Pinballs Plus

One day my girlfriend and I were visiting an antique market just outside Davis Square in Somerville. After shopping for a bit we walked up the street to Kickass Cupcakes for some sweet baked goods. Along the way we noticed a sign in front of a house which read, "Pinballs Plus: Jukeboxes, Pinballs, Video Games." We took a business card from their front porch and investigated further by visiting their website. The site seemed a little outdated, so I wasn't sure if the items listed online were still available for sale. I didn't think much about it for a while but came back to the site months later when I started thinking about buying an arcade machine for my apartment. I called the phone number and first spoke with the proprietor's wife, Dot, who listed off all the items they had, confirming that the website was still current. Altered Beast, Pac-Man, N.A.R.C., Mr. Do, Tapper, Golden Tee Golf, and several other names came floating through the telephone line. Dot then handed the phone over to her husband Paul to discuss prices with me. I was most interested in the Tapper cocktail table which was listed for $600 on the website. I've seen it listed for a much higher price in other places, and when Paul told me I'd get a good bargain for picking it up in person and paying cash, I couldn't say no.

Paul Silva, the man behind Pinballs Plus, has been repairing jukeboxes, pinballs, arcade machines, and all kinds of vending machines for forty years. When I visited his garage-turned-workshop he was repairing a classic Defender arcade machine, and had just put the finishing touches on the most beautiful 1940's jukebox that I've ever seen. He says that it's harder to sell the oddball video games he has like Mikie and Triple Punch, while Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Defender are his bread and butter. His grandchildren certainly appreciate him having all the games around though. Silva's main interest is the pinball machines and jukeboxes which line the garage and basement of his quaint Somerville home. He also has an off-site storage space for the machines which won't fit in his house.

I was very happy to know that Paul had such good experience with working on these types of machines, so I know that I will call him first if I ever need a repair or a new addition to my home arcade.

Pinballs Plus
370 Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144
617-628-9753