OK so I have been addicted to playing pinball for a bit now and am thinking to buy a machine (or two?!). Anyhow, how did you all make your decisions? Some of these things can get pretty expensive for a regular guy like me so I keep feeling like I need to play as many machines as I can, as often as I can, to find out which ones I really like and have good re-play value.

So far I've considered these things:
- do i like the machine overall (very general)
- is the theme something I would like to have in my house (or photography studio)
- re-playability factor - would this game get old/boring quickly if I had access to play it ALL THE TIME
- cost
- maintenance (i am not a handy guy, so this scares me somewhat)

Right now I have a few machines on my 'wish list' here, but I keep thinking back to Iron Man, b/c that's a really fun pin that I enjoy playing. I also like Fish Tales, Whirlwind and Radical a lot. There are the usual suspects too like Attack from Mars, Medieval, Theatre of Magic, etc. that are just too pricey so I am not considering those (and they are on route everywhere around here luckily)

What other things did you all consider before you got your first machine and were you happy with that decision? Any other tips for a new/potential buyer?

Thanks everyone this is really great info - it's an exciting but slightly nerve wracking process. Very helpful knowledge and stories!