Well, it's tough to say. Some EMs are really unique, others are built upon solid conventions. I have one, it's called OXO and it's a great one by Williams. If you want to be able to be sure you can get parts easily, the Gottlieb EMs are great because PB Resource sells those parts.

I wouldn't even know how to go about recommending an EM until I knew what kind of style of game you liked, but read up on the reviews at http://ipdb.org under the EM games and you'll find some that intrigue you, I'm sure.

Growing up in the 70's we played AZTEC a great pin and fast for a EM.I have a Freedom pin and I love it! Another pin from my youth was a really good pin called Traildrive,it had some back box animation-shoot the cat!!

Hello I would take the last generation of EM machine,something like:

vulcan
captain fantastic
Centigrade 37
grand prix
jungle queen
royal flush
spirit of 67
target alpha

There were a lot of good machines produced in both EM and SS around 1978. I'd pick one of those as they were the pinnacle of EM. Those LorenZ suggested are that era. In fact some of the first SS machines (Like my Phoenix) incorporated a switch on the sound board to make them sound like the old EM machines to placate the diehard EM following. They will be more reliable, easier to maintain, and to find parts for.

I think the most important thing when buying a pinball machine is curb appeal ,
if you lined up 60-80 pins next to each other what 2 or 3 pins will stand out and want to drop a coin in ?
Check out the IPD and look at the EMs from Gottlieb, Williams, then Bally so you can get an idea what's out there. I come across interesting EMs on Craigslist almost everyday .......ah but only we all had unlimited room and $$$$

LOL....
My first and favorite EM is Williams DoodleBug from 1971, just because that was the first pinball I ever owned. Just like everyone says tho, every pin has a THEME, so just find yours. Look online, look in the local paper, goto garage sales.............
I wouldn't say EM's are EASY to maintain though. They are the only machines that you have to 'LUBE' sometimes I guess?!?!?!??!?

Well if you ever come across this one let me know,
I'm looking for it = Surfer 2 player GTB 1976 - 2,700 made

surfer_1.jpg

Here's one of those for sale just recently Autumnfade: $600

greenville.craigslist.org link

Dunno if it's sold or not. Great Price though.

oh thanks Brokedad,
SC is kind of out of the way for me but I'm sure I'll find one closer one day

I like Joker Poker. My uncle has one. Made in 78 in both EM and SS. I like it better than my Meteor.

Cant go wrong with a Bally Fireball,
Far and few hardly ever come up for sale but when they do......
Nail one and give your gameroom some clout

852f1.jpg

I know this thread is a bit old but still very relevant...I came across a Bally EM on Craigslist for $200...at that price, heck, it's like free...but I passed on it since the backglass was cracked like across the whole thing. I am sure the playfield was decent enough based on the pictures but knowing a replacement backglass was impossible, I passed on it. I asked him to keep me in mind in case he's tempted to just scrap it...

The game? Rock Makers...look it up on IPDB and click the pictures...wow, it's a beauty to me in it's sparseness...In retrospect, I am glad the glass was broken since it saved me from myself!! Like my friend says, you only have room for one more, make it a good one...hahaha...they are all good.

Yeah .. cheap is nice but not if it's a POS like the Genco Triple Action I passed on recently for $250. The backglass was paint cracked like crazy, the wood was rotting away, and the playfield was worn and shot, and the electronics were rusted.

A classic is a great find but not if it's junk. I do wish I had the 1933 Bally Rocket I sold back sometime even though I made a couple thousand on it. That machine was in great condition. I hope the EU collector is preserving and showing it off.

Too bad about the backglass,
Rock makers has that strange "Rock- A - Rock" bonus feature on the backglass
One thing about old bally EMs they do march to a beat of a different drummer,
what town is that game located super8man? - :-)2 bills is a steal

Centigrade 37 is definately a fun machine! El Dorado is nice, but hard to find.

I haven't played lots but my favourites are:
Target Pool, Strange Word,Bow and Arrow, Centigrade 37 and Subway

Target pool is awesome and a "nudgers" heaven!

Look down a few posts...a Jersey guy is selling a C37! GET IT asap!

Take your pick...http://pinballparadise.co.uk/gallery-pinball-paradise.htm

I'm partial to the early to mid-50s Gottlieb single players.

These games--designed by Wayne Neyens and drawn by Roy Parker--are considered by some to represent pinball's Golden Age.

Incredibly, Neyens managed to design up to 5 ways to win a free game on titles like my '54 Gottlieb Stage Coach.

Parker's artwork offers amazing detail (far more than from other manufacturers from the same period). His backglasses from this period are, well, works of art.

Many pre-reel artists simply lined up scoring in columns in a convenient and somewhat boring fashion. Parker often took the time to hide many of his numbers in clouds, mountains, you name it--therefore, the clever effect is they pop out of hiding when illuminated.

The absence of reels really gives these backglass a fun comic-book like appearance. Again, the detail from this period is like nothing else.

Titles like Queen of Hearts, Dragonette, Wishing Well, Mystic Marvel, Daisy May, Hawaiian Beauty, & Frontiersman represent some of the best from the era.

Metal legs came in '56: I prefer the matching wood rails/wood legs look myself. Another subliminal difference is cabinets at this time had four colors; fewer colors followed along with greatly simplified artwork.

This Golden Age was from approximately 1950-1955.

Ball times are ultra short; but they're actually quite the challenge. Be ready to nudge.

Regards,

Neil.

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No reviews out there but I'm really starting to dig the 1977 Kick-Off we picked up for free to get it off peoples hands.. when I look at some of the other EM recommendations, it stands up pretty well in features.. 7 drop targets, 4 flippers, a spinner gate, 4 players, and chance to "score goals" so at least some kind of a plot (not like today's games, but gives you something to focus on). It was apparently the last Bally EM made. The two player of this was Quarterback (so same thing, just repainted and lensed for football i guess).

I'm looking for this one too, it also comes in a 4 player called Surf Champ.

http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?gtype=EM&mfgid=351&pl=1&sortby=date&searchtype=advanced

Some of the easiest EMs to fix or keep running in my opinion are the Wms. single players,
you can still find some deals just depends if you like the theme/art or not?
I tend to divide Wms. EMs into two groups Pointy people -fiction, or Non fiction -Science
took me some time to warm up to the pointy ppl - you just got to play the games.

I can only agree with you there... I have a Frontiersman myself which I was looking for for years due to the compelling aiming strategy... gobble holes are also 'fun' (i.e. amusing to see a new player wondering where his ball's gone when swallowed by one!)... To get the most from these machines you realy have to play them as the designers intended them... i.e. as gambling machines and not with the aim to get a decent score... the aim is to win credits, and if you play them with this in mind, they come to life... One tip to get the most from them is to get friends round and play them to win credits for cash (or match-sticks if you don't like to actualy gamble)... All players put a certain amount in a kitty, and players take it in turns to play a game... eveytime anyone gets a reply, they take the 'unit amount' from the kitty 'till it's empty...