3k is way to much for a Comet. PM 80spit on here he may have one for a decent price or something similar I know he has a couple high speeds. You can get at least two nice games for 3k.
Joe

agreed you should be able to get both high speed and comet for 3G or less.

Might as well ask...how many pins can fit in the room? Just planing ahead for your next post.

If your budget is between $2K and $3K, you can probably find a pretty reasonable newer dot matrix game with lots of staying power.

Comets good, but nowhere near $3,000 good.

Pinside has a game lookup tab that gives you a snapshot of how much a game should cost for a private party sale. Retail is obviously going to be more, since you get a warranty and such.

Good luck on the hunt!

Sounds like you’ve got an awesome plan. Find a few pins that you loved and have nostalgia for. Hope they provide fun for you and your family! Check marketplace ads as a reference for the prices. Don’t overpay, do your research.

Average working Comet should be <$1500, very nice Comet <$2000. $3000 is way too high unless it's spectacular, which would require someone with experience to evaluate. Since that's not you I say skip it.

Being that you're starting with only 1 pin I recommend getting a popular '90s DMD pin. Those generally have more features, more objectives, more things to do, and are likely to keep you guys entertained for longer.

Some good choices:

Getaway
Fish Tales
T2
World Cup Soccer

All are obtainable in good working condition for <$3000. You may see many sellers asking $4000-$5000, but they're just fishing for suckers. Fair market for these pins is <$3000. If you're ever unsure of value just come here and ask, same as you did for Comet.

One pin and you will grow tired of it. Honestly, even if the best pin on the planet was free - it would get old after a while. Two or three, even lower priced pins would be better.

One pin is fine. Mine is the remake of Medieval Madness. My advice, buy the most fun, appropriate game you want. If you want more, save for it. Don't buy 2 or 3 marginal machines just to have variety.

I agree. Start with a popular one and go from there. Happy hunting!

I own a home use only comet and I spent 750 on the game a few weeks ago just keep looking but for 3000 you can get yourself a real nice dmd game.

I'd say skip the nostalgic choices. Go for a new experience. So many great games for $3000. Fish Tales is a great suggestion. Also, Stern Pirates of the Caribbean, WCS, The Shadow, Congo, all good choices in that range.

HOWEVER, if the budget has more room... What I'd really recommend is that you step up into a modern Stern Pro. Pick the title, there are tons. For $4500, Game of Thrones, Ghostbusters, Metallica, Star Wars, Star Trek, Deadpool, Batman66. These are truly contemporary games, which are much more fungible than those older titles. Get one, have it for 6 months, sell it and get another. That way, you can have a really broad pinball experience with only one game at a time.

I need to move to Colorado to get some $3000 games

Well, you might be talking about "player's" versions for $3K, but that's OK.

NOT CONGO and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Hope you find a game for Christmas but I’ll echo the advice to not get hooked going outside your budget with inflated prices.

Good game advice posted here.

With the limited amount of time between now and Christmas, if you are willing to spend $3k on a Comet, I'd seriously think about raising your budget to $4K and look at a newer Stern as others have suggested. You're going to have a lot more to choose from and you're going to get a newer, more reliable game that has a deeper ruleset to keep you more entertained if you do only end up with one pin. (You won't ) When it comes time for your second pin you can take your time and figure out what you want to complement your first pin and not be rushed. I'd try to attend a pin show in the area to play as many games as you can to figure out what you want next, and if it turns out that newer Stern isn't doing it for you, you shouldn't lose much money selling it unless you really overpaid for it in the first place.

I’ve been seeing routed GB going for around 4K and that game is awesome with the newest code. Gotta update it, old code sucked.
I’ve been considering upping to a newer (10 yo or less) Stern myself. They just hold value and you can sell or trade with ease.

Where the hell can I get any of those for 3k??? Even the Shadow has been pricey lately, but please find me a POTC for less than 4K and I’ll buy it.

I would recommend contacting brandon haney. He is a pinball restorer here on pinside (his handle is Big70). He will have to ship to you, but his quality is so high and his prices reasonable....it would be worth it. You know it will be high quality and fair priced. He has 2 high speed machines amongst several others.

I would highly recommend reaching out to him.

I’m thinking about a trade of my World Cup 94 in really good condition with mods and upgrades. For a routed GB pro. Sterns build quality though and the spike system scares me. Not even a lock down bar. Oh yeah and clear coat problems, ghosting inserts.

Maybe it’s because I’m in California, but it is really difficult to find a game that isn’t beat up or 50 years old under $3000. My recommendation is to attend a pinball show (I believe they hold one in PA) and get familiar with a variety of games. This way, you’ll know for sure what you really enjoy and your family will let you know what they enjoy as well. Pinball is very personal and people vary widely on the machines that they prefer. I would go for one in full working condition for your first pin. Good luck!!

No lock bar? LOL

What Stern-bashing nonsense have you been reading on here?

Actually, nevermind. Let's keep this on topic for the guy.

I have seen multiple people suggest upping the budget to $4000 or more. This is really unecessary. Plenty of very good pins available in the $2k-$3k range. In fact, you're not even starting small, which IMO is $1k-$2k. It may take a moment for the right title to pop up in your vicinity for a fair price, but it will happen.

Agreed with the others, skip the expensive Comet, whether it is actually a high end or not. If you think you might really want a Comet, you can find reasonably decent Comets for half that. Then you can upgrade it a little and/or retain the remainder of your budget for a second game. If you don't really want a Comet or High Speed specifically, keep shopping around for better games in your budget.

@zero4199 also keep this thread bookmarked -

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/northeast-us-for-sale-thread

It’s one of the most active regional for sale threads on Pinside. There are a few regular posters from the PA region. Either see if there’s anything in there that fits the budget, or even consider reaching out to the PA sellers who are commonly selling as they may have connections to other games coming up.

... but never spend $3k on a Comet.

So sterns aren’t cost cutting and building cheap cabs? Why don’t you read thousands of posts that back that up. The skimping on a lock down bar is one of Their cost cuts. It’s like arcade style control panel feel.

Does he have any pins you want to go after?

I'm a bit far from you but I have 2 for sale in VT. Drive on up and you can have 2 machines for 2,600!

Which ironically, is a more effective and secure lockdown bar.

As for the subject at hand. I think the OP is in the right direction, stick to your budget <$3k, but I do agree with others in getting something ‘new to you’ in the 90s dmd era. WCS, fish tales, and T2 are great suggestions and make for a great first ‘kid friendly’ pin. Maybe try a stern pro (new in box from reputable distributor as your 2nd pin down the line). Oh, did we not already mention that you shouldn’t be making room for 1 pin in your gameroom, but 2

You're in a rather 'target rich' pinball environment to your area, if you're looking for a decent variety of titles.
PinFest 2019 is in May in Allentown - York PA Game Room Show is every early October.
Each has decent condition games for sale, if you're interested. Also Pintastic in New England is a good venue.
Also, you can make contacts at shows anywhere, which can often read to a decent game at a reasonable price, 'through the seller grapevine.'
Just my 2 cents.

Man I hate these new lockbars, they are such a PITA! But you are right; they are definitely more secure if you don't want to mess with the brass screw. And even then, sometimes you still have some play in the traditional lockbars. But I still hate the new ones

Have you made a purchase yet, or gone to look at any?

Make sure you replace the logic voltage filter cap soon - it looks original. Also get those batteries off the CPU board (off board holder or NVRAM). This connector looks funky. Check out the System 11 bulletproofing thread, too. This game should get fuses added to the bridge rectifiers to prevent a fire.
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I am going to second what wayout440 has stated.
I will also recommend asking if their is a playfield protector on it or if it has been clear coated. These system 11 machines didnt have really any llayfield protection, and they can easily get worn down. Look very closely around "highly-trafficked" areas for wear. If it doesnt already have one, i would highly recommend getting a playfield protector.

Doesn't look it....however the inserts may be raised looking at the edges of the mylar. Hard to tell from the pics. You really have to run a finger over it.

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I would buy F-14 or High Speed but stay under 2K for certain. If it's over 2K, keep looking!

Mylar wears down and will bubble, crack, and wear because it has basically NO protection.

Thats great that is has a playfield protector. It will be a HUGE help.

The playfield protector is a very thin and hard plastic that keeps the playfield from taking damage and being worn down. They often make the game play faster as well. They are NOT easily replaceable. You would gave to remove most (if not ALL) playfield ramps, bumpers, lights, toys, etc. Then you would have to clean the playfield, place the new protector on, and replace all playfield items. If you are very mechanically inclined and have all the tools, it will be apptix 4-5 hours time. Restorers charge a mint to do it.

The playfield protectors cost around $115.

Just curious, but why would you want to replace it already?

That looks like Mylar. You can remove Mylar, but more than likely the paint on the inserts will come off with it. In one of Vid's threads (possibly the playfield restoration thread) he talks about leveling raised inserts. Do a search for "leveling raised inserts" and you'll find a few hits. Removing the Mylar is going to open a can of worms that you probably don't want to deal with. You can level the inserts and leave the Mylar on, but you'll still see the areas where the Mylar is no longer adhered around the inserts where they were raised, but at least the ball will roll true.

Gah! You absolutely do not sand switch contacts! Please come here for future advice. Personally, I do not think you way overpaid ...maybe a little (considering today's crazy market),
You just need some pinball under the glass knowledge and you can make this into a great game., Enjoy and have fun!

Well, they both protect playfields in a way. Mylar is a sticky plastic coating and modern playfield protectors are clear overlays. Neither is easily replaceable.

OR EVEN REMOVEABLE!