1st pinball machine - GOT ONE!!! SORCERER 1985

[vintagegamer]

OK, now that my Asteroids and Ms Pac machines are running, the tractor beam is sucking me in and making me consider a CHEAP first pinball machine...

Anyone know of one in the ballpark of $500 or less?  OK if it needs work.

VINTAGEGAMER

[SavannahLion]

Heh, I read that title and thought you were looking for the first pinball machine. That'd be one hell of an acquisition.

[Buddabing]

I think that for $500 you can get a working electromechanical (EM) pin in good condition.

Modern pins typically cost more. $500 usually will get you a pin with a trashed-out playfield and/or backglass.

[Guaranos]

I got a 1986 Motordome pinball machine for $300 last year.  It needed some help (2 new transistors, 1 coil, and a few playfield touchups) but plays great now. 

If you want one for under $500 that isn't an electromechanical, your best bet is to look for one of the less popular models, like Motordome.  What I found is that since even fixed up, these less popular games sell for only $600 or $700, a lot of the pinball repair/sell guys won't "waste" their time on them even if it's an easy fix.  They'd rather spend that same amount of time fixing a more expensive machine.  I can kind of see the logic.  I mean, if you only have an hour to spend working on things, do you want to spend your hour fixing the machine that will only sell for $600, or the one next to it that will sell for $1500?

[shardian]

You can definitely get a working pin for $500. Just start a local search on ebay for pinball. They'll show up every once in a while. Post your location and maybe someone on here can get you into the local pinball loop.

[vintagegamer]

Thanks guys, I'm already monitoring some 

[slycrel]

Check the mr pinball classifieds for a recent history of what games are going for and from where.  Best of luck.  =)

[ChadTower]

Mr pinball only tells you what people asked for, not what they received, if the pin sold at all.

[shardian]

Mr pinball only tells you what people asked for, not what they received, if the pin sold at all.

Yeah, those classifieds are full of overpriced pins.

[vintagegamer]

I ended up buying a SORCERER pin from 1985!!!  Plays great but no sound.  I've done some research and apparently it's either the speaker(s) are blown or the sound board is shot.

I will be getting it home soon, but can someone recommend where to pick these parts up from if they need to be replaced?  Also, if it's not either of those possibilities, can someone suggest any other common problems with the sound on this machine?  Thanks in advance!

VINTAGEGAMER

(oh, she could use a better back-glass too if anyone's got one lying around)