WARREN, Ohio —  Rob Berk has enjoyed pinball since he was a kid growing up in Warren in the 1960s.

“The more I played, the more I enjoyed it and I got hooked,” said the Warren business owner and pinball enthusiast. 

What You Need To Know

  • Rob Berk has been a pinball fanatic ever since he was a kid in the 1960s

  • Berk and his crew have collected 1,400 pinball machines and arcade games 

  • Past times Arcade is located at 419 North State Street in Girard and management hopes to open to the public in late spring 

As he got older, the Ohio State University graduate said he started posting ads seeking out vintage pinball machines and eventually struck gold when he got in touch with a collector from Nova Scotia. 

“And he had a warehouse full of games," said Berk. "All the games were of the vintage that I grew up with in the 60s. Oh my gosh, it was like the holy grail, heaven. And I buy about 40 games from the guy. But that was just the beginning of the insanity.” 

Several decades and 1,400 pinball and arcade games later, Berk's lifelong collection soon will finally be on display for all ages to enjoy at a 30,000 square-foot former grocery store in Girard, aptly named Past Times Arcade.

To help manage the business, Berk reached out to Michael Hale, a friend, former teacher, fellow collector and repair man. 

“The addiction for me set in with how quickly could I basically expand my own personal collection without having to pay for it,” said Hale. 

“I called Rob and I said, 'You know, if it were anyone else but you I wouldn't do this.' I said 'You're crazy enough to pull this off and I'm crazy enough to think it's going to work.' It's neat to see the younger ones that grew up on the cell phone, iPad generation gravitate towards something that is completely new to them,” said Hale.

Over the past 38 years, Berk has also hosted a national pinball convention in Chicago. 

It's the oldest and longest-running show in the hobby, with guests from all over the world. 

“The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Canada. You sit back and look at it, you know this all started from a vision, a dream, a passion. You got a passion you can pull anything off,” said Berk. 

Berk said the hobby of pinball has evolved and is constantly changing, but one that remains constant, with every ball dancing to its own beat. 

“You never know where it's going to go next, so it's more of a mystique in pinball than you'll find in a video. So something you should try once. Once you catch the fever, that's it, man, you're gone. New faces to see the joy in playing these games. So pinball is fun. There's no way out of it,” said Berk. 

Berk plans to open Past Times Arcade in late spring, with visitors paying a set admission price at the door. 

The 39th annual Pinball Expo takes place Oct. 19-21 in Chicago.