Pinball, where to start?

[Rando]

Hey all,
Working on finishing my basement, working on my MAME cab, wife wants a Pinball machine (maybe 2?) in Gameroom as well.  I'm not really sure where to go with that request, so starting here.  Yes I've played Pinball, I know they're expensive when in good condition, and there are all types of variations and styles.  Aside from that, I'm pretty clueless.  Seen them on eBay and Craigs, but not really sure what I'm looking at.

Not looking for top of the line, probably looking for machines from 80's or 90's for playability she would be familiar with but with good replayability.  I don't have any restoring experience so I'd be looking for working machines in decent shape, but I'm good with tools and tackling projects so if the mechanics were ok but the legs needed replacement or such I'd be fine.

What do I need to look for, and where should I start, to make educated buying decisions?

Thanks for insight!

[Krupa]

wife wants a Pinball machine (maybe 2?)

First off, you're a lucky man. 

I was where you are about a year and half ago. Wanted to get one but didn't know anything about them.  I presently have 6 and plan to get more.  I'd set a budget to begin with. There were a lot of pins made in the 80's and 90's and knowing how much you're looking to spend really helps narrow it down.  Searching Mr. Pinball, Ebay, and Craigslist will give you an idea of what's available within a reasonable driving distance.  I know a lot of people don't like ebay but that's where I got my best deal so far.  And start familiarizing yourself with how to work on these things.  You will be fixing them.  Lots of good stuff here: http://www.pinrepair.com/


 

[HaRuMaN]

If you really want the good pinball deals, there's a special club of collectors that meets every few months.  I mean, yeah, there's the occasional fluff on E-bay or Craig's List but you won't get anything primo that way.

Be advised that annual membership runs about $1,000 cash a year and you have to be nominated and sponsored by a member in good standing.  I myself am a member but nominations are something I only hand out sparingly.

wtf

[Pinball Wizard]

If you really want the good pinball deals, there's a special club of collectors that meets every few months.  I mean, yeah, there's the occasional fluff on E-bay or Craig's List but you won't get anything primo that way.

Be advised that annual membership runs about $1,000 cash a year and you have to be nominated and sponsored by a member in good standing.  I myself am a member but nominations are something I only hand out sparingly.

Trying to get a thousand dollars plus a bribe for nominations to get rid of your pins huh? I swear if this turns into a cult follow of you there is going to be some serious problems for pinball in the future.

[Q*Bert_OP]

You haven't heard of the NIB club? Membership is open to anyone, but the annual dues are $12000 

[Rando]

Ha,
Thanks all.  So far I'm reviewing the listing of average prices from the Pinball stickie and comparing that to what I see on E-Bay/Craigs.  So far most of what I'm seeing is priced high compared to the averages, which explains the lack of bids.  $1000 membership is a taaaad pricey Jim and this is for a one or two time purchase, so I'll stay an outsider for now.

What I'm looking for I guess is some things to look for, other things to look out for, questions to ask, features to avoid, Manufacturer to consider or avoid, good years vs bad years, etc.

[ChadTower]

Actually, that is a perfectly typical way for a newbie to get introduced to pinball collecting.  He comes in, new guy with either money to buy or a game to sell, and two people swoop in to try and rip him off before he can figure out what is what.  That's what happened to me.

[ed12]

as a pin repairman >40year's<
there is a trusted site to go to
hxxp://www.xmission.com/~daina/classified/index.html
replace xx with tt
it is a very big board for pin ppl

rules
A=contact seller to make sure u are getting what u are after
B=request picture's
C=decide what price rang

ed

[RayB]

And never commit 100% to something sight unseen

[Rando]

Thanks for help so far.
Any database of features for each pinball machine?  I've seen some that look interesting, and others that don't, but without complete descriptions of the actual gameplay I can't make an educated decision.  Is there a ranking of machines from best to worst anywhere that I could refer to?  Currently looking at this one: http://www.bmigaming.com/top100pinball.htm which only has their top 100 and is subjective at best.

Using this listing to get ballpark of expected pricing: http://www.bostonpinball.biz/eBay052910.htm

Any feedback on "The Machine, Bride of Pinbot" specifically?

Thanks,
Randall

[Krupa]

Both of these sites have rankings and reviews.  Take it all with a grain of salt though.  Opinions vary wildly and people tend to praise the machines they own.  Definitely try to play any machine you're considering.  I've yet to find a machine that someone doesn't hate.

http://ipdb.org/

http://pinside.com/

[ChadTower]

I've yet to find a machine that someone doesn't hate.

And by someone he means pinballjim.

[Q*Bert_OP]

Bride of Pinbot is not a bad game, but it gets old quickly. Ask anyone who's owned one. Getting the million shot ruins your score and puts your score in the billionaire's club. If the billionaire's club is disabled, the high score table will have scores too big for the display to show.

I had one for 3 months: paid $700 for it, cleaned it and sold for $1400

It was decent over all, the ramp entrances were broken off, as all are, but there was really no visible wear on the playfield, except where the balls drop from the ramps, which is normal. The cabinet was unfaded, and there were no broken plastics. The displays were in good condition.

If you find a Diamondplate BoP, that's worth slightly more.

[Q*Bert_OP]

I've yet to find a machine that someone doesn't hate.

And by someone he means pinballjim.

Yeah, yeah.  In my estimation there are only about 5 games not worth playing:

Dirty Harry, Junkyard, World Poker Tour, Dr. Who, Who?Dunnit

What about Bram Stoker's Dracula?

Not a Barry Oursler fan? 

[Krupa]

I've yet to find a machine that someone doesn't hate.

And by someone he means pinballjim.

I actually find Jim's opinions to be very reasonable once you get past the overall cynicism.  Some people won't even consider a machine that costs under 4 grand. Or doesn't say Bally or Williams on it.

[Dazz]

Ok, I'll probably get slammed with this, but...  You might want to consider building a digital pin.  Having real pins is wonderful if you have the space to dedicate to multiple machines.  Having one machine will get boring pretty quickly and then you'll start looking to trade/sell it for another and keep that cycle going. 

You already have a MAME cabinet, so you know the basics of a digital pin already.  Build a custom cabinet, drop in a PC and a couple LCD screens and you can have as many tables you want all in the space it takes to have 1 pinball cabinet.  With a digital table there is little maintenance where as real pins may require much more.  Digital pins may not play exactly like a real pin, but they are getting pretty damn close once you start tossing in flashers, shaker motors and solenoids.  I have had real pins as well as my digital pin and I get just as much, if not more, enjoyment from the digital pin since I can easily switch to another table or add another to the 150+ nice quality re-creations.

If you have the money and the space go with a couple nice real pins, but I wouldn't frown upon a digital machine.

[ChadTower]

I'm starting to think there really needs to be one in my house, too.  If I ever get through my project queue that is going to be next.

[Rando]

Ok, I'll probably get slammed with this, but...  You might want to consider building a digital pin.  Having real pins is wonderful if you have the space to dedicate to multiple machines.  Having one machine will get boring pretty quickly and then you'll start looking to trade/sell it for another and keep that cycle going. 

Thanks Dazz,
The concept of a Digital Pin sounds really cool to me, I hadn't even heard of the option before I first came to this site a few months ago.  I pitched it to my wife (she is the one pushing for Pinball) early on and she is very against the idea.  I'd have to have her actually try one out somewhere before I could get her to move on it I think.

The Pinball research has been good though, and I appreciate all the insight above.  This has helped to keep me focused while waiting for Fedex to locate my missing Cabinet pieces. 

Right now I'm talking with a fairly local dealer to see if I can package two machines for around $1500: One old 70's machine for $500ish and a second 80's or 90's machine for around $1000.  I'm not in a hurry though so I'll see where the conversation goes and definitely try anything before I buy.

[garnerb350]

Im craving a pinball machine myself and from reading this thread has been helpful...

Rando, Dazz has a good point... soon as i find the time and funds, I plan on making a virtual pin...

I eventually want to get an actual pinball machine and with me playing Visual Pinball on the PC, its helped me with picking out what games i like and dont like...its even showed me games i never knew...

I myself love Attack from Mars, Circus Voltaire, GunsRoses, Elvira, Tales/Crypt to name a few...

[Cenobyte]

I'm also searching for my first pinball machine. Yesterday I went to see someone that rebuilds these machines and sells them and he had some 15 machines there to try out.  

It's my first machine and I don't plan on collecting them (ahem...) so I want this machine to be perfect. I read reviews, checked out the Top 100 and watched Youtube video's of pinballs until my wife actually thought I owned one, but actually touching, seeing and playing one is the best test. I want a pin that plays nice, holds it's game fun as good as possible, but is also a nice looker and has an appealing theme. I played Road Show and found it to be a very nice game, but I hate the looks of this machine. The two heads make me think of the Chucky movies and I think it's creapy

I also played Terminator 3 and that was a very nice machine to look at, perfect theme, but a less entertaining game. I really like the flashing lights going around the table. Twister was a very nice pin too, but a game that is too fast for my taste. LotR was both attractive and fun to play, but was out of my league moneywise  

I ended up with Star Trek The Next Generation getting the most points on all fronts (for me). Very entertaining game, appealing theme for me and quite a nice looker too, although I miss the real flashing lights action and the "cool looks" that T3 has. I also wanted to try out Twilight Zone, but he did not have it there. In the next couple of days I hope to make a decision on which machine to buy!  

Look, feel and play. That is the only way to find your taste in pinballs. It's hard though, because I don't know many people that have (a) pinball machine(s) and are willing to let you play them.

[ChadTower]

A bit of advice... guys who show up, try every machine in the place, and spend two hours without buying anything don't get treated very well the second time around. 

[ChadTower]

This is exactly why when I'm selling something, usually it's dragged out into another room and as far as the buyer knows, I have nothing else for them to look at.

Yeah.  I usually sell things within the collector community so the visit is as much social as business.  Otherwise I don't have a place to drag a game to isolate it but I will say the other games aren't for sale and aren't getting turned on. 

[Cenobyte]

Well, the guy I tried the machines at was very helpful. He switched on every machine as soon as I entered and couldn't stop talking about them.

He had a STTNG for sale, but he told me the pin was €2900 which is either incorrect or way too expensive. He also told me that the machine was reserved, so I awaited his email. After waiting for a week I found another STTNG and I went to see it. This pin was in very nice condition, but had been sitting in a cold barn for the last two years. We got it working and I bought it on the spot for €1500. I inspected it when I got it home and everything works, no error codes and it has a very nice cabinet and playfield, very little wear and damage. Two flippers were a bit stuck, but readjustment of the flippers solved this problem and the pin works perfectly  

[amendonz]

Nice! Enjoy it mate.

[Rice Cube]

Ive seen videos of a place in southern California that has auctions every 6 weeks on all kinds of machines, arcade, pinball I think, games for tickets, soda machiens, etc.  maybe look into possible auctions near your home. I know you can try the machines out before the auctions start.