Indianapolis, IN
Best Pinball Machine Under $2,000 - VOTE HERE! https://goo.gl/forms/GoAdVgPyDxeOeghJ2
(Topic ID: 214358)
Unfortunately with lots of new guys in the hobby like me, there aren’t too many pins available under $2000 anymore. Some earlier non dmd games are the only things selling under $2000 in my area
Quoted from Coz:Unfortunately with lots of new guys in the hobby like me, there aren’t too many pins available under $2000 anymore. Some earlier non dmd games are the only things selling under $2000 in my area
Nothing wrong with non-DMD.
Quoted from lpeters82:Nothing wrong with non-DMD.
Early SS is where it's at! Plenty of games under 2K in this era!
Quoted from lpeters82:Nothing wrong with non-DMD.
Quoted from pin2d:So far we’ve got 64 different machines picked
Haha. Should’ve narrowed the choices a bit.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Haha. Should’ve narrowed the choices a bit.
It wouldn't be a true top 10 if some machines were ineligible!
Some machines are rising to the top now...
Quoted from pin2d:It wouldn't be a true top 10 if some machines were ineligible!
Some machines are rising to the top now...
Okay that makes sense. Interested to see how this shakes out.
It is crazy to look back at when I started in the hobby 12ish years ago and what $2000 or less would buy you. Heck, I bought a nice ST:TNG for $2k back then, and that was probably a bit high. Now it's hard to even come up with semi-modern machines in that range. It would be pretty rare to find any Stern or B/W DMDs for that anymore...or even most of the Sys11s, Data East or Sega machines. Probably the Gottlieb stuff is easiest to still find in DMDs under $2k, and even the better ones of those are probably creeping above. Crazy...wish I could have bought more in those early days in the hobby! 
I voted Stargate by the way...that was the best one I could think of that should still be realistic (maybe?) to find under $2k. My old standby responses of Judge Dredd, Demo Man, and Jurassic Park seem to have now moved past that price range. 
Quoted from tamoore:Pins that 5 years ago that were 1200 bucks are now listed on the facebooks for $2400. Shaq attack for 2250. This list, as you've seen, is non existent right now.
Absolutely TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Quoted from Jediturtle:I voted Stargate by the way...that was the best one I could think of that should still be realistic (maybe?)
No way.
Some other system 3, but definitely not stargate.
Hey Jeff, will you be throwing out games that are clearly out of the 2k range?
This is why I think some people like myself are considering buying NIB. I never would have considered this before. But prices on many modern machines are just too insane.
As far as modern DMD pins, unless you find a good deal (rare these days), for under $2000.00, you will have to buy a pigged out wreck and then spend a ton of money and many hours of work and frustration to bring it back assuming you can get the parts. Then you can have a machine that you will be lucky to break even on when you go to sell it. My Sharkey's Shootout is an example of this.
If you like working on pins (which I do) and don't mind not turning a profit, then you're golden! If not, you may have problems.
Oh the pain!@#* 
I think you have to go classic Bally or Stern here. I'd say Paragon, Flash Gordon, EBD LE, or Big Game. Some think you can find a Skateball for this price but I don't know if that is very likely anymore. The only DMD's that might make the cut for me are a players/project JackBot or a similar condition LW3.
Quoted from Frippertron:I think you have to go classic Bally or Stern here. I'd say Paragon, Flash Gordon, EBD LE, or Big Game. Some think you can find a Skateball for this price but I don't know if that is very likely anymore. The only DMD's that might make the cut for me are a players/project JackBot or a similar condition LW3.
There is a Skateball near me 2k I believe. Never played one.
I think Taxi is a fair game at or around this price.
LW3 keeps climbing.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Hey Jeff, will you be throwing out games that are clearly out of the 2k range?
Good question. Right now Baywatch and World Cup Soccer are both getting votes, and you'd have to get super lucky to find a working one of those for under 2k.
Quoted from RonSS:There is a Skateball near me 2k I believe. Never played one.
I think Taxi is a fair game at or around this price.
LW3 keeps climbing.
Skateball is a hot title now. It's such a fun game. Most people won't part with them. You should check it out .
This is a pretty good thread for ideas https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whats-the-best-dmd-era-game-under-2000
Quoted from pin2d:Good question. Right now Baywatch and World Cup Soccer are both getting votes, and you'd have to get super lucky to find a working one of those for under 2k.
Yeah I would say pretty much any dmd would need to be reviewed before allowing votes to count for those. Not many left in that range.
Quoted from pin2d:Good question. Right now Baywatch and World Cup Soccer are both getting votes, and you'd have to get super lucky to find a working one of those for under 2k.
show me one baywatch and/or world cup for 2k??? ain't happening. more like 2800-3k
Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:show me one baywatch and/or world cup for 2k??? ain't happening. more like 2800-3k
Ya that is why you'd have to get super lucky. But I am guessing a few Baywatch machines have sold for $2k in the last year on Facebook or Craigslist.
This should only include games you can get regularly for 2,000 or under. Don’t count get lucky priced games. World Cup and Baywatch are both 2,200 min games.
Skate ball is an awesome game!
Quoted from Frippertron:Skateball is a hot title now. It's such a fun game. Most people won't part with them. You should check it out .
Ugh, I misread, it's Rollergames, not Skateball.
Under 2K... I’d say Harlem is right up there with one of the best for under 2K. Meteor is a lot of fun too. You could maybe find a Tee’d Off or Waterworld for 2K. I sold a nice High Speed for 1600 a few months ago.
Quoted from snyper2099:Under 2K... I’d say Harlem is right up there with one of the best for under 2K. Meteor is a lot of fun too. You could maybe find a Tee’d Off or Waterworld for 2K. I sold a nice High Speed for 1600 a few months ago.
I would like to find a Waterworld, period. That is within driving distance.
Quoted from Jenniebear:This should only include games you can get regularly for 2,000 or under.
Agree. May make a “for just a few hundred more” section too for the ones getting votes that used to be regularly under 2k
Quoted from Frippertron:I think you have to go classic Bally or Stern here. I'd say Paragon, Flash Gordon, EBD LE, or Big Game. Some think you can find a Skateball for this price but I don't know if that is very likely anymore. The only DMD's that might make the cut for me are a players/project JackBot or a similar condition LW3.
I'm letting my skateball pin go to a fellow pinsider for under 2k. But that was based on several factors, such as condition, pickup, my purchase price, and trying to give a decent deal to a fellow Canadian pinsider.
Just curious, does the tmnt pin fall under 2k usually? its an early dmd game, with a great theme but mediocre rated play.
Quoted from mbwalker:My vote went for LAH, picked up a nice one for under 2K last year.
You did? that's an awesome pin to pick up for under 2k. Congrats on the find.
Machines I've bought in the last 2 years for under $2000 that are great bang-for-the-buck are X Files and Black Knight 2000.
X Files is probably getting difficult to find at that price, so I voted BK2000.
Quoted from fnord:Single data point: I picked up a good condition Skateball for $1.2k a week ago
I guess I was wrong and you can still find Skateball under 2K, but it wouldn't surprise me if this is the next classic Bally to shoot up in price.
Here's a best of 27 approach from 2015 at the <$2500 price point. Final round of voting was rather popular with 430+ votes.
-mof
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/best-2500-90s-dmds-round-4
Quoted from ccbiggsoo7:show me one baywatch and/or world cup for 2k??? ain't happening. more like 2800-3k
There was a clean Baywatch that went for $1,000 in Alabama last year. I'll admit that's more of an exception than the rule, but they're out there.
Voting is very close for these, and here is the list of ones that are close to or in the top 10:
Vote here! https://goo.gl/forms/GoAdVgPyDxeOeghJ2
Big Game
Black Knight
Cyclone
Eight Ball Deluxe
F-14
Firepower
Flash Gordon
Genesis
Gladiators
Hard Body
High Speed
Joker Poker
Last Action Hero
Lethal Weapon 3
Maverick
Meteor
Pinbot
Skateball
Space Shuttle
Stars
Starship Troopers
Taxi
Here are the ones I'm leaning towards putting in the "for just a couple hundred more" as they don't "normally" go for under $2k:
Baywatch
BK2000
Demo Man
Judge Dredd
Stargate
Swords of Fury
T2
Whirlwind
World Cup Soccer
Quoted from mbwalker:My vote went for LAH, picked up a nice one for under 2K last year.
I would of voted for LAH as I just got a nice one and love it but I paid $2100 so I went with f14.
Quoted from sixtyfourbits:You did? that's an awesome pin to pick up for under 2k. Congrats on the find.
Quoted from Puffdanny:I would of voted for LAH as I just got a nice one and love it but I paid $2100 so I went with f14.
Despite the 'lack of love' for some DE games on Pinside, LAH really is a fun pin for the money.
Quoted from chuckwurt:No way.
Some other system 3, but definitely not stargate.
Hey Jeff, will you be throwing out games that are clearly out of the 2k range?
I got my Stargate a couple years ago for $1800... Have prices really changed that much in that time?
Quoted from mystman12:I got my Stargate a couple years ago for $1800... Have prices really changed that much in that time?
Oh hell yes. I got a LW3 two years ago for 1400. Guess what I sold it for a month ago? Haha
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