I drove 3 hours each way and $135 in gas (Ford E-350 cargo van) about a year ago for a Lethal Weapon 3. It was my first pin. It worked when I got there but was not in the best shape cabinet wise. Playfield was perfect and operation was too as I mentioned. I paid $750. Percentage wise $135 in gas for a $750 machine was not a smart move on my part I guess. However, the machine has been great to me and outside of a switch or a few bulbs, stress free.

So...I guess it depends how bad you want it after you arrive and actually place your eyes on it. Everything up to that point, like phone calls, email text, email pictures, classified ads, does not really matter until you actually see it. At that point I figure everyone knows instantly if it was worth the drive and if to fork the cash over or to walk away. If you walked, it must have been for a reason. However, if some regrets about now...maybe call the seller back and offer one more time. At least this time to can bargain remotely with confidence since you already seen the machine!

Just a thought!

Drove 6 hours round trip for a 'mint' Pin*bot...The way it was described was HUO. Got there and worn to the wood in several places, broken ramp....But the cabinet was the cleanest I'd ever seen, it worked and so I explained the deficiencies and left with the game at a good price.

Drove a couple hours for a Flintstones that was described as mint. Was not mint as I had to replace a dinged rail, the leg levelers needed to be replaced, and some bulbs were out. Despite not being mint it still turned out pretty good!

2:30 hours each way for a mint RFM. Didn't realize "mint" meant a screw through the PF. Guess everyone's interpretation of that word may vary.

8 hours round trip for a POTC. It was mint too. Kid was selling it for his mom. Dad left town and never came back home. Sad to hear that. I helped them out, they got CASH!!!!

drove 8 hrs each way for my wh20 and wasnt mint LOL

12 hours round trip for a NIB BBH.

I will drive just about anywhere if I really want it. 30hr round trip for WH20 and HS2 last month, not mint but very nice. I have even drove from KC to Detroit for a Bally Lost World. Gotta love pinball.

5.5 hr round tip to get Baywatch. Traded Colt 1911($800 gun I got for about $575 a few years earlier) for game + about $90 for gas. I'm happy.

My longest trip was 12+ hours and ~700 miles each way for a WWF Royal Rumble and a Apollo 13. I drove from Columbus, Indiana to Panama City, Florida.

Granted, it was years ago, and gas was cheaper. Not the greatest titles, I actually was just after the Royal Rumble, but the A13 was priced right once I got there. It was missing several parts and had water damage, but I was able to part it out for a significant amount of money. I tried to find the parts for quite awhile with no luck.

The trip, IIRC, was in November, and it was hard to come back to Indiana from Panama City. Went straight down, loaded games, came straight back, pausing only briefly around Nashville, TN to take a short nap on the way home.

I can drive less than 1 hr to get a NIB BBH right now.

Longest trip so far was 45 mins out, really took more time to load and unload than it did to drive with the machine. I wouldn't call mine mint, I would call it HUO+

lol I drove 2 hours each way just to play one... And that was 2 weeks in a row.

I think my farthest was my most recent, CSI at 650 miles, 12 hour round trip (in 1 day).

Close to that would be my first, Stingray at 620 miles, ~11 hour round trip (over 2 days).

Driving that far for a Stingray was silly in retrospect, but the overall experience made it well worthwhile.

Thankfully both games were as described. Both were purchased by well known "good guys" in the hobby, which always makes it a safer bet. I don't think I'd make that kind of trip without that peace of mind, unless it was a really smoking deal on a machine I just had to have.

I drove 11hrs round trip to get my TSPP, not mint but close enough for me. The cab was worn around the flipper buttons, the upper pf ramp has a crack but everything else is in excellent shape. Was well worth the trip and got to see some beautiful scenery along the way. Who knew NE TX was so purdy!

Just did a 12 hr round trip for a near perfect 24 well worth the ride.

I drove 12 hours one way to bring home NIB IM.

1200 miles round trip. 20 hours driving for my TFTC!

I made about a 15min detour (around 6 miles) to pick up a NIB Tron LE... apart from that I've never had a mint pin...

I drove a little over an hour each way to trade my Williams IJ for a HUO SM.

More than 600 miles round trip for a sweet ToM with all the upgrades/mods.

I sense the common theme here is that PEOPLE ARE FUCKING LIARS and you shouldn't drive too far for a pin which might end up dissapointing you.

that is for sure! demand a ton of pics before driving that far only to be setup for disappointment

sad thing is these sell so quick usually someone else will be on it before you get to it.

Just last February I drove 6 hours each way (spent the night though) for my CV.
It was well worth the trip for the condition and price. Seller was super kind and let me play some of his other machines too. The only downside was the 6 hours back looking at it wrapped up in the back of my truck with a grin from ear to ear. I arrived home with perma-grin