Quoted from sethi_i:I'm looking to pick up two or three more (depending on game and prices). I don't see a whole lot FS in Colorado, especially Colorado Springs. Do you generally wait for a game you want to come available locally or do you buy online sight unseen? I'm a little wary of that given the cost of the machines.
Your safest bet is to wait for things to pop up locally. You'll have more luck if you've got a relatively long list of games you're interested in -- if you want a specific game and nothing else will do, chances are you're going to have to wait months or more to find one in your condition/price range. My first few games I bought long-distance on Pinside because I was too impatient to wait and really felt I had to have those specific games. I was careful to check out the buyers before committing, got tons of pictures, and talked through everything with both sellers, and ended up very satisfied with both deals, though maybe I was just lucky. I've been more patient since and have bought a few games locally, which is the smart way to go as you can check the games out first, save $300-$500 in shipping costs, and meet local pinball people in the process. So do as I say, not as I did, and buy local!
Quoted from sethi_i:Also, anything after 2000 is new territory for me, and there are a lot of reviews for machines on this site that have my interest (LotR, ST, and Tron:Legacy to name a few). I've searched the PinMap, and it looks like 1Up in Denver has the widest variety of machines. How else do you find a machine that you're interested in trying out?
We're lucky to have a bunch of great arcade options on the Front Range. The two 1Ups in Denver are great. Lyons Classic Pinball in Lyons and Pinball Jones in Fort Collins are excellent as well. I think Boulder's got good options too (Press Play) though I haven't been up there to check them out yet. Go out, play a bunch, and see what you like! Having 5+ games that you're interested in buying will make it much easier for you to wait for a decent deal to come along locally.
Oh, and welcome to Pinside!