Quoted from LTG: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 : )
I'm not really a guy to do that sort of thing sadly. I love pinball, but haven't spent much time under the hood. It's a sound strategy though.
Quoted from mbwalker: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.
I should give DE games another chance. The ones I've played felt a step or two below Williams which is the standard I judge all pinball. They do have great themes like JP and TftC though and prices are good on them.
Quoted from Vino:Whatever you do, get sucked into notion that deep is somehow better. Plenty of enjoyable players under 3k.
Cheers, yeah I know they are not the same thing, but deeper code will hopefully hold my interest longer if it's decently done.
Quoted from Wanimal:I would say judge dredd or world Cup soccer honestly. Both of those I think would be great single pins in your collection!
WCS is a lot of fun to shoot. How's the code on that one? It's hard to tell from the vids I saw.
Quoted from snappahead:I should give DE games another chance. The ones I've played felt a step or two below Williams which is the standard I judge all pinball. They do have great themes like JP and TftC though and prices are good on them.
Robocop! Fast. Simple rule set. A blast to play. But if you want deep, this is not your pin.
I have played Sopranos and like it. Also Jurassic Park. And Tommy. But Robocop—- never had any regrets buying it.
There are several good videos on YouTube.
“Come with me. Or there will be trouble.”
Quoted from CubeSnake:I'm surprised no one mentioned something like RFM...last time I checked they were still fairly priced. There's a lot going on, decent graphics and of course you can always swap it out for SW if you feel the need...
I've only played this once and it had a bad flipper so I can't say how I feel about it. Love the theme and art, but that giant cabinet and monitor set up is a bit intimidating.
Quoted from cottonm4:Robocop! Fast. Simple rule set. A blast to play. But if you want deep, this is not your pin.
I have played Sopranos and like it. Also Jurassic Park. And Tommy. But Robocop—- never had any regrets buying it.
There are several good videos on YouTube.
“Come with me. Or there will be trouble.”
Local arcade has a Robocop and JP. I need to spend some time on them.
Quoted from tommyp:Surprised no one has suggested whirlwind yet
It tends to sell for around $4k in decent shape from what I've seen.
Quoted from tommyp:Surprised no one has suggested whirlwind yet
No brainer- they dont come up very often
The one thing you need to accept is the reality of a single pin collection. You can spend 8k on a MMR or Wonka. You can spend 3k on a TFTC or monopoly. If you are going out to play pinballs on location, you will get tired of any 1 game you have. I'm sure it's been said before, but you can't ask for help picking a game. If you love a game you make it happen. If you really want a IMDN or JP2 pro just find the extra cash. If you grew up with an attachment to any particular game (mine is Whirlwind) then hold out for that game.
If there is no one game you want, you just want a game for your house, then you need to start making contacts with other pinsiders. Dont limit yourself to any game. Buy the best deal you can find, flip on it for a few months, then list it for sale or trade. Once you do deals with people they tend to put you in their loop. Sometimes this gets you a game opportunity before it hits the marketplace.
I think based on what you said I would play on location and save up a little more and get used Stern pro like JP, MET, or IMDN.
If you want something know maybe...WPT, Nascar, WCS, or JD.
Llyod's suggestion is good advice. Get a game that needs some love and fix it up and sell it later. That's a good way to progress up to what you want.
Don’t listen to the NIBNEWBS and their propaganda about “code” and what’s “good for the home”. They’re full of shit. The beauty of pinball is that it’s always different. You can play the same game a thousand times and always learn something new, achieve something unique and satisfying, and have fun over and over on the same machine. The 90’s games are generally masterpieces of gameplay, design and rules. None of them are “shallow” unless you’re playing an early DE like BTTF.
If you can score any 90’s game for $3k, go for it...it’ll bring you endless fun. If it ever gets “too easy”, you can always change posts & settings to up the challenge.
Nascar and Monopoly are decent games in your budget and fairly modern. Always enjoyed playing those and fan of most Lawlor games. Transformers pro may be another one but not sure. I have seen LE's go for real cheap so probably can find a pro dirt cheap. Maybe not a great game but sounds like it has a lot of depth.
RBION is a really great game with depth that can be had for a little more than your budget. I see one in the market place for $3600 that's been sitting for a while. Playfield is a little ugly imo but don't let that fool you.
Quoted from snappahead:I'm not really a guy to do that sort of thing sadly. I love pinball, but haven't spent much time under the hood. It's a sound strategy though.
Accept that you’ll have to learn. It’s part of the hobby. There are so many guides online, anyone can learn how to fix games. I know nothing about electronics - but I can follow directions. I went from knowing nothing to repairing/restoring/shopping out tons of games. It’s a satisfying part of the hobby.
Single pin collections are very tricky and even the best of games will get old. While a lot of titles people are mentioning are a good bang for you buck I could see them getting old sooner vs later when it's your only machine. As others have said, save up a little more for a game you really enjoy. It might cost more up front but more the game you are buying will have already depreciated since it's used and likely holds it's value for the most part +/- a few hundred bucks when you go to sell.
Quoted from freeplay3:The one thing you need to accept is the reality of a single pin collection. You can spend 8k on a MMR or Wonka. You can spend 3k on a TFTC or monopoly. If you are going out to play pinballs on location, you will get tired of any 1 game you have. I'm sure it's been said before, but you can't ask for help picking a game. If you love a game you make it happen. If you really want a IMDN or JP2 pro just find the extra cash. If you grew up with an attachment to any particular game (mine is Whirlwind) then hold out for that game.
If there is no one game you want, you just want a game for your house, then you need to start making contacts with other pinsiders. Dont limit yourself to any game. Buy the best deal you can find, flip on it for a few months, then list it for sale or trade. Once you do deals with people they tend to put you in their loop. Sometimes this gets you a game opportunity before it hits the marketplace.
I hear you. I do know that it's a reality that no pin will hold me forever. I'm just hoping it to hold me for a while and hopefully be something for my wife to play more than my High Speed. I will definitely still play on location so that's a thing.
I don't have a dream machine exactly, but there's games I like more than others of course. When it comes to owning, I don't want this to be my last pin, so I'm not putting the fate of the world into this decision. It just might be a while before I get something else so I'd like something that has some staying power and I think that's doable in this price range.
I also agree that it would be a good idea to get to know people in the hobby. I'm a bit of a hermit by nature, but I'd like to do better with that. Not just for buying opportunities of course..I just love talking pinball and my wife's probably getting tired of that conversation. Anyways, I appreciate the comments.
Quoted from Rarehero:Accept that you’ll have to learn. It’s part of the hobby. There are so many guides online, anyone can learn how to fix games. I know nothing about electronics - but I can follow directions. I went from knowing nothing to repairing/restoring/shopping out tons of games. It’s a satisfying part of the hobby.
Don't get me wrong. I don't have any problems with rolling the sleeves up and digging around. I find these machines to be fascinating. He was just suggesting I buy pins that need work to resell them for profit and that's not me. I agree with you completely.
Quoted from xsvtoys:How about a T2? I always enjoy playing that one, and it looks cool. I think a nice one is around that price.
Whenever I go to the museum in Banning when I get there early I always play some T2 first. Later it's hard to get onto, there is always someone playing the darn thing!
It's a fun shooter but seems a bit shallow code wise. I agree it looks cool and I love the theme.
Quoted from HoneyBadger:Maverick or Last Action Hero. Very fun themes lots of modes and deep rule sets!
Lot of DE games being suggested. I need to get some more hands on time with these and give them another shot. I do remember liking TftC from my few games on it.
Quoted from Rarehero:Don’t listen to the NIBNEWBS and their propaganda about “code” and what’s “good for the home”. They’re full of shit. The beauty of pinball is that it’s always different. You can play the same game a thousand times and always learn something new, achieve something unique and satisfying, and have fun over and over on the same machine. The 90’s games are generally masterpieces of gameplay, design and rules. None of them are “shallow” unless you’re playing an early DE like BTTF.
If you can score any 90’s game for $3k, go for it...it’ll bring you endless fun. If it ever gets “too easy”, you can always change posts & settings to up the challenge.
I need to hear this kind of thing I think. I'm still new to pinball only discovering my love for it 3 years ago. My arcade in town has almost all new stuff so it's what I know most. There's a much bigger arcade a town over that has a massive selection of pins from the 80's and 90's, but I haven't had many chances to go. My knowledge is very limited and skews heavily on the new because of this. "Too easy" won't be a thing for us for a while LOL. I'm very mediocre and my wife's still learning the basics.
Quoted from snappahead:Lot of DE games being suggested. I need to get some more hands on time with these and give them another shot. I do remember liking TftC from my few games on it.
DE games used to be great bang for the buck, because collectors wanted nothing to do with them - you could always find them for about $1000 or less. Not sure what the good DE games are going for these days, but if their price is similar to a B/W game, go for the B/W. DE games just don’t “feel” as good, and the sound quality is pretty poor. If you’re going to have 1 game, that solid snappy B/W feel will is one of the aspects that will keep you coming back.
My friend Matt has a nice demo man for sale in Asheville NC. Good bang for your buck 90s williams pin. Looks like it’s fully working and has lots new parts. Here’s his post
“I completely shopped this one out. Flipper rebuilds, rubber, new trough optos, new lockdown, new stand ups, new original demo man hot wheels, rewelded the computer scoop, new glass(not installed in photo). Cabinet has dings etc, playfield is slightly above average. Additional pics upon request . No trades I'm one above my limit now lol. $2900 OBO”
72BFE44D-1F0B-4B3B-B6BC-A022F97EAC2D (resized).jpeg
Quoted from jawjaw:Nascar and Monopoly are decent games in your budget and fairly modern. Always enjoyed playing those and fan of most Lawlor games. Transformers pro may be another one but not sure. I have seen LE's go for real cheap so probably can find a pro dirt cheap. Maybe not a great game but sounds like it has a lot of depth.
RBION is a really great game with depth that can be had for a little more than your budget. I see one in the market place for $3600 that's been sitting for a while. Playfield is a little ugly imo but don't let that fool you.
Never played Nascar or Monopoly but I'd like to try them out. Lawlor is a genius agreed. Played a TF pro. It was okay. Long ball times..especially by my standards, but love the theme and lighting on it.
Never played a real RBION (Pinball Arcade version only) but it seems pretty cool. It isn;t that pretty agreed, but it's one to look out for I think. Thanks.
Quoted from BoJo:Single pin collections are very tricky and even the best of games will get old. While a lot of titles people are mentioning are a good bang for you buck I could see them getting old sooner vs later when it's your only machine. As others have said, save up a little more for a game you really enjoy. It might cost more up front but more the game you are buying will have already depreciated since it's used and likely holds it's value for the most part +/- a few hundred bucks when you go to sell.
It may boil down to how often I can switch my one pin out. If I can do it on a regular basis, I should be okay. I'm just not sure what "regular" is yet.
Quoted from Rarehero:DE games used to be great bang for the buck, because collectors wanted nothing to do with them - you could always find them for about $1000 or less. Not sure what the good DE games are going for these days, but if their price is similar to a B/W game, go for the B/W. DE games just don’t “feel” as good, and the sound quality is pretty poor. If you’re going to have 1 game, that solid snappy B/W feel will is one of the aspects that will keep you coming back.
Prices on the more popular DE games do compare to a lot of the b/w games of the time. I agree. It's hard to beat a b/w. I think that's why I hadn't considered a DE until so many started suggesting them, but I figure that's more about the price range than anything.
I have a Earthshaker and a Robocop I'd sell for 2500 for either, just down the road in Cleveland tn. Also have a Dirty Harry I'd sell for a little more.
Quoted from Coz:My friend Matt has a nice demo man for sale in Asheville NC. Good bang for your buck 90s williams pin. Looks like it’s fully working and has lots new parts. Here’s his post
“I completely shopped this one out. Flipper rebuilds, rubber, new trough optos, new lockdown, new stand ups, new original demo man hot wheels, rewelded the computer scoop, new glass(not installed in photo). Cabinet has dings etc, playfield is slightly above average. Additional pics upon request . No trades I'm one above my limit now lol. $2900 OBO”
[quoted image]
TBH, I was expecting more people to suggest this game. It's one I've looked at a lot, but haven't played one. It looks like a lot of fun. Do you have to use the gun handles on top? That always looked weird to me.
Quoted from snappahead:I should give DE games another chance. The ones I've played felt a step or two below Williams which is the standard I judge all pinball. They do have great themes like JP and TftC though and prices are good on them.
Some people write off Data East, but they do have some top shelf pins JP, time machine, GNR, TFTC). Gottlieb also has some gems. Stargate is spectacular
Quoted from jake35:I have a Earthshaker and a Robocop I'd sell for 2500 for either, just down the road in Cleveland tn. Also have a Dirty Harry I'd sell for a little more.
I have a lot of fun with Earthshaker on location. Seems a little light on code, but super fun to shoot. Need to check out a Dirty Harry. It gets a lot of love.
I probably mention this too much here, but Stargate kept me entertained as my only pin for three years. I'll never sell it, and I just recently moved it to an arcade to make room for a WH2O and I'm already starting to miss having it at my house.
I'd definitely recommend looking up the game's ruleset and see if it sounds like something you'd enjoy. It's pretty unique, and there's a lot more to it than playing pyramid modes like some people might lead you to believe. Of course you'll need to know whether or not you like the feel of Premier games, they all play very differently than other pins.
You should still be able to get a nice one for well under $3,000, it's definitely a great bang for your buck game at that price.
Quoted from captainadam_21:Anyone suggest roller coaster tycoon?
I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
RoadShow would be a fun wide-body game with plenty to do, fun toys, and a theme most can walk up to and enjoy.
This is about how much I have into my 4 pin collection. Granted I’m far from the norm. 2 of my machines (Bad Cats, Rescue 911) were free as a long time family friend was moving and gifted those to me. I got my Bride of Pinbot mid last year for $2,000 (it needed some work) and picked up my Taxi a few weeks ago for $1,500
Quoted from mystman12:I probably mention this too much here, but Stargate kept me entertained as my only pin for three years. I'll never sell it, and I just recently moved it to an arcade to make room for a WH2O and I'm already starting to miss having it at my house.
I'd definitely recommend looking up the game's ruleset and see if it sounds like something you'd enjoy. It's pretty unique, and there's a lot more to it than playing pyramid modes like some people might lead you to believe. Of course you'll need to know whether or not you like the feel of Premier games, they all play very differently than other pins.
You should still be able to get a nice one for well under $3,000, it's definitely a great bang for your buck game at that price.
I've played so few Gottliebs that I forget they're an option. This seems to be one of the few 90's games by them that people like enough to talk about. Hopefully, I can play one and see for myself one day. It looks pretty cool in videos.
Quoted from NPO:RoadShow would be a fun wide-body game with plenty to do, fun toys, and a theme most can walk up to and enjoy.
good choice and he just missed one local for $2800
Quoted from NPO:RoadShow would be a fun wide-body game with plenty to do, fun toys, and a theme most can walk up to and enjoy.
Road Show has really grown on me. Need to get my wife on one for a while and see what she thinks. They come up for sale all the time and seems like a good value.
Quoted from woody76:good choice and he just missed one local for $2800
Did it sell already? Jason's right? I was just looking for it haha. If it's the one he had at Game Galaxy in Smyrna, it's the same Road Show I've been playing. Bummer!
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