Ever since he was a young boy, Rob Berk played the silver ball.
鈥淧robably [my] first memories of pinball were growing up as a young guy, maybe 5 or 6 years old, and going in the basement of my parent鈥檚 home and seeing this contraption down there and not knowing what it was,鈥� Berk said. 鈥淚t was a pinball machine.鈥�
Berk began collecting in the 1970s, and today he鈥檚 the proud owner of more than 1,000 machines dating back to the 30s to the present.
When his collection became too big for the warehouse of his family鈥檚 business, he discovered a vacated grocery store on North State Street in Girard, about six miles northwest of Youngstown. The price was right, so he bought the building to store his games.
鈥淚鈥檓 thinking to myself, this is such a crazy thinking, 鈥業'll put the games in there. I'll have a key. Maybe once a week, I'll come here, play a couple games and turn the lights off and go home,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淢y wife said, 鈥榊ou're crazy! If you're going to build this place, why don't you build it for the general public to come enjoy?鈥欌��
The Past Times Arcade opened to the public in June 2023 with more than 400 of Berk鈥檚 pinball games on display and available to play.
However, some of the oldest games from the 30s are only for admiring.
鈥淭he very first game was a game called 鈥榃hiffle,鈥� which was produced in Youngstown, Ohio. I have the game here,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 very simple game, very simplistic, no electricity, no flippers.鈥�
Berk also has the first pinball game to ever use flippers, which are now the standard for redirecting the ball on the playfield. It鈥檚 called 鈥淗umpty Dumpty鈥� and was made in 1947.
鈥淚t was created by a guy named Harry Mabs, and he came up with this thought, this idea of these flippers,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen he put that on the game, it just turned the industry upside down because, all of a sudden, you can keep a ball alive longer and a lot of other people start copying the flippers.鈥�
Berk鈥檚 pinball pride and joy is his international collection, featuring rare games from Spain and Italy.
鈥淭he artists are unique. The layout, the playfield design is unique,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut that's what makes this hobby to me so interesting is those oddball games you just don't see everywhere.鈥�
Berk鈥檚 daughter, Reilly, surprised him earlier this summer when Past Times celebrated its one-year anniversary.
鈥淢y daughter says, 鈥楬old on a second. I want to give my dad something,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚t's a certificate from the [Guinness World Records] recognizing me and honoring me for having the largest single collection of pinball machines. That was a great honor, a great surprise.鈥�
Berk said the local community of Trumbull County and neighboring Mahoning has taken to the place.
鈥淭he more the people come in here, they're just awestruck by it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey really didn't know what to expect鈥� You got to see it to believe it.鈥�
