Quoted from doublestack:

Pinball machines aren’t investments. They are money making devises for the public that have become collectible.
Stocks, bonds, and real estate are investments.
A game at home is a toy. You may or may not make your purchase cost back, the real enjoyment is getting to play your toy. I have no regrets, I love it.

Quoted from SantaEatsCheese:

If you keep it in good condition, you can expect to sell it at a 500-1200 loss in 3-5 years, or trade it for another equivalent. Will you get $500-$1200 worth of entertainment from a machine in your house for a few years? If so, it's a great "investment".

Quoted from swampfire:

I’m starting to think that the best new pin to buy is one that Stern is on the last run of, or has stopped making. There’s no advantage to getting the first run of a pin, other than being the only kid on the block that has it (for a while).
Stern is apparently done with Rush. Mark my words, once the hyperventilating over the Node10 boards is over, Rush Pre/LE will be a sought-after pin.