I got the fever..

[The seeker]

I can't put an exact time or day on it, as a kid i was never fussed I don't think I ever even played one so why the hell am I so obsessed with getting a frigging pinball machine? What is it about them? From what I can tell there are so many downsides .. Buy in cost, maintenance, Size, Transportation, Major electrical gremlins... Buy yet I still yearn to buy one perhaps two hell ten would be great. What is it about pinball machines that make them so cool? In my eyes I thought it would be just cool to have but after a trip to play expo in Manchester I'm a total convert think it was the most enjoyable afternoon I've had in years. Play expo gave me a chance to play 120 + games and I gave it a good go at playing them all. I think I have a good feel for what makes a good game - and a bad , zen pinball is taking a hammering on my laptop so is pinball arcade tho it's not the same I just wish I'd got a few games a few years ago as I think this hobby might swallow me whole. Any tips for navigating this initial stage of my condition would be greatfully received.

 

[mark9]

Just do it! Best toy you will ever own

You won't regret it. If you enjoyed Play Expo, then owning a pin where you can appreciate the sound is so much better!

 

[J.C.Rox]

To me each one is like a work of art, from the actual art, cab, playfield and back box, to the engineering. I lift a playfield and look at it in awe of the guys that designed it. Now, when I do small repair, like changing a bulb or replacing a worn rubber I feel a bit like a doctor prolonging the life of the machine and I feel connected to it somehow, and proud to play a part in its life. I couldn't change a bulb when I bought my first pin, but with the help of the guys on this forum I am about to complete my first restoration, not quite a total rebuild of one found at the bottom of a lake like some guys here, but a restoration nevertheless. I hope all my pins are still here when I'm long gone, I guess in a strange philosophical way the pins own us, not the other way around. But beware.....they breed......

 

[johnwhitfield]

 

[replicas]

That film "Freaks" scared the sh*t out of me when I was young.
Why the hell did you post that pic John ? The nightmares are starting to return.

 

[cooldan]

It was pretty cool when the guy with no arms lit a cigarette.

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

I can't put an exact time or day on it, as a kid i was never fussed I don't think I ever even played one so why the hell am I so obsessed with getting a frigging pinball machine? What is it about them? From what I can tell there are so many downsides .. Buy in cost, maintenance, Size, Transportation, Major electrical gremlins... Buy yet I still yearn to buy one perhaps two hell ten would be great. What is it about pinball machines that make them so cool? In my eyes I thought it would be just cool to have but after a trip to play expo in Manchester I'm a total convert think it was the most enjoyable afternoon I've had in years. Play expo gave me a chance to play 120 + games and I gave it a good go at playing them all. I think I have a good feel for what makes a good game - and a bad , zen pinball is taking a hammering on my laptop so is pinball arcade tho it's not the same I just wish I'd got a few games a few years ago as I think this hobby might swallow me whole. Any tips for navigating this initial stage of my condition would be greatfully received.

Brilliant post

My biggest piece of advice would be make friends with local pinheads - they will be invaluable with advice and guiding you to that first pin purchase. There must be some guys on here near you.

 

[JT.]

You're over thinking this Just buy one, everything will be fine.

 

[DRD]

Go to uk pinball league events, and go to more shows to build your knowledge base. UK league has a mix of abilities in the "league" format which is regionally based and you get to play about 8 games at each event

http://ukpinballleague.co.uk

http://ukpinballleague.co.uk/uk-series.php The ukcs is a separate series of knock-out tournaments

http://www.northeastretrogaming.com is a show up north

Get to know folk you meet. Best way to buy a pin is from a known entity on this forum/ the uk pinball league crowd, and definitely NOT an unknown geezer on eBay. Buy from someone who loved the game, kept on top of maintenance, rebuilt worn components ...... Idiots on this forum like me take a "working" game that a casual observer would think is fine to bits, clean and replace any worn moving parts, clean all the switches, rebuild all the flippers with new parts, but plastics sets to replace cracked ones, buy new ramps ...... making the game much sharper to play

Everyone on here looks at eBay, but buyer be very beware. Plenty of folk out there selling tired, worn out games that they wipe down with a rag and say is "refurbished". Guys who just own a single pinball, been in the garage for 10 years, never been maintained, stopped working properly ...... then flog it on eBay. Look at a "shop log" on here to see examples of what refurbishment really means

http://www.pinballinfo.com/community/threads/fireball-2.27480/

Pinballs vary enormously in cosmetic condition, desirability of title, playing condition. Some games you gel with, some you don't. Some "game specific" parts - the cosmetic stuff like ramps, plastic artwork, backglasses are expensive/ hard to find/ require import from usa

You also need a view on how many games you will end up with. I had my addams family 15 years before I stumbled across the uk league and events this year and now have 8

If you have one game only, it needs lastability/ complexity to keep you interested. If you have a dozen games, you can include a few simpler (and cheaper) titles you play less often

As a first game, i would suggest you get a late 80s williams system 11 or early 90s wpc game. These have in built diagnostics that help you fault find. Plenty of folk will buy it from you if you buy wisely and should you decide to sell. So you might buy it for 700 to 1700 and get about that back when you sell it.

Buy a working game as a first one, if you buy a wreck, the initial refurb might be too much for you. Think about refurbs when you are more experienced