Please share tips to help me buy my first real pinball table.

[jonesjb]

I'm looking to purchase my first pinball machine and was wondering if anyone can provide some advice on not getting ripped off and making sure the table I but doesn't have any unforeseen glitches that may not be obvious. Are there any pinball marketplaces that are more recommended than others? Thanks!

 

[Slam23]

I would look at Pinside, a great pinball site that also provides information about average prices and has eBay links. I recently started to build a collection and found a company in Germany that specializes in "Americana" and has a guy who restores older pins to pristine condition. He also puts playfield protectors in place (a superfine macrolon plastic film that is made to fit the bare playfield). You pay a bit more than the average prices, but in my opinion it's worth it. The company is called Pauls 50s. I don't know if they ship to Sydney though, and how much that will cost. My first pin came from a guy who I knew from the Dutch Pinball Association, and it felt right to buy it from him because we are both members and he wouldn't rip me off. I'm not a technical guy, so I wouldn't know what to look for under the "hood" so to speak. I do know a couple of guys who are knowledgeable in that area, I would take them with me if I would buy from a relatively unknown person. Have fun getting your first one, but remember that others will follow....

 

[DanBradford]

Where are you based, jonesjb?

I bought my first machine 5 years ago or so, and have bought and sold about 40 since then, currently owning about a dozen. My advice is to buy from a fellow pinhead rather than from a dealer or from eBay or Craigslist etc. know in advance the price range of your game, and decide if you want one at the top of the range which should be nicer and need less work, or at the cheap end and therefore probably shabbier and possibly trouble. I think you're best off avoiding the cheaper ones initially as they could put you off pinball ownership forever. Even the best games need attention so build your experience and confidence gradually.

 

[jonesjb]

I'm located in the Philadelphia/New York Area (I used to live in Sydney Australia, Slam23 thanks for pointing that out... I've since updated my profile location). This is good feedback, I'd prefer to buy from a fellow pinball fan. I'm looking for something that is in better condition which wouldn't require work and have narrowed it down to White Water or Shadow.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

I'm located in the Philadelphia/New York Area (I used to live in Sydney Australia, Slam23 thanks for pointing that out... I've since updated my profile location). This is good feedback, I'd prefer to buy from a fellow pinball fan. I'm looking for something that is in better condition which wouldn't require work and have narrowed it down to White Water or Shadow.

A good place to get ballpark figures is a show where the free-play area typically has all machines nominally available for sale. In the Philly area, you've just missed a show in Allentown PA (that's usually at the beginning of May), and there is one coming up in York PA in October.

I've not seen a White Water, but I've seen a couple of Shadows and they tend to be in good condition.

 

[DanBradford]

I've had a Shadow and a Whitewater, those are both difficult games to do well on. In the UK I would expect to pay about £1300-1600 for TS and about £1500-£2000 for a WH2O but that may bear no relevance to US prices.

Shadow is a fantastic game and I probably prefer it of the two. Both games are deep enough to keep your attention, and both games will need attention to tweak switches and change bulbs rubbers etc to let you get a feel for maintenance. WH2O is more family friendly as it has cartoons.

Go for it dude, bite the bullet!

 

[DanBradford]

So did you buy one yet?

 

[Kolchak357]

Maybe check out the Pinball Gallery in Malvern. You pay a retail price but you can play them first and know they are in good working order. Most of the pins they have are for sale (or so they say)

http://www.pinballgallery.net/game-list/

But if you want to save some $, I'd look to pinside.com as others have suggested.