If centerflank here on the forums even looked at a game, it's worth more than what most people could afford.

You.

It's your money, so don't purchase games based on hype or mass appeal. Play what you like, buy what you enjoy. It's old, tired advice, but it's true!

Welcome to the hobby!

Amen
I have found my interest are different than others-try and play the game in person. Pay no attention to the top 100. If it is fun and you enjoy it-you have a winner.

The folks over at Farsight who make pinball arcade, have some influence on prices I think. It seems like B/C games become way more popular (and expensive) once released on pinball arcade.

Hurry and get a NIB TRON Pro before they are all gone!

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Agreed. I never heard of Ripley's until I played Pinball Arcade, now I own one.

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The creator of the internet has had more to do with price influence than anything.

My friends whose opinions I value and who know me well are the only guys that influence my potential pinball purchases. They do not influence the price of a game, but I amy be willing to spend a little more if they tell me a game is worth it and they think I will like it.

Hell, I bought a TX sector because a good friend told me I would like it. After him sharing his opinion I watched the few videos online and started looking. Ended up driving 12-14 hrs round trip to buy a non-working one that took me almost a year to get working. Now it is one of my favorite games and I am working on getting another similar game to put next to it soon.

TLDR > I listen to good friends that know my tastes in machines but have more experience with games than I do.

There are a few KEY people establishing pricing standards. Price guides, the Boston list that tracks ebay sales, live arcade equipment auctions, and even ebay (current and recent sold items) can all be factors in pricing. Condition is everything, especially with the very popular titles. For newcomers, it may be best to compare the hobby to something else (like vintage motorcycles).

Once you buy and sell 50 of them, you just know what they are worth. Many collectors and dealers compare notes on recent sales. Some people do pull prices out of their ass, especially if it's on ebay, CL, and even occasionally on this site.

A good rule of thumb for used machines:
For 70's pins, 500-1000.
For 80's pins, 700-1500.
For 90's pins, 1200-10000.
For Stern 2000+ pins, 1500-5000.

There are obviously exceptions and 90's prices are most often dependent on a combination of rarity/fun/availability/condition/distance/buyer+seller urgency. Non working machines or machines missing key parts will always be less as well.

The popularity of machines can change slightly but is really one thing that remains constant. Addams and TZ are ALWAYS going to be fun games for most people, even if you hate them personally.

Another factor may also be the in depth game tutorials now popularized by Bowen, CGR and others. These videos can point out the key factors in what makes a game great or a turd.

One machine I have noticed a lot of people recently looking for is Iron Man. It was a sleeper and people just didn't realize how great a game it was until years after there were no more for sale. No one specific thing "changed" this, it was a few factors like, the game being featured in tournaments, and the game showing up in pinball league events I attended. These factors all sparked conversation about how balanced the game plays as well as how difficult it plays. I realize these are not desired elements for every player. If you want bling and long ball times, just get a TOM or WOZ.