Hey,

No one's going to knock you for those at all, but those get mentioned in the same breath as Pin*Bot all the time. If you come across any of those three, they're worth a look. All should be priced give or take the same for a decent example; I won't say what a good price is or isn't due to it varying by region.

Luke

Hey if you like it and have a sweet spot for a pin buy it.If money is an issue you need to get one you can afford.One pinball that I would like to see you purchase would be STTNG.That would be a great first pinball.I sucks at tech stuff so if you got into a pinball like STTNG be sure you can find a tech to help you out.

I would look for a game that is FULLY working or very close to it. Getting a project game as your first game, can be a lesson in failure haha...

I also think F-14 kinda sucks...but that's just me.

There are many other games from that era that are alot better IMO. ie Whirlwind, Taxi, Pinbot, Swords of Fury, Black Knight 2000, Radical, Diner, Rollergames, etc...

Look for this...first game isn't a huge jackpot...just learn the craft.

I would suggest a Williams System 11 game; go to IPDB to get a list of them.

They are plentiful, easy to work on and not too complicated, but have enough stuff on them to help you get a good schooling on repair, maintenance, how a machine works, the lamp and switch matrices, etc. People here can help you easily if you get stumped.

Besides that they are relatively cheap and some really nice machines too.

Robert

An EM.

If I had one pinball, and money wasn't the issue;

AFM
MB
SM

All of which unfortunately are high end pins. THe SM is cheapest, and broadly popular, and you'd be sure to get your money out of it.

You should list your budget and post in the marketplace here. You will get a way better price by avoiding Ebay.

If I was trying to stay under 2k, I would get Congo or The Getaway. Both are good pins and fun!

If money is no object then you can get anything. I am with docscott on SM. But then again, so is everyone else so it will be hard to find.

How do you feel about having to working on a pinball machine? I'd steer clean of any older machines if you don't feel comfortable lifting the playfield from time to time. With that said, you only learn how to work on pins if you roll your sleeves up and get into one. I'd go with a Stern for a starter machine, unless you don't mind tinkering.

My first pin is a RoadShow, Some people don't like it. I really enjoy it and it was really cheap compared to most pins. So for me it was afforable to break into the hobby.

I never worked on Pins before, I have had some issues and most of the guys on Pinside are really helpful and gave me a hand fixing it. I must say this is a really great hobby with alot of really nice people.

Problem is now I have the bug and the wife isn't happy when I show her the games I like to get with those prices...lol

I strongly agree.

Go look at the bank for your buck rankings on this website. Shadow, Doctor Who, SST, etc.

F-14 is a decent system 11 pin, and its on the bang for your buck list here. It was one of my first pins as well. I think the prices on it are climbing slightly, I found the pinside prices to be slightly low in my area for a good working example with lights. Good luck!

Good luck with the pin!

Good luck on the F14!!

Don't pay too much for it if the playfield is hammered, it'll be obvious if there's insert wear on the arrow columns if no mylar was fitted from the factory.

+1 Yep, system 11 games are the way to go.

Any pin you can afford!!!

Run away.

This is a project pin - fixer upper. For your first pin, you want something that is plug and play. You're jumping in the deep end before you know how to swim. Get something that works and that you can play the day you bring it home. It's all about fun.

That's funny. Saw your thread and was going to respond and say f-14 without even seeing what you wrote. That was my first pin. Now, many years and pins later, still one of my favorites. You cant go wrong with that game.

Brian

I agree. If you can find Road Show for $1,500 to $1,800 in working order, you just got a pin with a lot going on for a very good price. I regret not owning one.

I'd take a deep breath and walk away. Find something you don't have to fix to play. I know that is not what you were hoping to hear. I started with a working pin and am glad I did. Now I can fix most of the things that come up, but I am glad I had a chance to learn slowly. The pins are out there, your first one is a very important purchase. You don't want to have to struggle as you dive into this hobby/obsession. Give yourself a break.

Good luck and welcome!

Any pin is a good first pin.

That being said, you need to qualify yourself as being able to repair these issues or not.

I would think it would be a $700-$750 game(without pics), but that's just me. If you do not like it, or are over your head in being able to repair it, then you can always sell it off.

Patience in finding the perfect game can be trying, but is also worth it in the long run.

LEE

Nah, leave it unless its VERY cheap. Significant insert wear due to lack of mylar, and planking (raised grain - often but not always a result of damp storage)- which means the art will just start to strip away when played a lot.

Mutato, this is not the one. But you'll find it!

Ok, be honest with yourself. Do you like fixing stuff? Are you confident you could figure stuff out? Will you be happy to play it in the condition it is?

If it is the title you want... offer a price you'd be comfortable with but be prepared to walk away. If you're ok with losing a couple hundred bucks if you wind up over your head it might be worth a shot.

Take a look at some prices of repair parts for the problems you see. That display, for example, appears to be in the $200 range (a pinscore one... not sure if there are cheaper).

Fish Tales is a great first pin

Just got my hands on World Cup Soccer 94 as my first pin last week thanks to the advice of this forum and i agree 100% it is an awesome first pin. So much fun and the whole family loves playing.

AC/DC Pro? eep. Not much bang for the buck there. If you're not limited to the $1k range, then in addition to some recs here (STT, RS, etc.) I'd also suggest World Poker Tour. Can probably find one for under $2k fully working, in nice shape. It's fast and flowing like F-14--in fact it's another SR game, with the added bonus of a ton of drop targets and incredibly deep Keith Johnson rules! It won't get old, and appears simple enough for casual players but is really quite a strategig game.

I'm sorry, but STTNG has to quite possibly be the worst first pin imaginable. I don't own one (would love to) but have heard that the upkeep on it is ridiculous, and getting it working 100% for any length of time is a challenge. With the cannons, all the optos, vuks, and to top it all of, it is highly regarded as one of the hardest pins to shop, I could not think of a worse recommendation.