Looking to get into acquiring machines ...

[DanOfTheNorth]

Good afternoon,

I am looking to acquire a few machines and was wondering the best means to do so, I have seen stuff on Kijiji/Craigslist but have a general distrust in people as I know people who have been burned on purchases from there. Is there any legitimate businesses that sell machines at competitive prices? I saw a few websites for businesses but it seemed the average machine price was in the $5,000 to $8,000 range compared to the online ads where they seen to float between $1,500 and $4,500, the obvious exception being anything deemed "special or limited edition".

I have always been a fan and have been known to burn plenty of time on any machines when they are found. I am not looking for a specific machine or specific brand, but would love to get pointed in the right direction to acquire my first machine with the hopes of multitudes more down the line.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations, links, or advice.

 

[BMHouze]

I would suggest playing a few and getting a short list ready.
Save your money and wait....
With Deadpool on the horizon there will be some nice selection available in the near future.
Pick it up and go through the audits before you leave.

 

[Luckydogg420]

The pinball community is fairly small in Ontario, eventually you will bump into the same people. If your looking for a reliable seller, then you could start with the for sale adds here. Most of the sellers here can be vouched for as honest people trying to sell reliable games. If your looking for a certain machine then start a thread or join a league. Many sales are done in person with a handshake, before kijiji adds are made.

Kijiji can be a wild place. First you’ll have to beat the ambulance chasers to find a machine. The condition can be pretty rough, some of these games haven’t been played in years. Second Is the pin flipper that bought a game just to spit shine and mark up in price. Third is the out right scammers. You’ll pick these out quickly. But never send a payment. This hobby deals in “cash on the glass”.

 

[pinballjah]

If you can find a local pinball league, that will give you access to hundreds of different games. I think the Toronto Pinball League has some nights in Mississauga (and maybe one near Hamilton?) so its not too far for you to check out. They usually meet every Monday night. This is the best way, as you can try many different games and find the ones you like. Also, most of the members have games for sale all the time so you just mention what you are looking for and a title will come up for sale eventually. Another option are the pinball shows in the US (Pintastic, Pinfest). These are not too far from Niagara and there are hundreds of games for sale at these shows. They mostly take place in the spring.

In my opinion, you are very fortunate as there is a bigger selection of games for sale in the US and you can find a lot of better prices than in Canada (even with the exchange and GST at the border). Depends on what game you are looking for. Some games cost more in the US than Canada. There are over a 1,000 games for sale on Pinside.com on any given day as well. Good luck with your search.

 

[goodmanners]

You're not going to purchase a pinball from a business and save money. As you have seen they are more expensive from a dealer.
I bought one used pinball in my collection from a dealer and it was double what I should have paid but I wanted it and there it was so I pulled the trigger. I also bought a new pinball machine from a dealer but that is a different experience.

You want to look at the for sale here and have cash ready. Get on MAACA. Also get on Pinside and look at the USA.
Have a truck/van and an iron butt and be prepared to travel to get the pin you want. I drove 10 hours to get the BSD I have - was it worth it? It was to me.

No free lunches. Especially in this hobby.

I would say that you are a bit ahead because you aren't narrowed down to any specific pin. So you can browse and hunt for something you can afford and like. If you hate it then flip it and move onto another machine. And do what BMH suggested - get out and play them to find ones you like. Everyone is different

But I would say if the pinball machine is in the top 20 on Pinside it's going to be expensive. You just have to find the deals within that range and be happy. For example STTNG usually sells around 5 grand. So if you find it for 4 and it isn't battered it's a good deal. But the days of finding it for 3 are long gone.

Good luck.