I am definitely biased as I grew up playing it, but for the money (800 usually) it's a pretty damn good value IMO. A lot of wash rinse repeat, but it's rewarding to save the queen and isn't the easiest thing in the world. Plus, OP can always sell or trade it haha

MM was just a remake of BG! LOL!

I just picked up a Rollergames for $1k today.
Good game.

Tis. It is a great game that if you can get past the theme, you'll enjoy. Laser War is the same way.

I'm not so certain PinBot would qualify at 1K, 1200 maybe but the condition would really vary depending on the sellers situation and flexibility. If it could be had, definitely a solid choice, but so would High Speed as others said and in general much of the William's System 11 is high tier quality that could crack easily into that range. I just put down $1500 on PinBot but that's only because it was a home use only system (I'm the third owner) and there was nothing broken about it internally and was heavily cared for right down to the entire surface (moving ramp included on left) covered in mylar. It was missing the tilt ball and plumb, plunger rubber was shot, and the table was slightly off center which I address. The only busted part on it is the total back side of the topper light plastic cover is cracked to hell but you can't see it. I almost had picked up a Black Knight before that for 1K but it did have some electrical/switch issue as it wouldn't eject a ball so you could play (broke fairly recently owner stated) but was otherwise good and also a home use machine for around 20 years.

If you get pre-that period(System 11) you can easily get something again still depending on the overall condition of the thing inside and out and if you fall into the earlier/mid 80s stuff when some cheaper tables were made that kind of mirrored the EM style tables that would be a quality way to go. My Gold Ball table is basically an early solid state table but behaves and looks much like an EM table as there's not much flash and flair to it (3 pop bumpers, 1 spinner, a couple target arrays, basic points (10) off the rubbers along the side and little else, hell it even has the throw ball star roll overs. That one you could bag like I did in fairly nice shape for under your cap. And if he likes the old pre-SS EM stuff you as others said could get a few room permitting. I almost locally got a very beautiful Amigo when I ended up with Gold Ball and it would have just been $400.

Personally my favorites of the 80s in order of a top three were PinBot, Black Knight, and Space Shuttle and those should be doable.

Most any System 11 or early solid state Bally that can be had in that range is good, and a few random later Data East games.

My top few for $1000-1200 as a first pin:
Eight Ball Deluxe LE
Lethal Weapon 3
Pinbot

....hell, any System 11 I've played, pretty much any early SS Bally....

Could alternately get a couple pretty good EMs for that price.

Where are all these $1000 Pinbots? Ive been looking for 2 years and the are 1200-1800 based on condution within 200 mikes of my house.

Maybe it depends on certain specific areas and luck too. I have no idea how accurate the cash ratings are on this site when you pop up a game where it has a high and a low, but even that isn't near $1000 as it's at $1760-2040 based on whatever information that uses. I know it has to be somewhat high, but $760 off the mark seems a bit much.

Earthshaker for a $1,000 ? Hmmm not here in the bay area . What's a routed T2 $1200 ?

Some of the site's prices are off.

$1000 Pinbots are out there... There's one that failed to sell for $1000 locally after a few months, that needed minor work.

I bought a 2.5 taf a couple weeks ago

Never paid more than $1100 for any of the 3-4 Earthshakers I've owned.

A lot of the Gottlieb System 80/A games are pretty awesome and worth a look, many can be found for $1000 and under. (NOT 80 B!, don't really care for them and HATE the cabinets)

As mentioned before, a TON of the early Bally SS pins can be found, hell you could get two for a grand easy. They're easy to work on, lots of aftermarket parts, excellent build quality, easy to break down for transporting- the list goes on, plus they're tons of fun because they're hard to play.

Everyone likes something different but my suggestions would be a nice Firepower, a decent High Speed or F-14 and lastly Xenon (if you can find a decent one under a grand).

For a non-ramp machine I don't think you can beat a Firepower but if you like ramps then High Speed and F-14 are likely the two best choices under $1200 but don't expect super nice ones at that price. And I put Xenon on the list because it is not only fun but is neat looking also.

People are just asking more than they are worth, lots of new people in the hobby. People paying stupid money now, once the pinball fad goes back down prices will become reasonable again. People here were saying space shuttle was a 2k game a few months ago which is freaking insane.

The multiball in that game is awesome!
Such a good toy.
I bought one for $800 and had a lot of fun

If people are paying $2k for a game, then the new normal for that game is $2k. If a month later the same game sells for $1.5k then it's now a $1.5k game. If you don't like the price, then you can go without and wait till the price changes. It might come back down or it might not. It's all a crap shoot!

If you want to play, you have to pay!

Among the pins already listed, F14 would be my favorite.

Adding a few early SS to the list:
- Mata Hari
- Bobby Orr's power play

Simple but challenging games.

Again, if Earthshaker is a $1,000 game - I'll pay 50% more for one right now if someone wants to sell me theirs.

(Crickets.)

Both of those are $1000+
unless they really don't know what they have.

No DMD game, well unless it's like Wipeout in bad condition but working should be $1000 or less...

Several Gottlieb System 80B games can be obtained for 1000 or less depending on the title. I picked up a TX Sector for 750.00 few years ago.

Don't you people spouting off about prices care about the condition of the games that you want to buy? A nice 1500 game does not = that same title in much worse condition but may be fully working. A lot of folks suggesting a game is not this or that, fail to mention that condition is really important if the OP is looking for a 1000-1200 game, but may not care so much about condition.

One could assume that his friend probably has little (like me) to no experience fixing such things and would want one in fine shape that doesn't physically of visually need work to last. That's why I made those last 2 posts I did the other day with the detail I went into. He said it would be the guys first so unless he is a mechanical and electrical wizard with stuff he'll be going into it with very minimum skill like myself. I can solder here and there, buff out some lines and polish up a table all nice along with the plastics and metal. Don't think for one moment I feel comfortable stripping a board of all the parts top and bottom as I'd never get it back together.

Agreed - the assumption here should be a "working player's" pin that is reasonably attainable (not the deal of a lifetime from a clueless elderly person on CL).

I've got one, and it's for Sale.

For reference

For those saying Earthshaker is a 1k game. Coinop warehouse just listed one...1750

Just looked at that "as found" - not even clear its working...

Bought my Earthshaker last summer for $1,100 and I thought I got a deal. Needless to say it needed a lot of TLC though.. image.jpg

I think the games that should be at the top of this guys list:

Firepower
Embryon
Nine Ball
Big Guns
Fire!
Cue Ball Wizard (probably a tad harder to find around $1k)
Sorcerer (Harder to find I think)

I believe all of those games have multiballs and should be had for $1,000 or less for a 100% working player.

How about chuckwurt's Big Game?

Not for sale buddy haha. Getting buried with that badboy. And the buyer wants multiball which makes his options shrink a bit.

Best game for $1000 ...... Alien Poker

I paid $800 for my wipeout and the seller said everything worked, but in reality it had some resistor board issues that needed fixed. Easy fix though. I think it's a very fun game with several cool features including the ski lift and the slalom course which is very similar to the IJ mini playfield.

least the avatar fits the question. This is probably the single dumbest question people ask on pinside, that has no good answer from anyone except the person buying the game.

Nobody can tell you what you should buy or suggest what you should buy. If he doesn't know, get out there make some friends in the pinball community and play some damn games. over time he will figure it out. $1000 is nothing to spend on a whim or by someone elses suggestions. It's not like you are spending $8 to go to the movies on someones suggestion. After you are done, you are like, that movie sucked ass. You are only out $8. I say buy 3 or 5 EM's or early solid state games, then he has some variety and a starter collection. Expand from there. Titles don't matter since they didn't matter to start anyway.