This is a very
unique store in
Vancouver on
Broadway and
Main (specifically, 2343 Main St). Essentially,
John's Jukes deals exclusively with older,
retro arcade games, pinball machines, and jukeboxes. I had the
honor of visiting the store today, and I must say that it's amazing. The store is managed by John Robertson, who does a lot of his business online, or renting out machines to various outfits, mostly movie crews (i.e. for use on a set). There are two sections to the store:
The first section, known as the showroom, contains about a dozen working pinball machines on the lefthand side, ranging from early 90's machines to machines from the 30's. All the pinball machines are set to free play, people who enter the store are encouraged to give the machines a try. As long as you limit yourself to about half an hour of play on a machine that hasn't already been sold, the managers don't mind at all. To the right are various old arcade games, such as Tempest, Ms. Pac-Man, Joust, Pole Position, and Space Invaders. I'm not sure if the same free play rules apply here. Essentially, all the games have been refurbished to amazing quality, and the machines need to be burned in well enough to ensure that no problems exist. What better way to burn them in but to let the locals have at them? I think it's a great idea.
The second section, or the back room/workshop, is filled to the brim with old pinball parts, arcade boards, and arcade or pinball cabinets. Boxes full of old arcade buttons, joysticks, fuses, monitors, and wiring were strewn everywhere. It was quite amazing, John himself actually invited me to the back to take a quick look around, and we had a very interesting discussion about 80's arcade games while I gawked at the electronics. I don't know of many shops that'll freely invite you into the back to take a look around like that.
Most machines sell for anywhere from $500 to $3,500 US and don't last all that long on the showroom floor (they sell too quickly). John also sells technical support on a per-incident basis via telephone for $60 US, so it's easy to see where John's combined income comes from. You can check out their website at www.flippers.com for a list of arcade games and pinball machines on the floor, among other interesting items.