Gloucester Township, NJ
Quoted from SheriffBarclay:Protection for future resale value
The farthest I would go for protection would be to lie down some mylar around magnets, or ball drop zones, as that'll help premature wear in areas that get hammered; otherwise don't buy a game thinking about holding it's value. It won't. Buy it, play the snot out of it, enjoy it. Do some basic maintenance to it, obviously, but these are commercial machines that I assume you'll be using in your home. It'll be fine.
If you're talking about an EM game, it's often a good idea to seal the backglass with Krylon Triple Thick to keep it from flaking.
Quoted from SheriffBarclay:Maintenance
Change out the pinballs as frequently as you can. That'll keep 'em looking shiny, and save the playfield from a ton of premature wear, as an old dull ball is basically sandpaper. They're cheap, and you honestly don't need the ultra super shiny ones unless you really want them. They ship with a film of oil on them, so make sure they're clean before dropping them into your game.
Clean with a non-water based cleaner (naphtha is my go-to), and wax with a high quality carnauba wax every so often.
While it really does boil down to personal preference, I think white rubber rings is the best go-to for all games new and old. Black rings last longer, but they don't bounce as much, and they leave a black residue everywhere that sours a game's cleanliness. White rubbers get dirty faster, but they'll still last years, and they clean up nicely with Naphtha, and won't leave a residue everywhere.
Quoted from SheriffBarclay:Pitfalls
Buying too many unnecessary things for them. If, say, a coil locks on and the driver board fries something, I've seen people drop the original board like a hot potato and go right to buying a brand new aftermarket board. Totally unnecessary. Making repairs yourself isn't terribly difficult, but if that's not your speed, you can always send your boards out for repair for far less than the cost of a new board.
Finally, my high horse:
As you make your way through the hobby and pinside, based on other people's desires and collections, you may start to feel like you either need A: A ton of pinball machines or B: Your pinball machines to be perfectly restored with all new parts.
It's easy to feel insignificant when everyone's talking about their Monster Bashes and Addams Family, and you're maybe just looking for a $200 beater Jubilee for the garage. Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Don't get swept into all the hype, just go with your own personal flow, and enjoy the ride. You like what you like, and don't let some internet person persuade you otherwise.
