Well that depends at how good you are at making a long distance pick-up into a weekend getaway for the wife/girlfriend. We don't have any kids , so it is easy to get away. It's real easy for me, "hey honey, let's spend the weekend in xyz city/town, I got a machine to pick up"!

I've never done a pick up yet. That said, for the right machine at the right price I would make a pretty good road trip. Two days there and back is probably the limit.

I once drove 7 hrs to Thousand Oaks,CA,loaded up an old EM,and drove straight back to Phoenix,(well,wife helped me drive back)

I've driven twice from Boise down to the Sacramento area to pick up pins. It is about 10 hour drive each way. My wife doesn't go with me but my best friend always rides along. I would go up to about 1500 miles each way for the right pin.

LA to Tucson and scottsdale Az and back in one day, 1000 miles total, to get 2 pins. But Ive also done LA to Phoenix and LA to the SF bay area and back in a day many times. Wife used to go sometimes, but now I just go alone and get it over with.

detroit, michigan to new hampshire (31 hours roundtrip non-stop) to pick up my first pinball machine (a williams joust) back when I was a bit younger

I drove 10 hours/1000 kilometres to get my last pin. To me i would rather travel to get the 'right' machine. Missus is very understanding and has come with me on every trip.

Virginia to alabama to get my taf has been the longest trip so far, but seeing atlanta on the way was almost as good as picking up the pin.

I drove from Indianapolis and back for my Family Guy. 15 hours round trip. Don't think I would go that far again but it was worth it in the end.

3 hours (1 way). I think I would go as far as 4. Also, I would go say 8-10 if I had a partner that could trade off driving. The intention being avoiding an overnight stay and the cost of a motel room. If I'm alone I can onlhy go about 4 hours out, 2 hours examining buying and 4 hours back.

My max is 5 hours away unless I go to some type of show.

I took a 4 hour trip just to look at a game today.
I am trading a TOM for a MM.
Going to do it again in two weeks to trade the games.

I will go as far as it takes for the right game.
they are hard to come buy here

1 day round trip

I must be quite a wimp compared to others here.
1 day round trip is my limit.
3.5 hours each way is my longest yet.
Of course, if it was a really great deal.................

Depends on what you're looking for. 6 hours each way was my max but would go further if I had to.

Depends.. I drove 600 miles plus in one day to pick up TZ, MB & TOM>

My wife and I love going on weekend road trips and she's a big pinhead too. Bitch has GC on two of my pins. We've found we can make a 20 hour drive straight through if we are sleeping and taking turns driving. Anything more than that is to much. Then we need a room, etc,etc. At that point its cheaper to ship. If shipping is not an option then that's another story. She has always been in the hobby with me. At the pin shows she goes the whole weekend with me and has a blast. She keeps her eyes open for deals and Dosent bitch when the garage is a mess and she can't park in it. I'm very lucky to have a woman who enjoys the hobby. I don't know how guys do it when there wife dislikes the hobby. I don't think I would be with someone who constantly bitched about something I loved. When I hear guys say they have to ask there wife or there wife won't let them, I feel for them. At the same time I don't understand them. How can someone you love have such a problem with something that makes you so happy? Unless that is your spending bill money or the house is in disarray because of pins. Then I can understand. There is much worse hobbys. Bars, cards, horses, etc. This hobby keeps you home instead of gone all the time. Any wife can appreciate that. It helps to get them involved.My wife is the pin tester. Anytime I'm working on something, when I'm done I call my wife down. She says do you need a tester? Yes I do. She plays a few games and tells me what needs adjusting of fixing. This switch isn't registering or its getting stuck here, etc. She loves being part of things. Plus I get to grab the boobies. yay me! Now she's quick to change a bulb or unstick a ball. The kids are the same way. These days when I grab my tool bag the boy(15) jumps up and follows me. "What are we working on?' It's a good hobby and a good way to bring the family together. Between that and aways eating dinner as a family at the table, we just might end up with decent kids.....maybe.

Wow, that was long.

Long but good! I am lucky like him. My wife is a pin player and craves new pins more than me

I've done day trips from Jacksonville to Sarasota and Jacksonville to Boca Raton. I have made weekend trips to Atlanta and to Columbia SC but nothing nearly as far as some on pinside are willing to drive.

My wife and I drove 10 hours for a dog she wanted, so she owes me...
A 10 hour road trip would have to a Medieval Madness or one heck of a steal though.

21 hours round trip(non stop) down to BR's house for my MB. Worth every minute of that ride. Now that I have the main games I want, I wouldn't travel more than 6 hrs round trip for anything else(unless it was a killer deal).

More then one day there and back is about the max I would go. Although, there may be cases where if I needed to stay over night, I probably would consider it for the right machine.

One thing is for sure, you can not forget to factor the travel expenses into the price of the machine. If the machine your picking up is one you want to flip when you get home. Not factoring in the travel expenses is just silly. You have to have the desire to travel long distances to get these machines for the love of pinball. Not the love of trying to make a profit.

I've a 2.5 hour drive to do on Thursday..

I've travelled for most of my machines, the furthest was about 16hours / 2168 miles round trip.

At this point in my life, I don't think I would drive more than 4-5 hours one way. Any further than that, and I would probably just let someone else have it.

I think the furthest I have gone is about 1000 miles both ways,same day

I'll drive maybe an hour at most
the closer to home the more I'm interested

Depends on machine, but I have done 12 hours 1 way

My driveway

Drove from Atlanta to Texas to pick up a killer deal on 2 machines. Once we agreed on the price I went to Harbor Freight and purchased their small trailer (40 x 48 with 12 inch tires). Hitched it up and headed west 800 miles to pick up a Dr Who & Tx Sector. Fueled up and headed right back!! Nice trip but I wasn't to fond of that long bridge through the Louisiana bayou!

Great answer.

I wouldn't drive more than 2 hours.

For a great deal on a well documented pin I was really hot for, I'd invest a weekend. Maybe 10 hours out & 10 back. But it would have to be the deal of a lifetime. Normally, I'd say 6 hours each way.

I did from 9am Saturday to 5am Sunday for TFTC. I'd say about 10 hours of it was driving.

Ugh...long drive for that....you probably played the heck out of it after getting it home! Day after day. Week after week. That pin has to be old to you now and needs to go (time to rotate it out, yeah,yeah).....hmmm...I have an idea! How about I take it off your hands and relieve you of that boredom. I know...I know...you are thinking, in this crazy greedy world....how did this proposition land on my lap to consider? Well...simple answer is I am a friend, someone you can trust....I am the "One"! I.....I...ok, it's getting old isn't it? Lol...I have been looking for a TFTC for sooooooooooooo long

How do you like that pin? I kinda think I already know the answer

I was going to start a forum on this topic alone. This is why i have not traveled more then 4 hours one way yet. But I guess I am like most that commented if it is right deal and right game I would have to consider as long as it took.

I'd go almost any distance, nobody ever said a "toy" hauler HAD to used for ATV's.

I've even thought about taking a machine on a campout, as it does have a built in generator too!

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I drove 700+ miles for 13 hours 2 weeks ago.

In the past I've gone from STL to Treasure Cove in Kentuckianna for my JP, Arkansas for my TFTC, Indy for my WWF, IL for my BW, NE for my LOTR & had 2 *delivered* from CO last week.

So yeah, I drive since condition is important to me vs local deals.

Cost to pick up my LOTR = $113.50 apx.

I can live with that

Great thread, I enjoyed reading everyone's stories.. .Makes me feel like I'm not as crazy as I first thought! I've bought one table locally, the others have been all 10-13 hours away. I love the road trip though, and am always looking for any excuse to hit the road. I take one of my kids with me, as I travel for work I love any chance to get out for some one on one time with them and make memories.

Ohio to Baltimore 5 hrs then back real eye opener so to speak. 6 hrs away for a holy grail!!!

Math problem for me. Gas and time are money. Missing work required, better be a 5k BBB. Gas is $75-80/tank.

I like to drive and meet new people. If the trip costs more in gas than NAVL, I'd rather ship it.

That would be I-10

Almost went from West Michigan to NYC this week until I realized what I almost traded combined with the travel cost/time wasn't rational. I was on the verge bigtime

so,you made it back home?

I'm in Europe so distances are much smaller.
Furthest I've driven was 3 hours one way for an Orbitor 1.

Did some other pinball related trips - drove all night to Italy to enter a competition (1000 km).
Bought my Bally Bumper in London and turned that pickup into a weekend London with my family.
When I was looking for a CC I was considering one in Italy 1200km one way but in the end found one local.

I need to buy a truck so I can do this.

Did a very close to 24 hour non-stop trip to trade a Demo Man for a Banzai Run, wouldn't you

So....... You MADE a Banzai Run to get a Banzai Run.
(What, no rimshot?)