You're off to a great start.

It's getting harder to find good DMD games in the $1300 range but it's not impossible. If this is your first game, don't be stuck on needing a DMD. As you indicated, your wife likes Dr. Dude. Lots of great non-DMD games are out there.

Where are you located? Often times, location can affect price as well.

I'm not a big fan of Shaq as a game so it's not a title I would want and I don't think I'd pay $1400 for one that needed work but that's just my opinion. As you'll find, we don't all agree on games - and that's a good thing.

Dave

31-shaq-face-shaq-gifs.gif

That gif is more entertaining than his pin.

What state you in? I know a guy that has a frank thomas big hurt sitting in his garage in illinios.

You're probably only a couple hours drive from a Pinsider named eabundy. I'd suggest contacting him to see what he has available in your price range. He's an honest dude, and his prices are some of the fairest I've seen.

I'd decide which is most important to you, exclusively--theme, gameplay, features, flow, etc. There are some great themes with lousy gameplay, and some with the opposite.

PM sent

Have you considered a system 11? They aren't dmd games, but offer great game play and are nicely positioned to increase in value. The same can't be said for many Gottlieb's.

If you want a Gottlieb, save a few hundred more and get a Stargate.

If you don't mind the theme, this is a great game. Price varies, believe there is a thread on this game going on right now, but they can go from about 900-1500. Condition is everything, what, if anything, you're willing/able to repair, etc. As mentioned previously, don't be afraid of a non DMD game, but if that's what you want, that's what you want. Good luck with your search!

pm sent have quite a few in your range in orange county

A few data east games go for $1300 or less.

You wife probably won't be much of a Baywatch fan but you can pick up a Maverick or Lethal Weapon 3 for pretty cheap...no one really likes old Mel I guess. I have a Mav and it it my wifes favorite.

Shaq Attaq is pretty lame IMO. If I paid $1,400 for a Shaq Attaq it better be perfect.

And I have never seen a Big Hurt where the playfield wasn't completely blown out - no clearcoats on that one.

I have seen Dr Dudes for in the 1,000-1,500 range.

If you push your budget up to 2k you can really open options on some really good bally/williams games. Just a thought.

Nothing wrong with the 1990's Gottlieb sys 3 pinball machines. They are generally looked down on, mostly because they were not made by Bally/Williams (that is a pretty broad brush I know, that I am sure will draw some criticism.)

Overall I have enjoyed playing them and they would be a fine way to start off your collecting. My limited experiences with them are that they are robust and reliable. Since they are not liked much they tend to be quite cheap in comparison to other pins of that time period.

Gladiators was a Gottlieb sys 3 pin that I owned and enjoyed.

If you were on a budget but new to pinball I would make sure the game fully works but don't worry about finding one that is "fully shopped". You can clean the game and install new rubber on your own. But you are probably not going to want to learn how to solder on a board to get your first machine working.

But if I had a recommendation to make, listen to what the others are saying about looking for a late 1980's pins, especially system 11 games. You will get much more bang for your buck and I really don't look at the DMD display while I am playing anyways.

whats wrong with the dude? your wife has good taste

IMG_20130605_141201.jpg

it just so happens I just posted a Gottlieb Street Fighter 2 for sale in Virginia $1,200

take your time there is alot out there. you may find what you are looking for sitting in a garage while out and about

Working, decent shape, DMD game for $1300 ... Kind of a tall order. Not saying they ain't out there, but the right game could take months to pop up. Be patient and good luck!

Well, for your budget you picked the right brand for sure! Gottlieb had many titles in your price range. Just know there is a reason. They are just not very desireable and are hard to resell. None of that should matter if you find one you enjoy playing, however. You can get a lot for the money. They are generally very reliable. Some really fun titles include Teed Off, Super Mario Bros (though that one may be pricey), and others made during that era. I would avoid the games from the previous era, however. And I totally agree with the other poster that gave excellent advice....don't be fixated on how a game gives you your score! My favorite game is Funhouse and it isn't even a DMD game. Williams made amazing non DMD games that are in your budget. Really, $1300 is quite realistic from a private party if you can get comfy with buying a non dmd. And if you can be okay with that, I would strongly encourage you to consider some classic Williams titles instead, such as Cyclone, Jokerz, Fire, etc. You are likely to get tired of any game you end up with, so it would be preferable for you to get something you could easily resell or trade. A Gottlieb is going to be much harder to do that with, imo, unless you get the two or three games that are really good, like Freddy, Stargate or Super Mario, but all those are above $2K now.

Most of all, have fun searching!

Oh man, that is about the last Gottlieb I would recommend. We couldn't give those away when we sold them new!

image-591.jpg