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First Step into Pin

robtherich

robtherich

Registered
Joined
Dec 11, 2015
Messages
96
Location
epsom surrey
I am currently considering getting my first pinball table to satisfy a 30 year desire and wonder if anyone can give me some advice?

I plan to keep my table in a wooden cabin (man cave) in my garden and although its heated I currently let it go down to about 7 degrees when its not being used would an aging pinball be able to tolerate this temperature?

And not having a fortune to spend (£1500) will obviously restrict my choice, I’ve seen a couple that have caught my eye, Lethal weapon, T2 and judge dread on Ebay and gumtree but haven’t taken the plunge yet mainly because I don’t know what to look out for.. I am a qualified electrician so my be able to complete some basic repairs but any advice offered would be very welcome.

There is currently a Judge Dredd on ebay and wondered what people think regarding its condition and price.

Thanks again in anticipation

Rob
 
Lots of good titles available for £1500 keep an eye on the for sale section and stay away from ebay and especially gumtree.
 
In answer to your question yes you can keep a pinball in a shed, well I do in fact I have five in mine at the moment and have had for the past six years without any detrimental effects
All you have to remember is quickly fluctuating temperatures can cause condensation inside the machines so don't heat the area too fast in the winter months. Also never cover a machine with and old duvet etc at night this can trap condensation inside. Some people advocate lots of insulation and use De humidifiers but do the benefits outway the costs well my machine haven't suffered from lack of it in my opinion and @Fintan Stack has been a regular visitor as of late generally depriving me of a machine when he leaves.
As it happens I have a Corvette that is looking for a new home if you are interested PM me for pics and price

Johnnyo
 
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I don't see a problem with the temperature but if it was me I would definitely keep a dehumidifier running to be on the safe side.
My first pin I bought was The Shadow and I shortly after that I got a Corvette and I love them both. I can't imagine ever wanting to sell either of them.
When I was first thinking of getting a pin there was about 4 i liked the look off in my price range and luckily it was around the time of the NLP at Manchester so my lad and me went and got to try lots of pins but the one that we both found the most fun to play was The Shadow so this made our minds up for our first pin.;)
 
Personally I can't comment on keeping a pin in a shed, but I would recommend buying from the forum. That way your buying from someone that knows what they're talking about and will describe the pin properly. You'll also get shown how to test and move a pin. Also the seller will be contactable should you have problems in the future. At least that was my experience!

Just make sure you have room for more pins because you'll find that you'll want more once you have your first!!
 
Hello Rob,

The temperature of your man cave will be fine, the more pressing issue would be moisture in the air.

Your budget of £1500 should be enough to get a nice example of the machines you've listed. With the T2 check for wear around the big insert in front of the flippers (very common), JD has a large left hand ramp and these are often damaged either where the diverter is or at the mounting points, the plastic over the shooter lane is almost always broken as well due to it hitting the back box with the play field up.

Any machine you buy of this age will have some small niggles, a chipped plastic here or a ding in the cab there, but remember that these things will not diminish your enjoyment of playing the game.

As mentioned above, if you can buy from a respected member rather than a random, your chances of getting a better deal increase dramatically.

Welcome to the forum and good luck with the search!
 
thanks everyone for the advice, regarding the temperature issue 7c is about as cold as it gets i can set the baseline higher but didn't want to waste money heating when there is no one using it, moisture wise i never get any condensation in there. With regards to transporting a table does the back box remove / tilt forward ? just wondering if it will fit in my C Class estate and are the cabinets a standard size?
Fintan Stack get back to St. Clabbert's !!
 
Rob

Yes all machines have a method to remove or fold the BB over for moving it (take some tools, need keys to access it). I would expect it to fit a C Class Estate there is a spreadsheet somewhere detailing this (welcome to geek club!). They are not all the same size Data East for example are tall and bigger than an 80s Bally for example.
 
How do you guys deal with payment when selling a Pin which includes delivery? The buyer wouldn't want to hand the money over without the table in his possession, and the seller wouldn't want to release the table without the money, or is it all just based on trust?
 
Marvello said:
How do you guys deal with payment when selling a Pin which includes delivery? The buyer wouldn't want to hand the money over without the table in his possession, and the seller wouldn't want to release the table without the money, or is it all just based on trust?
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There is a lot of trust involved but I wouldn't let a pin leave the house without having the money first.
I've just bought two pins from a well known poster on here purely on the back of extensive photos and reputation.
I would never do that with anyone not from this forum (or not known to me) though.
 
Lots of trust on this forum. No one wants to get a bad reputation as we all want to swap/trade/sell/buy from each other so usually what you see is what you get. Lots of photos and honest descriptions. Wires and/or connections do vibrate loose in transit so dont freak out if a machine arrives and something doesn't light up, there is so much communal knowledge on here that you post your problem and the gurus have the answer quicker than Google! Most of us use Martin a well known and trusted pin delivery service. Martin collect the pin and the buyer pays him (usually £85) when he drops it off. It may take some time as Martin keeps his costs down by making drop offs and pick ups when he's passing an area but everyone here will vouch for him. Good luck and welcome to a really nice bunch of lads (and the odd lass too!)
 
If you are going to send money then basically you need to be prepared to lose it:eek:

I've bought 30+ games and each time I've wondered if this will be the time I get burnt. Buying on here massively reduces the risk. Some sellers will do COD if you also pay them for delivery but if you are using Martin or a courier then pretty much everyone will want payment first.

Bank transfer reduces some of the risk. Never ever use Western Union - this is only ever used by scammers! Paypal is hated by sellers due to the fees and the fact buyers can easily reverse payment (if it's linked to bank accounts or you still have fees). You won't find a bargain on ebay/ Gumtree / craigslist. Those £1500 MM/AFM etc will be scams. Although the occasional great deal does come up you need to weigh this risk up against sending some serious cash to an unknown person. If they won't allow you to pay cash on collection then that's a big warning sign

Cash on collection is your best bet. Buying on here from a known seller should be OK

If you are buying off ebay then post on here too ask people if they know the seller. There's a good chance they will.


Finally if you use Martin don't panic if the game takes a while to appear. It's not part of an elaborate scam, machines turn up in Martin time. Delivery can be anything from less than 24 hours to a couple of months......;)

Good luck with your purchase
 
Thanks for all the advice. It's not actually me (yet!) that's looking to buy, but if (when) I buy another it will most likely be through here. Should be good advice for the OP though if he can't collect.
 
Thanks again everyone, ill be keeping my eyes on the for sale section not sure what I'm after in fact i haven't touched a table for years, is there anywhere that you can still play them in London / Surrey ? hard to know what id like to buy in terms of enjoyment and longevity

 
These guys are on your doorstep, they might have some set up but don't buy from them their mark up is roughly double! Screenshot_2015-12-13-22-50-28.pngI'm in guildford so not far and have a few pins you're welcome to come and try out.
 
Thanks for the heads up J.C.Rox right on my doorstep but very expensive i might pop in anyway and thanks for the very generous offer but i wouldn't want to impose on you. found out about pipeline in Liverpool Street and plan to visit when I'm up that way soon.
 
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