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Not a rich man's hobby. The OP said it well. You can get lots of games very cheap, fix them up, and have some great games at low cost. If you're the type that only wants "A-List" games or the latest NIB title from Stern, well, then you will need a lot of disposable income. But pinball is far, far more varied than that, and there's lots of fun to be had on a budget.
Quoted from pepind:Even for collecting machines, you don't necessarily have to be rich or even particularly well off, it just depends on how you choose to be in the hobby.
Myself, I'm very much on the lower tail of the poll results. I had to save up for awhile to buy my first machine ($700) and that's by far the most I've spent on any one that I have owned. I usually buy in the the $2-400 price range, and have even gotten a few freebies. Yes, they are fixer uppers, but that's half the fun for me. Are they HUO/CQ/NIB/etc. condition? No, but can they be cleaned up and presentable!
There's more to the pinball hobby than just buying the latest NIB or flavor of the month (AFM, etc) and blinging it out with hundreds of dollars of LEDs, powdercoating, toppers etc. Personally, I find much of that stuff to be gaudy, and prefer the stock look. Also, I don't like a lot of the newer games compared to my older ones. The newer games I do like are generally not well liked, so go figure... (WoF is favorite Stern if that says anything).
Many people on this board have spend more money on "mods" than I spend buying and repairing a number of machines. If you think that you HAVE to add LEDs, high-end clear coat, mirror blades, toppers, powdercoating, etc, then YES, it is a rich man's hobby. But, if you're looking for something fun to hit a ball around on, tinker with from time to time, then it certainly doesn't have to be
Well said! You, sir, are not a pinkhatter!
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