Of those, BSD all the way. People say it would get old as a single machine, but you don't have to worry about that.

Pins are like rabbits and breed…

You're going to get multiple answers on preference. You have to play the machines and see which one(s) talks to you. There's no other way.

We'll find you one. I am already tapping the local resources and with the showdown coming up they will start popping up. I was going to start a thread here soon for the Rocky Mountain Showdown for people buying/selling, you'll see plenty available. Hard part will be deciding which one you really want, that price point is tough, lots of options but with one game, gotta be something you love but not a ton of "deep" games so needs to be one that'll keep your interest.

Bryan

With 2k I'd shop around for a Bad Cats pin.

Or get an F14 and an EM
Best of both worlds!

I don't have a lot of time on BSD, but Demo Man, Judge Dredd, and T2 would be my choices around that range. Junkyard and Flintstones are fun too. Not sure all those go for 2k, but I think they would be close. Judge Dredd would be my #1 of those games.

+1 judge dredd. Good bang for buck. Very fun game. Lots to keep you busy for a Long time. It's a wide body which is a plus for me. Good luck. You will soon be bitten by the bug.

Keep your head down, charge through and get to $3G. I think you'll really appreciate the extra options that will open up towards that range, and perhaps by then you'll find your destiny pin!

Agreed! I just bought my first pin, Judge Dredd. It had a few issues that had to be addressed for me but, FUN machine. You won't be disappointed with JD.

Getting my 2nd in a little over a month from now. Tales from the Crypt. Addicting hobby!

(Side note: Be aware of 'jello-handed sidewinders'.. - Do your homework and know what to look for. I rushed in, and learned the expensive way.)

Wish you the best on your first pin!!

Cheers,
Harvs

Get the first pin on your short list that comes up in the best condition compared to price. If you buy any one of the pins you want at a good price you can always sell it at a later date for something else.

I would not pay to much for a rocky and bullwinkle, and IMHO $2,000 is to much, unless it is in the best condition possible....even then its questionable.

I wasn't looking for a JD at all actually. It just popped up and I grabbed it (hung over to boot). I should have drank less, asked more questions and/or done more research, but didn't. - It's a game that'll grow on ya though, so thought I'd 2nd LitzDoc's advice.. Regardless, I hope you get the pin you want..., you can always add more!! GL!

Speaking from experience, don't overpay whatever you end up buying. Bring someone that knows and can scrutinize the condition of the machine. Look for good condition cabinet, backglass, and playfield board. Everything else can usually be replaced, but those 3 things are absolutely critical to a machine's value.

Try to get your Pin for $1800.00 or less. More often than not you will need a minimum of the $200.00 that you have left over to do the things to the machine that needs to be done and you wont want to wait to do.

Tools you'll need:
Soldering Iron,solder- Pins are full of coils, lamps and switches that all have solder holding the wires on. These get brittle and break. probably most Important tool to own.
Socket set-You may already have one,but if not you'll need to get bulbs out to replace them. Only 555 bulbs twist in to the lamp boards without needing to remove a nut first. You'll need the really small socket sizes.
Stubby Phillips screwdriver and extra long phillips screwdriver.

Headlight- or a really good lamp with bendable neck so you can see what your doing. You only have two hands and you will find yourself holding a flashlight in your mouth and slobberingall over your new pin if you don't.

New playfield and flipper rubber and Pin Balls and lamps- You will want to know what type of bulbs your pin uses before ordering.More than likely you need a box of 555's, 44's, 47's, 89's and 906's to get you replacing all the burned out ones.
Other thing you'll need include Novus 2, Simple Green for playfield,lint free cloth(Rip up a Tee shirt for now) and rubber cleaner . These things all add up and your gonna want them right away to fix and protect your new toy.

Try not to limit yourself to just a few titles. The more narrow your search, the longer it usually takes to find one for you.

In that case, if you're not familiar with a title, I'd suggest checking for a review at the page linked below. The reviews are all written by badass players.

http://www.pinballreviews.com/

If those guys give it a thumbs up, I'll buy it. Even if I hardly know the game (assuming the price is right). If there isn't a review for a specific game there, IPDB.org reviews are worth a look. Reviews here generally come from folks newer to the hobby, but can be useful too.

I skipped that and went straight into LED conversion. If you prefer the retro look of old bulbs, Cointaker's warm white frosted premium LEDs put out the exact same color and intensity.

Bang for your buck. I would get a couple different low cost machines and then start to save up again. Then once you get bored of the lower cost machine you can sell/trade and put that money towards a bigger better machine. The rules of the game for those trying to be cost effective and just starting.

I would not consider Dots as a must. System 11b are real funny machines and there are some famous names. A pin is a world you enter, whether there are many ramps, missions, sounds or not, the pleasure you have is the most important. And trust Bally/Williams.

This is great advice.

$1500-$1800 can get good examples of almost any System 11 pin and have fun money left over for parts,supplies or LEDs.

If you are not sure where to start, I recommend this Kindle book: http://www.amazon.com/Pinball-Book-Guide-Classic-Machines-ebook/dp/B009KZCR7U/ref=sr_1_4
It describes a nice cross section of machines and warns of machines that are complex or difficult to maintain. The book is dated 2012, so the price ranges are no longer valid in most cases.

I see a few recommendations for Judge Dredd. It is certainly a fun machine (that I have owned in the past), but the gameplay is slightly unconventional, and it is also more mechanically complicated than average. For those reasons, I do not think it is a good first machine.

Games like Terminator 2 and Getaway (High Speed II) are more "conventional" from a gameplay perspective - some loops, ramps, and pop bumpers - and are also known for being quite reliable. If repairs are needed, they are not unusually complex.

Good luck!

LEDS can get spendy especially decking out the whole table inserts. Cointakers are probably the most expensive out there. I would go over to Pinball life if you must make it "pop" right away with LED's.Regular bulbs are cheap and can get everything up and running with little out of pocket,leaving plenty for more important issues such as gameplay and preservation.

All this is great info I would look for a 1000.00 dollar pin because you will need to put some $ into it. I feel more comfortable working on cheaper pins than more expensive ones plus if you leave a little $ in your budget you can get some tools you will need to work on your first pin and those that follow.

Depending on your repair skill level, or that of any friends near you, you can get a couple machines that may need work but are "playable". DMD machines are neat, but then again, so are EM's and Early SS pins. In the end though, it all comes down to what you want to play.

Remember, you can always sell or trade it if it's not what you thought. If I were you I would not buy a pin and add a bunch of stuff to it. You really never recover all the expenses used to mod a game. Buy one or two games, play them, clean them, learn to navigate on them, then sell or trade when your ready to move on to something new. Welcome to pinball ownership!!

How did you get to be a "more advanced player" without starting to like and want some of the machines you have played? If you were planning on only owning one machine, then I could understand being very careful about which one to buy. But you also say that while you'll only have one for a while, you do intend a larger collection down the road. By your own admission you've already talked with a few people and looked at a lot of machines. Of all the machines you've played and liked, just buy the one that is in your price range that you liked the most. End of story.

Even here on Pinside everyone has diifferent tastes. One person will post that AFM is even better than MM, while another will post that AFM is a snoozefest that he traded off or sold after just three weeks. Only you know what you like best (unless you want to chose games strictly based on what other people you know will be the most envious of).

I did my R&B machine completely decked out in Cointaker premiums and flashers from head-to-toe. It ended up being about $250, which ironically is cheaper than those pre-arranged kits where you don't get the option of choosing the colors and types.

But anyway, Cointakers are not the most expensive, although they do have some special designs that are. For general purpose bulbs, the most expensive are Noflix Plus from Pinball Center. They have excellent color saturation, but some colors have poor intensity (their yellows and purples are piss-poor for example).

I think you should go to a few shows and try some games out. Liking a game and owning it are two different things.

Just bought that book..

T2 is a great game that can be had for a decent price and will stay for a long time.

Don't spend the 2000, try and find a great game for less than 1000. Comet comes to mind, Jokerz, grand lizard, black knight, high speed! Space shuttle and many more. Don't listen to the hype about games. No game is a perfect keeper in a one game collection. If funds are hard to come by, start small. The first time the game breaks you will probably feel like you threw your money away. I would take two 1000 games over one 1800 game anytime. Especially because cheaper games seem to sell fast these days.

I'd look for some Williams system 11's. Like Whirlwind, Taxi, Diner etc.

Whirlwind and Earthshaker are my favorites from that time period.

as long as those 1k games arent beaters. id rather get the 1 very decent/well kept game. altho would be nice to start the collection with a couple of pins.

Gorgar is a great choice! My first pin was a Firepower for a 1000 bucks. First multiball game ever and a Steve Richie! You cant go wrong. You could probably get that and a Gorgar and start out with 2 pins!

You cant get a good Earthshaker or a Whirlwind for under 2000 where I live. Not anymore.

If you lived close by Id have my brother sell his Firepower to you(I sold it to him). He had it touched up and clear coated! Has to be the top pin that came out in 1986.

IMHO, I would get a WPT. Great game that won't get old too quickly. FT is a good game in that price range but may be an issue as an only pin.

Bride of pinbot

And of your choices terminator 2

Hey Sammy. Just wanted to wish you the best of luck in purchasing a machine. You've come to the best site to find advice. Weather it be for a game purchase or a mechanical problem, the people here are top notch, caring individuals who'll help you any way they can. Good luck and welcome to the hobby. Hope you find that perfect 1st pin soon.

My first machine was a Gorgar and we still love it. 2nd was a Black Knight and then TFTC.

Both Mata Hari and Gorgar are beautiful machines and fun to play. Can't go wrong with those choices.

My first pin was a cyclone, but I bought that for sentimental reasons. The first pin i bought after that was a fully restored Whirlwind, and it is an awesome game. I've seen them under $2000 in our area, but they needed quite a bit of work.

Well then if they're pinheads that you can lean for help, drag them along for your first purchase as they'll know what to look for. If they're not, and don't in fact have the special tools such as a magnetic extension tool to reach after a dropped screw into a slingshot, you'll soon understand why leaning on someone else for help will get old real quick,unless of course it's your dad,then that's always cool.

Out of those two pins, Gorgar is great! History: first talking pin, with a cool layout. But~ whatever you buy... you will soon to look for pin number two! Have fun most if all, its what thus hobby is all about~SpOoKy