Quoted from JakeFAttie:Ok... so kinda off topic but not really. I'm kinda new here, but this is my favorite spot on the whole internet these days Last night I realized I can check out, quite easily, everyone's collection. And I gotta say, "what gives??" I can see a normal person having one, two, maybe even three machines (like an old classic, a 80's/90's classic, and a modern Stern) but there are tons of people on here who have 10, 20 or more pins! So, if you have more than 10 is it because a) you are a millionaire and have a giant house and no one tells you what to do, b) you are a professional and these games get routed and this is your income, c) your whole life and house is devoted to this hobby and you have no wife/family...? Not trying to insult anyone, just trying to understand how some one can have a few hundred thousand dollars worth of pinball machines and a family too.
At one point I had 11 pins all 78-82, and I never paid more then 700 for the most expensive. But that was in the early 90s - no significant internet and no flippers. It changed dramatically once places like rec.games.pinball changed to modern sites and eBay.
I only have two now, and I’m with you when I see a row of modern pins - who has that kind of disposable cash? It’s also a lot harder to buy a trashed pin for a good price and fix it up.
Now there are sources for new PF and BGs, making the trashed pins more valuable. I remember when Solar Fires always had badly flaking back glasses.
There’s a certain amount that this is a legacy hobby - you had to start off when things were cheap. My strategy now is to trade, or trade up.