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Deciding Whether to Buy a Pinball Machine

H

Hershy

Member
Feb 14, 2022
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Vaughan
I have great great childhood memories of playing pinball. Terminator 2 what is my favourite for many years. I recently played the new Jurassic Park and it brought back a lot of good memories. I’m thinking about buying a machine. I am somewhat handy but obviously have no experience maintaining pinball machines. I have the space in my basement beside an arcade machine.

Seems like these are hard to find in Canada and there are limited sale posting. Thoughts on whether a newbie should jump in and what’s a good starting price point and pinball to get?

Thanks
 
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roar

Well-Known Member
Oct 22, 2015
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Waterdown
Tough time to get into the hobby price wise but the games haven't changed, they're still a ton of fun to own an play, so if you have the disposable income to spare I'd say jump right in. If you're looking for an older used game in the T2 or newer area you're likely looking at well north of $5K these days, I'm not sure if there is Bally/Williams DMD title you can find for less than that. Brand new in box is going to set you back pretty close to $10K now. You're close to Player One out by the air port, I'd recommend stopping in there and talking with Jerry about a new pinball machine if it fits the budget. See what he has on the floor to play and see what he may have coming in soon.

Used is always a mixed bag, and if you're somewhat handy that is good. If north of $5K gives you pause then you're looking at older solid state games, made in the late 70's or throughout the 80's for the most part and those seem to all be selling north of $3K these days with the occasional title being between $2K and $3K. These are the ones you'll likely find yourself needing to get your hands dirty with if you buy from a seller who didn't know how to, or, didn't care to maintain the game themselves. Most EM games can still be had for under $2K with the occasional "deal" of less than $1K if the game needs some work to bring back to life.
 
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Chris Bardon

Chris Bardon

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2012
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Maintenance is actually pretty straightforward, especially on newer games. You'll probably need to learn some basics, but there's lots of resources online. I'd suggest joining a league, but everything is still shut down for covid. Those will give you the best chance to play a whole lot of pinball and see what's out there.

If you can afford it, then it's definitely worth having a machine or ten, but you're likely in for 5-10k+ each if you're looking for 90s or newer games. The new JP is a great choice though, and the new spike2 sterns are simpler from a maintenance standpoint than a 90s game.
 
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mwong168

mwong168

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Nov 14, 2012
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Entry point for a new in box pro is around $8799 and premium is $11499 both before taxes. Personally I would go new route over paying what some of these older WPC games are commanding. I heard last T2 sold for $6000 o_O
 
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T

tom_454

Active Member
Nov 28, 2012
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Ottawa
Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Am I handy and like working on things?
If yes then pinball ownership might be for you.

2. If ”No” to question 1 then ask how much money you have to pay someone to fix them when they break. (They will break).
And unlike with a car there isn’t a repair shop on every corner so sometimes it might be down a while before it gets fixed if you are waiting on a repairman as there are not a lot that make house calls.

3. Do you get joy out of complex troubleshooting mechanical, electrical)? If “No” then stay far away from older machines at least. Do you think you can learn to read a schematic, work a multi-meter, etc.

Veteran owners might often indicate that working on them is easy but it is very dependant on skills and desire to learn. It isn’t easy for everyone. It can be a fun hobby but also a very frustrating one. If you know fellow collecters/owners then that can help a lot because a close source of knowledge is nice.

Good luck with your choice. I got a lot more than I bargained for when I got in but enjoyed the journey (still am). I have learned a lot about electronics and soldering and circuit boards (which I always wanted to do and this gave me something tangible to
Learn on).
 
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H

Hershy

Member
Feb 14, 2022
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Vaughan
Thanks everyone for the responses. I contacted Player One and will join TOPL as it sounds fun (though my skills will be nothing like most/all other members)
 
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BMHouze

BMHouze

Well-Known Member
Mar 11, 2014
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Delhi Ontario
Buy a T2.
I bought the game I played as a kid and was happy with it. And so were my brothers when they came by (hey, I used to play that at the local arcade all the time...)
Prices have only been going up for years now.
The longer you wait, the more you will probably pay.
 
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