Humble, TX
Quoted from PantherCityPins:Second, from those who have been there and done that, would you say it is better to start out with a less expensive machine and work your way up to an Addams Family or the like or just go for that "holy grail" machine that you might be happy with by itself vs the others which would likely not be enough to be the only machine in the collection? I'm not sure that made great sense but hopefully you get the idea.
When I started, I wanted games like Funhouse, TZ, Whitewater, and maybe Addams Family. After discovering how expensive these type of games get and how they can be hard to find, I turned to cheaper games that are easier to find. I was also nervous getting a game like TZ because I thought it would be a maintenance nightmare. I ended up getting other games for different reasons. No regrets but do wish I jumped on the games I really wanted. I finally got a TZ earlier this year and really feels good to own one. Truth is maintenance on pins is pretty much the same and once you get your feet wet it's not that bad. I would try to play as many pins as your can. Get a feel for what you like and go for the ones that are the most fun to play game after game. All games are fun at first but some get old fast.
On the flip side, getting expensive A-title games or NIB games is great but tough to build up a collection for a beginner due to cost. Any one game can get old fast when that is all you have to play. It also gets annoying when the game breaks and there is nothing to play. There is some value in getting cheaper games to build up a 3-4 pin collection then trading your way up to those more expensive games.
