California’s Museum of Pinball is closing for good, and its collection of “over 1,100” machines is going up for individual auctions, ArsTechnica reports.
The nonprofit museum’s lead tech Chuck Casey announced the closure on Monday, stating that museum organizers were unable to arrange a move of the collection, secure a single buyer, or secure a sponsorship before a deadline. Museum organizers previously attempted to arrange a move from Banning, California (about 2.5 hours outside of Los Angeles) to the resort city of Palm Springs 20 minutes away.
Casey added that all of the museum’s games would go up for auction in the future at the Banning location, with details to come. Participants will be able to place bids online or in person. The failure to secure a single buyer will likely mean the collection will become scattered to numerous different owners.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/06/unboxing-the-amazing-new-avengers-infinity-quest-pinball-machine"]
The 18-acre campus that houses the pinball collection will be turned into a cannabis farm, according to the local news.
A previous report by Desert Sun indicates that museum founder John Weeks was coming up against a deadline before storage costs would force his hand. Weeks anticipated a seven-month timeline for moving the collection to a two-story building in Palm Springs, but his architect estimated it would take 15 months, well outside of Weeks’ financial limits.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/24/you-probably-wont-see-this-rare-jurassic-park-pinball-machine-in-an-arcade"]
The COVID-19 pandemic also played a significant role in the moving troubles. The cost of shipping containers from China rose from $3,500 to $12,000, Weeks told Desert Sun, making any move that much more difficult.
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Joseph Knoop is a writer/reporter/pinball wizard for IGN.
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The nonprofit museum’s lead tech Chuck Casey announced the closure on Monday, stating that museum organizers were unable to arrange a move of the collection, secure a single buyer, or secure a sponsorship before a deadline. Museum organizers previously attempted to arrange a move from Banning, California (about 2.5 hours outside of Los Angeles) to the resort city of Palm Springs 20 minutes away.
Casey added that all of the museum’s games would go up for auction in the future at the Banning location, with details to come. Participants will be able to place bids online or in person. The failure to secure a single buyer will likely mean the collection will become scattered to numerous different owners.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/06/unboxing-the-amazing-new-avengers-infinity-quest-pinball-machine"]
The 18-acre campus that houses the pinball collection will be turned into a cannabis farm, according to the local news.
A previous report by Desert Sun indicates that museum founder John Weeks was coming up against a deadline before storage costs would force his hand. Weeks anticipated a seven-month timeline for moving the collection to a two-story building in Palm Springs, but his architect estimated it would take 15 months, well outside of Weeks’ financial limits.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/24/you-probably-wont-see-this-rare-jurassic-park-pinball-machine-in-an-arcade"]
The COVID-19 pandemic also played a significant role in the moving troubles. The cost of shipping containers from China rose from $3,500 to $12,000, Weeks told Desert Sun, making any move that much more difficult.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Joseph Knoop is a writer/reporter/pinball wizard for IGN.
Continue reading...