Don't open the box!

Sorry to burst your bubble but the purchase of a consumable product such as a motor car, washing machine, refrigerator or pinball machine cannot be considered an "investment".

Pinballs an investment??

It's a toy, simply enjoy it.

Keep it clean, waxed, and change the balls when they need it. That's the basics

Play the @*€¥ out of it! Oh yeah, & wax it once in a while.

Contrary to popular belief pinball machines are an investment. Even the flyers for these coin operated machines touted the investment and returns these machines are capable of. Find a good location and it will pay for itself eventually.

Just play and enjoy it. Most say to replace stern balls with better quality ones. Doesn't cost much so might as well. Clean it now, replace balls when they look beat up, and fix issues as they come up. Add cliffys if available but shouldn't have much wear and tear in the home environment. I don't think any mods or going to change the value that much. They just might help sell the game faster.

Clean with Novus 1 for light cleaning, Novus 2 when there's a need for a more deep clean.
Wax - Keep your playfield looking shiny. When that shine is wearing, time to wax again. Always clean before you wax so you remove any surface dirt and dust. Waxing should only be done on a clean playfield. Use a simple carnauba wax, nothing with additional polishers or cleaning agents.
Balls - Like the playfield, when they start losing their shine, replace them. You can look closely at a ball. Any visible scratches, pits, or dents are going to cause additional wear. Balls are cheap, keep smooth and shiny balls in your game.

Install super shiny balls and wax before you start playing it

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=1325

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/cleaning-and-waxing-pinball-machines-vids-guide

Yes, Cliffy on HUO machine.

You can Mylar the shooter lane too

O.D. !
Bout fckin time !!!! Can I get you a refreshing beverage ? What was it...Evan Williams and Shasta ?
Welcome back brougham.

Only when I'm out of Jack. A friend left a bottle at my house once and it kept me from going dry for a while.

Another Evan brought me a nice Williams Cyclone with an NOS fully populated playfield. It is an investment worth protecting.

Unless he doesn't take it out of the box!

I hate adding metal everywhere on my pins, sorry Cliffy.

Put down Mylar or cling vinyl in shooter lane and high traffic areas.

Inspect your balls Replace when they start to get pitted, preferably before.

Get a hand held swiffer to done some quick cleaning every now and then. Gets into the nooks and crannies great.

Don't over "anal" yze it. It's a HUO. Play the crap out of it.

Finally, listen to what Vid says and read his thread.

I get what your saying, and here is what I do so I can have piece of mind and just enjoy the machine and play. Many would say this is overboard, but I found I can enjoy and not worry when I practice these things. Lets face it, its a lot of money for these and I take great pride in keeping my machines nice.

1. replace balls with oooh so shiny from pinball life
2. Buy this and cut strips for the in and outlanes so you won't have to worry about ball marks there-ever(static cling vinyl) http://www.amazon.com/Grafix-9-Inch-12-Inch-Cling-6-Pack/dp/B002J6CO9I

3. At a minimum purchase cliffy set for shooter lane(HUO can easily get clear coat issues espeically in high traffic areas like ball through shooter, etc)
4. Blue tape(aka painters tape, used in autobodyshops and at home sold at Home depot) used to protect the edge of playfield just below flippers leading to ball through)-I hear Cliffy is working on something for this-
5. Wax playfield ever 100-150 games(and before you play for the first time) or so and inspect and change Pinballs at the same time
6. Read up on Vid1900 how to guides(its where most of this came from)
7. Buy this mini-vac to clean the hard to reach areas top of playfield and orbit -http://www.amazon.com/Micro-Vacuum-Attachment-Kit-Piece/dp/B000BSJCLY/ref=sr_1_4

I like mantis protectors as I think cliffy ones are good for damage already done. Mantis protect the hard edge of a scoop nicely. I do like cliffy switch protectors over a ramp drop on a inlane. Also clear plastic protectors for easily broken plastics is a good thing imo

Shooter lane cliffy is a good idea too

I get new balls and a set of plastic protectors that's it.
No cliffys on my 2014 met premium and still looks great. Just keep it clean.
Plastic protectors are a must. waited a year to put them on my metallica and there is a couple small spots where the paint work off the plastics from rubbing on guides.

throw the crap balls that come with it away as soon as you find them. Install new shiny balls as others have said.

Not an investment. Just a game.

Change balls and wax it. Pass on the Cliffy's. Your machine will still be fine and if and when you sell it, it will be worth exactly the same.

Don't get me wrong, Cliffy makes a great product, but I would use to cover existing wear or if it was going on location.

Here's what I do:

1 - Cliffy's where needed on playfield (looks like 2 holes on Ghostbusters).
2 - Premium balls from pinball life.
3- I change out all the rubbers to Titan Competition rubbers.
4- Superbands for the flippers.
5 - Clear plastic washers for the slings. Pinball life has them.
6 - Comet DMD glare guard. Apply it to the inside of the plastic in front of the DMD.
7 - Clean with Novus 1 every few months.
8 - Wax twice a year.
9 - Change the balls every January 1st.

My oldest NIB machine is now 4 years old. It still looks perfect.

Best advice ever. I couldn't believe the horrid condition of the pinball's that Stern sends out with their games. I thought I was opening up a POTC and these were mini cannonballs.

th_(resized).jpeg

PLEASE don't use Novus 2 on the playfield. Its abrasive...BAD!! I like this.. http://www.amazon.com/Wizards-01214-Mist-N-Shine-Professional-Detailer/dp/B002U729UA/ref=pd_sim_263_1 for a cleaner.

I would consider cabinet leg protectors

they come with leg protectors from the factory don't they?

Yep and the decals do not go under the legs. They are cut around the legs.

Yes. No need for aftermarket leg protectors anymore.

I recommend the following items for your new pin:

Better quality pinballs (pinball life)

Mylar flipper button protectors (pinball life)

Shaker motor (pinball life)

Plastic protectors once available (pinbits)

Game-specific Cliffys once available (passionforpinball.com). Cliffys universal switch slot protectors if needed.

Novus 2 for cleaning and light polishing. Blitz wax for waxing. Pinguard rubber cleaner for cleaning rubbers and targets.

Optional: change all black rubbers out for your favorite color silicone to avoid rubber smudges all over the playfield

Hey another NIBNOOBS here thought I'd ask - other than blitz, what are 2 or 3 other wax brands that are certified pinsider approved non abrasive? Vid, I know it's somewhere inside the depths of your awesome thread.

Finally, I'd assume you buy Mylar or vinyl sheets and simply cut out specific pieces to fit traffic areas?

Agree with others to keep this as simple and effective as possible. My wife would prefer me waxing the car and floors than this game.

I use Gold Class and p21s quite a bit as far as waxes go. Gold Class can often be found at Wal Mart for about 10.75.

Yes, I used a $15 dollar vinyl cutter to make strips for the in and out lanes. I've also used this vinyl and high traffic areas where ball marks/lines are common like the hard to reach parts of the orbit. The best part about vinyl is it is as permanent as you want it to be. It doesn't seem to peel off when playing, but if you need it off, just slide your fingernail under and peel it off.

Many use mylar as well, but putting mylar on and taking that stuff off is not fun or for new people imo and can result in damage to the play field if not done carefully from what I've read. I haven't been at it that long so I'm sure other will chime in on their mylar experience.

Geez I have been out of the loop to long...my last purchase was 2003 TSPP and you needed leg protectors then.

Anytime!

p.s. I get what you mean by "investment". If you don't overpay and you keep your pins in primo shape, they'll likely hold their value quite well. Just try to avoid the NIB stinker titles, such as WWE. Those you'll take a haircut on.

I've seen a few people say not to wax a brand new playfield until it's had time to 'cure' - is there actually something to this or just superstition? I actually have a NIB on the way myself but it's an older title so the playfield could easily be several months old - still curious though.

It does seem a shame that Stern recommend people just regularly clean with Novus 2 - they should know better. Novus 2 is for when you have a filthy game with ground-in dirt.

As for the 'investment' thing, people need to stop getting so uptight about the use of that word. Yes some purchases are an investment, but even where they aren't every sane buyer wants to protect as much of the residual value as possible. I see a lot of drama about it in the arcade collecting scene lately, a real backlash against people collecting games and being perceived as just holding them for value instead of playing.

That looks like some good stuff. On the Novus 2 note people have been using it for years without issue. Novus 2 is an abrasive but it's a very very low abrasive product.

Novus is good stuff but its made for plastic, that's what I use it for. I would use a gentle cleaner made for painted/clearcoated finishes. I know some use the Novus for playfield cleaning but I also know people use dish detergent to wash their car...doesn't mean its the best choice.

LMAO!!!!! Investment?????

It's pretty simple. Buy a new car. A bird craps all over the roof. Most careful owners will clean that off rather than letting it destroy the paintwork. The car is a tool/toy and will depreciate but they're still protecting their investment of money to try to lose less over the course of ownership.

If you wanted to mock someone who was buying NIB to store in a warehouse and profit from later - well fair enough (I'm not sure I'd do it with a Premium...), but the OP is specifically asking questions that show they want to protect it from wear and tear during use..

Just because something might or might not appreciate in monetary value doesn't mean it's not an investment. You're investing your money in a product that will return you and your family years of enjoyment. If you should decide to sell(or keep!) your investment, regardless of a profit or loss, you're gonna wanna keep it nice with some wax and cliffys!