Quoted from bkbirge:

NIB pins haven't really changed much in price since the 70's if you adjust for inflation. What seems to be different is the used market has gone up a lot more, presumably due to demand. Even a lot of prices people have quoted on this thread seem low compared to a quick view of the pinside market list.

Quoted from TimeBandit:

It's way too expensive. I'm totally priced out. Once my AFMR, Alien and JJPotC arrive I think it's going to be almost impossible for me to buy more than three or four machines after that.

Quoted from jwilson:

Again, where are you finding these deals?
Nothing like that exists in my area. It used to ten years ago, now there's nothing under $1,000.

Quoted from HookedonPinonics:

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...

Quoted from embryonjohn:

You just have to find the right game and be willing to use a little elbow grease

Quoted from ovfdfireman:

Cargument - buy what you can afford
Used pin - 88 Camaro ($6000)
The pin - chevy Cruz ($18,000)
Pro - Camaro RS cloth ($24,000)
Premium - Camaro SS leather ($39,000)
LE - Camaro ZL-1 1LE ($59,000)
JJP Collector - Porsche 911 ($92,000)
Super LE - Lamborghini Gallardo ($249,000)
Super Duper LE - Lamborghini Centenario ($5,000,000)

Quoted from wayout440:

You're either going to have to lower your price, or install rainbow puke LEDs in all of them.

Quoted from Pin-up:

I just browsed through most of this thread. All the stuff about the wife/girl friend objecting just cracks me up. I've been with my wife for 11 years. She's not into pins or arcades much, but she doesn't have any say in what I spend my money on and I have no say in what she spends hers on. We get along just fine and have completely taken out the chance for any money arguments, which seems to be the start of most things with other couples I know anyway. All you have to do is never have a shared bank account. Split up your mtg/utility bills evenly according to the percentage of money you each make, you pay bill a, b, and x, and she pays c, e, and y, and you each have the rest to do whatever you'd like to do with, so long as the house is paid for first, because obviously that's the most important thing. Neither person needs to touch the others leftovers.
Does no one else do this?
I've got around 100 pins/arcades...... not a peep about it from the wife, as it should be. She goes crazy with her hobbies too and it's great. We both get to explore our passions, whatever they may be at the moment, without having to bother the other about spending whatever it costs. If the money is there, have at it. If it's not, save until it is and proceed
I bought one of the Rob Zombie pins from Spooky last year and she just laughed. Of course, I did the same thing when she bought a bunch of stuff to build her chicken coops more like a house......