You don't know until you get there.

Go forth. Whether or not you come back with a game. You will come back after having had the adventure. And that is a good thing.

LTG : )

Welcome to the dark side.

Ask for lots of pics, not just of the pretty stuff (playfield, backglass), but of the underside and close ups of the boards. I've also passed on a roadtrip just because the owner was less-than-forthcoming with pics and info. Always feels to me like they're hiding something.

I guess the other factors would be how reliable you feel your vehicle is, whether you like road-tripping, and how bad the roads are between thither and yon.

Hell yeah!! Love pinball road trips whether they end in getting a game or not. Still fun. Just don't get the game just cause you went 300 miles.

If the condition is what you thought it was and the price is right, snag it. If not, no shame in walking away. There will always be another one down the road.

You're doing the smart thing by going to see it in person. Very difficult to end in regret that way.

Pics show major problems but not smaller ones. Many people just plain suck at photography.

You can only truly judge a pin in person.

Before you go, decide if you are ok walking away once you get there. Better to know in advance if you're just going to suck it up and purchase regardless of what you find. If you decide you can walk away, consider what aspects would be a deal breaker before you go.

Speak with seller on phone and get a feel for him/her and the pin. If it's not a good feeling, don't bother.

Hope these help. Trips can be fun! I drove 600 miles each way for a WhiteWater back in 2006 or so!

... Altan

Combos for the trip... I like pizza but a lot of people like pizza pepperoni. Problem is the pepperoni whilst the cheese has more bite the its a cracker shell not pretzel... Ha don't drive all that way with that trash!

300 miles ain't far... Like they say don't buy it just because you drove there. But also be realistic, they re not all mint

No brainer. If its a title you really want, go for it. Communicate with the guy and make sure you're comfortable that he is willing to hold it for you until you get there, and always be willing to walk away if it's not what you hoped for. One of my favorite things about the hobby is the "acquisition" part of it. I have 10 pins and I enjoy the memory of how I acquired each one... the road trip to Stockton to get a TZ, meeting the guy, hearing his story - seeing his collection and playing some games, and bringing the game home with my buddy in in his Honda Element over Pacheco pass... the road trip with my wife, in a rented van, over 300 miles, to La Canada Flintridge, a place I didn't know existed, to get my TOTAN... etc.

300 miles is nothing for where I am at. I am always envious of the east coast and midwest guys for being so close to so many machines.

Hilarious. Combos are a must for me too. Have you had the 7 layer dip ones? Pretty damn good too.

Yes those are good along with Buffalo Blue cheese, but I draw the line at the vanilla frosting ones. Wtf man

I think I drove 150 miles one way to get my Flight 2000 sight unseen

I already had an altek board for testing. typical battery corrosion, connectors needed re-pinning , small wear spot, maybe size of half dollar above left flipper , but all was there and was a great project for me.

if the price is right would be worth the trip IMO

Haha, do it! Made a trip like that several times..it's almost a right of passage.

Every pin I bought has been a road trip, always try to take a buddy with you to help load or at least ask ahead, might not be anyone able to help when you get there

will they take good pics of it for you? I drove 1000 mi round trip to get a HUO spiderman pin. I thought it was worth it. I worked in a last minute delivery to help justify it.

Like has been said. If you get there and it's not good, walk away. Don't buy it because you road tripped. You won't like the machine because you will always feel like you should have said no.

Is this machine supposed to be working?
If so, seller should have it set up and plugged in so you can really check it out.
You should be able to take the glass off and verify that all pop bumpers, slingshots, and switches/targets/rollovers are working.
Should be able to start up a 4-player game and verify scoring displays working.

It's always good to look at the back side of the backglass to see if artwork is flaking/peeling off in spots.

Does the bottom and/or back of the cabinet look nice, or is it rotted & moldy?

Concerning the road trip, you may want to have a back-up plan of a few interesting places to stop and check-out on the way there or back, if you have time, and are not coming home with a machine. Then it may not feel like a wasted trip if you decide to pass on the machine.

Let us know later how it all works out.