Quoted from SeanLind:People who own broken machines make me so very angry. I want a machine more than you can imagine, but with the prices these days being so stupid it's not even close to being possible. Yet there are people with beautiful machines out there, neglected because you refuse to fix them. Fix them, play them, or sell them to someone who will for a fair price!
It has been said before that a person can do whatever they want with their own pins. I know I seem to only have about half mine running at a time. The others are either getting overhauled, sitting broken, or just in storage. I work really hard and have limited time to "play."
I feel for you about not being able to get a pin but if you really want one you should be able to save the funds for a beginner pin. There are several playable pins out there for $500-600. That is no different than a few years ago. Start small and work your want up from there. I just got a WWF Monday in that price range.