You've got your SciFi themed pin. How about a Frankenstein (lower budget - plays surprisingly well considering who made it), or Scared Stiff (higher budget - nice machine) to get a theme she'll like more? There are a whole bunch of scary-ish themed pins.

Or don't, so maybe she'll let you get another one later with a theme she'd like more

The Addam's family, Tales from the crypt, and Bram Stoker's Dracula are all good and affordable choices.

I've got a TFTC in Rockford. You are welcome to come check it out if you want to experience the game play. I only have 3 machines, but it probably gets the most play of the bunch.

STTNG especially if you like working on them because there is a lot that can go wrong on STTNG!Great pin,Great theme,Sci-Fi too and its a Steve Ritchie superpin!!

I second both TFTC and Dracula. Both are nice gore/horror themes.

Dracula, good call. They actually pull off the theme great on that one. It's more of a serious/dark one, vs the more light hearted ones I suggested. I hear it takes very well to LED lighting, too.

Scared Stiff seems to be a favourite of the ladies-you would think it would be the blokes choice but I know of two couples where the wife choose Scared Stiff as their game.

All I can add is the classic Gottlieb Haunted House machine. It's one I just had to get into my collection and probably won't sell. Every Halloween I try to put it out in the garage for the kids to play who come for trick-or-treat. I love the various tiers.

That the Dracula pin looks very impressive with LEDs installed in it.

Yes, you would replace the builbs with new led bulbs....They look great in pinball machines. All my machines get converted to led's when I get them. They really do wonders to save Playfield inserts from getting warped and lifted. They don't get as hot as bulbs.

May I suggest Scared Stiff or MB, both are big players for the ladies.

They are the same socket size as the regular bulb. Filament is different. You could say they are as easy to replace as changing a light bulb.

That's one thing no woman has ever said to me ... exactly the opposite

If you're interested in Haunted House let me know. A friend of mine mentioned that he may be selling his to make room for a different machine. It is well maintained and would make a fine addition to your collection.

Otherwise I would recommend going with MSF personally. I love that machine and plan on adding it to my collection one of these days. It is the machine that first got me interested in pinball so it holds a special place in my heart.

I noticed in another thread that you were also interested in a Star Wars Trilogy machine. There just so happens to be one in Grand Rapids, MI...

grandrapids.craigslist.org link

Also, if you're interested in BSD, I did notice there was a seller in Rock Island, IL a few days back on CL. I think he was looking for just shy of $1,900. May be gone by now, but thought I'd let you know.

Happy hunting!

They fit in you just need to know which #/type of bulb to order. You can find list of lights and flashers in your manual it will tell you which # bulb goes into each spot. Or you could just order a kit for your machine at cointaker if they have one set up. If you don't have the manual for your game I highly suggest you get it.

Try Cointaker.com. Pinside members have a discount. Type PINSIDE in all caps in the coupon code at check out.
They have kits that contain all the led's you would need for your machine....check to see if they have a kit for your pin. After you install the led's from the kit you can go back and change some to your liking.

I see a Mars Trek is sitting in Peoria for $850 if your feeling adventurous ?
and also a 68 Funland for $500

oh forgot the photo

mars_trek.jpg

For sci-fi, it's hard to beat T2. (even my wife plays it) My favorite sci-fi EM machine is, of course, Centigrade 37. Art is right out of a Wally Wood EC comic! I'm a film director and am trying to make a pin of one of my sci-fi/horror films. (The Deadly Spawn) I know a guy who has one of those Game Plan Cyclopes machines....but he want's $2,800 for it!

Centigrade backglass (cool animation!)

IMG_6075.JPG

BD- he just called you OLD...
Don't worry pal, HH is still one of my favorites that I would love to have in my collection!
The PF and artwork is still as fun/cutting edge as the day it rolled off the assembly line IMO...
It is just so hard to find one here in good/great condition.

As to the question... ($-$$$)
BSD, EATPM, TAF or SS for her.
JD, STTNG, TZ or SM for you.

You would both be happy with any of these fine pins!

A little advice though...
You'd better start saving for JJP's second pin diamondjoe! (you won't want to miss it!!! )

Transformers?

That's the next Stern pin.

The next JJP is supposed to be a non-licensed theme. In other words it should be an original concept. They haven't announced what it is going to be other than that Dennis Nordman (SS) will be doing the design for it.

I can't wait to find out what type of pin Nordman will be working on for the next JJP pin!

T2 is a decent table, but I found it lacked depth. It's a table I'd like to have access to, but probably not one i'd want to dedicate scarce space to - especially if I was married to someone who had to be talked into each new pinball machine

They certainly can_ look great with some LED brands on some machines. There is debate about how good LEDs look vs bulbs - I don't care for them on my Twilight Zone, though at least in pictures, they look great on Dracula, and i'm sure CV would look spectacular with them too, and I'll bet they'd work great on most SciFi themed pins too (in keeping with the theme, you know?). I think it depends alot on what sort of lighting effects the game likes to use and the theme and color scheme of the game. I've seen some truly hideous pictures of LED-lit machines, with randomly colored leds behind every clear insert on the playfield.

I'm sure they help keep the machine happy by producing less heat, though. I've been considering putting some (quiet) fans in my TZ to cool the playfield and electronics, since I wasn't happy with the LEDs. I'm rather amazed that they don't put a fan in pinball machines as a stock component - Maybe due to fan reliability issues?

I'm really surprised I haven't seen this listed for the horror-themed pins yet here. Freddy: A Nightmare on Elm Street.

I, being probably the largest E.S. fan on here (assuming that) will defend this one. Yes, it's not the "greatest machine" nor will it rack up with TZ or TAF in terms of popularity, but it's a fun/solid machine with Freddy's head taunting you throughout the game. Plus, the claw save is very cool.