Was it ever really affordable? I know that several years ago you could pick up older machines on the cheap. Same goes today. That's just the market. But NIB was always on the luxury consumer end. NIB Williams went for 3k-4k in the early 90's. Like many have said in this thread, pinball machines are marketed towards the operator. I believe the surgence of home ownership comes to the fact that us adults who grew up in the arcades dreamed of having our own machines. As we got older and incomes increased we made those dreams come true to where now it seems the manufactures are marketing to the home buyer as well (Jersey Jack). It all depends on what "affordable" means to you. If you are passionate about your hobby and it brings absolute joy to you, you will find a way to make the money appear. Sometimes it takes cutting corners in other aspects of your life to make buying machines easier. We don't drive fancy cars or spend money on nice clothes and other things I can care less about. I am very blessed to have a wife who is as much or even more passionate about pinball then I am so when it comes to spending money on one of these bad boys, we don't look back. Yes we cringe and sometimes cry on the inside but at the end of the day these things bring so much happiness that the money spent is justified. Some families spend NIB money on a week vacation. But that only lasts a week. Pinball machines and the experiences those give you with friends and family can last a lifetime. We are new in purchasing machines and the 2 or so months we have had ours I have spent more time hanging out with my brother playing pinball these past months then I have had hanging out with him in the past 10 years. That says a lot to me and every dime is worth that. Especially the time that my wife and I spend together playing. As others have said, we do get wrapped up in this and see other peoples collections and want to be like them and own them all but at the end of the day its whatever makes you happy. You don't know these other collectors stories or what corners they cut or sacrifices they took in life to get there. Yes some people are super rich and have the means to buy what they please but I rather be poor and work my ass off to buy one machine then to be super wealthy and buy a lot for that one machine will mean so much more to me when I am playing it. If something seems out of your reach, plan ahead and a get a game plan going. Make goals. Make it a goal to buy one machine a year if you can. Even if that means picking up a bartending job on the weekends or learning a new trade like learning how to fix these things and selling your talents on the side. This hobby doesn't have to be about owning your own either. It can also be you finding these out in the wild and spending time with friends playing that way and becoming a local champion or a casual enthusiast. I know that some of the best players in the world don't even own machines. They just play on location. I do wish these machines would be cheaper though and I think in due time they will mellow out to where there will be so much competition in the industry and supply that something will have to give. One would hope...