So I’ve been thinking about buying my first pinball machine for my man cave for a couple of months now, I’ve spoke to pinball haven and they said monster bash is a good starter. I’ve played the Williams app for a couple of months and love it but I don’t fancy paying £6500 and eventually losing interest, so my question is what to buy that will keep me interested and hold its money if I decide to sell in a couple of years. Tia
Pinball info
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1st pinball machine advice
- Thread starter Cooper
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- monster bash
You need to think about the theme of the pinball and what ticks the box for you.
Also do you want a modern sparkly machine that will give you trouble free play or something you want to tinker with.
Also your budget and how important the desire for a machine to hold its value for a number of years.
I've seen 2019 machines BNIB for £6.5k, sell here for £5k in 2020, so you need to be a little optimistic on what can hold its valve vs what you will play and enjoy.
Plenty of other members here that can offer up there thoughts too.
Good luck....!
Also do you want a modern sparkly machine that will give you trouble free play or something you want to tinker with.
Also your budget and how important the desire for a machine to hold its value for a number of years.
I've seen 2019 machines BNIB for £6.5k, sell here for £5k in 2020, so you need to be a little optimistic on what can hold its valve vs what you will play and enjoy.
Plenty of other members here that can offer up there thoughts too.
Good luck....!
I don’t really have a theme tbh but can’t really go for horror ones as I have young kids and no doubt they will want to play it, I also think I’d prefer a more modern machine.
machines that have taken my interest:
monster bash
Jurassic park
The Simpson’s pinball party
Dead pool
Tmnt
these are probably really random machines but they have taken my interest
machines that have taken my interest:
monster bash
Jurassic park
The Simpson’s pinball party
Dead pool
Tmnt
these are probably really random machines but they have taken my interest
£6500 is a hell of a lot of money if you're unsure and haven't played the game.
Buy something for £1500 and get someone to pop over and give it a service. If within a month you've caught the bug you'll be moving it on and getting something else in for £3k . . . .and on it goes.
I purchased my first ever pinball on July 7th last year. I now have three but the money spent on the Popeye was money well spent. I cemented my view that I loved pinball, learnt some basics about changing bulbs etc and sold it on for similar money.
Buy something for £1500 and get someone to pop over and give it a service. If within a month you've caught the bug you'll be moving it on and getting something else in for £3k . . . .and on it goes.
I purchased my first ever pinball on July 7th last year. I now have three but the money spent on the Popeye was money well spent. I cemented my view that I loved pinball, learnt some basics about changing bulbs etc and sold it on for similar money.
There are plenty for sale on here for way less than 6.5k - and they'll all work pretty well (& if they don't, it'll be made clear in the ad). Can't argue with Gonzo above on the £1500 mark, I spent £1300 on my first about 18 months ago, and my soldering skills have improved massively since then (be prepared for that - plenty of advice on here if stuck). Have a look around - there are a few people in the Fylde area with pretty impressive collections who you could reach out to (and do you think it's possible that I could end a sentence without a bracket?) 
Dracula. End of.
If you can find one. It's a great pound for pound game for sure - but I would also suggest that there may be more reliable machines out there for a first timer.
Mine has been ultra reliable apart from the one time I tombstoned it and a connector came loose. It might be up for sale soon. Thinking about selling all of them and buying something impractical with four wheels instead. Undecided though.
Dracula is great but you need to be confident around pinball repairs or know someone as it’s known to give issues but a quick search and you can find most fixes.
Sold my TAF over this!
You could buy a new Monster Bash from Phil at Pinball Heaven near you, think he offered them for £6250 to forum members, you shouldn’t lose too much and have a 3 warranty.
Sold my TAF over this!
You could buy a new Monster Bash from Phil at Pinball Heaven near you, think he offered them for £6250 to forum members, you shouldn’t lose too much and have a 3 warranty.
He said no horror ideally. Monster Bash is more comedy. I’d also argue BSD is a players machine, with a great buzz. not a good casual entry game with toys and variety. DeadPool is a better fit, but pricey.
Haha that’s what happens when you skim read!
D
Deleted member 2463
You need an Attack from Mars, see if you can get a remake SE version.
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Don’t get a Dracula.
Get yourself into Tilt in Birmingham now it’s open again and try a few games out.
Get yourself into Tilt in Birmingham now it’s open again and try a few games out.
All the pins at tilt are the ones I want haha but it’s 2 1/2 hrs away
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Better to spend 2 1/2 hours than buy the wrong game mate!
Good point
One of the most reliable in my collection.BSD the most unreliable buggy game WMS made I think!
If you can afford a new game buy it.
A lot of folks sell restored games but quite a few of them are problematic.
Get a Chicago gaming remake or a modern stern.
I repair pins for part of my living and I love the afm/mm/mb remakes. Nice and reliable. Great warranty from pinball heaven too.
If you buy a BSD or any older game you will be underneath it quite a bit. These games are 25+ years old.
A lot of folks sell restored games but quite a few of them are problematic.
Get a Chicago gaming remake or a modern stern.
I repair pins for part of my living and I love the afm/mm/mb remakes. Nice and reliable. Great warranty from pinball heaven too.
If you buy a BSD or any older game you will be underneath it quite a bit. These games are 25+ years old.
thejefu
Registered
End of the day it doesn't really matter and it comes down to your wallet. We've all got our own reasons for getting into pinball, if you want a game just buy a game. If you're not yet a pinball conisseur you won't have much of a point of reference and wouldn't go wrong buying one of the popular modern tables. Get yourself to an arcade if possible. Pins sell like hotcakes and typically hold their value, but be warned that anything newer than 2010 and especially 2015 still has some depreciation to do. Anything bought NIB is gonna drop pounds the moment you open it.
Only thing I'd stress is that you'll eventually (probably) prefer an era. 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s can and do feel miles apart. Want the best of all worlds go for a WPC or WPC95. If it's too dumb then go newer, if it's not rock and roll enough then go older.
As others have said, anything new is gonna feel like a commercial product and won't need much doing to it. Anything old you best be interested in multimeters and soldering.
Only thing I'd stress is that you'll eventually (probably) prefer an era. 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s can and do feel miles apart. Want the best of all worlds go for a WPC or WPC95. If it's too dumb then go newer, if it's not rock and roll enough then go older.
As others have said, anything new is gonna feel like a commercial product and won't need much doing to it. Anything old you best be interested in multimeters and soldering.
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thejefu
Registered
Evidenced by the fact that not 4 days later I'm multimetering and soldering a previously perfectly operational machine for doing nothing other than having the audacity to turn it on.
Now come on, did you just turn it on or have you hit it hard with a metal ball?
Hi
What games have you been playing on the Williams app? Have you found a game or two/three, that you have kept going back too and found really fun on there?
For what it’s worth, I personally started out with a Williams Getaway High Speed II a year ago, and that’s what got me started. Cost me just under 2k and I personally felt that was a nice number to start on for my first game. Dropping around 6k for your first game sounds like an amazing budget, however like others have said, perhaps go and play a range of newer games in that price range so you can make a more informed decision.
Failing that, maybe a punt on a cheaper game that you may have tried on a pinball app or watched videos / reviews on, could be an alternative option to see how you feel about it.
What games have you been playing on the Williams app? Have you found a game or two/three, that you have kept going back too and found really fun on there?
For what it’s worth, I personally started out with a Williams Getaway High Speed II a year ago, and that’s what got me started. Cost me just under 2k and I personally felt that was a nice number to start on for my first game. Dropping around 6k for your first game sounds like an amazing budget, however like others have said, perhaps go and play a range of newer games in that price range so you can make a more informed decision.
Failing that, maybe a punt on a cheaper game that you may have tried on a pinball app or watched videos / reviews on, could be an alternative option to see how you feel about it.
Monster Bash …… just do it !
Hi
What games have you been playing on the Williams app? Have you found a game or two/three, that you have kept going back too and found really fun on there?
For what it’s worth, I personally started out with a Williams Getaway High Speed II a year ago, and that’s what got me started. Cost me just under 2k and I personally felt that was a nice number to start on for my first game. Dropping around 6k for your first game sounds like an amazing budget, however like others have said, perhaps go and play a range of newer games in that price range so you can make a more informed decision.
Failing that, maybe a punt on a cheaper game that you may have tried on a pinball app or watched videos / reviews on, could be an alternative option to see how you feel about it.
Hi
What games have you been playing on the Williams app? Have you found a game or two/three, that you have kept going back too and found really fun on there?
For what it’s worth, I personally started out with a Williams Getaway High Speed II a year ago, and that’s what got me started. Cost me just under 2k and I personally felt that was a nice number to start on for my first game. Dropping around 6k for your first game sounds like an amazing budget, however like others have said, perhaps go and play a range of newer games in that price range so you can make a more informed decision.
Failing that, maybe a punt on a cheaper game that you may have tried on a pinball app or watched videos / reviews on, could be an alternative option to see how you feel about it.
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A new Arcade club is opening soon that’s close to my house and they have pinball tables, so I’m waiting for that to open so I can try a few.
On the Williams app I’ve been playing monster bash mainly, only downloaded it because i fancied something different to play. I’m not rushing into it buying something I won’t enjoy and lose money on so going to try a few first before I decide.
There are quiet a lot on machines for 2k around, problem is there either crap games or old and I don’t want to buy a problem.
Buy the TAF that's for sale!
This site is a wonderful source of knowledge, but I think this is quite possibly the finest piece of advice on here .....
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