(Topic ID: 262636)

$3k on a single pin collection?

By snappahead

4 years ago


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  • Latest reply 4 years ago by Mr_Tantrum
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    There are 239 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 5.
    #1 4 years ago

    I was hoping to put the money together for a used Stern Pro, but that seems unlikely now. The best I can probably hope for is $3k which I'm happy to have, but it's a single pin collection and games in this price range tend to be older and I'm hoping to get a pin with a lot of depth. I can probably add one more machine eventually, but it would be a good while with just one. Some things to know...

    I play on location all the time and my favs tend to be the new machines, but I also really enjoy shooting just about anything 90's Bally/Williams as well. I just don't know if any of those would hold up in a single pin home for a decent length of time. I may not be able to switch it out for a while.

    I'd like to get a machine that my wife and I can play together as well. She likes pinball, but is still learning the basics so I was hoping for a machine that's not too brutal to shoot, but has a flexible code for replay value.

    This will be my second machine. I had a High Speed for about 2 years which I enjoyed, but the wife didn't care for it. I'd love to hear some thoughts from you guys.

    #2 4 years ago

    World Poker Tour?

    #3 4 years ago

    I would suggest bumping it up to around $3500 and you can get yourself a nice Shadow and be done with it.

    #4 4 years ago
    Quoted from isJ:

    World Poker Tour?

    Hmm..interesting choice. I hadn't considered this one, but it does fit a lot of the criteria. Poker does nothing for me and the wife will probably hate the theme, but layout and coding shows promise other than the drop targets directly above the flippers. Never been a fan of that. Cheers!

    18
    #5 4 years ago

    What’s the best way to find out what pinside thinks is the best $4k game?

    Ask them what the best 3k game is!

    I will however stick with your parameters. Give up all hope of a “used stern pro” unless you’d be happy with a truly bad game like CSI, NASCAR, or maybe a WPT. These are bad games and you’ll regret buying them once the initial convincing yourself you love it stage is over.

    You are squarely in Williams 90s B list town, t2, Nba, gilligans, black rose, Jackbot, etc.

    I think you Best Buy is probably Jackbot. Deceptively deep rule set- in fact without cheating, you’ll likely NEVER complete mega visor and get the mega jackpot. I’ve probably
    Done it 2 or 3 times in 20 years of steady Jackbot play and I’m pretty good at pinball. It’s a simple
    Game for noobs to grasp, its fun, has a great rule set, and looks and sounds great. And you can truly actually still find them for $3,000, unlike all the other 90s games people are going to suggest that are $3500 and up.

    #6 4 years ago
    Quoted from V4Vendetta:

    I would suggest bumping it up to around $3500 and you can get yourself a nice Shadow and be done with it.

    I'd definitely be interested in a Shadow and might be able to scrounge $500...maybe, but I know it's a brutal game and might be too tough for my wife.

    #7 4 years ago

    I'd buy a nice System 11 and bank 500 for future upgrades / repairs / next machine.

    Or, I'd buy the cleanest FT I could find. Because, it just doesn't get any better for a stand alone Pin for me. And, go figure, that's exactly what I did...

    I don't like depth of code as much as fast play, tough shots and a choice of strategies for scoring.

    #8 4 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    What’s the best way to find out what pinside thinks is the best $4k game?
    Ask them what the best 3k game is!
    I will however stick with your parameters. Give up all hope of a “used stern pro” unless you’d be happy with a truly bad game like CSI, NASCAR, or maybe a WPT. These are bad games and you’ll regret buying them once the initial convincing yourself you love it stage is over.
    You are squarely in Williams 90s B list town, t2, Nba, gilligans, black rose, Jackbot, etc.
    I think you Best Buy is probably Jackbot. Deceptively deep rule set- in fact without cheating, you’ll likely NEVER complete mega visor and get the mega jackpot. I’ve probably
    Done it 2 or 3 times in 20 years of steady Jackbot play and I’m pretty good at pinball. It’s a simple
    Game for noobs to grasp, its fun, has a great rule set, and looks and sounds great. And you can truly actually still find them for $3,000, unlike all the other 90s games people
    Are going to suggest that are $3500 and up.

    LOL, I figured this would be the case, so I asked low. I can probably do $3.5k just barely, so I went with $3k.

    Jackbot sounds pretty good and looks great, but I just don't like that Pinbot layout. Never have been able to get into that one. Love the idea behind it though. Thanks for the suggestion.

    #9 4 years ago
    Quoted from guitarded:

    I'd buy a nice System 11 and bank 500 for future upgrades / repairs / next machine.
    Or, I'd buy the cleanest FT I could find. Because, it just doesn't get any better for a stand alone Pin for me. And, go figure, that's exactly what I did...
    I don't like depth of code as much as fast play, tough shots and a choice of strategies for scoring.

    I hear you. I really enjoy shooting system 11s, but after owning a High Speed for a while, I realized I'm more of a mode guy and really like having something to play through other than just building a score. Plus, my wife likes modes, so I'd try to meet her halfway somehow.

    #10 4 years ago
    Quoted from snappahead:

    I'd definitely be interested in a Shadow and might be able to scrounge $500...maybe, but I know it's a brutal game and might be too tough for my wife.

    Unfortunately, The Shadow usually falls in the 4k+ range these days. Great game with depth, however.

    #11 4 years ago

    A JD just got listed for $2,750. Buy that, enjoy the hell out of it, and put the remaining cash in reserves.

    Beyond JD, I’ve owned and enjoyed FT, TFTC, and RS, all of which should be in and around your price range.

    #12 4 years ago

    Since you said 3500...i have included pins up to that price, but several of these can be found for 3k or less:

    Fish tales, bram stokers Dracula, the getaway(since you already had high speed), stargate, judge dredd, LAH, black rose, nba, dr who, whodunit, tftc, dirty harry, roadshow....maybe if you get lucky, you could score a funhouse or rbion in the 3500ish area

    I would probably go for judge dredd and put the rest towards your next pin

    #13 4 years ago
    Quoted from Daditude:

    Unfortunately, The Shadow usually falls in the 4k+ range these days. Great game with depth, however.

    That's what I was afraid of. It's an awesome game, but everyone knows that so I figured it would be more than Pinside suggested.

    #14 4 years ago
    Quoted from BeaglePuss:

    A JD just got listed for $2,750. Buy that, enjoy the hell out of it, and put the remaining cash in reserves.
    Beyond JD, I’ve owned and enjoyed FT, TFTC, and RS, all of which should be in and around your price range.

    JD is a good suggestion. I've never played a real one (pinball arcade version only)so I don't know how really I feel about it, but it looks solid.

    I do like Road Show, but I don't know how it'll hold up at home. Thanks!

    #15 4 years ago
    Quoted from Daditude:

    Since you said 3500...i have included pins up to that price, but several of these can be found for 3k or less:
    Fish tales, bram stokers Dracula, the getaway(since you already had high speed), stargate, judge dredd, LAH, black rose, nba, dr who, whodunit, tftc, dirty harry, roadshow....maybe if you get lucky, you could score a funhouse or rbion in the 3500ish area
    I would probably go for judge dredd and put the rest towards your next pin

    Lots of ideas. Thanks. Dracula is great, but brutal and point based, so probably not the best option for me right now. Fish Tales is fun, but seems shallow to me. I know people like it but it feels like a two shot pin. Am I wrong about it? I've heard good things about Dirty Harry, but I've never played one. Need to look into that one. That's two votes for Judge Dredd.

    #16 4 years ago

    Concur, JD is a good choice, don't know how it has managed to stay around the $3K mark, its a very good deal at that price.

    10
    #17 4 years ago
    Quoted from snappahead:

    JD is a good suggestion. I've never played a real one (pinball arcade version only)so I don't know how really I feel about it, but it looks solid.
    I do like Road Show, but I don't know how it'll hold up at home. Thanks!

    Why not buy a game You like or save for one You want? Buying pinball based on what someone else thinks is fun or by whats in your wallet will more than likely end in a poor buying decision.

    #18 4 years ago

    You are not too far off the mark for better Stern pros. I’d keep playing local, save and not settle if that is the goal.

    Option 2, keep enjoying system 11s for less- good titles, highly replay ability, under 3k. Enjoy now and sell later without a hit while you save.

    Good luck!

    #19 4 years ago
    Quoted from Yelobird:

    Why not buy a game You like or save for one You want? Buying pinball based on what someone else thinks is fun or by whats in your wallet will more than likely end in a poor buying decision.

    Fair questions. I've sold some things off to get this money together and I don't want to tap into our savings or sacrifice family things for my hobby. It's just a decision I've made. We're comfortable, but don't have a lot of "play" money. If I can't get a machine I like for this price range, I'll put the money towards something else and play on location exclusively.

    As for asking other people, my experience with all of these machines is limited to my short times with them on location, so I can't say I know them very well. People who have or had at one time owned these games know better than I do how they hold up at home. It's just a way to help make a decision, but ultimately, I'll have to make the final call.

    #20 4 years ago

    Stern: wpt and Sopranos

    Or 2 system 11's: police force and f14

    JD, JM, maverick plus a project system 11

    #21 4 years ago

    Another vote for WPT - a game I kept for many years with lots of things to do (I never reached the Grand Finale) and balanced ruleset.
    And I don't even like Poker.

    Dr Who and Dracula are also good choices !

    #22 4 years ago

    WPT is the best valued game out there. It's the only game I've purchased twice and actually kept it the second time.

    #23 4 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    What’s the best way to find out what pinside thinks is the best $4k game?
    Ask them what the best 3k game is!
    I will however stick with your parameters. Give up all hope of a “used stern pro” unless you’d be happy with a truly bad game like CSI, NASCAR, or maybe a WPT. These are bad games and you’ll regret buying them once the initial convincing yourself you love it stage is over.
    You are squarely in Williams 90s B list town, t2, Nba, gilligans, black rose, Jackbot, etc.
    I think you Best Buy is probably Jackbot. Deceptively deep rule set- in fact without cheating, you’ll likely NEVER complete mega visor and get the mega jackpot. I’ve probably
    Done it 2 or 3 times in 20 years of steady Jackbot play and I’m pretty good at pinball. It’s a simple
    Game for noobs to grasp, its fun, has a great rule set, and looks and sounds great. And you can truly actually still find them for $3,000, unlike all the other 90s games people are going to suggest that are $3500 and up.

    It's funny you say that, I own both WPT and Jackbot and find them both nice and challenging. It's just... What are you looking for? It just tells me there are some good games out there for 2500-3500.

    WPT is deceptively deep, but if you're not a poker fan... you really would have to convince yourself to keep it. However it has modes and features I will likely never see because of the depth.

    Jackbot has a much broader appeal, and if you have friends over to play, they will play that one. It ain't SUPER deep, but there may never be a more exhilarating mode in pinball than Casino Run.

    #24 4 years ago
    Quoted from Vino:

    You are not too far off the mark for better Stern pros. I’d keep playing local and save a bit more to not settle if that is the goal.
    Otherwise what you did with HS isn’t bad option - high replay ability with system 11 - and found below 3k. Enjoy for a bit and sell.

    Our money's pretty tied up, so this cash is about all I have for pinball. I'll be happy to get a machine in this price range. Just trying to figure out the best bang for my buck.

    #25 4 years ago
    Quoted from woody76:

    Stern: wpt and Sopranos
    Or 2 system 11's: police force and f14
    JD, JM, maverick plus a project system 11

    I'll have to see what Sopranos are going for. I figured it was a 4k game still. Another vote for Dredd. JM is a game I've looked at. Never played one, but seems like a lot of game for the price. Cheers Woody. Hey, can I have your Shadow?

    #26 4 years ago
    Quoted from jlm33:

    Another vote for WPT - a game I kept for many years with lots of things to do (I never reached the Grand Finale) and balanced ruleset.
    And I don't even like Poker.
    Dr Who and Dracula are also good choices !

    Wow, interesting. Never would've thought so about WPT, but that's good to know. Thanks.

    #27 4 years ago
    Quoted from PokerJake:

    WPT is the best valued game out there. It's the only game I've purchased twice and actually kept it the second time.

    That does say a lot. It has a lot of votes here. Thanks.

    #28 4 years ago
    Quoted from alexmogil:

    It's funny you say that, I own both WPT and Jackbot and find them both nice and challenging. It's just... What are you looking for? It just tells me there are some good games out there for 2500-3500.
    WPT is deceptively deep, but if you're not a poker fan... you really would have to convince yourself to keep it. However it has modes and features I will likely never see because of the depth.
    Jackbot has a much broader appeal, and if you have friends over to play, they will play that one. It ain't SUPER deep, but there may never be a more exhilarating mode in pinball than Casino Run.

    I'm looking for shot variety and some code depth for me and that's not too brutal for my wife and can be had for the price range listed. It's a lot of criteria given the budget I guess.

    The layout on Jack Bot. I'll go watch some gameplay. Pinbot was a single shot game, but this must be deeper than that to get several suggestions. Thanks.

    #29 4 years ago
    Quoted from snappahead:

    That does say a lot. It has a lot of votes here. Thanks.

    Don’t trust someone named Poker Jake, he’s obviously biased!!

    WPT’s major drawbacks are absolutely terrible art and some of the worst sound and music in pinball. It indeed has a very deep ruleset to complement a very dull playfield layout.

    I have friends who have gone the “bargain route / you get so much game for so little money!!” On this title before and in the end they were pretty dissatisfied.

    If you can get one under $3k you’ll always be able to dump it for that but I would not reach past your budget to acquire one.

    #30 4 years ago

    EDIT: Help if I learn to read a bit closer.

    Getting a game both you and the wife will like in older games is going to be difficult. People are suggesting WPT but unless your wife is really into poker it isn't going to appeal to her. Much of the older games are not themes women prefer. If she's into interesting artwork/pretty things you might be able to get her on games with amazing artwork, but that won't always translate to great game play. The question is if she's actually really into pinball and will actually play it more than a handful of times, or just is being nice because it is something you like.

    You might be better off actually going out and playing games in your area with her and see if any draw her in and then make a decision based on that.

    #31 4 years ago
    Quoted from snappahead:

    I'm looking for shot variety and some code depth for me and that's not too brutal for my wife and can be had for the price range listed. It's a lot of criteria given the budget I guess.
    The layout on Jack Bot. I'll go watch some gameplay. Pinbot was a single shot game, but this must be deeper than that to get several suggestions. Thanks.

    I'm going to give you a generalization here: I have found that women LOVE Jackbot. I bought the game for my wife because she loves it so much. My local arcade owns one also and it and South Park are the games most women play.

    Have her look at the videos as well... Try and find one to play!

    #32 4 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    Don’t trust someone named Poker Jake, he’s obviously biased!!
    WPT’s major drawbacks are absolutely terrible art and some of the worst sound and music in pinball. It indeed has a very deep ruleset to complement a very dull playfield layout.
    I have friends who have gone the “bargain route / you get so much game for so little money!!” On this title before and in the end they were pretty dissatisfied.
    If you can get one under $3k you’ll always be able to dump it for that but I would not reach past your budget to acquire one.

    No argument here. It's ugly as sin. I havent played it, but I'll watch some video. It's not very high on my list right now, but something worth considering.

    #33 4 years ago

    Snappa - come drive up to WV, you and she can play all day at the house to help you decide!

    #34 4 years ago
    Quoted from Zablon:

    Since a lot of this has been popping up lately, I'm going to take a different approach.
    Pinballs are...luxury items. If you can 'only' get X amount of money, the question isn't 'what pinball should you get' it is 'should you get a pinball'. Pinball pricing is at an all time high, NOW is not the time to get a machine if you can't afford them. Ideally, if you have money, you would just save longer until you have enough to buy what you want, rather than say 'I can only get this amount'.
    That doesn't mean you can't keep an eye out for something cheap, but really, you will be hard pressed unless you completely luck out on something. I think the issue here is, you want it 'now' and don't want to wait, but why? You clearly don't know what you want - and most people who enjoy pinball either luck into something pretty cheap which gets them started, or they know exactly what game they want, and save the money to get said game. Good luck to you, definitely not trying to deter you from getting a game, but I would say get a game you actually want, rather than ask people on a forum what game you can get for X money.

    Yes, they absolutely are the definition of luxury items. That's why I'm not willing to take money from anywhere else to get one. Saving isn't an option for me because of this. I was hoping the items would generate enough to get a new machine, but it probably won't and I'm okay with that. I had a few things I was willing to sell to make this money for a machine and that's all I'll be able to spend because this is considered "found money" to me. Again, these are just my rules.

    I do know what I want in that I enjoy a ton of different games for different reasons, but being a single pin situation, it seems sensible to ask players that have these machines in the home for their thoughts. A game that's a blast on location might not be a good choice for my situation, but it's hard to know that without owning them..or asking someone who does.

    I appreciate your thoughts.

    #35 4 years ago
    Quoted from alexmogil:

    Snappa - come drive up to WV, you and she can play all day at the house to help you decide!

    Haha, I might have to. No Jack Bots around here and I've tried showing her video of pins and she doesn't really understand what it is until she sees it in person.

    #36 4 years ago

    See! I told you it was Jackbot!

    That game rules.

    #37 4 years ago
    Quoted from snappahead:

    I'll have to see what Sopranos are going for. I figured it was a 4k game still. Another vote for Dredd. JM is a game I've looked at. Never played one, but seems like a lot of game for the price. Cheers Woody. Hey, can I have your Shadow?

    Dude, I didnt even realize this was you. Nice meeting you the other night. If you want a stern wpt and Sopranos is about all that's out there for $3k. A Sopranos just sold for $3k on pinside. You might just want to sock away a couple hundred dollars a month for a bit and get you a iron maiden or jp pro

    #38 4 years ago

    I would be patient on an X-men pro popping up in your budget. You mentioned maybe being able to squeeze another $500, which would put you in the X-men pro range. I’ve seen a few in the 3250-3600 range recently.

    Super deep game, interesting shots, good theme, terrible callouts

    #39 4 years ago
    Quoted from Daditude:

    The Shadow usually falls in the 4k+ range these days.

    Crazy how the 90's B titles are fetching so much now and Sterns keep dropping.

    #40 4 years ago
    Quoted from woody76:

    Dude, I didnt even realize this was you. Nice meeting you the other night. If you want a stern wpt and Sopranos is about all that's out there for $3k. A Sopranos just sold for $3k on pinside. You might just want to sock away a couple hundred dollars a month for a bit and get you a iron maiden or jp pro

    Haha, hey man. Yeah, I was only really looking at the newer Stern pros when I thought that I'd have the budget for one, but I don't think so now. Whatever I get from selling these few things will be my pinball budget, so saving isn't really an option for me. I'll enjoy whatever I end up with, but if I can check all the boxes for this price range, all the better.

    #41 4 years ago

    Maybe buy a cheaper pin. Fix it up. Roll it over. Do this a few times. And you'll learn. Experience different games. And increase your budget for a more permanent pin.

    LTG : )

    #42 4 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    WPT’s major drawbacks are absolutely terrible art and some of the worst sound and music in pinball. It indeed has a very deep ruleset to complement a very dull playfield layout.

    Playfield art is perfectly servicable and that's what you're looking at while playing... stick the cab between two other games and remove the backlight and it looks fine. Never had a problem with the tunes, and the callouts are pretty funny at times (Player three has crabs!) WPT is a great player, has the modes you're looking for, good rules to blow up scoring and tons of depth. I owned both for years and would definitely recommend WPT over Jackbot in a small collection.

    Just saw another post pop in.. WPT is also a better player than XMen IMHO.. remember, it's the gawdawful art that's keeping WPT prices low, so if gameplay is what you want, it's a good sleeper!

    #43 4 years ago
    Quoted from jdoz2:

    I would be patient on an X-men pro popping up in your budget. You mentioned maybe being able to squeeze another $500, which would put you in the X-men pro range. I’ve seen a few in the 3250-3600 range recently.
    Super deep game, interesting shots, good theme, terrible callouts

    I'm a comic nerd so I did look at this one. It seems to be creeping up in price.

    #44 4 years ago

    X men blows. And you won’t find one for close to $3k.

    Sopranos is perfectly average and it’s a $4k game these days.

    Dredd is a poor game. Less than the sum of its parts.

    #45 4 years ago

    Lots of data East Jurassic Park for sale lately all around $3k, has plenty of modes, varied shots a wizard mode, 3 different multiballs I think and the theme is great for most people. Seems like an easy game to move to if you keep it a year and get bored and want to move on

    #46 4 years ago
    Quoted from BeaglePuss:

    A JD just got listed for $2,750. Buy that, enjoy the hell out of it, and put the remaining cash in reserves.
    Beyond JD, I’ve owned and enjoyed FT, TFTC, and RS, all of which should be in and around your price range.

    I had a JD, great widebody pin. So good I even bought a ColorDMD for it. Heavy tho! Adding a sub really made it shine.

    LAH comes to mind too. There's a Tales from the Crypt listed for $3575 OBO, so maybe you can get him down.

    Actually, scrolling thru the ads, there's some pretty decent pins out there in the mid $3K range.

    #47 4 years ago
    Quoted from Parkshow30:

    Lots of data East Jurassic Park for sale lately all around $3k, has plenty of modes, varied shots a wizard mode, 3 different multiballs I think and the theme is great for most people. Seems like an easy game to move to if you keep it a year and get bored and want to move on

    I’d agree with this! Always an easy sale. It’s an ok game in my estimation. Just something a little off with it, always felt kind of clunky. They ripped off the classic lawlor layout but it’s just not the same with those DE flippers.

    The T. rex is amazing and guests / wives will love it.

    #48 4 years ago
    Quoted from metallik:

    Playfield art is perfectly servicable and that's what you're looking at while playing... stick the cab between two other games and remove the backlight and it looks fine. Never had a problem with the tunes, and the callouts are pretty funny at times (Player three has crabs!) WPT is a great player, has the modes you're looking for, good rules to blow up scoring and tons of depth. I owned both for years and would definitely recommend WPT over Jackbot in a small collection.
    Just saw another post pop in.. WPT is also a better player than XMen IMHO.. remember, it's the gawdawful art that's keeping WPT prices low, so if gameplay is what you want, it's a good sleeper!

    All good stuff. At my budget, I'm not going to be picky about theme so its not a deal breaker by any means. Wish I had one locally to try myself and show the wife if I liked it. If i show her pics or vids, she'll probably think I;m crazy for wanting one.

    #49 4 years ago
    Quoted from snappahead:

    I'm a comic nerd so I did look at this one. It seems to be creeping up in price.

    Here’s some very recent archived asking prices on pinside. Yes, some are above that, but that’s why I mentioned just being patient and waiting for one especially if you did the theme.

    EF42E8EE-40D1-4B36-9751-33E2A5F4B7E2 (resized).pngEF42E8EE-40D1-4B36-9751-33E2A5F4B7E2 (resized).png
    11
    #50 4 years ago

    Whatever you do, don’t get sucked into notion that deep is somehow better. Plenty of enjoyable players under 3k.

    There are 239 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 5.

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