Maryland Man Creates Pinball Heaven

SILVER SPRING, Md. - David Silverman designs Japanese gardens for a living. But pinball is what he does for fun.

"I remember as a little kid, I was like 4 and 5 years old, a pinball machine absolutely fascinated me," said Silverman.

As a grown-up, he bought a machine and that was just the start. He now has 870 pinball machines-- most in buildings behind his house in Silver Spring. He will be the first to tell you he's no pinball wizard.

"I'm not very good," he told FOX 5. But he scored big by finding a passion for pinball.

In his collection is the first electric backglass. It was made in 1935. It has glass balls and no flippers.

There's even one signed by rocker Ted Nugent. Silverman says a stroll through pinball history is a lesson in world history. One of his other machines was built in the 1950s.

"These are called pop games-- popular culture," Silverman said, showing it off. "So what's the popular culture of the time? Queen Elizabeth coronation. Queen Elizabeth's never looked like this that I know of."

Most companies who made pinball machines never kept records. So, Silverman says it's up to the collectors. He wants to open a pinball museum.

"I'm just a little cog in the wheel. I want these games and the history of pinball to go on long after I am in the ground," said Silverman.

He says even if he opens a museum, he'll never treat his machines like "museum pieces". People will always be allowed to play them. That, he says, is the whole point.

For a link to the National Pinball Museum website, click here.