Asking for advice from the pinball gurus

[garnerb350]

Hey everybody....I'm almost completed my mame cab and during the times since i have started...I've been slowly more and more interested into buying a pinball machine. I've always played them when i was a child...and now a days you just dont see them anymore...I was hoping if anyone who has experenince in pinball collecting can give me some pointers on what, where, how to begin aon searching and what to look for when it comes to buying a pinball cab. I've checked craigslist and ive seen some sellers , but I couldnt tell ya if the machines are worth the price....I like to get more into this hobbie, but like before , I am new to this....I feel like an orphan 16 year old trying to find and buy a new car after being stranded on deserted island for 15 years...Any advice would help...Thanks

[shardian]

There are 2 ways into the pin hobby, and you have to decide which one you want to start with. There are those that enter to learn from the start how to work on them, and those who just want to play - and don't give a crap about what is under the hood.

Which one are you? I decided to buy a junker and force myself to learn everything before I could enjoy my machine. Would I do it again if given a do-over? Darn right I would. Fixing/maintaining a pin can be much more of a time investment than a vid.

[ChadTower]

You also have to decide if you just want a game that plays well or if you want a game that looks mint too.  Two different grades of acquisition.

[OTTOgd]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, garnerb350, except I don`t even have a MAME cab ... yet. I`m getting the pinhead bug too.

I got hooked after I noticed pincabs being built and seeing Hyperspins new HyperPin FE (check out this thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=89651.40). I tried some Visual Pinball tables (www.vpforums.net) and started to reminisce. I wanted to find out what tables were highly rated since there are tons of VP tables and ended up on Internet Pinball Database`s Top 300 list (www.ipdb.org). Then I started reading individual ratings/opinions on the pinball machines. I must have played over 75 Visual pinball machines and now I want a real pinball machine ... I think. I haven`t played a `real`pinball in years and was planning on finding one today and even waiting to hear back about a pinball someone has for sale that I could play-test tomorrow. 

If money was no object then I would buy something mint ... or three. But I`m not wealthy and I do enjoy tinkering and a mediocre conditioned table sounds like fun. But a mini-pin like this: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=91235.0 might be uber-cool too.

So much neat stuff and so little time and money.

[garnerb350]

Which one are you?

I want to be both...greasemonkey and player...When I was in high school back in 90,  I worked at an arcade and I loved to tinker with the shooting gallery and machines when i would collect the money...I was blown away by the old 1950 baseball pinball machines that were there and wondered how they worked... 4 years ago a guy gave me an old pacinko machine and I ended up taking it apart because I wanted to know ....Something about pinball machines make me nostasgic....Plus, just to have Haunted House or Black Lagoon or 6 million $ man sitting in my house would be awesome....

On my mame cab...I have FPinball and VPinball...I loved how people recreated the classic machines...but it is nothing compared to the times hanging out at Pizza Hut and jamming quarters in...

If money was no object then I would buy something mint ... or three. But I`m not wealthy...

Yeap OTTOgd...you and me are in the same boat...

[shardian]

Well if you want a Haunted House, then it is a good thing you want to get your hands dirty! 

Everyone has an ideal list of games they want, but you never know what games will catch your attention and hold it. I really like my game. Jim got that Seawitch game as an afterthought, and it has won him over. There are many, many games out there - don't pigeonhole yourself into only wanting a short list of expensive games if you want to learn the ins and outs of games. You may just find what you TRULY like in a game is completely different than what you THOUGHT you liked.

Good luck!

[Cyberflexx]

You can also load up virtual pinball and some tables to see what ones you really like.  This will give an idea of what machines to look for..

[OTTOgd]

You may just find what you TRULY like in a game is completely different than what you THOUGHT you liked.

Exactly! I know that I need to drop some coins into some real pins and decide whether I`m in love with the idea.

I think I`m a late 80s-early 90s (who isn`t, I guess) but early Williams tables might be a good starting point for me. Fits of High Speed nostalgia (http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?gid=1176) are getting me hot! 3 are currently available for sale in my area. Fewer bells n whistles but great game play ... and less expensive.

Have you seen this company: http://www.classicplayfields.com/. They`re reproducing new playfields and plastics. Be sure to check out the PreOrder as well as the Store. It might make looking for a cheap, worn pin worthwhile.  

[pinballwizard79]

I would get a cheap & sorta dirty but fully working machine in decent shape. It will break, probably when you get it home but hopefully not until after a few months of playing. Then one day clean up, fix what you broke you will do well without worries of ruining a priceless machine.

Or buy a fully restored pinball machine the price of a jetski & make sure you have a reputable tech work on it ANYTIME it needs ANYTHING.

Either are fine, neither way you go is better than the other. Money & the minty cool ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- spent to buy it is nice, at the same time being a true hobbyist who works on his own scores is cool too.

I bought clean machines that are not high on people collectible lists, thats sort of the middle ground IMHO.

[Visitor Q]

I would just buy a pin you like and have at it. One word of suggestion though, be prepared to lean how to work on them as they do need maintenance from time to time. For me the best way of learning is doing… Soldering is my next hurtle. =]

[JonProphet]

Do NOT get one that is to technical. I would stick with the Williams System 11 stuff. That is what I did. I bought one off eBay that doesn't have any issues but is a player not a looker. I'm getting ready to do a shop job on it here soon, then next winter it is getting broken down for a play-field restore and clear coat job.

If you get one that is to complicated, IE, Star Trek: TNG, Indiana Jones, Twilight Zone (all go for good money) you may regret it as you can't work on your pin skill and you may get bored with the game. Also, I've been told by many sources that one pin isn't enough.... so plan on buying another shortly there after.

Games I would recommend from my limited knowledge:

The Machine: BoP (good beginner to skilled pinball) Just watch the center shots
Highspeed II
F14 Tomcat
Black Knight or 2K.

These are all late 80's early 90's that aren't that complicated and are just prior to the Dot Matrix Display days. Good mix of early solid state design and more complex rules than your standard fair 80's SS pins.

My last recommendation is to get with an Operator that still has pins on location and go play them. Figure out if you truly want a pin.

And my last opinion. Virtual Pin ain't got nuphin on a real pin.

-JD-