Pinball

AgeArcade11

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advice

A pinball machine weighs anywhere from 200 to 250 pounds.
Don't buy one with mechanical score reels unless its under 200 bucks or super rare.
For your first machine, Bally or Stern is good, but Gottlieb is a bit too advanced for a beginner.
don't buy any machine without posting the name and price first, I may either say go for it or avoid.
 
To transport a pinball machine, REMOVE THE LEGS. I've heard stories of people that have tried to (or have) moved them in the back of a truck with the legs on... this is silly and just asking for trouble.

On an EM machine, or an early solid state, remove the headbox. The box will be bolted on with a couple of large bolts, similar to the ones that hold the legs on, and there will be a couple of large connectors for the wiring.

On later solid state machines, the headbox does not get disconnected, as it is on hinges. Simply unlatch the headbox and fold it down - put a piece of cardboard or a blanket between the headbox and the playfield glass/rails to prevent damage during transit.

All types of machines have their pros and cons, some are easier to fix than others. A lot depends on what you're comfortable with. I like EM's because I find them really easy to work on, other guys more familiar with SS machines take one look at the huge expanse of relays and solenoids and get scared. Any machine can be fixed, and there are plenty of knowledgeable people here that can help you.

-Ian
 
Actually depending on the pin they can go up to 300+ lbs (Haunted house for example). Definitly need a dolly. All the pins I have seen are designed to stand up on the back of the pin for transport. Usually they have teflon sliders on the back. The head of the pin either folds down for transport (and is strapped down) or unbolts and is detached. Lots of wires and connectors in pins so it can be intimidating unhooking things.

when you check out the pin make sure you play test it. Remove the glass
and touch each bumper, drop target, etc and make sure a score registers.

Remove the ball(s) from the machine before transporting the game. Balls
bouncing around widly in a game can be a bad thing.

What pin are you looking to get?
 
I am new to pinball as well and recently got my first. The key thing to look for IMHO is artwork damage, backglass, cabinet and especially playfield wear/damage, because that is the hardest thing to fix. Everything else can be fixed by you if you have the time and energy.

For moving, I removed the balls, placed a think blanket between the glass and head and then lowered the head. I then wrapped the whole thing in shrink wrap. You will also want to take the legs off. Depending on where your moving it from you may or may not be able to do this next part, but if you can carry it to your vehicle with the legs still on, then just place the back of the machine against the vehicle. Then, with someone else, remove the back legs and slide it most of the way in, then remove the front legs. Finally secure the machine so it wont shift around and your good to go.

As for value, if you haven't already found this site you should check it out:

http://www.bostonpinball.biz/ebay1111.htm


don't buy any machine without posting the name and price first, I may either say go for it or avoid.

I don't think he needs to seek permission to buy something. haha
 
Well its a Super mario pinball. Artwork has some damage and that's all i can see from the pics. He just said its in great shape. At this point I'm not sure if the seller will even let me see it. He told me he had to move it from his warehouse to his house. And that he wanted to know if i was serious about buying it from just liking what i see. I told em im really interested but id have to see it to buy it. No response yet :/. Anyway thanks for the info.
 
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statistics

Boston Pinball as mentioned before is a good way to see what people are actually paying for pinball machines, since the data is collected from the past three years on Ebay, (30,000 machines sold)

Interesting what it says about the Super Mario Brothers pinball:

1,254 -Average sales price
155 -Record low price paid for a trashed machine
2995 -Record High Price for a mint condition example
1,785 -The last one to sell on Ebay went for this much

So, if you get one for 500 you can easily sell for three times that much. Seems like a real bargain.
 
research the model you are thinking about buying.
trying it on pinmame on your computer.
can you find schematics for the game, you'll need them.
check some of the pinball selling sites, do they have parts for your particular choice of game, especially if playfield parts are missing or broken.

if it isn't a common game with commonly accessible equipment, it's probably not a good choice for getting started. :)
 
Boston Pinball as mentioned before is a good way to see what people are actually paying for pinball machines, since the data is collected from the past three years on Ebay, (30,000 machines sold)

Interesting what it says about the Super Mario Brothers pinball:

1,254 -Average sales price
155 -Record low price paid for a trashed machine
2995 -Record High Price for a mint condition example
1,785 -The last one to sell on Ebay went for this much

So, if you get one for 500 you can easily sell for three times that much. Seems like a real bargain.

$1800 is very, very high for a SMB pinball machine. These are normally $1000 or less, even when their condition is outstanding.

Wade
 
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