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What does £2k buy you in todays market?

JohnD83

JohnD83

Registered
5Years
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
113
Location
Billingham
Hello the knowledgeable pinball community :wave:
So im currently sitting on £1500 with it most likely reaching £2000 by the end of January. Im looking for my 1st pin and im curious as to what I should expect for my hard earned?
Most titles by Sega and Data east appear to be within range but what about anything by Stern?
I've played SM, BTDK & POTC and enjoyed all 3, are they possible on £2k and if not what kind of money are we talking for a fully working machine?
Im open to all options and would really appreciate a bit of help.
The deeper the rule set the better as it will be my only table for the time being and will no doubt be played to death...

If anyone has anything suitable please let me know...

Cheers John :D
 
I think that's a good budget!
But maybe the sterns are out of reach but some Bally Williams are within reach?
No reason why you shouldn't get a good/great game for that!
 
i'd guess you're looking at 2500+ for Spiderman or Pirates, 2800+ for Batman .... but that's just one opinion. all terrific games, i love them all.

Sterns you'll pick up for 2000 include CSI, NBA, 24, BBH, AP .... hmm, what else?
if i was looking for the best *single* pin (i.e. not two cheaper games) to spend two grand on, i'd get a Creech (all money gone), a Shadow (about 500 change), or a Dracula (maybe 300 change). there's plenty of choice if you can get that much cash together, and you're not missing anything better by not having any more money. ok, you need more to get some titles, but i don't genuinely think there are many games better than those three i just named.

good luck with the hunt.
 
Tony said:
I think that's a good budget!
But maybe the sterns are out of reach but some Bally Williams are within reach?
No reason why you shouldn't get a good/great game for that!
Click to expand...
I do believe im being a tad optimistic with a Stern lol
 
cooldan said:
i'd guess you're looking at 2500+ for Spiderman or Pirates, 2800+ for Batman .... but that's just one opinion. all terrific games, i love them all.

Sterns you'll pick up for 2000 include CSI, NBA, 24, BBH, AP .... hmm, what else?
if i was looking for the best *single* pin (i.e. not two cheaper games) to spend two grand on, i'd get a Creech (all money gone), a Shadow (about 500 change), or a Dracula (maybe 300 change). there's plenty of choice if you can get that much cash together, and you're not missing anything better by not having any more money. ok, you need more to get some titles, but i don't genuinely think there are many games better than those three i just named.

good luck with the hunt.
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Thanks @cooldan. I did think Creech would be out of budget but id be happy to rehome one for £2000. What about JM?
Im not a big fan of horror themes (plus 2 young scaredy cat kids) so BSD or TFTC are possibly alittle lower on my list. The Shadow I've heard great things about, but I find it really quite unappealing to the eye :sad:
 
http://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?yr=>2000&sortby=name&searchtype=advanced

....also Monopoly, Playboy, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Terminator 3 are all within reach. but i wouldn't spend my money on any of those if a Shadow or a Creech became available. Or a Congo. Johnny Mnemonic. Elvis. all these are within reach. maybe not Elvis (great game, but def over 2K)

seriously, any money spent over two grand won't get you anything better, just more popular and therefore in demand and therefore prices high. no way is MM or MB or TAF or LOTR or AFM more fun than playing a brilliant game like The Shadow, they're all top class games.

edit: also World Cup Soccer, Goldeneye, Flintstones, Jurassic Park, literally dozens of others. if you have small kids, get something fun rather than scary, i agree 100%. get thee to a show and league meets and play as many different ones as you can, you'll soon find yourself making lists like the rest of us, and dreaming of more money and/or space and/or both. and Creech doesn't have to be expensive, i sold my battered but fully working one two months ago for 1800 (admittedly no hologram).
 
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Whatever you buy doesn't have to be kept for a lifetime. Just play it to death then replace it when you are ready. You will more than likely get your money back on a used table. Think of it as a deposit that you will get back with the joy of having a table to play for free whenever you want.
 
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Cheers for the advice :thumbs: I'll not be rushing into anything just yet so imsure something will come along. Junkyard has also caught my eye so will have to buy it on pinball Arcade lol
 
Marvello said:
Whatever you buy doesn't have to be kept for a lifetime. Just play it to death then replace it when you are ready. You will more than likely get your money back on a used table. Think of it as a deposit that you will get back with the joy of having table to play for free whenever you want.
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I've used this very reason to convince the Ball N Chain that we need one :rofl:
 
1 x £2K machine or 2 x £1K machines?
As much as I love SS, TAF and CV those are big money, well they are for me anyway. I'd be as happy with 3 or 4 DMD's instead. Fun or theme (like the sticky topic says) a games appeal is completely subjective. If you can please her aesthetic tastes too then you're onto a winner! Creech is a lovely looking pin! Keep checking those for sale posts!

Having brought my 1st working pinball ever this week, I'm super happy with it! My back is a little less enthusiastic!
 
Dex-Jay said:
1 x £2K machine or 2 x £1K machines?
As much as I love SS, TAF and CV those are big money, well they are for me anyway. I'd be as happy with 3 or 4 DMD's instead. Fun or theme (like the sticky topic says) a games appeal is completely subjective. If you can please her aesthetic tastes too then you're onto a winner! Creech is a lovely looking pin! Keep checking those for sale posts!

Having brought my 1st working pinball ever this week, I'm super happy with it! My back is a little less enthusiastic!
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Cheers @Dex-Jay will be just the 1 pin for now as "we do need a dinning room" according to the Bread Knife.
What did you end up getting at your 1st? Im sure you will have been through the same process as I currently am...
 
JohnD83 said:
Cheers @Dex-Jay will be just the 1 pin for now as "we do need a dinning room" according to the Bread Knife.
What did you end up getting at your 1st? Im sure you will have been through the same process as I currently am...
Click to expand...

I went with the Bally PZ that was advertised here this week. Besides, it was only 5 miles away! Another 1 or hopefully 2 are coming though!

Table cloth over the top and you have a dining table! Good hunting!
 

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Dex-Jay said:
I went with the Bally PZ that was advertised here this week. Besides, it was only 5 miles away! Another 1 or hopefully 2 are coming though!

Table cloth over the top and you have a dining table! Good hunting!
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Ahhh yes I was eyeing this up myself lol hope you enjoy it :thumbs:
 
Good advice on here.
As an only pin I wouldn't go for CSI. It is an underrated game for sure with some great, satisfying shots but it is unusual as it is predominantly a multiball game. There are three multiballs all with different levels but not much in the way of modes. It's a great game in a decent sized collection because it is different but you would tire of it quickly as an only game.

You MAY just squeeze a World Poker Tour for around £2k (maybe slightly ghtly higher). Now that game is deeper than a Yorkshireman's pockets. Tons of really clever programming and risk/reward gameplay.


As for Bally/Williams for around £2k you won't go far wrong with a Roadshow, Indy 500 or a Judge Dredd. All three can be had sub £2k and all three have deep rulesets.
 
3 low cost games to consider might be:

Roadshow - excellent game, kid friendly and cheap, lots of rules

Fish Tales : fast, funny and very silly

World Cup Soccer: another fun game that's inexplicably (to me anyway) cheap.

All may be available for £1500 or less.
 
Some very good games mentioned by those above,

I would add High speed 2, to the 1:1.5 list, lots of them and so come up regularly
 
My first pin was a sub £2k stern. RBION

Great first pin , regret selling it. Good fun and quite deep, never completed it
 
World Cup Soccer a day for me. Kids love it, the misses loves it and the rules are simple to understand. Plus the one @Marvello has for sale looks really nice!
 
Warning ....GrizZs Saturday morning old mans musings ahead .......:rolleyes:

Anyone else remember when the only pin that cost over 2K was a minty Medieval Madness or a brand new machine ? :D

Another thing to consider is actually *finding* the title you want these days .Getting much harder - many more collectors than a decade ago, bigger collections being hoarded, supply from ops dried up, pool of project machines almost empty . This leads to further price rises as folk will be tempted to pay top dollar rather than risk having to wait months/years for another example to appear.
 
stoptap said:
Do you think there is enough going on with it as an only pin ?
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For an only pin definitely and even better for a first pin. The Shadow for example is a great game but kids and non pinheads finish three balls in less than 2 mins then move on because it is too hard.

Soon as you plunge on WCS you can hit the goal, get the great GOAL!! call out and you feel like you've achieved something.
 
Jsyjay said:
For an only pin definitely and even better for a first pin. The Shadow for example is a great game but kids and non pinheads finish three balls in less than 2 mins then move on because it is too hard.

Soon as you plunge on WCS you can hit the goal, get the great GOAL!! call out and you feel like you've achieved something.
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I found it fun but a bit of a one trick pony when I owned it. I personally wouldn't recommend it as an only game.
I love T2 but wouldn't recommend it in a one pin setup. It is simple, has great flow and great sounds BUT you will see everything it had to offer pretty sharpish. I feel WCS is the same.
 
Sgt GrizZ said:
Warning ....GrizZs Saturday morning old mans musings ahead .......:rolleyes:

Anyone else remember when the only pin that cost over 2K was a minty Medieval Madness or a brand new machine ? :D

Another thing to consider is actually *finding* the title you want these days .Getting much harder - many more collectors than a decade ago, bigger collections being hoarded, supply from ops dried up, pool of project machines almost empty . This leads to further price rises as folk will be tempted to pay top dollar rather than risk having to wait months/years for another example to appear.
Click to expand...

img.photobucket.com_albums_v643_Rebbetzin_2011_Email_20Iconx_oldmanbeardwthcane.gif

I once paid £2k for an Addams AND a Whitewater.
 
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