Time to shift from investing in nib pins, to playing them on location or buying gently used pinball machines instead. How many TOP25 games can you still buy for $5k? The answer may surprise you, its fifteen or 60% of the titles. Of course, that is not everyday pricing for all these games, but it shows that if you are resourceful, you can find what you seek. Why use TOP25 as the criteria, you ask? The top ranked of any activity/sport are there because they belong. In the case of pinball, these games are considered fun and they are quite popular. Recently spotted TOP25 titles under $5k: LOTR, MET pro, ACDC pro, ST pro, STTNG, SM, SS, TOM, AS pro, TSPP, TWD pro, Tron pro, WH20, IMVE and GB pro.

If you expanded the search to next 25 games on Pinside, you'll find 20 additional pins or 70% of TOP50 are under $5k. The next fifty games making up Pinside TOP100 are all under $5k. If 85% of TOP100 can be found for $5k, why pay more?

While $5k is expensive for one toy, it is also a little comforting to know a game doesn’t need to be $6k-10k to have a lifetime of fun with it. There is much discussion on the rising prices of new pinball machines and whether they are worth the cost. Some gripe that only a rich man can afford to buy LE’s today. I say it’s best to forget about the latest releases or upcoming themes and grab some games from the past to enjoy the hell out of.