New to pinball. Suggestions?

[theyangman]

Hey guys! Been sniffing around for several months now and I am ready to take the plunge on my first machine. I have about a dozen arcade machines, but no pins. Looking for some advice on things to look for and suggestions on some under the radar games that are still quasi-affordable.

I grew up in the heyday of arcades in the 90's and I remember playing many pins and sadly many seem to be out of the realm of reality for me to purchase, like Theatre of Magic, Twilight Zone and Addams Family. I do have a soft spot for Fish Tales, Cactus Canyon and Funhouse as I played these a ton at my local arcade too. I have about 4000 set aside for my first pin. I suppose I could up the budget to 6000 but this is going to be the ceiling on my first pin.

While i don't want it to look like it has been beat to sh*t, having minor cosmetic issues won't bother me the slightest.

What should I look for in my first machine? I am pretty handy at fixing things and replacing items, I have been playing Pinball Arcade on my phone for months now and I am getting the itch for a real thing and ready to take the plunge. Any suggestions on other games?

Other games I recall playing a lot of are:

Star Trek the Next Gen.
Terminator 2
Circus Voltaire
White Water
Whirlwind

 

[eh97ac]

Get out to some members houses (bring beer ), you'd be surprised how much the pins you remember aren't that great and pins you never heard of are awesome.

 

[dnewman]

Getting your feet wet with a Terminator 2 wouldn't be the worst thing you could do. It's a fun game, and everyone you have over will remember it. In my opinion, it's still an undervalued pin right now, but even so, I would expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $4,000 for one.
TOM, TZ, TAF, CV, CC, FH, and WW, are almost certainly going to be beyond the budget you indicated. Whirlwind, and STTNG might get in under the wire.
Connect with a lot of the really helpful people on this site. Don't get 'buck fever' when going to see your first potential purchase - they made lots of these pins, so if it doesn't feel right, don't buy it. Another one will come along.
When it comes to an actual purchase, check out this thread for how to transport it:

http://www.pinballrevolution.com/threads/how-to-load-and-unload-a-machine.4633/

Good luck!

 

[Menace]

Where you are located in London, I highly suggest you head over to Speed City Records (they are on Sringbank) and talk to Mike. He sells pinball machines out of his shop (he has a bunch setup there for play too) and knows all of the local collectors and can probably put you in touch with some of them to try and help find something you might be interested in. Hell, he might even have something available himself! Normally you'll find older games (EM and classic SS there) but I talk to him quite a bit and he gets his fair share of DMD's too. (He's the one responsible for all the pins at Call the Office)

D

 

[Fifty]

If you don't like to spend money then don't get into this hobby!

Otherwise enjoy! My advice is to always play before you buy. Play for at least a half hour. Never buy sight unseen.

 

[Chris Bardon]

I'll echo getting out and playing as many machines as you can before you decide what to buy-looking for leagues or tournaments nearby is a good start too (and "nearby" can vary depending on how far you want to drive for pinball).

As for what to look for-get something that works (i.e. not a project) and play the hell out of it. If you're at 4-6k, you should be able to get something good. Prices are high right now, but things may be calming down a little (wasn't there just a $4500 NGG-I'd think at least 5-6 in today's market).

 

[mwong168]

Of all the games listed I think STTNG if probably the best bang for buck pin for under $6000. Keep in mind STTNG ownership is not for the faint at heart because it can be a bit of a pain to get up and running reliably 100%. Steve Ritchie jammed so much stuff into this pin and there are so many optos that could go wrong and make the game go crazy stupid. So if you go after this title I would probably recommend you buying one that has been in good hands and been bulletproofed with most of the issues worked out.

I would recommend joining your local pinball league such as LOPL so this way you get exposed to many different titles so this way you can determine what you really like and don't like before you even being your hunt.

(wasn't there just a $4500 NGG-I'd think at least 5-6 in today's market).

Yes mitch_a had a pretty nice looking NGG listed for $4500 which now pending pick up. I sold mine for about this much almost 2 years ago to a friend and it's a really fun game if you can look past the incomplete code. Also very fast playing for a Lawlor too!

 

[mitch_a]

So your saying i sold it to low lol.

 

[mwong168]

So your saying i sold it to low lol.

Clearly because I have seen Demoman's listed for $6000 and TOM's with playfield wear creeping up to $10k

 

[mitch_a]

I have a super nice demoman with chrome armor and mirror blades Id do for $5800 if people are actually paying those prices.

 

[Chris Bardon]

So your saying i sold it to low lol.

Lower than I'd expect to see a NGG for these days

I don't think I'd recommend STTNG as a first pin, because if it fails, it fails SPECTACULARLY. T2, Whitewater, and Fish Tales are all good choices for a first game too. They seem simple enough to get/keep running, and there's a decent amount of play in each.

See what's out there though-most of the games I own now are games I'd never seen before TOPL.

 

[theyangman]

I've really been hammering on Fish Tales on Pinball Arcade lately. It's a blast to play. I love the colors and lights too. I'm a sucker for a nice bright, blinky machine.....

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[BMHouze]

I vote for Fish Tales.
Of course you have enough for Nascar, Judge Dredd, BSD, etc.
Lots of good pins in your range.
Just make sure it does not have ramps or other major parts you can't find replacements for (Checkpoint for me)...

 

[theyangman]

What is BDSD?

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[Slam_Tilt]

What is BDSD?

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He meant BSD - Bram Stockers Dracula

 

[theyangman]

I was gonna say... I was hoping he wasn't suggestion BDSM.....

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[DRANO]

This hobby must be spiralling out of control faster than I thought. I'm reading that even a game like Fun House is out of this guy's reach with a $4-$6k budget? And upwards of $4K for a T2?

I'd better give Rudy a spit shine and get him listed quickly

It's a great thing I got most of my modern pins early on and am now interested in 80s junk

Good luck with the hunt!

 

[FastEd]

Where does the lineup start for your FH!

 

[theyangman]

I agree funhouse should be like 2 - 3k Drano....

Sell yours to me and I'll take it off your hands.



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[DRANO]

I agree funhouse should be like 2 - 3k Drano....

Sell yours to me and I'll take it off your hands.

Oh, if I had a buck for every time I heard that....
Apparently I still wouldn't be able to afford a Funhouse


I'm sure I could get in the area of $4-$4.5K for my example... But with a $6K budget you should have no issues; aside from locating one to buy.