I've been contemplating getting a pinball off and on for awhile now and think I'm ready to take the plunge. Problem is I know nothing about them other then I like playing them when I see them. I don't want to spend more than $1000 and found 2 on CL that fit the bill. One was a Gold Wing for $850 and the other was a 1991 Data East Batman for $700. That one is 3 hours away but sounds like a good price. Both were good condition from home collections. Is there something like a "Kelly Blue Book" site for pinballs? Do they hold there value or break often? What should I look for when viewing or playing them?

Thanks for the advice...especially about the impluse purchase. How do you find out about the pinball shows. Is there a list somewhere?