Stern pro or one of the 90s B-tier DMD games. Pretty much anything in that bracket (barring some of the less loved Sterns like WWE perhaps) is gonna hold its value or increase as long as you keep up with maintenance so I would just get whatever appeals, try it, and if it turns out you don't love it after half a year you can always turn it back into cash and try again.

Regardless of what you do from here, if $4500 is your ceiling? Put that cash in an envelope right now and while you shop / decide, pinch every penny you can and add to it.

If you are disciplined while you hunt and research, by the time you are ready to pull the trigger you can cout on there being another 10-15% in there.

Maybe a star wars pro or aerosmith?

First of all, realize that once you get started with one machine, you are hooked. Just like potato chips, you won't be able to live with just one for long. So the advice about saving up is definitely good advice.

Having said that, I would recommend considering the many excellent Williams System 11 games (released in the mid to late 1980's) that are available for well below your budget. They make for great home games because, while they have simpler rules than the current games, they remain challenging in a home environment and most are loads of fun to play with that "just one more game" feeling. This includes several great games and ones I would recommend include Black Knight 2000, Diner, Earthshaker, Pinbot, Space Station, Taxi, and Whirlwind. Whirlwind, which has been recommended by several others in this thread, is my favorite from this era and still remains one of my all time favorites of all the 40-50 games from all eras I have owned since I started buying machines back in the 1990s. Plus, with System 11 game pricing, you might be able to pick up more than one and stay within your budget. There are also lots of great games from the earlier 80's that are loads of fun and might allow you to pick up two or more in good shape (too many to list, but two examples of favorites of mine would be Eight Ball Deluxe and Joker Poker).

It's kind of like asking what would be the best car to buy within a certain budget. The features that are important to you, whether you want something with the latest technology or are fine with a classic, and your personal taste are all drivers. Plus there is such a large inventory of optional choices, that you could ask 10 people and get 10 different answers and they could all be right answers for you(or all be wrong!).

This is key for the KC market. The inventory is not huge.

kansascity.craigslist.org link

Whirlwind all day for 3k. Save the 1500 towards your next. 3 flippers. One of the best designers ever. In the top 50, and enough to do to be challenging and keep you entertained for a while.

Go play some games and see what you like. Wait for a decent deal to pop up that first your budget, but don't get a fixer-upper for your first pin.

You can also check out games in Visual Pinball (https://vpinball.com/) just to get an idea of whether you like the audio, video and rules (and sort of, kind of the shots).

One that hasn’t been mentioned that occasionally comes up for sale right around that price, The Simpson’s Pinball Party. It was our first game, very fun if you like the theme.

Haha I think it was $850. What a time!

Funhouse, while you can still find them for 4500

Get something where the artwork doesn't go flying off just because you're playing the damn thing.

Go get a Johnny Mnemonic or a Getaway, Fishtales, Roadshow or Shadow and enjoy your game, have fun with any of those games for those price points ($3000 and up), and not have to worry about stupid ass shit like keeping the artwork on the playfield that competent companies should have fixed by now.

No way in hell would I get a Stern or JJP. Anything after TWD = WAY too big a gamble.

WAY. Too. Big.

You pay nearly $5000 and see artwork coming off, and I guarantee you, you are going to be pissed TF off. Pretty willing to bet the wife will not be amused and definitely not believe you about ANYTHING pinball related after that....

Love my Judge Dredd...and you'll save a few bucks toward your second one.

That’s your answer

Walking dead pro
Then sell it in two years for an hou avengers

Loyd, that's bad advice. The wife will never notice small packages of $40 or $50 here and there being delivered. It's best to get max budget for pin and then pretend that's it. Just hope she doesn't see the ColorDMD box when delivered.

My personal advice:

First, here's the real answer imo at that budget: what you can find that's appealing for sale

If you're not buying new you're limited to what's local to your market. It's all well and good to decide you want The Shadow after I tell you what a great first game it is (was mine), but if you can't find one and after 6 months of searching and watching you wish you'd just gotten something else that had come along ...

So be open to jumping on a deal. Good games for good prices move quickly, you probably won't be able to see something, ask about it on Pinside, read replies for a couple days, and then still be able to go pick it up.

Secondly, only because I saw you mention it, please ignore the Pinside ratings. You don't need something in the top 35. You don't even need something in the top 100. It's a silly system that is fine for using as part of your research and homework, but don't obsess over the numbers and rankings.

It's mostly a system for telling you two things: a) what's a new game, and b) which games are expensive

Aside from that it's not super reliable or useful. You're gonna have to learn for yourself what kind of games you actually enjoy playing. That's part of the fun though. The hunt, the research, trying things. Shitty time to play location pinball sadly, best of luck.

If you just looking to play I'd save up an extra grand and get a new Stern Pro.

If you want to get into fixing stuff buy a few old school bally/stern SS games. Good starting point.

Yeah honestly these are two solid options if you're willing to go over 5. There's not a lot to "break" either on them. Family would love DP over Maiden for sure.

Stern Spider-Man is another. You can get them for $4500-$4700 and there's lots to do.

It’s getting harder to find them for 3k in decent shape. It’s a great game but the average non beat ones seem to be closer to 3500 these days.

Decent one in market for 2600 right now

I vote 2007 stern spider man as well, or budget option whirlwind.

I would take them to play a bunch of machines, then. Find a Theme that appeals to them. You are already hooked.

Whoa! Lol! You jumped from 4500 to 7100 shipped for a gnr

Hehe

The theme from us here is play the pins first
A steve richie or keith elwin pin is going to be faster and more of a ride than perhaps that better looking and immersive gnr

You opened up everything... good luck!

Realistically, you are looking at getting a stern pro or a 90s bally/williams.

It will really depend on what you are into. JP, DP, IM, ST, TWD, and MET are the forerunners for Stern. I think JP is the winner of the bunch, but it would be difficult to find if it is truly a "hard cap" budget of 4500.

Most of the bally/williams games are either above your budget or fall just outside your ideal of getting something in the top 35. The shadow, funhouse, fish tales, the getaway, judge dread, BSD, or whirlwind are all options.

I will be very direct with you...I think the game you are REALLY seeking is The Shadow. It is one of the best values out there, and has been for a longggg time. It is a top 10 pin that's hurt by a somewhat cheesy movie and alec Baldwin's mug on the translite (which most people change out to an alternate anyway). If the theme was the matrix, Harry potter, the goonies, jaws, or something of the like...there's no way it's not in the top 10.

The only other option I might suggest is to split your budget and opt to get 2 pins for each half of that $4500 cap. This brings up a lot more choices, but it may actually be better in the long run.

Buy the best Stern Spiderman you can find and thank me later.
Great gameplay/rules and exceedingly reliable when compared with most other modern machines.

I think you should go for a Bally/Williams 90s pin. Many (me included) consider them to be the peak of pinball with original themes, great gameplay, built like a tank and simply FUN.

The newer pins made after 2000 is still fun but I personally find them a bit soul-less (can't really find a good word to describe it but I feel they are mostly flashing lights and plastics and not that long-lasting). It's mostly licensed titles from movies or similar and I tend to get bored of them much faster than the timeless pins from the 90s. Also, newer pins cost much more and generally have more complicated/deep rules which can be rather Intimidating to new players and family members.

Fish tales, the shadow, judge dredd, black rose, roadshow, Congo are solid, fun and affordable titles you should be looking for imo.

A nice Getaway HSII can be found for this price or less. It is a great game with good shot flow, simple rules, the mesmerizing supercharger, and who doesn't like a high speed chase?

and great starter pin. I know many guys who started their pinball hobby out with a Getaway

if you get JP or DP you will be very happy.

I recommend buying two games with that money. old williams games from the late 80s and even 90s are usually 2 for your budget.

later, you may sell them (maybe even for more), to get a "newer" next gen game like MET, DP, IMDN, or earlier Stern title. as a new collector, I think you'd benefit from having 2 older games at first (that's how I started), then deciding whether you need a newer title later.

If you don't anticipate having spare pinball money in the next couple years, it's better to own two decent, fully featured games from the earlier years than one newer title. If you anticipate saving plenty of money to keep buying games, then your decision is experience based. It's always funner to have two games instead of one; they don't get "old" per se, but sometimes the mood you're in determines the game you want to play. More games, more moods, more opportunity to enjoy at different times. Plus, your wife may prefer two because you might have different tastes in pins.

Edit: I see many posters recommending DP or JP. I wouldn't buy those as a first pin, because they are pretty dang difficult games, and even have what I consider complex rules. These attributes are not really optimal for first pinball machines, because skill level may be limited. If you are an excellent player, those games would be more approachable.

If I was to start all over again, I would focus on real nice EM’s or 1980’s SS’S. Condition is king and if you shop around you could start a real nice collection For your budget.

Agreed, a lot of pin for the money. I have seen a few routed examples in under 4k too.

Hello.. Newly back into the hobby. Go after a newer Stern Pro. We bought Guardians of the Galaxy and TMNT. But there are a bunch close to your price point. You get LCDs, good rules, newer build, and fun. The older stuff is fine, but never had the appeal the newer games have. Value will hold up to trade or sell later. But make sure your wife plays it first. If she doesn't like it.. forget about it. Good luck.

Very cool pin. Priced low considering its position in the top 100. People either love or hate the video aspect, though. It easily is one of the most innovative pins of all time.

I hate that you can't fold down the head. The "bonnet" is a pain to remove, and dangerous to boot. I hope I never have to move one again. It weighs a ton. The smaller playfield is annoying to some, but it never bothered me.

If looking for one, make note if it is the original crt, replaced crt, or a led/lcd screen. Re-capping is a concern as well, and I would give great preference to one with LEDs...as this is a game that really POPS with them (of course, you can always put them in later, if you like)

I've been in the hobby for a few years now and I used to always think there was a segment of games that were under priced. When I was first getting started there were some great DMDs in the $1,500 to $2,000 range. You could get some most of the Data East titles, plus a lot of the Bally / Williams games from the 1990s. I brought in games like Jurassic Park, Johnny Mnemonic, Fish Tales, Bram Stoker's Dracula, etc. Those games gradually increased in price, and my target shifted towards the System 11 and mid-tier DMDs like The Shadow, Star Trek The Next Generation, Indy 500, and Congo. Once again, those games seemed to increase in price and with the remakes the top-tier games had actually dropped in price, so I started to think the top tier games were the best value; especially the CE remakes at the "show special" pricing. I ended up picking up an Attack From Mars, Lord of the Rings, Metallica (Premium), and White Water. Now, I'm less sure. I tend to agree those that were mentioning slightly used Stern (Pros) being a decent value. There have been some pretty good games released recently: Jurassic Park, Deadpool, Star Trek, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Turtles, etc. I would guess you can find something for close to your budget. I just committed to buying a Jurassic Park (Pro).

I could have fun for a while with my NGG and Tag Team.

The game is fun - very unique design, one of only 2 with the video aspect (along with Star Wars). Not a great first game though. Not super fulfilling to shoot, and it's a pain to work on. You're better off going with a middle of the road (in terms of tech) game like a newer Stern (Star Trek has already been mentioned), Getaway, or something like that. I would *NOT* get 2 Solid state games from the 80s. First, good luck finding them, and second it's overwhelming enough to work on your first game.

IMO get a Bally or Williams DMD game from the 90s. This way you get experience with the most common issues and parts/harware. So - T2, Getaway, Fish Tales, Road Show, etc. Some of the other WPC games are super expensive because of their popularity, but almost any game you get is still going to be fun.

Eight Ball Deluxe Limited and Earthshaker would be a fun combo for around $5k

33E687EA-238E-42CA-B833-221FE7515004 (resized).jpeg

7F7E6C54-1624-4EC2-B75C-9CCFE7973389 (resized).jpeg

Bram Stokers Dracula
Mist multiball is great !

46C67001-43E0-45C9-9EC8-5C7517F111CB (resized).jpeg

BSD is my favorite machine out of my collection right now.

A used Stern Pro of your choice.

Another EBD LE plus BK2000.

NO. Looks fun but it is seriously boring after doing the same shot up the middle for the 47th time in a single game. Don't do it. I thought I'd keep it forever. Sold it after 3 months or so.

Not a great family pin. New members will get slaughtered without watching Bowen's tutorial. You miss the ramps, and hit nearly anything else (stationary targets) and flail like new players do, SDTM over and over and over.

OP, get Shadow or Johnny Mnemonic or Getaway. Something simple (Getaway) or a lot of shots (Shadow)/fun layout with not insanely difficult shots (JM).

If you end up buying a newer Stern or JJP and your artwork starts falling off or hardware digs into the wood of your PF, that's your fault and totally on you. You need to make sure you know the real potential problem you're getting yourself into: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/continued-playfield-issues-with-jjp-and-stern

Don't let emotion take over logic.

My first pin was an EM and as cool as the vintage sounds and nostalgia was having an EM, I would not recommend one for a first pin. Without any experience working on a pin, an EM is a nightmare to figure out if you have to repair it. Even once you get into the solid state (SS) pins, EM's are still a bear to work on unless you really know what you are doing. So that being said, I would stick with the 80's and up.

Personally, I would do what a lot of people are recommending here and look at the 90's Bally/Williams DMD games. There are some great games that are seriously underrated and can be had easily within your budget. Judge Dredd, Junkyard, The Shadow, T2, Getaway, Road Show, Fish Tales... All are great first pins, easier to work on with many common parts still used today. Good learning pins with fun gameplay.

And my wife wasn't a big pinball fan until I bought her a WOZ because I knew she loved the movie. I then convinced her to go to a pinball show and she loved playing Scared Stiff, TOTAN, and MM. So I added a Scared Stiff to the collection. As long as WOZ and SS never leave, I can buy pretty much what I want for the other 2 spots. Problem is, I now own 5 machines with only 4 spots so when R&M comes, I have to figure something out... lol

I was an EM guy, because that's what I grew up on. With my kids getting older and into pins, they asked if we could update a little. Back to the Future was our first, because its a family favorite movie. It will likely be a keeper simply for that fact. Now I'm up to 10 later pins, '87 forward. Ripley's and Monopoly are family favorites, Frank Thomas Big Hurt is an Everyone favorite, Twister is one of my personal favorites. My wife "likes" pretty much all of them. She didn't care for Hook ("I'm not a fan of the skull") so that one left as well as others that we just don't love. A couple months ago we stopped at a show room. She played almost every game in there and said "if wasn't an arm and a leg, we could take that fancy Willy Wonka (LE) home". Long story short, My Brother in law wants a few pins after his kids won't stop talking about Uncle Philip's house. I told him we can work out a deal where he picks out 3 or 4 or whatever, give me a fair price for what he takes, with a few games off limits. Every 6 months to a year, we'll trade titles and try to keep the money even or settle a little if we need to. That allows me more room to shuffle through titles, and a little extra room for titles that are maybe a little less than keepers. Also because BIL will probably want (my guess) some of our more played titles to start, I'll need to replenish my lineup a little. I called the showroom we were at and got the WW bought. This will be the first title I've added besides BTTF that my wife really fell for.
So like others have said, maybe get the rest of your crew involved in the title choice. Especially on your first! The Showroom idea is also a good starting point. The one we went to had all the newer Stern titles, some JJ, American, and some of the "classic" titles too. (Cactus Canyon, TZ, AF, etc) I was able to get my kids opinion on a bunch of games as well. One that will probably stay in the rotation between BIL and I is Ripley's. None of our kids really knew what "Ripley's" was but they all love playing it. It's fun for first timers, and challenging enough for enthusiasts.
Good Luck!

This is TRUE, but funny to me. I'm the exact opposite! I can make an EM purr in no time. Opening up these newer games scares the crap outa me! I'm getting more and more comfortable, but have a long way to go!