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What was the first machine you owned?

BigIan said:
pinball pool (Gottlieb) bought at an auction in about 1985 for less than £100 (cant remember exactly) remember it was a toss up between this or a sit down star wars cab.. Who would want one of them anyhow :rofl:

Had a broken drop target (11 ball) but was still playable (ish). my dad binned it a few months after i moved out of home. :mad:
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Is that the star wars sit down cab at base arcade 🤔😏
 
STTNG on 2020 for £2500 at the beginning of lock down, picked it up in the two days window we where allowed out. Although nearly bought a lw3 at an early pinfest for £800 in around 2012, cash ready, but stopped when I got the tape measure out due to space issues in the flat i had at the time.
 
Eight Ball. Owned for ~10 years. Bought in semi-functional state. It was in much better shape when we sold it. Still like the game, of course, but probably wouldn't buy that one again. Haven't owned a pin since but considering buying a modern pin. Currently own a high end computer powering an 4K Sony OLED 120hz and two other screens for a open cab convertible vpin + modern games beast (40- series card). My son preordered Jaws Premium as his first ever pin at his house. He's hoping it will be delivered by his birthday 3/7.
 
2021, STTNG £1200, my brother in law told me about it from one of his window cleaning customers.
Help from the good folks here got it working and still enjoying it today.
 
CFTBL bought in 2005 off Ebay for £750, sold after the financial crisis in 2009 for...
£750

I played that game to death. Completely rock solid build. I'd have another if I could change most of the game tunes/sound quality.
 
Hook bought off eBay in 2006. Paid £500 because they also delivered. Would have another out of nostalgia.

Three months later bought a TAF for £1040 absolutely shat myself having to tell my wife I’d just spent that much on a toy 😱
 
Let old Pappy Pete tell you the tale of his first Pinball machine
The year is 1982, I am 16yo. There is an advertisement in the local newspaper. The local arcade was selling off their EM pinball machines. Single players $100, Two players $120
So I convince my father to take me down and we choose a game, Gottlieb Sure Shot
While the game worked fine, I spent many hours going over the machine and discovering how it worked

I still have the game (but not working)

10 years ago someone comes into my shop and tells me about a game they might be interested in selling. I go to his place and we chat. It seems that he had bought his game at the same sale, all those years ago. A Gottlieb Abra Ca Dabra
So now I have two machines from that sale
 
Sttng on eBay in 1999. Was £850 and was a full Pinball Heaven restore. I sold it a few years later for £1100 and thought I was Warren Buffett!
 
A gottlieb grand slam. Picked it up locally for cheap. The old EMs aren't really my bag so replaced it with a streetfighter 2 pin. That was ****e too. TAF was the first decent pin I owned. Picked it up for £900 iirc
 
Pop Bumper Pete said:
10 years ago someone comes into my shop and tells me about a game they might be interested in selling. I go to his place and we chat. It seems that he had bought his game at the same sale, all those years ago. A Gottlieb Abra Ca Dabra
So now I have two machines from that sale
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I guess you got it for $100 as only a single player :suspect:
 
BOP was my first pin and still have it. Incredibly reliable. Still has the plasma alphanumeric display. Have upgraded to pinsound card /speakers and LED’d. Would love a new mirrored backglass, playfield and reconditioned cab. One day!
 
I'm still fairly new to the hobby. First pin was in July 2021, a nib JP Prem. I wanted a pro as I had no idea if I'd enjoy having a machine at home and having no repair knowledge I was worried about extra mechs, but Phil had sold out of pros so Premium it was. It's still here and I don't see it leaving any time soon.

Just as everyone says they do, it multiplied and just 2 months later I got a used TMNT pro from the forum which is also still here. Funnily enough my first 2 pins would probably also be the last 2 to leave.
 
Jib said:
I'm still fairly new to the hobby. First pin was in July 2021, a nib JP Prem. I wanted a pro as I had no idea if I'd enjoy having a machine at home and having no repair knowledge I was worried about extra mechs, but Phil had sold out of pros so Premium it was. It's still here and I don't see it leaving any time soon.

Just as everyone says they do, it multiplied and just 2 months later I got a used TMNT pro from the forum which is also still here. Funnily enough my first 2 pins would probably also be the last 2 to leave.
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Have you had any issues that need repairing and if so how did you find that?
 
KendarTheOrc said:
Have you had any issues that need repairing and if so how did you find that?
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Not really repairing, the t-rex needed tweaking, the up posts releveling at some point. Think that's about it on JP so far. You just kind of learn as you go along and as issues come up you search how to fix them and tackle them and then next time you know how. I definitely have limits to what I'd be comfortable doing but a lot of stuff is little adjustments you get use to doing.
 
Fortunately I found this forum just when I was about to part with ££££ for a BK2000 from HLD.

Instead, I ended up with a hardly used TNA for I think £5750 in early 2020.
I still have it, it gets played very regularly and it's going nowhere anytime soon.
 
I only got into this in Oct 2023, I found this forum, read loads, played a few pins around about, and just couldn't see past Godzilla. I managed to pick up a Premium Godzilla from Pinball Heaven. Family and mates loved it, and a few weeks later, I got hold of Worldcup Soccer as a fixer-upper. I said at the beginning I would only ever need one a few months later. The garage is converted and now has room for 7 :-)
Now just need a time machine and to get hold of pins at 2000s prices :-)
 
Genie which we picked up around 1998.
It was a freebie as the guy didn’t want it taking up space in his house anymore.
Still own it - one of the favourites when people come over.
 
Widnesbernie said:
Bought an 8 ball deluxe LE from Alan J almost three years ago..
In 1981 it was my favourite game, in 2024 it is still my all time favourite game..it gets played 4 or 5 days a week and will be with me until I shuffle off this mortal coil.
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My old game! I’m glad it’s getting the play it deserves. :)
 
Feb 2015. Barn find off eBay. £200 for a Zac Future World.
Proper barn find with animal nests and very dead 1st gen SS Italian boards in very sorry state.
Lovely paint tho... (It's the lead).. never looked back...
 
I went to buy a Gottlieb World Fair and ended up with that and a Jungle Lord too and still have the pair.
 
TAF. £3,300 in 2014 (ish) from Brighton. Still the only Pin I have ever had :(
 
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