I would consider Space Shuttle

Everyone has a different price range and probably most of the top rated 75 machines (1-75)(and maybe more) are probably $3000 and up easy, depending on the condition. Tough to find a clean plug and play working $2000 machine local. This is an expensive hobby. My first pinball getting back into the hobby after a long time being away was a $2200 Earthshaker and it played terrible. I could not wait to get rid of it and lost money selling it. Keep doing your research.

Good luck

Space Shuttle is a good choice, but System 9 boards are hard to source. Make sure that any example you consider has a clean, working board.

Bally's Flash Gordon would be high on my list, too.

Love FG. It's my only 80s pin left in my line up,but it can be a little brutal for casual players. Firepower would be a good choice also. Easy to find for 2k, lots of them out there.

Noob abuse?

Welcome to one of the most awesome hobbies in the world.

Actually F-14 can be set up to play easier through setting. It can be adjusted too very easy to super hard. But it isn’t a stand alone pin for sure. It’s best for a multipin collection....

2nd that!

Pinbot is a possibility, I still see the occasional routed game/player's condition game go for around 2k.

Welcome to the madness
Firepower if a fantastic choice for a first pin.

Get lots of pictures inside and out. Also the all the circuit boards and post on here so we can see and give any hints or clues to what we see. Game play is out of the equation since it is 4 hrs away. But if you do go, play it and ask questions about the pin. I know it is tough to drive that far and not buy, it is a real bummer!
Remember all pins will need adjustment and fixed at times. Lots of help here on pinside!!!! I found that when I got into this hobby I knew ahead of time they would need fixed. And is one of the enjoyments I have is fixing and playing them!
Here is my F-14 at this time! Great game, wife loves it too!

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And yeah, Welcome to the addiction!

Welcome!! Here's a few i can think of that might fit the bill for your price range and taste so far:

Eight Ball Deluxe (look for an LE model, they're cheaper but have a funky cabinet)
Mata Hari
Blackout
Firepower or Firepower II
High Speed
Pinbot
Big Guns

I personally prefer older games for their more straightforward rule sets and game play. I would also prepare to learn how to fix a few things as you proceed, but you're also in the right place for tech help with your game.

Play as many different games as you can, try to find something that really speaks to both of you. Make room for more, too!

Enjoy!

If you can find a Pinbot in your price range I would suggest that, awesome game. I have both Pinbot and F14, both are a lot of fun.

Flight 2000 gets my vote for the best space themed game you can find for under $2k.

There are a lot of dynamics to buying pinballs, and especially as a new collector you tend to do better by being more open to options.

There have been several games mentioned so far that are fantastic (Flash Gordon and Pinbot), but will likely be above the 2k budget, especially in any type of decent working condition. That brings me to my next point: Are you wiling to put in any wrench time, or do you need it to be 100%? That will also be a big difference in what you can/should get.

Also, how flexible are you on theme? Being open to various themes often leads to a wider net cast and better options. Bally Paragon is one of the most underrated/undervalued pins in existence, and it is in your price range. It isn't spaced themed, but it is an amazing game that will "wow" family and guests. Food for thought.

Here are my suggestions for space (space-ish) type games:

In your price range; firepower, firepower II, stars, time machine, space shuttle, space station, big guns, laser cue, galaxy, black hole, blackout, meteor, countdown, flight 2000

Just above your price range (would require additional funds, finding a smoking deal, or wrench time for a non-100% game):
Pinbot, Flash Gordon, Stargate

The choice is obviously your own, but I would recommend a few things: be willing to add some money for a better or higher quality game, consider other themes as well, look for games that require just a bit of work to get going so you can save some money on a better pin.

P.S. I have a friend with a very nice Williams Big Guns for sale here on pinside. You would have to have it shipped, but it's a great game in good condition with your desired theme and price point. If interested, contact dc2010

Not intentionally, but I take your point. Flash Gordon will either make you a better player or abandon the hobby altogether.

Welcome to Pinside! My sister and I went to Camp Foster a couple summers in the 70s.

IPDB can filter by theme and date range. This will help you find space themed tables. https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?tm=Space&sortby=name&searchtype=advanced

I’ve found you just end up buying what’s available and playing that until you get what you really want.
vid1900 has a guide on how not to get ripped off. It’s well worth reading.

Welcome my friend to the world of pinball.

Learn as much as you can. Buy in person. Even learn some basic repairs so when you look over a used game you can tell if it's been maintained or not. Figure out if common wear items or even boards are available for repairs.

Make your first purchase a good experience. Not a money pit that makes you leave pinball.

Make friends with local collectors so you can tap their experience in purchasing or fixing.

As you grow and learn. Be sure and help the next person coming along.

LTG : )

I would get a Williams High Speed in an instant. It's so fun.

For space themes under $2K, Big Guns also has a good amount going on for the money.

Not a space theme but Comet checks a few of your boxes and I see them under $1500 all the time.

I agree with this 1000%. Since this is your first buy, I’d try to recruit the help of another collector. Use the Pinside map to see if any Pinsiders are local to you and hit them up!

I bought my first pins (F-14 and Johnny Mnemonic) from a repair guy that sells used pins with a warranty. I think it turned out to be a great way to enter the hobby. It allows you to buy a known working machine with a warranty. I probably paid a little extra, but it helped me ease my way into ownership.

As for space themes... Space Station should be on your list. And Black Hole is a great one (although it can be a bit of a bear to keep running).

I totally understand your sticker shock. 8 years ago, I thought prices were crazy. They are 10-fold, now! The good news is you can get your money back (plus or minus) in most situations.

This! You need a local to help you out. I just about quit a bunch of times. I probably spent about 700 on stuff I have destroyed.

Welcome. As stated above, Space Shuttle, Blackout, Flight 2000, Firepower, Pinbot, Meteor, and Stars are all great. Best of luck. You’re about to get the sickness.

Every one of these threads ends with the OP giving up and spending $7k on his first pin.

Embrace it! And welcome your fabulous new game into your life!

Look on the pinside.com map for other pinheads near you as well as technicians. There are lots of pinsiders close to you. You can also check craigslist and Facebook for pin listings and pin techs in your area.

Pins can be found in the same places (Facebook, craigslist, letgo, pinside, 5 mile, estatesales.com)

Lost world for 650 in Ames, IA

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/309291163531518/?ref=browse_tab&search_query=pinball&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%226901071037771474308%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%224681312541943285%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A4681312541943285%2C%5C%22target_type%5C%22%3A0%2C%5C%22primary_position%5C%22%3A-1%2C%5C%22ranking_signature%5C%22%3A0%2C%5C%22commerce_channel%5C%22%3A503%2C%5C%22value%5C%22%3A0%2C%5C%22upsell_type%5C%22%3Anull%7D%22%7D

Before you completely dismiss late EMs, there’s often more going on with them than you might think at first glance, they’re not a whole lot different from early solid states, and they’re usually priced lower. For space theme, Jet Spin is a great one, as well as Target Alpha. Non-space theme pins I would suggest taking a look at are Hot Tip EM (my personal favorite), Grand Prix, and Royal Flush.

I forget his name, but not long we had another new member asking similar questions with similar price range. He quickly tripled his budget. Funny how that works.

One thing to note, you can usually recoupe most if not all of your purchase price should you decide to sell or upgrade later.

It’s for sale here on pinside.
Looks nice

I still say Comet. I know people think I'm biased because I have one but it wasn't my first pin and is family friendly. They go for $1200-$1500 typically. As far as the others people suggested I'd go with Space Shuttle. I had a space shuttle I bought for $75, 23 years ago. Never got it working and sold it when I moved. I regret that all the time. I like multiball which the Comet doesn't have. I'm definately more a fan of 1980's-90's Williams games so I am a little biased. The cool thing about Space Shuttle, Comet and some others mentioned is that hard tops are available. You could buy a pretty worked over machine, maybe get a better deal, and hard top it later as your budget allows.

Welcome to the addiction!

Might want to put out a local feeler for repair people in your area. Not just for repair of what you buy but maybe ask if he has some for sale. I found a semi local guy who does repair and fixed my Comet. He did a stellar job and I ended up buying my BK2K from him because I wanted one and he did great work. The BK2K was out of his personal collection so I had confidence he'd fixed it well and he did. Knock on wood, not a single flaw yet....

I'm busting his balls for his Meteor as that was my first pin but trying not to be too pushy!

Welcome to the hobby! As you dig in you'll discover there were many types of pins
over many eras from the earliest mechanical pins of the early 1930's to the
NIB, latest. The one thing that ties them all together is they are all fun and challenging.

Everyone has their favorites. The best thing to do is play as many machines
locally as you can. Like others have said, get together with folks in your area.
Before the pandemic, there were a number of very good shows around
the country. Hopefully they will start up again as these are the best place
to see a wide range of pins at the same time.

This doesn't have to be an expensive hobby. Learning to fix your own pins
pays off in the future as non-working games can often be found fairly cheap.