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(Topic ID: 42662)

When did you buy your first pinball machine? A Poll.

By Craig

11 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 187 posts
  • 138 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 11 years ago by gac
  • Topic is favorited by 4 Pinsiders

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Topic poll

Sort: Original A-Z Score

“What year did you buy your first pinball machine?”

  • 1989 or earlier 46 votes
    9%
  • 1990-94 26 votes
    5%
  • 1995-99 52 votes
    10%
  • 2000-04 85 votes
    16%
  • 2005-09 99 votes
    19%
  • 2010 41 votes
    8%
  • 2011 49 votes
    9%
  • 2012-present 119 votes
    23%

(517 votes)

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There are 187 posts in this topic. You are on page 1 of 4.
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#1 11 years ago
OP
 
CRG

Craig

Pinside+ Frequent

US Durham, NC

11y 70,900 4,543 11

A lot has been made about the recent surge in private ownership of pins. I'd like to do a straw poll of Pinsiders to test how true this might be. I realize that (1) the poll is not "scientific," and (2) the brackets are not of equal length. (I am particularly interested in isolating each of the past three years, and the poll is already long enough. Obviously, the last three brackets need to be stacked to form a meaningful comparison with the others.) Despite these limitations, it still should be interesting to see the results.

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#2 11 years ago
 
???

KenLayton

In Memoriam

US Olympia, WA

12y 83,400 5,965

Bought my first back in 1974. A Williams 8-Ball EM.

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#3 11 years ago
 
PEZ

pezpunk

iScored

US Bristow, VA

11y 103K 7,008 4 20

Feb 2013

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#4 11 years ago
 
DEV

72Devilz

Pinside member

11y 81,550 1,091 27 8

Officially bought my first pin around 92 and didn't start collecting more until 2011.

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#5 11 years ago
 
MKY

Pdxmonkey

Pinside member

12y 170K 7,304

2009 monopoly

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#6 11 years ago
 
KYL

hollywood

Pinside member

CA Essex, ON

13y 65,400 1,806 5 12

2010...JP....The rest as they say is history.....

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#7 11 years ago
 
GAC

Rarehero

Pinside member

US Los Angeles, CA

12y 134K 23,147 22 119

2004 - Back to the Future ...$300!!!

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#8 11 years ago
 
LTG

LTG

Pinside member

US Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,966 24 7

August 1979. First new pinball machine I ever bought. Gottlieb Pinball Pool. Still have it.

LTG : )

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#9 11 years ago
 
DON

Donnyman

Pinside member

US Tempe, AZ

18y 68,400 1,323 2 35

2005 The Shadow $1400

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#10 11 years ago
 
EMH

pinheadpuckguy

Inactive member

US Coon Rapids, MN

13y 54,400 2,608 12

2004 Addams Family..........$2600

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#11 11 years ago
 
REM

Slugmeister

Pinside+ Frequent

US Gig Harbor, WA

11y 102K 1,850

1989 to work on.1992 BK2K and Diner and WW to keep.Still have WW and BK2K.

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#12 11 years ago
 
NCB

Doc

Inactive member

US Newtown, CT

12y 23,150 135 11

Bought my 1st pin in 1978 from a tag sale a few towns over. I was 6mos shy of getting my drivers permit so I had to hire a college kid to haul it back home to me. It cost 30.00 to transport it and 75.00 for the pin. It was a fully working Tropic Fun. I've owned close to 400 since then.
Doc

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#13 11 years ago
 
???

KYpinhead

Pinside member

US Louisville, KY

11y 33,650 130 3

Jan. 2007, very nice Tales from the crypt. $1250 on ebay.

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#14 11 years ago
OP
 
CRG

Craig

Pinside+ Frequent

US Durham, NC

11y 70,900 4,543 11

Quoted from Doc:

I've owned close to 400 since then.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Boggles the mind.

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#15 11 years ago
 
MJN

mickthepin

Inactive member

AU Brisbane

12y 64,400 2,333 2 25

2011 still a noob but loved pinball all my life

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#16 11 years ago
 
DCT

pinmanguy

Inactive member

AU Melbourne

11y 45,400 1,538 24

2013 got a space jam at the beginning of Feb after spending my lunches playing LOTR and TF on location near my work in 2012, 2 weeks later I picked up a WW that was going cheap, 2 weeks after that and I wanted something in NIB condition so I picked up my HUO RBION. Now i'm out of space so will probably sell space jam and get a RFM or maybe TFTC. I'm addicted now.

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#17 11 years ago
 
GPD

KoolFingers

Pinside member

US Youngstown, OH

11y 68,800 1,146 7 7

hello all, I just got my TFTC a month ago and loving it. I'm addicted and already looking for another.

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#18 11 years ago
OP
 
CRG

Craig

Pinside+ Frequent

US Durham, NC

11y 70,900 4,543 11

At the moment, the past 3+ years have 44% of the vote. It will be interesting to see if that continues.

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#19 11 years ago
 
SAC

chiller

Inactive member

US Hawthorne, FL

11y 17,400 53 1

Just bought a Addams Family, my first pin. I don't have it just yet, I'm picking it up at Little Shop Of Games open house, can't wait!

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#20 11 years ago
 
RAS

Matt_Rasmussen

Pinside member

11y 64,300 2,388

My first pin was actually two, Baywatch and Jurassic Park, then quickly after that HS2. Then not so long after that Police Force. They gather quick...

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#21 11 years ago
 
DEF

DefaultGen

Pinside member

11y 123K 2,806

2013.

Horray for high prices.

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#22 11 years ago
 
RAS

Matt_Rasmussen

Pinside member

11y 64,300 2,388

Quoted from LTG:

August 1979. First new pinball machine I ever bought. Gottlieb Pinball Pool. Still have it.
LTG : )

Is that in your home?

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#23 11 years ago
 
RAT

paul_8788

Pinside member

12y 88,150 3,057

1998. Pinbot and Star Wars.

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#24 11 years ago
 
BED

smokey_789

Inactive member

US Greenville, OH

11y 50,150 1,642 11

Quoted from Doc:

Bought my 1st pin in 1978 from a tag sale a few towns over. I was 6mos shy of getting my drivers permit so I had to hire a college kid to haul it back home to me. It cost 30.00 to transport it and 75.00 for the pin. It was a fully working Tropic Fun. I've owned close to 400 since then.
Doc

You've owned close to 400 and you are just now joining a pinball forum? Where have you been and what have you been doing?

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#25 11 years ago
 
ROB

RCA1

Pinside+ Addict

US St Joseph, MI

11y 128K 8,681 28 11

1986, Gulfstream

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#26 11 years ago
 
DPB

Darlene

Inactive member

US High Bridge, NJ

11y 48,900 574 2

Our first pin, T2 was bought in April 2012, going to pick up pin #10 on this Saturday!!!
Road Trip!!!

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#27 11 years ago
 
MAT

The_Director

Carolina Pinball Repair

11y 94,450 3,769 9 2

Early 2012 - Doctor Who

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#28 11 years ago
 
DJW

MrWizzo

Pinside member

US Emerald Isle, NC

12y 60,800 3,184 6

1997, A gottlieb sure shot. Paid $350 I think.

Quoted from chiller:

Just bought a Addams Family, my first pin. I don't have it just yet, I'm picking it up at Little Shop Of Games open house, can't wait!

Congrats! First Pin and a Classic too. Nice.

Dan

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#29 11 years ago
 
???

Propaganda

Inactive member

11y 35,400 1,532

2004

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#30 11 years ago
 
RON

RonB

Inactive member

11y 77,650 2,057

2003, High Speed $1500. Got ripped by an op because I didn't know better. Price was actually $1150. + 350. for "shopping" which a for a better term would be "screwing"!
$350. for some rubbers and quick waxing, cripes. Never again.

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#31 11 years ago
 
JSG

Thor-NL

Pinside member

NL Breda

11y 97,650 2,289 8

1985 - SpeakEasy-4
Birthday-gift from, then my girlfriend, now....still my wife

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#32 11 years ago
 
RYE

Pimp77

Pinside member

20y 92,650 6,275 78

2001 - IJ for $2200

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#33 11 years ago
 
LTG

LTG

Pinside member

US Hopkins, MN

12y 191K 56,966 24 7

Quoted from Matt_Rasmussen:

Is that in your home?

What home ?

LTG : )

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#34 11 years ago
 
MOB

JoinTheCirqus

Pinside member

US Lyme, NH

18y 95,300 2,115 1

1998. High Speed. $400 I think...

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#35 11 years ago
 
MDM

papazit1963

Pinside member

US Merced, CA

11y 62,900 1,076 9 12

Very interesting poll! I purchased my first last year (Firepower). Now I have 7...I need help.

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#36 11 years ago
 
ZUC

zucot

Pinside member

12y 83,050 3,279

Early 2012 I got IJ4.

About a month ago I got MB and MM within 1 week of each other. I need help.

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#37 11 years ago
 
BKB

the96stang

Bushey Bro's

US Enfield, CT

12y 122K 2,940 16 13

18 Months ago, old gottlieb EM.

70 machines between then and now.

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#38 11 years ago
 
SLB

Buckman

Pinside+ Frequent

CA Vancouver, BC

11y 77,400 1,074 9 7

1998 - MM and STTNG

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#39 11 years ago
 
BEN

MMP

Inactive member

12y 78,550 1,130

Last year I bought my first pin Grand Lizard. This year I got my second, Pinbot... cannot wait to see what #3 will be.

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#40 11 years ago
 
???

gsrogers

Pinside member

US Friendswood, TX

11y 43,400 223 6

1983 (senior in highschool) bought a Flash and Buck Rogers from a local operator. At that time I owned a few video games in bars.....Space Invaders, Sprint 2, Asteroids Deluxe, and Stunt Cycle.

Wow...been in this "hobby" since 1982 (31 years!)

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#41 11 years ago
 
NCB

Doc

Inactive member

US Newtown, CT

12y 23,150 135 11

Quoted from smokey_789:

You've owned close to 400 and you are just now joining a pinball forum? Where have you been and what have you been doing?

Well, I was on RGP forever but there was just too much angst over there so I migrated over to here..much more tranquil (at least for now). But I see it changing...FWIW, this happens on EVERY forum-whether you collect stamps, coins, antique radios or Mustangs-it happens. It appears that after a certain amount of time & discussion, human nature kicks in and people get pissy. I hope it won't take a foothold here, but we'll see.
Anyway, back on topic, during the early to mid '80s, I had an "in" with a local operator (dead now) and he would sell me all of his old just-off-route machines. I had a HUGE barn at the time and would fill it with both pins & videos. Videos were expensive at the time so it was something special if I got one of those. Wow, how times have changed! I think I have some pictures, circa 1984 of my barn filled with pins...I HAVE to find to scan it here!
Doc

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#42 11 years ago
 
RST

rs812

Inactive member

11y 72,550 1,072

1998 whirlwind

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#43 11 years ago
 
ALX

donjagra

Pinside member

14y 72,100 3,402 10 34

2007 BK2K

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#44 11 years ago
 
SKG

ashburton

Pinside member

US Vlg Wellingtn, FL

11y 49,300 398 1 6

This poll basically explains the price explosion, so hopefully we can sticky this so there will be an end to that discussion.

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#45 11 years ago
 
DMG

dgpinball

Pinside member

CA Abbotsford, BC

12y 88,900 1,661 147 72

Space Shuttle and Big Game in 1988, EAPTM was the brand new hot game at the time

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#46 11 years ago
 
ROB

RobT

Pinside member

13y 129K 21,266 3 40

It was either December 2010 or January 2011.

Interesting results so far, with a big majority indicating 2012 to present! So...lots of newbs!

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#47 11 years ago
 
MAL

annointed

Pinside member

13y 69,450 454 4

March 2011. Ended up getting 11 pins in 5 months, lol...

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#48 11 years ago
 
RLH

Skrippy

Inactive member

US Woodstock, GA

12y 42,400 479 15

I bought my first last weekend, still haven't made a thread to celebrate it though.

Don't really feel like getting crapped on for the game I bought hahaha!

Edit: Holy crap, Annointed! That's ridiculous haha!

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#49 11 years ago
 
MOZ

StevenP

Inactive member

14y 30,900 3,781

'82. Bought a nonworking Bally RoGo and Space Time for $150 total. Fixed and sold the ST for $150, traded the RoGo even up for a Gold Strike that I have to this day.

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#50 11 years ago
 
BMS

Betelgeuse

Pinside member

13y 129K 3,645 72

2006. I was given a non-working Gottlieb Big Shot. A few months later I bought a Tales from the Crypt for $1000 from 'Shaggy'.

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