Pinball anybody ??

[Scottintexas]

This is my 1979 Bally Supersonic. I grew up playing it at the corner 7-11. I have had it about 8 years now.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Love a great pinball game!

 

[GiddYupJoe]

My dream is to own A pinball machine at some point. I have a buddy that is in a little better of a position than I that also loves pinball. Here is a picture of half of his collection in the basement. Needless to say... I enjoy when he invites us over!

 

[MikeyL]

We got lucky and got into pinball early in our marriage - before dirt was discovered on Earth.
Recently, we got "back" into it again.
Our first, was a totally restored by a professional restorer in Minneapolis called FISH TALES. The Bass "topper" even moves & flops during play. And I catch more fish on this pin than on our Skeeter ....... LOL ! It's rated the 20th most popular pin. It's great for contests.
The 2nd is obviously our FAV - MONSTER BASH. Kinda special pin - not just because it's the 3rd top-rated pin, but also because it's a HUO machine. HOME USE ONLY. This means it was never "on location" - It was purchased from the distributor 22 years ago, and never moved until we bought it 2 years ago. And since HUO-only pins like this come up for sale maybe once every 5 years (or less) it was pretty kewl it was only 65 mils away from our home, here in Georgia. If I can help anyone, please ask.
The BEST part is playing them; The 2nd best thing is watching the faces on children of friends who come over to play these; The third best is sharing photos with all of y'all !
Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[xoverdose]

I just bought my first pin last summer and got it running. Ill get some pictures up when I can but its a Bugs Bunny Birthday Bash. When I brought it home the kids next door had no idea what a pinball machine was. I would love to get a Jurassic Park at some point!

 

[MotMan616]

Hello,
Here is a picture of the two pins I have.
Stern Walking Dead pro with mods
Gottlieb Panthera that I rebuilt.

 

[Jebinok]

I hate yall!

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Finally in a position where I can purchase my first Pin. Need some advice... figured I would ask this group before I venture out to the pin forums.

If you own or have owned machines... what is your advice on going big and getting exactly what I want for first pin or start lower budget and get something playable and in good condition but older?

It’s hard for me to drop that kind of cash on a machine I have never played but maybe that’s how this works!

I also few like the market is really high right now do to quarantine demand. But... now that it’s on my mind I won’t stop researching and looking until ones in the basement!

 

[Scottintexas]

I still have my machine and it's running fine,

Do you have a machine in mind or a era of machine ??

my biggest issue was finding someone to fix it, any numbnuts can call them self a pinball mechanic finding someone to actually fix it is another matter,

if you have a pinball or arcade "club" or facebook group for your area they might give you some good leads on machines or at least reputable repair man who might steer you to a good dealer,

In DFW they have a pinball festival, Texas Pinball Festival and also a facebook group for local enthusiasts,



.

 

[Scottintexas]

I would suggest getting what you want,
I only had two or three machines that I wanted to re-live my wasted youth,

not knowing what you're interested in you'll probably only spend an extra $1k at most to get exactly what you want,


.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

Thanks @Scottintexas. The one I want is the Pirates of the Caribbean (1996). Have found them used for between 5-8K. None close enough yet though. That’s the machine I played for a few years back all the time.

Outside of that, I have found plenty in the 2-4 range that look like good deals but I’m just not familiar with them nor have played them. Bigger risk but heck... I could get two for the price of the one I want!

I’m on all the FB sites I can find to learn as much as I can. Some of these guys are more crazy than you wall with your boats! Still trying to cipher through all the lingo.

 

[boatman1975]

Remember those times when we played the pinball with boys. It was really great time.

 

[REM835]

@GiddYupJoe Might be worth a trip to Walton’s Games in Sharonville. They been there for as long as I can remember and could probably steer you in the right direction.

 

[MrMoose]

Thanks @Scottintexas. The one I want is the Pirates of the Caribbean (1996). Have found them used for between 5-8K. None close enough yet though. That’s the machine I played for a few years back all the time.

Outside of that, I have found plenty in the 2-4 range that look like good deals but I’m just not familiar with them nor have played them. Bigger risk but heck... I could get two for the price of the one I want!

I’m on all the FB sites I can find to learn as much as I can. Some of these guys are more crazy than you wall with your boats! Still trying to cipher through all the lingo.

Hi @GiddYupJoe ,POTC is a great pin! I don't have one but I have enjoyed playing it. The only advice I have for you is that if possible, you should try out the pin before buying it, even if it is brand new. Pin preference is a personal thing, and buying one based on reviews or a best of all time ranking list may not necessarily bring you the most pleasure.
I have 2 pins. I bought my first one around 2009/2010. My short list at the time had machines from Stern : Lord of the Rings, POTC, and Indiana Jones. They were all similarly priced, and they were all new. At the time, Stern was hated on most of the pinball forums, I assume because the old boys were pissed that their favorite pinball makers had all gone out of business. Also, the forums all hated the Stern version of Indy.
I went with the Indy because it was the most enjoyable to play. I love that it has a peg between the flippers, which is not common.
My most recent machine is the top level trim of the AC/DC pin, with the lower Hell level.
Both are great pins.

 

[Bdog]

This is a dangerous road I started with one in February 2020 and I’m currently up to five! Very addicting hobby and every game is different find a theme you like, that’s what matters most to me. Most people that come to our basement to play are just casual players.

 

[HangOutdoors]

As we get to talking about remodeling the basement next fall, the topic of arcade games and pinball machines came up. I can't believe how expensive these are. It would be awesome though to pick up one or two cool ones though.

 

[Bdog]

The used market is crazy if you were looking at anything newer than 2016. Fully restored ones are very expensive also. Pinside is a great resource, one forum I spend too much time on! Much more so than here.

 

[GiddYupJoe]

@MrMoose thanks for the advice. We have a couple places that are loaded with pins so I plan to go and spend an afternoon to mail down what I like. Def don’t want to buy one I think I will like and then have an expensive paper weight!

@Bdog your basement is what my wife is afraid of! That’s and awesome collection for just this year.

@HangOutdoors i started with this for the basement. Can’t tell you enough how much I enjoy it. Played a ton in college and during my first “sales” job!

 

[GiddYupJoe]

@GiddYupJoe Might be worth a trip to Walton’s Games in Sharonville. They been there for as long as I can remember and could probably steer you in the right direction.

Thanks! I will check them out.

 

[Bdog]

I see room for a few pinball machines down there! Come to think of it I basically have my AR195 sitting in the basement, this just dawned on me ha ha Ha. Plus these see a lot of action in the winter here in MN. We are never around in the summer to play them because we are boating.