Firepower, Blackout, Space Invaders are some that come to mind. Lots of EM's to choose from in that price range too. Jacks Open is fun. Hope that helps?

Some Williams system 11's are in your budget.
Road Kings, Big Guns, and others are great games.
Good deals on more popular system 11 games show up also.
Keep your eyes open and be patient.

I got my Pinbot for under 1000 as my first pin and I couldnt be happier with it. When machines come up for sale in your price range, you should search for the machine on the pinside homepage and read the reviews and see what other people think. Also, watch youtube videos if you havent played the game and want to get an idea of what it plays like. Probably a good idea to play the machine before you buy as well

EM- Electro Mechanical. Pre-computer controlled. Scores kept by numbered reels rather than electronic displays,
sound by chimes rather than electronic.
As opposed to SS-Solid State (electronic).
Most pre 1978 are EM, most newer are SS.

Welcome! I am so glad I got this same advice here when I began. First two were System 11's. God Bless the System 11's for all they do, have done, and will freaking do for years to come. If you haven't seen some of vid1900's "bulletproofing" threads, check 'em out. You have a whole community at your disposal. Once you have a machine in your sights, bounce it off the forum, or any guys you have befriended. We'll all help. "Guy wants this much", "What should I look for"... "Anybody deal with this seller?"... all that stuff... A lil research goes a long way. Welcome to the addiction!

imagesM8DTZ0E0.jpg

+1 on the Road Kings.....my 1st...will never sell...great pin...well under a grand even tho they didn't make all that many....I see a lot of pins for sale in Texas so it shouldn't be to hard to find one....bump up the budget just a bit and T2 is doable....!!!....deff play it before you buy it...if seller won't let you big red flag...what I do before I buy is play a few games...ask seller to play with you so you can look at stuff while he plays...then power down,chat a bit...turn it back on,few more games,then you should know if it's for you....good luck...be careful...before you know it you will have a house full of them....!!!!!!!!......Joey

Hey OP, welcome to the hobby and the forums brothah!

You obviously like machines from the 90's and up. I suggest you save some more money to you can buy a really nice machine. There are a lot of machines you could buy between $1,500 - $2,000 as opposed to between $1,000 - $1,500. I'd be just a little more patient (the HARDEST thing to do in this hobby) and save just a little more money to get a machine you'll love for years to come. Just a few solid and super fun pins...JP, LAH, TFTC, DM, JD, R&B, South Park, and many, many others.

Just google game abbreviations if you don't know them. Trust me, in about a month or two, you'll know them all.

Additionally, here's a cool thread link that may really help you in your search. There's a LOT of nice/fun machine in this thread.

Anyway, Good luck and let us know what you end up buying.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/best-dmd-machine-in-1500-2000-range

Watch Dallas craigslist and get ready to email as soon as you can.
The good project priced machines go fast.

There is a Laserball for about 1300 range, near Dallas.
http://elevationgames.net/forsale.htm

You're lucky, good deals are posted frequently in the DFW area. I have shallow pockets as well and my advice is take your time. Watch craigslist and get a feel for what things go for, check here if you're not sure if something's overpriced.

I would try to get ahold of a High Speed. Good System 11 game. Cardinal rule of buying System 11 games is always check for battery acid damage. It can be tricky to spot and will cost you $400 or so to fix if you miss it!!

HIGH SPEED...HIGH SPEED...HIGH SPEED...HIGH SPEED!

A lot of great pins made between 1980 and 1988 can be found for 1000-1500. Your first game isn't nearly as important as who your first seller is. It's worth taking the time to find out who the good and bad sellers are in your area. Go to some pin parties and ask around.

It all depends in your area. In North Cali, T2 is a $1900-$2700 "recently seen a few over $3k" But the price is always totally random. A machine may be worth X amount. But doesn't mean it will sell for what its worth on CL.

I highly recommend T2 as your first pin. It was my 2nd pin, and will never sell it. You may be able to find a project in the $1500 price range but doubtful. But keep your eye out, it happens.

Very good advice. Especially on CL. People will say whatever they want/can just to get you to buy. Lies and more lies.

So you're a dmd guy. Dot matrix display pins are my favs.

Jurassic park at about $1300 is a great one.

Jackbot is another. $1500-1800 range.

System 11 pins are all pretty unique and most are keepers.

Judge Dredd is a wide body (Williams) for around 1500-1800.

As cheap a system 11 game as you can get in working order.

$600-$1000 should get you something like High Speed, Road Kings, Big Guns (recommended), Pinbot, Grand Lizard...something of that nature.

Something like Jurassic Park or even Jackbot will probably run you twice your budget. I would stick with one of these System 11 games - fun, reliable, and the amount of money you want to spend. You'll be able to sell it for what you put in if you decide later on to chase something more expensive.

Buy this high speed:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fs-hs-in-faifax-va-for-1150#post-1776174

There are plenty around, don't get into a rush. Here in the Austin area right now I know of a South Park (higher than 1000, but nice), some early SS, and EMs for sale below 1000. A beat up system 11 could get close. I'd recommend just talking to as many folks as possible and seeing different conditions of machines. You'll also need to figure out what kinds of issues you are comfortable working on - cosmetic, electrical, none of the above...

Glad to see another Aggie online, '97 here.

I don't think it's a good idea for newbies to buy a game that needs work. It's always best for your first pin to work 100% - you can learn how to fix things when they break, one at a time.

My first pin was almost a $600 High speed that had sound issues (it didn't work).

I'm glad I decided against it and spent $350 on a 100 percent working EM game.

Judging from your favorites you would like a modern pin more than an em (electromechanical) look for a gottlieb dmd pin. They are not as popular or pricy but can be very fun. 1k does not buy much in the more collectable or sought after Bally williams of the same era.

If you can up your budget a little...

High speed 2 1600-2200
Judge dredd 1800-2200
World Cup soccer $2kish
Terminator 2 1500-2000
Doctor who 1500-2000
Johnny m 1500-2000
Jurassic park $2kish
Jackbot $1500-2000
No fear 1500-2000
Dirty Harry 1500-2000
Break shot 1500
World poker tour 1800-2k

Edit: some of my prices might be high or low. If you disagree, that's cool but I've seen multiple examples within the last year of these games at these price points in alleged fully working condition and in at least average cosmetic shape.

T2 is spot on...I got a real nice example for $1750.....my Road Kings is a little worn on playfield but 100% working for $600....so you can find a good cheap one....patience is the key... ......Joey

Don't count out the Gottlieb pins! I am currently looking for a nice one myself since they have decent rule sets, multiball, unique layouts and good DMD. Try to go out and play Gladiator and Rescue 911. They don't get a lot of love but will get you a fun pin for a nice price!

Why is everybody trying to talk this guy into spending twice his budget?

People have been doing this in "what should I buy first" threads as long as I've been buying games.

I would assume NY prices are as high as SF, but in the bay area the only thing you can find for $1000 or less is an EM. Sounds like he is after a DMD, if that is the case $1000 is not going to be a very clean/nice example.

I highly recommend Black Hole! a gorgeous game with an inverted lower playfield, a very challenging-to-reach multi ball mode, and it's an early example (1981) of a talking game. it's a fantastic, challenging game that you can actually find for $1k (unlike a lot of the other suggestions above )

black hole

someone also mentioned Pin*bot -- another great game. tends to be a little more expensive, and also doesn't have quite as much to do as Black Hole in my opinion, but it's still a classic.

pin*bot

High Speed is another great option.

high speed

You might be able to find a black rose in that price range. We recently sold one for about 1200 and it was in pretty good shape (not perfect).

ps - there's a nice-looking High Speed for sale right now on these forums --

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fs-hs-in-faifax-va-for-1150#post-1776174

Not a newer game, but there's a Nitro GroundShaker on your CL as well for under a grand. Always liked that one.

The games I mentioned cost more but are easier to find and / or will have more replayability as a first pin. Just my opinion.

Try Elevation Games near you, I've found his prices fair for a retailer.

I have a couple for sale in your price range (Torch $600, El Dorado $900) and I have an Earthshaker that I'm considering selling soon for $1600. It's got one really bad side on the cabinet (lots of paint scraped off), but it works very well and has new plastics and a new repro backglass. Anyway, not pushing my games on you, just letting you know what out here at a reasonable distance.

Read the most underrated threads and go after those pins.For me the best pin for the $1000 range is Striker extreme it's a 2000 Stern and alot of fun has all the bells and whistles .most likley will give you zero issues since your new in the hobby.

.

I think staying local is smart and hopefully some DFW people will offer to show you the ropes in that area. There are a few places to play in that area, but Pinballz in Austin has more selection.

I bought my whitewater from Elevation - my only game from a retailer and I feel that it was priced fairly and the machine has been solid since I bought it in April.

My best suggestion is to talk to as many local collectors as you can. Seek out the DFW Facebook groups (3, I think - including a classifieds group).

1300 for a pinbot could be a disaster or a steal - that is what you mind need some education on in the form of some hands on inspection with local folks. I've bought several machines from collectors in DFW, so ping me if you are close to buying something and want to check references.

I agree with PezPunk, if you can find a Black Hole for sale near you, it's a great game for the money. I recently sold mine for $1000 and it was in pretty nice shape. Some will warn you that games like Black Hole can be a pain to keep running but I've owned that game a couple of times and once you get it running right, it tends to stay running right.

Black hole is a challenging and fun game and is also unique. At the price it currently goes for, I think it's a great value.

The only downside is you'll likely end up with a hernia when you move it. That thing weighs a ton.

Dave

How anybody could recommend a Black Hole to a complete newbie with a clear conscience is beyond me.

That game is a NIGHTMARE to keep running for even an experienced pinhead, and a completely gone through, bulletproofed one is gonna cost a hell of a lot more than $1,000.

Have a heart people.

i paid $1300 for mine and it has been 100% trouble free for the two years i've owned it ... far more reliable than my other two pins (FH and STTNG). it was a phenomenal first pin. but yes, i was told it does have the "bulletproofing" done to it. you are not wrong -- Black Hole is notoriously unreliable if it hasn't been bulletproofed.

Some of my best bargains have been pins that had wear but came from other collectors. They already worked great and the prices were very reasonable. Some had a lot of wear, but the prices were very reasonable because of that and I don't care much about wear.

If you are new to the hobby you don't want your only pin to be a mess of problems.

As already mentioned, it is who you buy from that matters. I would not recommend getting your first pin from someone basement that has been dead for 10 years unless it is very cheap. You will burn your self out trying to get it running before you can enjoy the hobby.

Any pin that is local, working well and a reasonable price is a good choice in my mind. I would pick from the tried and well known systems that have a lot of spare parts and knowledge available. Williams System 11 and early Bally SS pins (~1978-1985) are both fall into this group.

Pin*Bot or Taxi would be a great first. +1 for Pinbot because it was my first buy, and was $1000 exactly.

Follow this advice. If you were closer, and I were closer to finishing my Comet restoration, you could have it for $1k. That's another good one for around $1k, if you can find one that doesn't have broken ramps.

Good advice, especially about common pins with lots of parts and knowledge documented. I just got an early Bally SS and am loving it, but I'd pass it along if the OP is interested. $750 for Eight Ball. I just re-pinned and replaced headers on the MPU and some of the solenoid board connections and its playing really well. It seems that any early SS game must have a lot of work before it is ready for enjoyment.

I'll go at this from a different angle. I would highly recommend trying to get a DMD for your first pin.

Why? Diagnostics.

I think for a newbie it's much easier to have the display menus to walk you through switch tests, lamp tests, etc. than to figure out what number means what switch and so forth. Plus, the credit dot will warn you that something's up, and may prevent further problems down the road.

As for what title to look for, I'd suggest a Data East/Sega pin, as those seem to command less $$ than a B/W title. Last Action Hero, Jurassic Park, Baywatch, and Lethal Weapon 3 are all titles you should be able to find for less than $2K easily...

Later,
EV

There was one in his area on ebay very recently at a pretty good price.

True! ....Hey, do you know John Skerchock??

My most recent experience with selling a Black Hole is that they don't go for a lot more than $1000. The one I recently sold, I had for sale for quite a while (started at $1200) before finally selling at $1000. It wasn't completely bulletproofed but the time I had it, once I got it running, it didn't have any problems. In my opinion it was in very nice cosmetic shape as well.

I've actually owned this title more than once and each time I've owned it, once I've gotten it going, it's been pretty reliable so my experience is that while the System 80s have a bad rap, and some of them are certainly a nightmare to maintain, there are good ones out there at reasonable prices.

Dave