Opinions: Best pin for under $2000!

Spbeyond

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Hey guys, come February I will have 2000 of completely disposable income :) (Thats a ton for me) So I am going to drop it on a pin. In your opinion what is the best pin to be had for under 2 grand?
 
That's a tough question to answer because a particular pin could have a big variance in price depending on its condition. Are you looking for something that is basically plug-and-play, or a fixer upper? Also, how picky are you when it comes to the condition of the cabinet, backglass, etc ...?
 
Depends on your tastes too. You may not like what I like. What are your play preferences? E.g. favorite shots, speed, sound, themes, etc.?
 
Yeah I would like it to be in nice shape, I can clean it up and fix minor problems. Playfield is the only thing that is very important to me in terms of condition. I like SMOOTH shots, plenty of speed and fun toys. What would YOU buy?
 
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Well, I like toys myself (I have a Pinball Magic, Twilight Zone, Batman TDK, Champion Pub and Cyclone), and in the under $2K range, I'd recommend Pinball Magic. Perhaps the best toys in all of pinball and a decent variety of shots. Only drawback is that the game is pretty linear (i.e., you need to make your shots in the same order each time you play), but there is enough variety that it should keep your attention. I've had mine 10+ years and am yet to get bored with it. And they usually sell for $1500-2000.

Others I'd consider in the under $2K range:

Funhouse
Jurassic Park
WhiteWater
Bride of Pinbot
Whirlwind
World Cup Soccer
Congo
 
Obviously, there are so many great pins to choose from given your budget. The first one that comes to mind is The Shadow. It's a fun game, has some cool toys, and you should be able to pick up one in great condition for $2,000.
 
i tell you what, i'm quickly falling in love with who dunnit....and it's easily under $2K.



also second the jurrasic park and whitewater suggestions. great pins. unfortunately, i've never played the shadow, but all i've heard are great things about it...i hope to find a playable one at auction one day.
 
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....bd1?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=best+pin#1fa6622d4e3fcbd1

And don;t be a fool and take someones advice and buy their suggestion pin. You need to actively seek the machine out locally to play it or see if it's in Virtual Pinball or Wii or XBOX360. If you like it on the console the chances are you'll love it in real life.



i agree with this. virtual pinball isn't the end all be all of determining which pins are fun/etc....but you can usually get a decent idea of what kind of shots are on the playfield (though it'll obviously be different on the real pin as far as HOW to hit those shots) and a good understanding of the rules. you also get to sample the sound/light show. i feel completely comfortable making a decision to actively seek out a pin after spending some time with it in VP.
 
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Who dunnit is Defiantly on my "must own" list! I just love the smooth ramps, and that center shot is super cool.
 
Great suggestions...

but in the end you will be the best judge... keep it under $2k and you should be able to have fun with one and if you do get bored with it, sell or trade.

Really is your preference..I have loved pinball and feel lucky enough to own 2 that really stand out for me.

Revenge from Mars is one that most either love, hate, or indifferent. This is a combo pinball with video effects.
My wife and I played this a lot when we were dating, so we ended getting one when we bought our house.

Theatre of Magic is one that I played all through college. I just can't get bored playing it.

White Water is high on my list.

The only one not mentioned that I think is fun but CRAZY money is Midevil Madness. I just got the Williams pin pack for my PS3 which added Midevil Madness, Tales of Arabian, and Some Golf game that are a blast to play - these are good enough for me - $20 on Amazon rocks.

Get what you really want...
 
I am in serious withdrawal! I just really need to play some pinball, closest on is 2 hours away though.... F
 
...
Others I'd consider in the under $2K range:

Funhouse
Jurassic Park
WhiteWater
Bride of Pinbot
Whirlwind
World Cup Soccer
Congo

That's a pretty good list, I think just about all those are pretty good...

Also:
Earthshaker
Johnny Mnemonic
Who Dunnit
Black Knight 2000
Just about any Williams System 11

To be honest, with $2000 you can pick up almost any pin except for the "Top 10 A-list" titles. And even sometimes those (Whitewater, TZ) are sold for less than $2k.

Also, many of the above can be picked up much closer to $1k than $2k. Maybe get a new pin plus a couple of vids. ;)

Wade
 
If you don't want to wait a long time or travel a long distance to pick it up, I'd recommend seeing what is available locally then choosing which one you prefer vs. choosing the best one and then probably not being able to find it.

I've bought some good ones the last few months near me by watching Craig's List and going to local pinball dealers. I didn't set out to buy half of what I wound up with but it was what was available and they are all highly rated games. They are fun to play and resellable if I wind up finding something I like better and run out of room.
 
Personally, you have one of the two I would list: HS2: Getaway.

The other one I would list is Tommy.

I know others will highly disagree with me, but those are the first two I would be looking for if I had $2000 to kill.

Bill
 
Personally, you have one of the two I would list: HS2: Getaway.

The other one I would list is Tommy.

I know others will highly disagree with me, but those are the first two I would be looking for if I had $2000 to kill.

Bill



i got to play tommy at the last auction i was at...seemed like a pretty decent pin, though it didn't have the blinders, which is half the damn fun. lol.

isn't tommy on the higher end of the $1K-$2K range?
 
My list would be:

1. Funhouse (OK I paid over 2K for mine)
2. World Cup Soccer (paid 1K)
3. White Water (paid 1.6K)

Steve
 
If it were me, I would go out and get a niceish $1500 pin that is pretty much ready to go, then get a <$500 old 80's Williams or Bally to fix up. Then you have two pins, and can have some fun fixing/cleaning one up.

You can actually get some decent machines, like a Black Pyramid, Gorgar, etc. with reasonable work to be done for $500.
 
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