My advice is get what YOU like. Play it before you buy it. Buy locally.

Are you sure of that? Play before you buy.

You don’t want Munsters

I had munsters. Got bored quick. Not enough going on. Too easy….
Though good looking art package.

You should get 2 pins with that budget
Something new and a 90s pin

I say Deadpool Pro and judge dredd or LAH

Munsters is alright but you’ll enjoy two classics for that price versus one stern. More efficient and sensible to buy two solid classics

Get what you want. Know that the people here trend toward pinball wizards that can play Munsters for 45 minutes in a single game. You can buy Munsters, play it for a year, then trade it for something else or sell it for about what you paid for it. Munsters is not well loved on this site, which generally means you could buy Munsters and have plenty left over for a second lesser pin (80s) with your budget. Good luck and welcome to the addiction!

If I had the money, I would get a Beatles pinball machine. I think you can still get it brand new from Stern, but I could be wrong about that.

If you want a Munsters go for it , at the end of the day , it's going to be you playing it , not the haters on pinside .

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can find Munsters new anymore unless someone is sitting on an NIB somewhere.

I would personally start with a new or newer machine and then go from there to decide if you want more. Unless you need to spend all 10K at once, I would start with one game and see how you like owning a game.

I see you're in North Canton, there are a TON of locations within an hour that you have access to that you and your wife could visit to try games and see what you like.

You're really close to me. Come play my three games and we can commiserate about how impossible it is to find games right now

My advice is like a star trek pro and then a system 11 or cheaper DMD pin

Shadow ($4,800) and Ironman ($5.200)

Well you need hurry up before a stern pro is 8k

Munsters Premiuim and Demo Man? Demo Man is a wide body though...

With that budget you should be able to get a very nice pin in time for Christmas.

That’s a great suggestion. Can you even find at those prices tho?

But it’s easier said than done. If you can’t find local you’re adding $1k for shipping?

Basically it depends on what you can find more than anything else. I’ve been buying new lately since I can get what I want that way.

I’ve seen Ripley’s Believe it or not for ~$4k that’s nice as is SM or ST or SW pro.

It’s too bad CGC isn’t making anything for $6300 anymore that was the veritable sweet spot if you could have gotten MB or AFM remake for so cheap.

I'm going to echo what a lot of others have said here and try to get two machines as opposed to one expensive one.

Other than play fields falling apart on some games, Stern's are pretty well put together. I have a few Stern's I bought that were routed their entire life, have 10,000+ plays on them and I've only run into little issues here or there. As for buying used from someone you don't know, I wouldn't hesitate to make a purchase (in person). Take a friend along that knows pinball machines to look things over for you before you buy. If you have any issues down the road with the machine, there are a lot of really nice people in this community that would be more than happy to help.

My first machine was used and I didn't even know how to remove the glass. The seller, who has since become a good friend of mine, showed me everything I needed to know and offered to help if there was ever a problem.

Heck I’m seeing an ad at the bottom of this page DP pro $7300 (sold). I don’t know the actual sale price but pins are getting expensive. Used to be able to buy nib Tron and nib Iron Man free shipping for $9400 (back on my time). RBION was $2800 etc.

Recent sales

Screenshot_20211116-062848_Samsung Internet (resized).jpgScreenshot_20211116-062902_Samsung Internet (resized).jpgScreenshot_20211116-063010_Samsung Internet (resized).jpgScreenshot_20211116-063019_Samsung Internet (resized).jpg
But you are correct about possible shipping charges...I prefer the road trip

Let's us ohio people hed to Stonehenge in akron one day and play all of the ones they have and go from there.EHOH will keep your attention

In general, it's best to get more than just a few plays on a pin. All games are a blast to play when you first play them. Once you get past that initial excitement and learn some rules, you start to see what the game is really like. That said, you can always sell/trade for something else without losing much money unless you paid way over street value.

Buying used can save you a lot of money. If buying something newish like Munsters, you don't have too much to worry about if game looks good and plays well. If buying an older game that is 20-30+ years old and heavily routed, you do have to be a bit more careful to avoid headaches and overpaying. Watch videos on how to transport a pin and you will see it's not too bad, especially if you can get someone to help you. Reach out to other local collectors and I'm sure someone will be more than happy to help you get started.

Then buy the Munsters. Start with contacting distributors that are listed on sterns website. Then look at the market here, or FB to try and find one.

Before you do anything, line up 2 things:

1) a seller with a Pro or Premium Munsters
2) a buyer for 2 months later when you get bored with it and want to try another game

done!

I dont quite understand the hate for Munsters. I find it rather enjoyable. That said, I am not a pinball god like everyone else here. I would get the black and white premium personally. Get the Munsters and enjoy friend! Also pick up a nice EM to change things up. Who cares what other people like. Its not like we are all coming over to play every day. (Although I wouldnt mind a few games when my girlfriend and I visit her parents nearby)

Come down to Pincinnati first weekend in December. Lots of awesome people down here and lots of games to try out.

If the bug bites and you don't have unlimited space and money resign yourself to the fact that Munsters will go one day . No such thing as a "keeper pin" imo. I have a mental limit of 2 pins and I've had about 10 different ones through my place in the last 3 years. A couple were "keeper pins" too. I have none right now... so it'll go.

If I were you I would check out pinball map to see if there are any places near you to play a Munsters. Before I bought my first pin, Iron Maiden, I thought I wanted something else. I spent time in arcades playing a bunch of games and taking inventory of what I liked most before deciding on Maiden which I kept wanting to play more of.

Here are links to different Munsters versions, just enter in your location to find one near by. The Stern Premiums are similar to the Limited Editions in gameplay/mechanics - the Limiteds usually have upgraded speakers, trim, shaker, or other cosmetics that don't affect game play which you can add on your own afterwards for less.

Munsters Limited Edition
https://pinballmap.com/map?utf8=%E2%9C%93&by_machine_id=3101&by_machine_name=The+Munsters+(LE)+(Stern%2C+2019)

Munsters Premium
https://pinballmap.com/map?utf8=%E2%9C%93&by_machine_id=3100&by_machine_name=The+Munsters+(Premium)+(Stern%2C+2019)

Munsters Pro
https://pinballmap.com/map?utf8=%E2%9C%93&by_machine_id=3099&by_machine_name=The+Munsters+(Pro)+(Stern%2C+2019)

Hope this helps.

I totally don’t get the hate for Munsters. I own 9 games, most high end, and I don’t have my nose up in the air over Munsters. It’s a cool theme, a fun game, full of nostalgia for those of us who used to watch the show. I would happily add it to my collection if I had the room…but alas I don’t. If you like this game you should DEFINITELY get it and play it to your hearts content. Free advice from know-it-alls is worth the price you paid for it. Good luck, and happy hunting for the perfect game FOR YOU.

Personally, I try not to chase any particular machine. I have a huge list of games that I know I'd enjoy and if one of them comes up in my area and at a decent price, that's the next game.

Kinda interesting... one of the thoughts about Munsters was that they coded the way they did to make it accessible to newer players. Here is a newer player saying he wants one, and people try to talk him out of it.

I do agree with the 2 pin idea. See if you can find a Taxi/EarthShaker type of game to add to it or if you add a little more cash you could probably get one the 90's Bally/Williams B games. Fishtales (one is for sale in Columbus), WCS, NGG, JD and so on

Have you considered the new JP home pin?

This! Buy what you enjoy, what someone else says is terrible you may like and vice versa.

GoldenBeard I think you should heed these words!

I very much believe the best way to start is to figure out your budget and then see what's in town. The people here can help you evaluate the candidates you find. There is a good chance you can find an affordable, fun game with a theme you like. And like everyone else says, if you have $10k to spend I think you'll have more fun with 2 games.

Look, it is an emotional decision and if you want the Munsters I am sure you will have a good time with it. But there are SO MANY good games, and you never know what you will find near you when you start looking.

The game is great, it’s fun, it’s easy to get into, easy to understand, theme is awesome. It just isn’t all that interesting after a while once you’ve run through things, and especially if you have another game(s) available

Oh.. I can’t wait looks really sweet!

Ohhhh shit…….. you got bit before you started. Now your gonna start off with 3 Games!

I'm in line with the guys who recommended buying 2 machines. Star Trek Pro is solid and a whole lot of fun, plus something else like a Taxi, Pinbot, or Whirlwind.

You are in Ohio. I’ve got a lot of my pins in Ohio. Seems like a good buy/sell market there. A little patience and you should be able to buy two pins without shipping.

And I’m going to echo 2 pins instead of one. I second (or third, fourth…) The Shadow. That leaves you quite a bit of money for a second pin.

I’m partial to WPC’s myself. These are just some other WPC’s that fit your budget for a pair.

Judge Dredd
Demolition man
Bram Stokers Dracula
Indianapolis 500
Johnny mnemonic
Corvette
World Cup Soccer

Old thread. So what did you get?

(A Godzilla and a Munsters)

You went over budget!!!

Im very curious also

You blew your budget. Congrats. That is pinball.