For me I always sell it like a lease... You can always sell it and get most of your cash back. It’s my “fun” money ... it’s just tied up in a couple of machines. All in all, pinball albeit pricey doesn’t have to be a money pit... until you start modding stuff and getting over your head in “projects”.
Get a fairly new machine ... something you can enjoy... and won’t require a ton of babysitting. I’ve found if I’m “investing” in projects... that’s a more difficult sell. 1. Because it requires your time, 2. Nobody else (especially your target audience) can enjoy it. 3. You can’t turn it around easily if you need to get that money back.