I played a bunch of pinball back in the great arcade days. I got to play a TAF almost daily while I was in college(back when it was a new game). A couple years ago, I decided I wanted a TAF to add to my vid collection for a nice, more well rounded home arcade. Well, after looking for a loooooong time, I joined Pinside. That turned me on to PAGG and CAX. I had been out of video games and pinball for so long, I had forgotten about all the great games I used to play back in the day!! One game I forgot almost completely about was TZ. Played it at PAGG and it all came rushing back to me. So, I sat down and decided I wanted 3 pins for sure TAF, TZ, and FH. Those were my absolute favorite pins. My grail pins, if you will.

How I was going to get them was another story. I couldn't really afford the average going rate for a TZ(about $5000+ out here in CA for a nice player), but I also couldn't afford to get a TAF either(about $4000+, same condition). So, I figured I'd start with a FH since they were still on the cheap side(and kinda still are, but that's quickly changing), and put off TAF and TZ for later when I could save up more money. I started looking for ways to buy other pins, fix them up, then resell them to make a little profit to help fund my future Pat Lawlor amusement devices. I toyed with getting a WH2O that needed some help(at a pretty screaming deal, too), but ultimately passed on it since it wasn't a title I'd ever played and was not familiar with it at all.

After a while, during my usual CL perusals, I came across an ad for a TZ. It was local and cheap. I hadn't planned on buying a TZ first. This was directly against my "plan". But, since it was one of my three grail pins, and WELL below what they usually go for here in California. I called on it. Long story short(too late, I know), I ended up buying it the next day and I even talked him down an extra hundred dollars!

Moral of the story: Decide which pins you have to have. Consider playability, nostalgia, and price. Start saving money in a special account just for that kind of purchase. After deciding, have the pins you truly want in mind all the time, ready to buy at a moment's notice. The way collectors and flippers are these days with CL and apps that notify them the instant something shows up, it's a race to get there with the money first(if it's a good deal).