Good starter DMD pins

MmSadda

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Hey guys, I've been doing the arcade thing for a while now, and had my first pin (Totem by Gottlieb, from 1979) for ages. I'm thinking of getting my first DMD sometime later this year, and wanted some general advice as to what machines are the most reliable, and what are the best to play both long-term and accessible enough for people who just play casually.

I was looking at a Checkpoint, when my buddy told me that if the DMD goes out on them, you're hosed. What pins have DMDs that don't go out frequently, and have replacements available when they do?

Are there any pins that are particularly prone to electrical or mechanical issues, that I should avoid?

I know I want to hold out for something in great shape, preferably that's been shopped, but want to make sure I'm also getting something that's going to stay reliable long-term.

Oh, and of course, I want it to be a particularly fun game ;)
 
Most of the time if the DMD goes out, you aren't hosed. You just have to buy a new one.

I replaced one in a Stern Elvis in under an hour. I think I picked it up from ArcadeShop for under $200.

You'll need some foam weatherstripping, preferably black, to seal around the DMD to keep the GI lighting from bleeding in. It sticks to the old DMD and comes away in pieces.

All the new games are very complex. I see problems on all of them with GI boards (burning / overheated connectors), solenoid damage, blown drivers.

I have made a lot of money working on games like Diner, Elvis, and Tales from the Crypt. They get very dirty for some reason on the playfield.
 
What I was told is that the mini DMDs for Checkpoint and other early DMD pins are t reproduced and never come up for sale....

Sounds like that is the exception rather than the rule. So there aren't any pins that should categorically be avoided?
 
What I was told is that the mini DMDs for Checkpoint and other early DMD pins are t reproduced and never come up for sale....

Sounds like that is the exception rather than the rule. So there aren't any pins that should categorically be avoided?

I believe checkpoint was the first or second dmd pin so maybe it's hard to find dmds for it. Not sure...I don't think it uses a 'standard' dmd display though.

Tons of good dmd pins out there. I'd say stay away from gottliebs since they can be funky and if you are looking to 'learn' about dmd era pins, go straight up the middle with a Bally/Williams. Lots of good (relatively) inexpensive GREAT playing pins. Id stay away from trophy titles that cost WAY more than they 'should'.

Look for titles from crappy movies for some good bargains. Congo and the shadow as two good examples of crappy movies but GREAT pins.

Just my opinion.

Good luck!
 
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What I was told is that the mini DMDs for Checkpoint and other early DMD pins are t reproduced and never come up for sale....

Sounds like that is the exception rather than the rule. So there aren't any pins that should categorically be avoided?

Checkpoint uses an oddball DMD. It's tiny. SEGA used a giant DMD on Maverick and Baywatch, etc.

All of the Bally/Williams and Stern DMDs are interchangeable and still produced today.
 
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To me any DMD under 1k is a good deal.

I had a Street Fighter II for a while, and those should be available for $700-$1000 and while sometimes it doesn't get much respect, it was a very solid platform and I actually enjoyed the game.
 
Are Gottlieb displays still available? How about the large Sega ones?

I'd love to find a DMD under $1000. That said, I would consider spending up to $2500 for the right game. It's a shame CV has spiked in the past few years... Street Fighter had occurred to me as a strong possibility. Also, my former roommate had a Hook, which was a surprisingly fun game despite the lame license, and obtainable around $1k in respectable shape, right along the lines of what Gamey McGame said.
 
What I was told is that the mini DMDs for Checkpoint and other early DMD pins are t reproduced and never come up for sale....

Sounds like that is the exception rather than the rule. So there aren't any pins that should categorically be avoided?

Your friend is partially right. These smaller Dmd's are usually hard to find but not impossible. I have been seeing more and more of them for sale lately.

The main problem w/ some these earlier Data East pins is the cosmetic pieces (ramps, plastics). 'Some' from this era are devoid of any reproes.
 
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Are Gottlieb displays still available? How about the large Sega ones?

I'd love to find a DMD under $1000. That said, I would consider spending up to $2500 for the right game. It's a shame CV has spiked in the past few years... Street Fighter had occurred to me as a strong possibility. Also, my former roommate had a Hook, which was a surprisingly fun game despite the lame license, and obtainable around $1k in respectable shape, right along the lines of what Gamey McGame said.

Hook uses the same small display as checkpoint does. The large replacement displays for sega are $450 If you are considering spending up to $2500, you will then have several titles to choose from that use a standard display.
 
This is coming up soon and is only a few hours from your location. It would be a way of trying several titles at once.

http://ohiopinballshow.com/

Thanks! Ixtlann and I are probably headed up there to check out some games. He's my former roommate, and I feel like he knows pins pretty well.

Good to know the Sega DMDs are out there, if not cheap; I'd rather spend $2000 on a pin that I can buy a new DMD for at $450 than a $1000 game where I can't buy a new DMD. Thanks for the info!

What would a Williams/Bally/whatever else DMD normally cost? How about a Gottlieb? I'm really tempted to go for a Street Fighter 2, as I love Street Fighter and it seems like it's an inexpensive and common pin. For the time being, I see common as good, since it means "easy to find parts for"
 
Boston Pinball is a very good pinball price guide online. Finding a DMD under 1.5K does not happen very often nowadays; pinball pricing has been rising for about a year and a half. I would recommend a Stern or Bally/Williams game for your first DMD pin. They're the best games and usually are easier to work on than those produced by Gottlieb and other companies. Don't get a Gottlieb, most of them (except Freddy) suck. Gottlieb games are the cheapest DMDs because they're the worst. Most of the Data East games aren't so hot either, but are better than Gottlieb's games. Not trying to rain on your parade, just trying to help.
 
There is not a ton of parts out there for gottliebs. There are several data east titles out there that can be had within your $2500. Just make sure there are parts available for what you do decide on. Remember, a steel ball with plastic parts tends to break something eventually.
 
Fish Tales is a awesome starter pin and one of the lower prices Williams\Bally.

World Poker Tour from Stern can be had in the 2k range and a really fun deep game. The game gets a bad rap because of the artwork. It's one of my favorite Sterns.

Other good 'bang for your buck' games:

Gottlieb: Stargate
Williams\Bally: Doctor Who
Data East: Last Action Hero. Good rules....lots of magnets and a shaker. Gets a bad rap cuz of Data East.

I'm sure there are others I can't think of
 
If it was me, I would post a WTB DMD pin on Pinside, but DO NOT specify a price range. People will come to you with pins and asking prices, and you can go from there. All the better if you don't have specific titles in mind, because you never know what people will have for sale.
 
If you are willing to pay $2500 then you will have no problem finding a DMD pinball. Look around and do some research on different titles that interest you. Watch YouTube videos of gameplay. Use one of the many price guides to determine a approximate price.

Don't bank on finding very many under $1k. Sure there are some out there but most will probably be a project.

You can also search on here for similar topics on this subject. Just remember that everyone has their own opinion on what games to get or which manufacturer is best. Bally/Williams/Gottlieb/DE/Stern all have great titles to choose from but not one of these will be issue proof or never have some sort of problem/breakdown. Parts wear out and/or break. Just part of the hobby. Take good care of them and they will hold up well.

Good luck.
 
Fish Tales is a awesome starter pin and one of the lower prices Williams\Bally.

World Poker Tour from Stern can be had in the 2k range and a really fun deep game. The game gets a bad rap because of the artwork. It's one of my favorite Sterns.

Other good 'bang for your buck' games:

Gottlieb: Stargate
Williams\Bally: Doctor Who
Data East: Last Action Hero. Good rules....lots of magnets and a shaker. Gets a bad rap cuz of Data East.

I'm sure there are others I can't think of

Agree with ther above (apart from not being a fan of the Stargate pin). I owned a LAH, got it for under $1k in great shape--fun, lots of modes etc., like many Data East games, which you might find at lower prices. WPT is probably my favorite game of all, and a steal at around $2k imo. Fish Tales is also great. As is World Cup Soccer, which you can sometimes find for under $2k. Not a fan of Dracula, which many people gush over as a "value" title--boring IMO, with unbalanced scoring modes. You might find Shadow pretty cheap too but it's gotten a bit more popular lately.

Pretty much any modern pin with a standard-sized DMD shouldn't be a maintenance issue, and there are tons of people online who can help with repair tips and spare parts if needed. Only the small (Hook, Checkpoint, etc.) and large (Baywatch, etc.) DMDs are really pricey to replace.

I wouldn't post a request on Pinside--people there are pretty silly about pin prices, and if you do find a good deal you'll probably have to spend a lot of time taking the gaudy/glaring LEDs out of the game you buy! Best to peruse the for sale posts there, on rgp, the Mr Pinball classifieds, local ads, etc., and hit up the pinball shows where you might hook up with good deals!
 
Thanks! Ixtlann and I are probably headed up there to check out some games. He's my former roommate, and I feel like he knows pins pretty well.

Good to know the Sega DMDs are out there, if not cheap; I'd rather spend $2000 on a pin that I can buy a new DMD for at $450 than a $1000 game where I can't buy a new DMD. Thanks for the info!

What would a Williams/Bally/whatever else DMD normally cost? How about a Gottlieb? I'm really tempted to go for a Street Fighter 2, as I love Street Fighter and it seems like it's an inexpensive and common pin. For the time being, I see common as good, since it means "easy to find parts for"

I currently have a Street Fighter 2 pinball for sale if you're interested. It's in great shape with no cabinet fade and I recently shopped it down to the bare playfield w/ a NOS upper playfield installed. It also has a rebuilt DMD driver board.
 
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