I like pine for it's cheapness as well. Don't worry about the dings; your not building a heirloom china cabinet just a place to put your drink.
Besides which every dent can be a reminder to a story: "that's where I banged by knee after shootin' everclear"; "there's where I tripped in the dark watching _Tomb Raider_"; "Here's where the wife and I .... well I wont get into that
"