My first pinball game what to get around 3k

Of those games I would say Demolition Man is by far the best. And no its a 1 ball game until you get to multiball.

Welcome! I'm sure there will be many here that will chime in and give you excellent advice. Take some time to peruse the various threads others have started looking for "the best games under *insert arbitrary price*"

My advice to you is to find an arcade, and play some games. Find out what you like, what you don't like, and go from there.

Generally, a William's or Bally game will cost the most compared to other manufacturers. They remain popular, and hold value well due to their generally good gameplay and ease of finding parts and repair support.

Gottlieb games are a bit of a black sheep. You can find them for much cheaper than Bally or William's titles. They have a different feel to them and collectors generally dislike their gameplay or rules. Personally, I think they're great games, and offer tremendous value. Beware: Games produced up until ~1989 or so have reliability issues due to hardware flaws. Once corrected, however, they are very reliable machines. Games after 1989 are notorious for being absolutely rock solid and bullet proof. Gottlieb certainly learned from their mistakes.

Data East games fall in between Gottlieb and William's/Bally games, in my opinion. They used the same hardware as William's did at the time, have good layouts, but people often complain about them all having similar rules, and a relative lack of depth in gameplay. However, their themes, artwork, and sound direction is very good.

For 3000 you can get a better game than the ones listed above. My advice is stick with a Bally or Williams. They are typically better quality, gameplay and easier to sell. Every machine that I own I didn't play much before purchasing them. Use the rankings and values on this site as a guideline to value and gameplay. Depending on location price may vary. Check archived comps on this site and compare those listings to games you look at. Don't forget that mods and condition can change the value quite a bit.

Indy 500 ...

I tend to try and find any games in my price range that come up on Craigslist and watch youtube videos to see if I'm interested. It might take a year or so to find the game you want. I'm way too impatient to wait that long so I only consider what's available when it comes up. Based on the games that you are mentioning theme seems to be a big selling point. With that in mind T2, Demolition Man, and Judge Dredd can be had at around 2300 and listings for all three come up often. I would also include Bram Stoker's Dracula, but its a tough game, might be too chalenging for a noob and will run closer to 3000. Other good options are No Good Gofers (probably run a couple hundred above 3000), Indy 500, Fish Tales, The Shadow (This is the one I would buy in your price range, but it's hard to find), The Getaway (I own this game. Guests love it. Great flow and speed), Whirlwind (I own this one also and love it. Its a system 11 so no dmd. Doesn't look as modern). I've always been very intrigued with Last Action Hero. That can be had under $2000 and I've heard great things about it. If you go to $4000 you should be able to get a newer Stern. I just picked up a lightly routed Kiss Pro in great shape for $3800.

The Shadow

3 copies of Baywatch

I've got a decent lineup and the shadow is my favorite game but don't think it's the best for a first pin. Think it takes somewhat of an appreciation for the nuances of the hobby and many can't get into the shadow upon initial play. Especially new players

I just checked out your lineup, you have a great collection, so that says something about the quality of Shadow!

Spend a couple hundred extra and get this...hard to find a Creech at this price anymore.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/47845

It's been about 20 years since I played it but The Shadow was the first machine I really got into.

OP - DM is the best game you mention in your list. But for $3K, you should be able to get BOTH a Data East Simpsons and Hook. As an alternative, perhaps a DM + a cheap EM machine or a beater/project SS to boot.

Personally, DE Simpsons was my first game and it was great... until I got so good at the shots that the shallow rule set and quick ball times got real old. Hook is very similar, but looks nicer IMHO. I don't know what would happen with both of them side by side and if they're able to be kept longer without getting bored.

DM will probably have a lot more replay-ability, but is also much more complex of a game to work on. If you have a good technical aptitude, get a DM. If you want simplicity, get both Simpsons and Hook. If you want the best option for a $3K budget, get out there and play some other games and perhaps find a top tier Bally/Williams game, or a cheaper Stern that will really maximize your budget.

If I could do it all over I would have bought one of those $3k Bram Stokers.

If you make a short list and go looking, you are going to over pay for the game. The better approach is to buy the best value game that you can see and play in person for 3K and not go looking with a list in mind. You will get a better machine and be in a much better position to negotiate on the price. What's around you for sale besides South Park? It's a bore.

If you're talking The Simpsons Pinball Party and not the Data East Simpsons, that's a BIG difference. TSPP's never come up around $3K anymore unless it was in a flood or is currently on fire. TSPP has a lot more replay-ability than South Park IMO.

Hook is a lot more like the Data East Simpsons... very shallow rules and could get old fast.

Yes, 3K is too much for a DE Simpsons and not nearly enough for a TSPP.

-Stern Monopoly (full led great shape). $4400.00 -- RUN AWAY FAST!
- judge dredd some LEDs $3200.00 --OK but still a bit overpriced.
- Williams hurricane some LEDs 2750.00 --boring!
- Williams diner --good system 11 game! shouldn't be more than about 2500 though, unless it's very nice.
- stern sopranos 3000.00 --probably the one I would buy if it's in good shape. NOT really kid friendly. It's a better game than anything above this list cpet possibly Dredd, which is not all that kid friendly either.

$1800 worth of LEDs?

Great choice. Metallica premium is my favorite machine and the pro is right up there with the premium. I play more Metallica than all my other games combined.

Metallica for only $3k? I must meet your lawyer.....

Congrats, Metallica is a great pin and you'll love it! Hopefully you've read the threads about Stern's quality control issues and know what to be on the lookout for.

Anyone else looking to get rid of a Metallica pro around 3k?

$1400 for a JD? Would need to be in pretty rough shape to find that kind of deal.

OP - Good choice. If you're willing to spend 3k you might as well spend an extra $1500 for a newer HUO stern. Especially if you have no experience fixing machines.

Don't worry about it. Just enjoy your game. If you have any issues, post here and people will help you.

How much was Metallica, was it really just $3k?

I'm sure he upped the coin to get Metallica.

Yep, just don't tell your wife how much you spent. She will certainly disagree.

Hell yeah it is. It wasn't on your list, but it's a great game. I was going to steer you towards demo man or a "lesser" Stern, but you went right to the top. Enjoy the new game!

Good choice! If you are a so so player it is ok to put it on 5 ball for a bit. Learn to hit your shots and then lower it back down to 3.

I did this for my Getaway when I was just stating out playing and it made a better player out of me and made me love pinball.

Enjoy!