so i'll never forget: it runs in the family

We've been visiting family in Atlanta for the past two weeks and there have been lots of "bloggable moments" that I'm hoping to get to eventually. One such event was a quick thrifting outing with my dad who also shares the love of finding hidden treasures and bargains. We had been looking for a moment to steal away together to hit the charity stores down here since there's quite a few of them!

The first place we stopped in was The Hope Store. I had popped in to one of their locations early on in the trip and wasn't all that impressed. But Dad took me to a second location which had more of a vintage flair and was filled with more of the "junk" I'm used to sorting through. It didn't take us long before we spotted something of interest at the back of the store.

It was large, disassembled, and amidst a bunch of lawn furniture: a 1978 Atari pinball machine. The legs were gone and the top was separate from the bottom. Also the glass was missing on the playing area. Regardless, the back glass and the graphics appeared in fantastic condition.

The man working there didn't know how much it was priced for so he had to call a manager. She listed it at $45. I thought that was a decent price as the back glass could easily sell for that much on its own. But it was a big bulky item to deal with and Dad didn't take the bait right away. After looking it over for a few more minutes, the man said we could take it for $25. Dad agreed.

This was a great bonding moment for me and I think Dad will have fun getting this thing in working order. And I will feel like I had a part to play in such a unique find that will be a sure conversation piece in the Douglass household...though some may see my part as a corrupting influence. ;)

Here's a photo of the very same pinball machine in full working order.