in a very long time.

I am going to a bar later this evening that has two pinball machines. But no, I have not seen a pinball machine in a convenience store or market in years. Maybe decades.

5
dalinettaOP•

That's great information!

That's actually what I need for my scene to work out. I need this thing to be enough of an oddity that it catches this kid's attention, and from what you describe, that is exactly how it would be.

2
willm1123•

Why don’t you like birds

1
imapissonitdripdrip•

Not a convenience store, but laundromats, pizza places, and one or two others.

8
dalinettaOP•

Thanks for your reply!

So, would you say it would be normal for a kid to have seen a video game in a store somehow, but probably never a pinball machine in such an environment?

1
fiercebaldguy•

I'd consider it highly unlikely to see any type of game at a convenience store. (I can't remember the last time I've seen that, really if ever...)

A pinball machine I have definitely only seen at an arcade. I've never personally encountered a lone pinball machine anywhere.

2
become_taintless•

I am sad to say that pinball machines are rare as hens teeth; they are hella expensive to own

3
dalinettaOP•

Thanks for your reply!

If you don't mind me asking. Expensive to own is referring to the shop-owner or just generally? And what exactly makes them expensive?

I mean, I know when I was young and used to play these games, a guy would come and get the quarters out of it, maybe reset the tilt if he thought it was too easy, make a few adjustments inside and away he'd go.

Is it parts and stuff that are rare or what?

1
herculeesjrNashville•

Parts are hard to find, people skilled enough to repair them are rare and costly, and they suck down a ton of electric even when not in use due to all those incandescent bulbs flashing. They're also like fine clocks in that they need to be regularly serviced by skilled people.

There are new ones that are computer controlled and use LED lights, like you'd find at Dave and Busters, but I don't know what their service needs are or power requirements.

2
become_taintless•

go spec out the 2021 parts cost to replace things like bumpers and torn/faded decals for a williams space pinball game

2
Love_God551•

Not common at all anymore.

Really cannot remember the last time I saw any type of pinball or other ‘arcade’ type machine.

3
Shickman•

I live in Chattanooga TN which is right on the TN/GA border and in GA they have keno machines. Keno is gambling though but it is the closest thing to an arcade game that I can think of. Besides bars, pizza places tend to have pinball or arcade games

3
lastinalaskarn•

Smartphones.

3
herculeesjrNashville•

The only time I have ever seen this is at Little Caesars, at a few locations they have a mini pinball machine that you can win a free pizza or something. However they always are empty and taped off "Out Of Order". I've never seen a working one.

My job has me going to grocery stores of various names and companies big and small all over the state. If I had ever seen one I would have remembered it from how odd it would be. Majority of stores don't even have the $0.25/$0.50 machines that give you gum or tiny toys anymore.

Pinball and arcade is considered fully retro at this point, and as such they are starting to have a small comeback as old buildings converted to arcades with retro machines wall to wall. There's one near my house that is $12 for unlimited free play of everything in the building, machines don't use quarters anymore.

2
dalinettaOP•

This is a very informative reply- thank you so much!

It's hard to imagine stores not even having the bubble gum machines! Man, that was just part of life when I lived in the States. Anywhere and everywhere had those things.

I think what I might have to do in my scene is acknowledge the scarcity of this item by having the shopkeeper tell my character she can't shake the machine or put her coke on top of it or something to that effect.

I was worried that my character would have seen something like this before. LOL, from what you say, my fears are unfounded.

Thanks!

1
herculeesjrNashville•

There are still some grocery stores that have the gumball machines with gum/candy/toys in them, I think it depends on the area you're in. I notice them more in the more rural towns, but rural towns I'm more often going to mom and pop grocery stores not the big chains, so that could affect my personal findings.

After thinking about it a bit I remember some WalMarts having mini arcades with a few games in them, usually right off the entrance, but all the WalMarts I go to they've been emptied of games and filled with carts.

But yeah pinball has gone wayside with payphones.

Funny thing over here if you remember them, the machines you find at tourist attractions where you put $0.51 in and it stamps a design into your penny, usually with the tourist attraction name and picture on it. I'm seeing more and more that take credit cards now because people don't carry change around like that any more. The ones that take coins haven't disappeared, but I'm seeing them less.

2
luke5135•

I haven't seen an arcade machine in a convenience store for atleast 15 years now.

2
Bitter_MongoosePossum Town•

I haven't seen an arcade game in a convenience store in over 20 years. I suppose the atm was more profitable.

Truck stops still have them, rarely.

2
skinem1•

Not a thing anymore. 30-40 years ago you would see "pinball machines" which were really gambling devices. Were illegal, but it seemed they were everywhere. Now, I couldn't tell you the last time I saw any pinball, video, any kind of an arcade machine in a convenience store.

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1
Southernms🦝West Tennessee🦝•

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a pinball machine or any game in a c-store for that matter. I think they would make for a nice touch in old general stores.

1
dalinettaOP•

Thank you for your reply.

Yes. And that was sort of what I was going for. What was important to me is that this teen has never really seen many video games in stores at all really, and then she sees this old Bally '8 Ball' pinball machine in this store in the middle of Tennessee.

2
Southernms🦝West Tennessee🦝•

You’re welcome! There used to be lots of those types of stores around. I’d run straight to the games.

2
dalinettaOP•

I was the same!

2
Southernms🦝West Tennessee🦝•

I was always asking for change so I could play. We only had one arcade in my town. The antique flea market had two beautiful blingy pin ball machines. I loved going with my parents so I could play those. Such good memories! 😁

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