There are no tips, everything is fucking bonkers.
Try to find your old pin connections and see if they got anything old school pricing

A quick Facebook marketplace search shows lot of pins very close to you that I would certainly consider reasonable. In the northeast, you are in a pinball mecca.

You can try the project pins thread on pinside, as well as the Craigslist posts in your area. I would also suggest meeting other pinheads in your area, going to tournaments, and even contacting people on here. There are lots of ways to find pins, and you are in the best place in America to do it.

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/261733092599213/?ref=browse_tab&search_query=pinball&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%22-7348488792918763752%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%224645044175518382%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A4645044175518382%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%7D%22%7D

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/248075887262730/?ref=browse_tab&search_query=pinball&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%22-7348487830946694282%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%224603068659751001%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A4603068659751001%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%7D%22%7D

Most sellers are greedy right now and asking crazy prices. And hard to blame them with all these rich newbs eager to pay the most ever. My advice is to be patient and wait for nearby deals and/or deal with friends. If you've gotta have a particular title and you've gotta have it now be prepared to get bent over big time.

Tip? Slap a Supreme sticker on your Roadshow, sell it for $100,000 and buy whatever you want.

road-show-pinball-at-joystix~2 (resized).jpg

If I was entering the hobby now I would be in the same boat. If you can’t afford to enter at current prices I would watch Facebook like a hawk. Just not my area please Those types of listings are the only way I seem to get deals, especially now.

Maybe I haven't seen one in a while...but is Freddy that expensive now a days (relatively speaking)?

Not sure when you left but I don’t feel Freddy and AMH really went up a lot in price over the last few years compared to many other pins out there. So that’s good for you.

And the SLE.

fixed (resized).jpg

I had bought a half dozen games for $800-$1400 years ago. Fixed them, sold them, bought a nib GoT. Had to sell it in Jan 2020 for reasons. My plan was to get an AFM in dec 2020. Unfortunately covid hit I lost my job, spent a year unemployed.

Now the prices of projects are wild, if you can even find one…and a NIB won’t be in the cards for probably another year.

For now I just enjoy pinside and live vicariously through you guys.

The first step is always to create a pricing thread on pinside.

Step 2? Sit back and wait for the pins to roll in!