"I grew up pretty poor and didn't have much money" said Jones. "If you played arcades, you put 25 cents in, you lost a life and you were done. What I liked about pinball is, if you did good, you got a free game."

After grad school, he quickly amassed a collection. Part of the motivation for him was nostalgia, another part of it was that the rigs are amazing pieces of art and design.

Jones' wife, Heidi, is one of the more competitive players at the events. She's spent hours at home perfecting maneuvers like the "post pass" — a slick move where a player passes the ball from one paddle to the other. She's also had fun assembling and maintaining the machines. She said she's always been the kind of person to take things apart to see how they tick.

Heidi Jones said pinball is a game that puts men and women on an even playing field, so she's been happy to see more women turn out the events lately.

"It's different now," she said. "There are a lot of girls who are gamers."

Heidi Jones is among the competitors represented in the International Flipper Pinball Association's rankings. Sean Spindler's brother Ryan is also ranked — in fact, he recently traveled to Pittsburgh to compete in a national tournament.