Post #525745 by JOHN-O on Fri, Apr 23, 2010 12:54 PM

Las Vegas Trip Report (Part 1)

"Ever since I was a young boy
I've played the silver ball
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all..."

OK, on my last trip report we visited the Atomic Testing Museum. I thought I'd continue on that same Las Vegas high culture note and explore another unique and fascinating place - The Pinball Hall of Fame. The Pinball HOF is located in a non-descript 10,000 square foot building and features several hundred pinball machines dating from the 1950's through the 1990's. It's the realized dream of Michigan native Tim Arnold who operates it as a non-profit organization, all excess revenues go to non-denominational charities.

This being Tiki Central, I thought I'd focus on the existence of Tiki-themed pinball machines. After all, what would be a better mid-century accessory for your home Tiki bar? My Internet research came up with only one related item, the ultra-rare "Bali Hi" machine.

That was the holy grail that I sought as I searched through the many rows of pinball machines, pausing occasionally to play a few games. Sadly it was nowhere to be found, but I did find these two Poly-Pop related machines:

Being the avid urban archaeologist that I am, I went snooping around in the back area where there were machines waiting to be repaired or restored. One particular machine caught my eye as it had some vague abstract Tiki iconography.

As I turned the machine's base around, the following graphics caught my eye (mind you it was upside down). Wait, could it be? Is that really what I think it is? Those look like Tikis !!

Had I just discovered some lost undocumented Tiki pinball machine? With the permission of the floor manager, I dragged out the machine's nearby headboard to get a more detailed look. Hoping to see the word "TIKI" running across the graphics I instead saw the word "TOTEM". Rats, this wasn't a Poly-Pop Tiki theme but rather a Native American theme. :(

BUT if you think about it, "TOTEM" seems like an odd word to use for a Indian pinball machine. Also if you squint your eyes, you could almost imagine the Indian brave as King Kamehameha, the totems as tikis, the brightly colored masks as PNG masks, and the word "TIKI" instead of "TOTEM". Could this have originally been designed with a Tiki theme but with the waning Tiki interest and devolution of the 1970's, the graphics altered at the last minute?

I submit that to you as my anthropological Tiki theory. (C'mon people, work with me here) :)

After that great disappointment, I exited into the parking lot. Just several yards away, the following establishment caught my eye, "Hawaii Massage".

Cool, a Poly-Pop massage parlor !!

As I entered though that door, I asked the receptionist "Excuse me, do you have any Tiki here?" Her response was "Sure honey, but that costs extra." Totally baffled by that remark, I decided to leave and go get a stiff drink.

The Pinball Hall of Fame is located on 1610 E Tropicana Ave just 4 miles East of the Strip (note this is the Pinball HOF's new location).