In 2015 I was in your position. Had room for just one pin. Had never done any repair more complicated than using a screwdriver. Was scared of the thought of soldering something. Based on my experiences, here’s what I recommend.

Step 1: Spend plenty of time in the research phase. As you are seeing, you will favor certain pins over others and your preferences may not align with the general consensus. If you like a pin up front, ask around to see how well it ages in a home collection. I decided to aim for a NIB pin at first because of the depth factor. Then I went and bought an EM first bc it was available when I had some money. Do not buy any pin at this point without trying it out and seeing how you like it.

Step 2: Start reading Terry B’s soldering guide and other how-to guides. Don’t buy any gear yet, because you won’t know what you need/don’t need. Just start to get familiar with some typical repairs that might come up.

Step 3: This step is optional, lol. Decide to move to a bigger house because one pin is not going to be enough.

Step 4: Get a pin!!!

Step 5: Even on the simplest EMs the mechanics and wiring will seem overwhelming and scary at first. Take off the glass, examine everything, trace where wires come from and go to. (Note, there are some parts that can be a shock hazard even when a game is unplugged—be careful and when in doubt, assume you need to take precautions.). Read Vid’s guide to cleaning and waxing, and try it out on your new pin. Practice clearing out the balls and lifting the playfield.

Step 6: Play your new pin like crazy

Step 7: Every so often, open up your pin and examine all the playfield parts/pieces visually. Fixing a problem in the earlier stages is way easier than letting it get to be a big problem.

Step 8: Eventually something will need adjustment or repair. If you have a manual for your game, check it first, or use the search feature here. If something sounds daunting, ask if it’s a repair a newbie can handle—Pinsiders will tell you straight up if you can do it or not.

Step 9: If you can’t figure out what’s wrong, ask around. I find diagnosing complicated issues to be the hardest thing right now, and you may find you hit the limits of your ability before the problem is solved. At that point, definitely see who can come over and help you out. But you’ll be amazed to see how many things you can fix yourself with a few suggestions from more experienced pin owners.

Step 10: Realize that the pride you feel in caring for your own pin makes you want more. Revisit step 3.