Though it’s commonly associated with dinging bells and chimes in the 1960s, and electronic whirring and beeps in the 1980s, the pinball machine has entered a new era of popularity.
These physical, electromechanical games entered a rough patch during the influx of video games in the 1990s. But in 2023, The Economist reported that sales of new machines by pinball’s biggest manufacturer, Stern, have risen by 15–20% every year since 2008. Pinball tournaments and community events are booming too, with thousands being held each year.
Part of this resurgence in the pinball business can strangely be credited to the Covid-19 pandemic. While it hurt arcades, barcades, and the social aspects of pinball, it increased demand for home buyers. People who were staying home during lockdown found joy in owning their own machines. This expanded the market, creating customers for new machines but also increasing demand (and prices) for old machines from the original heyday of pinball. This in turn created a need for more people to learn to repair machines.
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