Have you always wanted to own that pinball machine that you remember playing as a kid at your local arcade? I bet you have been browsing the ads on eBay, searching for that one special machine, whether it is a Black Knight or even a Cactus Canyon.
Do you know what to look for and what to avoid?
Are you looking for a machine that needs a little cosmetic or electronic repair, or do you want a collector quality showpiece, and do you know what the values are of either type?
A pinball machine is a complex item, combining solid state electronics with switches, targets, solenoids, and other playfield mechanical devices, integrated into a large, heavy cabinet that is expensive to ship.
Do you have the tools and skills necessary to repair or simply maintain your purchase in playing condition once it has arrived, or do you plan on having it maintained by someone else?
What keywords should you look for, and look out for when making a decision to buy?
I will try to discuss these issues, and address them to answer any questions that you might have.
First, do you have a location where you can keep the machine that is somewhat climate controlled, that is not subject to sunlight or excessive dirt and dust, and that is fairly easy to move the machine to and from? Many people don't take into consideration that extreme variations in temperature can damage their machine, or that exposure to sunlight, even small amounts on a daily basis, can warp plastics and even the playfield, rendering the machine unplayable. Not only that, every playfield, that is, the area on which the ball rolls around during play, contains numerous plastic inserts that can actually become dislodged from their cutouts and move upward or sink into the playfield, also hindering game play. Your expensive toy can become worthless if you don't make sure it isn't protected from the elements.
Do you live somewhere where flooding is a concern? Many machines become destroyed by water damage. Electronics, wood, and water don't mix.
Is your spot on an upper floor or in a basement, and have you considered what it will take to put the machine in these locations? If you have two strong men who can lift and carry a unwieldy, 300 lb. box around then this isn't a problem, but if not, you may have to consider buying a pinball dolly or other device to move it. Does your location have steady AC power, lighting, and heating or air conditioning? If not, you may never want to play the machine because of these issues.
What type of machine do you want, something that looks perfect and plays perfect, or something that you think you can fix up and make playable?
Do you have carpentry, painting, and electronics repair experience that you can use, because if not, you may be better off buying something from the first category.
What difference in cost can you expect between these types of machines? Certain titles, like the aforementioned Black Knight and Cactus Canyon, are considered highly collectible machines, and command a premium price. Many off titles are more reasonable, but buying a pinball is like buying a car - condition, use, and maintenace are the primary factors that set the price of a machine. You can find fixer uppers for as little as $300, and most machines of this era cost around $800-1500, but again, later and collectible titles may command as high of prices as $8000, depending on condition. So you can find a range of what you want to spend and focus on that range, and see if your dream machine falls in there, or if you need to keep saving before it will be in your living room.
What sort of skills do you have when it comes to electronics? Be advised that pinball manuals are written with the operator in mind, that is, a person who puts machines in locations and collects money from them, and is very knowledgeable about their workings. So if you don't have much familiarity with them, the manual will help you very little when it comes to diagnosing or repairing problems, and every machine either has or will have problems, guaranteed. If you don't think you can handle these problems, it might be best to find a local dealer who sells vintage games that is willing to service a machine that you buy from them.
There are online forums such as rec.games.pinball that can assist you, but you had better know which end of the soldering iron does what before you post asking how to fix your problem. The complexity of a pinball machine is a daunting prospect to anyone without basic knowledge of switches, solenoids, and basic wiring techniques. The first time you open one up you might be surprised at how much stuff there is and what it all does. If you just jump in and start trying to fix things, you may cause more damage that will become quite expensive to repair, since all the playfield devices are controlled by the circuit boards, and misadjusting them may cause damage to the boards that cost as much as $200/hr for a technician to diagnose and repair. So keep that in mind as well.
When you read ads on ebay for pinballs, you may encounter terms that you are unfamiliar with. For instance, the most commonly misunderstood term is "shopped". What this means, loosely, is when an operator would pull a malfunctioning machine out of a location, and bring it in for repair to his shop, after repairing the problems, he would usually replace the rubbers, any burnt out bulbs, adjust all the switches, and give the machine a thorough cleaning and waxing before putting it into another location, and then it would be considered "shopped'. However, this term is used very loosely by sellers, implying that these things have all been done, when quite often, they may have replaced a couple of bulbs and cleaned it, if that. So be sure to inquire just what may have been done when it was shopped before buying. If the pictures of the machine are of poor quality and do not show any detail, this is a giant red flag. What is the person hiding? There should be clear pictures of the playfield, the cabinet, the backglass or translite, and perhaps inside the backbox, where the circuit boards are located. Make sure you know what you are buying before you buy.
Next, what sort of shipping costs will be added to the machine, and by what method does the seller propose to ship it to you? Be sure that the shipping costs are clearly stated and fixed, or you may find yourself paying a lot more to get your machine than you thought. Are they willing to prepare the machine for shipment, and are they going to charge you extra to do so? Do they propose to ship it using a well established shipper, such as NAVL, or Pilot Air, or are they going to make you arrange the shipping? On average, NAVL charges a minimum of $350 to ship a machine for any distance from 500-1500 miles, and upward from there to cross the country. Don't let the seller leave these charges open or you may find yourself getting gouged on them.
I hope this helps answer some of the many questions you may have regarding buying a pinball machine. There is so much more that I could cover, but I figure this is enough to help you get a machine that you will enjoy playing and be the first of many that you will own, because pinball collecting is highly addictive, and one is never enough.
Do you know what to look for and what to avoid?
Are you looking for a machine that needs a little cosmetic or electronic repair, or do you want a collector quality showpiece, and do you know what the values are of either type?
A pinball machine is a complex item, combining solid state electronics with switches, targets, solenoids, and other playfield mechanical devices, integrated into a large, heavy cabinet that is expensive to ship.
Do you have the tools and skills necessary to repair or simply maintain your purchase in playing condition once it has arrived, or do you plan on having it maintained by someone else?
What keywords should you look for, and look out for when making a decision to buy?
I will try to discuss these issues, and address them to answer any questions that you might have.
First, do you have a location where you can keep the machine that is somewhat climate controlled, that is not subject to sunlight or excessive dirt and dust, and that is fairly easy to move the machine to and from? Many people don't take into consideration that extreme variations in temperature can damage their machine, or that exposure to sunlight, even small amounts on a daily basis, can warp plastics and even the playfield, rendering the machine unplayable. Not only that, every playfield, that is, the area on which the ball rolls around during play, contains numerous plastic inserts that can actually become dislodged from their cutouts and move upward or sink into the playfield, also hindering game play. Your expensive toy can become worthless if you don't make sure it isn't protected from the elements.
Do you live somewhere where flooding is a concern? Many machines become destroyed by water damage. Electronics, wood, and water don't mix.
Is your spot on an upper floor or in a basement, and have you considered what it will take to put the machine in these locations? If you have two strong men who can lift and carry a unwieldy, 300 lb. box around then this isn't a problem, but if not, you may have to consider buying a pinball dolly or other device to move it. Does your location have steady AC power, lighting, and heating or air conditioning? If not, you may never want to play the machine because of these issues.
What type of machine do you want, something that looks perfect and plays perfect, or something that you think you can fix up and make playable?
Do you have carpentry, painting, and electronics repair experience that you can use, because if not, you may be better off buying something from the first category.
What difference in cost can you expect between these types of machines? Certain titles, like the aforementioned Black Knight and Cactus Canyon, are considered highly collectible machines, and command a premium price. Many off titles are more reasonable, but buying a pinball is like buying a car - condition, use, and maintenace are the primary factors that set the price of a machine. You can find fixer uppers for as little as $300, and most machines of this era cost around $800-1500, but again, later and collectible titles may command as high of prices as $8000, depending on condition. So you can find a range of what you want to spend and focus on that range, and see if your dream machine falls in there, or if you need to keep saving before it will be in your living room.
What sort of skills do you have when it comes to electronics? Be advised that pinball manuals are written with the operator in mind, that is, a person who puts machines in locations and collects money from them, and is very knowledgeable about their workings. So if you don't have much familiarity with them, the manual will help you very little when it comes to diagnosing or repairing problems, and every machine either has or will have problems, guaranteed. If you don't think you can handle these problems, it might be best to find a local dealer who sells vintage games that is willing to service a machine that you buy from them.
There are online forums such as rec.games.pinball that can assist you, but you had better know which end of the soldering iron does what before you post asking how to fix your problem. The complexity of a pinball machine is a daunting prospect to anyone without basic knowledge of switches, solenoids, and basic wiring techniques. The first time you open one up you might be surprised at how much stuff there is and what it all does. If you just jump in and start trying to fix things, you may cause more damage that will become quite expensive to repair, since all the playfield devices are controlled by the circuit boards, and misadjusting them may cause damage to the boards that cost as much as $200/hr for a technician to diagnose and repair. So keep that in mind as well.
When you read ads on ebay for pinballs, you may encounter terms that you are unfamiliar with. For instance, the most commonly misunderstood term is "shopped". What this means, loosely, is when an operator would pull a malfunctioning machine out of a location, and bring it in for repair to his shop, after repairing the problems, he would usually replace the rubbers, any burnt out bulbs, adjust all the switches, and give the machine a thorough cleaning and waxing before putting it into another location, and then it would be considered "shopped'. However, this term is used very loosely by sellers, implying that these things have all been done, when quite often, they may have replaced a couple of bulbs and cleaned it, if that. So be sure to inquire just what may have been done when it was shopped before buying. If the pictures of the machine are of poor quality and do not show any detail, this is a giant red flag. What is the person hiding? There should be clear pictures of the playfield, the cabinet, the backglass or translite, and perhaps inside the backbox, where the circuit boards are located. Make sure you know what you are buying before you buy.
Next, what sort of shipping costs will be added to the machine, and by what method does the seller propose to ship it to you? Be sure that the shipping costs are clearly stated and fixed, or you may find yourself paying a lot more to get your machine than you thought. Are they willing to prepare the machine for shipment, and are they going to charge you extra to do so? Do they propose to ship it using a well established shipper, such as NAVL, or Pilot Air, or are they going to make you arrange the shipping? On average, NAVL charges a minimum of $350 to ship a machine for any distance from 500-1500 miles, and upward from there to cross the country. Don't let the seller leave these charges open or you may find yourself getting gouged on them.
I hope this helps answer some of the many questions you may have regarding buying a pinball machine. There is so much more that I could cover, but I figure this is enough to help you get a machine that you will enjoy playing and be the first of many that you will own, because pinball collecting is highly addictive, and one is never enough.
