Hello from London

[Andypc]

Hi,

I have been collecting Arcade Machines for about 9 years, but have always loved pinballs. Was thinking about getting one and have become even more keen since playing on a couple of friends machines. Lethal Weapon 3 and The Adams Family. My main problem is space. I have been a member of Jamma+ and Arcade Otaku for years.

This is my garage at the moment

What should I consider before getting a pinball and what would be a good first pinball to own.

Thanks
Andy

 

[Pharo]

Hi
Welcome to the mad house cracking set up of games,I was a bit like yourself all I had was arcades then I got my first pinball and that was me hooked sold my arcades to feed the urge for pinball then at a later date got a candy cab back but this time with hyperspin running mame and other emulators so ended up with best of both worlds.

Cheers Brian

 

[johnwhitfield]

Hi,

When considering your first pin look at the space you have and then figure out how you'll be able to shove at least 6 machines into that space

For me pins are split into two sections, the old plinky plonky EMs and solid state games and the "newer" 90s and onwards DMD games.

I'm guessing as you mentioned LW3 and TAF that you would be more interested in the DMD era.

When buying your first game it does all come down to personal taste. Joining a league like the London league or SE&London league would give you an opportunity to try out a range of different games to see what you like. Theme, features etc will appeal to people in different ways. There's a fair amount of pinheads based in and around London.

There are still pins at the £800 mark but they are getting harder to find. £1200 should secure you a decent game. £3k+ is getting into the more expensive territory and a brand new machine can now cost you up to 7k

Bally/WMS games tend to be more sort after than DE/Sega ones. Anything that's come out in the last 16 years or so is likely to be a Stern. Sterns can be fantastic or they can be Wrestlemania, it really depends on the code

Don't stress about the price too much. A pin isn't a lifelong commitment and even the best games get boring after a while. When you've finished with a game selling/trading is normally quite easy. Personally I'd go for a £1200 game first as they tend to be strong titles that will sell on again easily. A £750 Gottleib might look like a good deal but might be harder to shift 6 months later

Going to the Pipeline is also a good starting point as there are normally 6 or so machines in there .

 

[Bandit Boy]

Hi Andy,
Welcome to the forum, and loving the garage....
I'm just in the process of restoring my first EM machine from the 60's after help and advice from some of the guys on here.....

http://www.pinballinfo.com/community/threads/first-partial-restoration-royal-guard.28497/