Metallica is my longest lasting game, coming up on ten years with no plans to sell it.

I would say this is different for everybody, so you'll get every machine in the top 50 one way or another.

Everything is negotiable

The only way I would sell Big Game would be if you showed me 20k and another Big Game.

I’m going to say none!
I’ve had at least 5 bolted to the ground,that where personal to me and my memories.Did keep them for long period of times.
Sold them and never looked back.
Unless your lucky enough to still have a pin your family owned 30 years ago,all pins eventually get sold or replaced with something new and shiny!

For me? STTNG and LOTR.

For other people: Super Mario Brothers. Look how often they come up for sale. 6 Listed since Covid... don't think Pinside price numbers are remotely realistic on this one.
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive?s=1&radius_latitude=39.00178&radius_longitude=-76.68747&keywords=&ad_machine_key=457&ad_condition=0&machine_type=&ad_machine_manuf=&year_from=&year_to=&radius_distancekm=0&sort_by=ad_end_date&sort_order=DESC#results

Stern Spiderman with an autographed Stan Lee translite
Space Shuttle (fully restored, with a lot of help)
Indiana Jones (my first pinball machine)

Those would be the last 3 out.

-Wes

I’ve only been collecting for three years, so it’s hard to say, but I cannot imagine letting go of Heat Wave or Flipper Fair. Probably not Mystic, either.

Nothing is bolted here, only have room and money for 6. JP, GZ and IMDN I believe I'll keep for a long time and there's nothing currently out that I'd swap them for but you never know what will come out in the future which is why I say nothing is bolted.

LOTR for me.

Metallica and maiden. Been offered well above going rate on both. I dont see the opportunity coming along to buy them again.

It's probably the most ignorant phrase in all of the hobby. All it actually means is that you care way too much about an object and you are letting others know about it.

Games I will be buried with are
BLY EM Mata Hari and Voltan Escapes Cosmic Doom
and my wife's EATPM and Scared Stiff

This exactly the purpose of the expression. I sell a lot of games. People will ask about certain games and you say "It's bolted to the floor." It is a polite way of saying "F*ck off, it's not for sale, don't ask again."

I’d be hard pressed to sell any of my CGC remakes. But who knows what the future will hold!
I still bet they never leave however.

Richard

Bolted a Air Compressor to the floor. Thinking it wouldn't be to tough to do to pinball machine.

I could see someone tear the leg right of machine at some locations if game was "bolted to floor"

Oh the lawsuits that would arise at locations from injuries..

Nothing is truly bolted to my floor. I think given the "right" price I'd even sell Fish Tales

Polite?, more like ignorant. Just say it's not for sale like a regular person.

All you need is a wrench and bolts can be un-bolted.

The the most common wrench sizes are 20's, 50's and 100's

Everyone knows that themes the family can enjoy are hard to part with.

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I live in a pinball desert. I'm between KC, St Louis, DFW, OKC areas. Not much is available in my area.

However, one game on my list I want to play (which means I would have to buy it, play for a while, then pass on) would be Barracora. The game looks so classic, strategic, and timeless. Who knows, may be a dud in person, but I've wanted to find one.

No games are truly bolted at my place, I only have room for 3 games. BM 66 was my grail game, but now that Rush is in the lineup, it is hard to choose.

I would like a JJP again. Only if I had more space I could "bolt" something down. I think the longest I've owned a game was 6 months. However, I'm new to the hobby and just want to play everything. Most of my turnover has been slowly stepping up to more expensive games. A bolted game to me would be one I got, loved, and knew if I got rid of it, the chances of finding another like it would be very slim.

I dig the ride, who cares about the destination.

MBLE, EHOH. I dont play monster bash much anymore but every time I do I fall in love with it again. It really hits the sweet spot of pinball.

I haven't had a game that I wouldn't sell for the right price. I really miss Firepower though.

This is the only game I have used the term …” bolted to the floor “
C37

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I’ve been collecting 22 years. 7 games. Never sold one. So they have all been bolted I guess.

I think I would have a very difficult time parting with my mint restored IJ, TAFG & MB, closely followed by my huo LOTR & MM Royal. Just so damn near impossible to replace these north of the boarder.

For availability I would say Defender and Star Light are bolted to someones floors as I have been looking for years and the price passed me by.

As for games I own, never say never.

For nostalgia, gameplay or something else i would say:
- ACDC Premium
- Iron Maiden
- Lord Of The Rings
- TOTAN

I seldom sell games so most of my collection is bolted but Captain Fantastic I bought in 86 will never leave. It's my only pin that I have that I played with my late father.

Barracora, MMR, STNG, Whirlwind. But theres always a price....

I once played a Monster Bash in a small cafe in Amsterdam in 2013 that was literally bolted to the floor. Even though I was not nearly the nudger that I am today it was a strange experience. And the scoop was the most chewed up I had ever seen. That machine had been ridden hard in the 15 years between 1998 and 2013.

Just got a game I consider a grail (WMS Indiana Jones), I'm pretty sure it's getting bolted soon enough.

Space shuttle is my desert island.

Some are weighted down pretty heavy but enough crisp green 100 dollar bills and anything is moveable

Currently for me, my TWD Pro. Love how fast and smooth it shoots in a unique Borg layout with outstanding code from the master himself Lyman.

There needs to be an objective metric to this:

Number of games produced, versus how often it comes up for sale as a percentage.

Grew up on track property and saw every race from 1984 to 2000, so Indy 500 isn't going anywhere.
HE MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW THAT UPPER FLIPPER'S THERE PAUL

Wiggler and Star pool are two that my father in law gave me. Those two machines are what I cut my teeth on and restored so those are not going anywhere except back to him but probably just stay here. Super Mario Bros won’t go anywhere since I’m a Nintendo fanboy and collect CIB consoles. My basement has vintage Nintendo displays and a original DK cab arcade machine so it goes well with it…and it took me forever to find one at a reasonable price in reasonable shape. All my others have nothing keeping them at my place other than emotional connection to restoring them.

There's a hierarchy, of course, and sometimes the market guides you toward what to sell now vs. not, but basically nothing is bolted. Part of the fun is buying and selling and trading, moving out games you just played a lot for games you haven't, or haven't in a while. You can always (or almost always) re-acquire something you've sold, or sell or trade something you don't like. It's nice meeting people too... maybe a little less so when stairs are involved.

I have a HUO Medieval Madness that I bought around 24 years ago. You would think "how many times can you freaking play Medieval Madness??" But I just love everything about it and I know I would miss it. My first purchase ever was a TZ a couple years earlier, which I also loved but eventually sold.

edit: forgot to mention my kids now love it too. That kind of sealed the deal.

The real question is has anyone ever bolted one to the floor? I would like to see pics.

Stranger Things Premium... just don't see it ever leaving. Family fav, wife's fav. Currently bolted...

For how many are out there, The Addams Family , Twilight Zone , also as mentioned above Super Mario Bros rarely comes up for sale.
I've been looking for a Stern Electronics Iron Maiden and that seems like those who have them, keep them.

My Tron LE is bolted. I used to think Stranger Things LE and POTC LE would never leave but they’re both sold now.
As far as the market, Metallica LE, IMDN LE and Stranger Things premium and LE both seem like they’re not for sale often.

For KISS fans, a 79 Bally KISS machine is essential for any serious KISS collection.

I’d say any pin that you can’t sell or trade.