Do you go to that pizza place that has all those pins?

I went with JayhawkAi to that bar the day they had a tourney last year after the BBQ World Series,lots of newer games still In production you could buy that they have to play.

I honestly wouldn't consider a SMVE till I got a few test plays on one.

Met premium would be a better buy than SMVE at this point, TWD and IMVE as well.....

If you like Star Trek, get one NIB.
You get a game you like and you get a new game so you shouldn't need to fix anything.
All you need is to play and enjoy.

Just remember Op, there will be things to fix even on a NIB but you can get replacement parts/boards if needed. If it's beyond your comfort level of attempting the repair grab some good beer and invite a local pinsider over to help you, get some good brisket too.

Don't worry about it.

I think it's overpriced too, but that's because you can get the old one for so much cheaper. You're a buyer who wants a NIB experience, so just take that into account. If you have the money and you want it I wouldn't listen to our bitching too much. It's not the best value in the world compared to some other games that have more features, but it's fine.

Games will develop problems, even NIB ones have issues. You'll learn to fix them. It's not that scary. This whole forum will be happy to help you.

Honestly though, a HUO game might be more problem free than a new one, so don't think that new is the only way to go. But you'll get better warranty and phone support with a new game.

I'd listen to centerflank and buy Metallica instead, but only you know what games you want.

A pinball machine is a mechanical device
At some point it will need you to take off the glass and fix something
Luckly stern machines have few problems

I would suggest you buy a ssecond hand game, most problems are QC issues from the factory, the original owner will have sorted them out

You can't go wrong with ST Premium. You are fortunate that Stern is offering MeT, IM, TWD, SMVE and ST all at the same time right now. Amazing lineup to pick from! You need to call around to get NIB or New in box prices. You can't email per Stern distributor rules. Premiums will be around mid 6k's delivered. Good luck and let us know what you get.

I wouldn't buy SMVE if this is your first game. Reason being, you'll probably play the crap out of it and get tired of it faster than you would a normal machine, so you may want to change it out after 6 months to a year. At the current price, you're going to take a pretty decent hit probably on it. Save your money, find a newer used Stern, they're all pretty reliable and shouldn't cause you any issues.

Still learn how to solder. Even if it is a NIB you will at some point still need to do simple fixes.. The more you get familiar with the machine the more you will be obsessed with the hobby..

Famous last words. Lol . Buy it if you want a new Spider -Man Vault Edition . I personally would recommend if you can find one. A new STERN STAR TREK Premium or Theatre of Magic it is such a classic. Good luck .

Just my opinion:
SMVE isnt $2000 more pin then ST Pro.

I can already tell your probally not the SMVE buyer since your researching/thinking before purchase. From my experience on Vault Editions is that you cant get as good a deal as other new pins from Stern. So if ST Premium was still being made it would be $300-$500 less then SMVE so on both occasions id go with ST.

Cointaker / Tilt Amusement / Pinball Refinery / Game Exchange of Colorado.

You'll want to call each and get a quote over phone.

Your getting some good advice so far. If you love the new sm, don't worry about the price and get the game you want. I personally would recommend in not particular order:
Metallica
St
Got

Congrats on a nib purchase. The only other thing I would recommend is if you have a budget for 6-7k you may consider grabbing two pins for some variety.

Hey there. How is yours earning?

I was just in your shoes 9 months ago having never owned one. I like NIB for the first time pin owner. Sure you're paying a bit more(depending on title I guess), but the only mistake you can make is wrong game or wrong price. Getting a good distributor should take care of paying too much. Setting expectations are everything on a NIB purchase and if I could give any advise from a new persons perspective it would be this. Expect to put some time in adjustments or working through issues on the game at first, this is normal. Once you've got it set up, its a commercial grade equipment and you're probably not going to bust anything for sometime unless you're like me and you start tinkering with things you shouldn't be. When you do break it(and if your anything like me you will), this forum is just incredible for help.

Buying a used pin can be great as well(HUO)! I purchased a SM for my 2nd machine this summer and have just had a blast with it. Knock on wood, not one issue with it so far. I'd just recommend bringing someone experienced with you to inspect. I think a TOM or TWZ might lend itself towards a bit more experience with repair and maintenance(maybe a 2nd or 3rd pin). That's not to say shouldn't own one, just that you should be prepared to spend more time fixing as they are 20 years old. Just my thoughts

He isn't after a GoT.

If Spiderman really is one of your all time favorite pins just get the god damn VE. You're the prime person the machine was made for. If your aim was strictly a NIB experience, maybe I would say to hold off, maybe. But you love the game already. Just get the effin' game.

The smart purchase would be a used game, they will be broken in and at market price... meaning you will have a better chance selling it for your cost than you would NIB. The money you save with a used game can be used to hire a tech when things go bad, and you will learn how to fix things from that. If you can work a screwdriver and a soldering iron you can fix most issues, and the rest will come with experience.

For you I would stick with a Stern which will be relatively maintenance free compared to anything prior to 2000. If you still believe NIB are more trouble free than used, I'll just say that I spent more time troubleshooting my NIB MET than I have any other pin that I've owned, some of which are up to 35 years old.

I have owned both versions of ST and currently own the pro. ST pro is missing zero percent of the gameplay of the premium. It is how pros should be. I'm not going to try and convince you of whether or not the extras on the premium are worth it, but I will tell you ST (along with Met) is the best pro out there in terms of completeness.

Hi, I just thought I would add my thoughts as a newbie...
I bought my first pin a couple of months ago, The Shadow. Very tight budget, NIB out of the question.

One thing I didn't bargain for was the enjoyment I would get from the machine.... by repairing it!
It was a very good deal and played great when I viewed it.

Since then its had new stand up targets, opto's, switches, stuck flippers fixed, a good clean, bulbs changed, lots of soldering and general maintenance and trouble shooting.

Touch wood it is now playing great, and the feeling of fixing things and knowing the real inner workings of the machine has endeared me to it more than I think a NIB ever would.

Bottom line, if you like the feeling of achievement by fixing things, an older pin will deliver!

For your budget, you could get 2 well sorted pins anyway and maybe not have to do much repairing. I had to get the pin I did purely through how expensive they are over here. But I wouldn't change a thing, its been a brilliant experience and Pinside has helped immensely.

Either way, I envy you and your first pin choice!

Buy what your gut feeling tells you... new, used, doesn't matter it's pinball..