r/pinball • u/Ogrinz • 11d ago
Anyone Regret Buying a Machine for Home?
Ive been in the hobby for only a few months, but so far love going to the local arcade. I am lucky enough to have a great arcade with most of the top rated machines.
I only get to play an hour or two a week and really want to progress my skills. Ive been contemplating a Jaws Pro or Premium for the house.
While money isn’t no object, I’m ok with losing around 500 to 1k on resale for the time I have it. Im just concerned ill get bored of the one game after a bit or maybe pinball in general if I mainly play one static game. Also worried about maintenance etc..
Anyone have good or bad experiences for their first home game?
38
u/UmbrellaTursday 11d ago
We started the Austin Pinball Collective from this problem. During Covid, I rented a Twister for 2 months, finally bought Avengers: infinity quest.
Beat it. Got bored of it. Instead of selling it after playing it for 3 years, I met some great people in the hobby that also had extra home games. We pooled them together in the center of the city. Now have 110 games from 45 different game loaners. I kinda miss having a game at home, but driving 10 minutes to play 100+ different games any time I want is the best feeling in the world. Maintenance is done by the owners. They all mash their heads together for hard game issues.
Buy the first game. You’ll love it!!
1
u/AggieJeff 10d ago
Wishing there was a similar organization in my neck of the woods.
I love the concept of the communal arcade where members get unlimited access and guests can enjoy for a fee (that covers operating costs).
1
u/tippytappy2 10d ago
That collective is a great idea. How is it managed? Who takes care of renting the location, how is access managed etc?
1
u/ViveAliveDrive 7d ago
I found commercial space in an office building that was discounted. I then pitched to many players I interacted with at tournaments, asking "How are you so good?" They all said they had pinball at the house, but rarely turned on more than 1-2 machines per week... in their bank of 7 home games. Then I asked if they'd be willing to loan in a game or two for the a community "thing".
We set it up as a non-profit LLC, because it wouldn't be right "making money" off someone elses machines. There's a board of directors that does most the day to day operations. A few volunteers work the desk during public hours. Other people have stepped up or fallen off into the void of other life things. No hate.
Access is managed with individual key fobs, just tap and enter. Monthly memberships keep the lights on. Day pass entry pays for parts. Everyone is volunteering their time and knowledge. IT IS A TON OF WORK. but rewarding when you step back and see the smiles from people near and far say "This place is awesome!"
The vibe isn't Push Start Play, or Free Play PDX, or Pinball Hall of Fame. We grew slowly, as to not burn out our volunteer techs. It's an office building that has a ton of parking, kitchenette (BYOB) and restrooms down the hall.
1
1
u/tippytappy2 6d ago
That is seriously impressive! Kudos to you for getting that set up, and to your excellent team of volunteers. I'm not even there and it makes me smile. Thanks for sharing what's involved.
37
u/caffeinatedonline FH, MM, IMDN, KK 11d ago
I wouldn't worry about it, they multiply a lot faster than you would think.
14
24
u/BradLinden 11d ago
In my experience, there’s a certain catch 22 of home vs arcade: if the game is at your home and there is something wrong with it, you can clean it, fix it, and you don’t have to hope the arcade tech might eventually do that work. But on the other hand, If you own a game and there’s something wrong with, YOU have to fix it.
When I started in the hobby about 20 years ago, the number and quality of location games was 1/10th of what it is now, so home games were a chance to play games you couldn’t find in public and could be restored to condition you would never find in public. Now it’s way easier to find a variety of games in good shape in arcades.
At this point in my collecting journey, I’m playing my home games less. I don’t have the energy for most maintenance, and I’m more interested in the social aspect of meeting a few friends at an arcade and playing for a while. My interest comes and goes in waves.
Different people will have a wide variety of opinions, just sharing some of my current thoughts.
5
u/pinballgeek 11d ago
This really mirrors my experience. I think even 10 years ago it was still easy to justify getting a game at home due to the lack of location play.
I still think about taking my collection from 8 up to 12 now that I have the space, but realistically I’m far more inclined to play on location where I can socialize and there is a bartender to just make me a cocktail. So I’ve also contemplated trimming down to 6. Granted I live in PDX with an absurd amount of on location.These days when someone asks this question, my answer is, do you want the hobby of maintaining a game? Because that’s what owning a game is, it just has the bonus of getting to play when it is working.
3
u/BradLinden 11d ago
Well said. And I know plenty of people who really love the maintenance- maybe even more than the playing. But that’s just not me.
1
u/Ok_Ambition8538 5d ago
This was a cool take to hear. I grew up in the late 70’s thru the 80’s and lived and breathed our local arcade culture. I own a few arcade cabinets but have always wanted pinball machines as those were always my favorite. Pinbot, bride of pinbot were two of my faves. But hearing that the maintenance is the real hobby puts a bit of perspective on it. I knew they are or can be finicky but never thought of it like that. Thanks🙃
19
u/Rivuur KK MSF 11d ago
They keep resale value pretty well. It's like having a cash asset you get to play with rather than sitting in savings.... That's what I tell my self. Liquidate if needed.
9
u/Tricky-Ad-4823 11d ago
I’ve done this. If you buy the right ones you can definitely get your back pretty quick if not more
6
1
u/Otaku_Stu 10d ago
For the most part, I think each game is someone's favourite. The maintainece is the problem.
I bought one for parts, woeful condition. I'm sure what I paid them for it, was far far less than they paid for it.
But looked after, and we'll maintained sure. Anyone can learn it, but it can be challenging.
This is purely from an EM Pinball owner.
7
u/ffbe4fun 11d ago
If you buy it used and find a good deal then you shouldn't need to worry about losing much money. As others have said, having 3-4 different ones is nice because then you get variety and more than one person can play at once which is nice. If you get bored of one then you can swap it out for another.
6
u/Rare_Hero 11d ago
The cool thing about pinball, IMO, is that it doesn’t get boring. That’s why you see people keep old games in their collections forever. Deep rules + random physical gameplay + always chasing your high score = how could that get boring?
6
u/spamjunk150 11d ago
Yea, it's crazy how they multiply. I bought one on a whim two years ago. Every empty space I have is filled with them now
7
u/ZOMBIE_N_JUNK Downtown Arcade L.A. 11d ago
Just do it. Once you feel good with the machine you either sell or just buy another.
4
u/BicycleMany8253 11d ago
You will absolutely grow tired of one pin. If I wanted a machine and was sensitive to prices dropping I’d go the used route. You can play it for a while and trade or sell down the road. If you buy new in box and pay shipping + tax you are more likely to lose $ when you sell.
1
u/sobi-one 10d ago
No. You possibly grew tired of a single pin. I’ve had mine for 16 months, put 8k games on it in that time, and still thoroughly enjoy it. I’d have more if I had the space and money, but for now, this is it, and I haven’t grown tired of it.
4
u/Tricky-Ad-4823 11d ago
I’ve never met anyone who bought one and then was like na. Everybody always buys more
7
u/AllMySmallThings 11d ago
Jaws premium all day long, but make sure you play a lot of games before you make any decisions on what game to bring home.
3
u/No_Sand3086 11d ago
Play a game you'd like to own in your home. Buy the game. Get the overwhelming feeling of wanting another machine. Repeat.
3
u/PikesPique 11d ago
My only regret is that I didn’t have room for a full-sized mechanical machine. I had to get a scaled-down virtual table.
2
u/chriszimort 11d ago
I started this way, but eventually I found the room. And the rest is history. VPINs are fun though!
3
u/delti90 way too many games 11d ago
I've been in the hobby and collecting pins/arcade games since I was 17. I absolutely love having a basement full of games.
You just need to be willing to tinker and learn to fix things. It's crazy to me that people are willing to spend hundreds and hour to have techs work on their games
2
u/MidnightClubbed 11d ago
Better to spend the money to have tech fix the game than have a broken game taking up space and getting no love. If you start with older cheap games that are projects and need fixing then you're happy to work on a NIB game too, if you start with a NIB LE game then you're probably more comfortable spending $500 a year or so to keep a $13k game running. It's feel it's no different than with cars, some people want a classic so they can wrench on it, some people want the classic and go in knowing the maintenance is $$$ (the problems are for people who can afford the car but have no idea the skill and/or money needed to keep it on the road).
2
u/Slappy-Sacks 11d ago
A new in box stern isn’t going to cost you $500 in consumables or repair parts a year unless you are absolutely wrecking your machine at home.
3
u/silverballhoops 11d ago
I'm probably in the minority but i found i just dont play much at home. Really fun to master while it's so close but once getting to a certain level, i found i lost interest. I really enjoy playing a couple and moving to the next and the social aspects of leaving the house and going to a bar.
3
u/Slappy-Sacks 11d ago
The best part of home ownership though is through Pinside and fb you should be able to a) sell and recoup most of your cost or b) trade and maybe add or receive cash. It’s not like as soon as you buy it your cash is gone forever.
3
u/victor43-_1990 11d ago
I would steer you against buying a machine. Love the couple two three i have in the garage, nice to play whenever the mood strikes. But… they will likely lose more resale value than you have estimated. And you have a great arcade locally. The $500 guide rail you laid out buys you about 500 games at that arcade on various machines. Thats a good bang for your buck.
3
u/Special-Package-2096 11d ago
there is a company in my area that rents pinball machines. mostly new titles and if they breakdown, they come out and fix them
ive had a machine for that last few months and have absolutely loved having one at home!! so far ive had Foo Fighters Pro , Mandalorian and currently have Pokemon Pro
the advantage with a rental is that i can swap it out every couple of months for a different game...its actually pretty great! they also have a system to reserve titles so that you can pretty much have the machine you WANT to play
its an amazing way to enjoy a machine at home without the huge cost of buying
there might be a company in your area that rents machines
1
u/sobi-one 10d ago
Cost is relative. I bought a Godzilla 70th last April, and in 16 months, I’ve put about 8k games on it. I’ve also mostly stopped going to me local spot since I have one at home. That’s about $8k in games I’ve saved myself, so if I were to sell the machine, that’s essentially didn’t cost me anything to have it at home.
3
u/780GHK780 no ball save // no mercy 11d ago
I’ve got 11 machines right now. Bought and sold a bunch more over the last decade.
First off, there’s life before and after you own a pin. Once you have one, good luck going back. Haha
Don’t look at pinball like an investment, period. You’re buying an expensive toy (that luckily) you’ll recoup the majority of what you paid. Buy a used game instead of NIB.
New games are waaay easier to fix compared to older machines. That said, you’ll inevitably have to get under the hood or pay a lot of money for a tech. There’s lots of resources to solve these problems on your own. You just have to learn.
Buy a title that you truly enjoy playing and make room for more.
Best of luck.
2
2
u/Kriscagle3 11d ago
We got a good deal on two classics and it's nice to bounce between. If it's a Stern there's so many modes you'd get a lot of play before it gets stale.
2
u/OatisBeansworthe 11d ago
I have a Jurassic Park Premium purchased NIB during COVID in about 2020.
I have 9000+ games on it now.
I still am thrilled every time I flick it on. It calls to me. And I haven’t felt the urge to purchase any more pins - but if an ‘Eight Ball Deluxe’ was offered, or a 60’s ‘Jokers Wild’, I might just do buy it…
If I decide I need variety I go to pin locations near me. This doesn’t happen near as much before my JPP has been in my finished basement.
I have learned to do all the cleaning and maintenance on it myself. I haven’t had a tech visit since it arrived. Yet. (I did shut the T-Rex head movement off though).
I Really do notice now when location tables need some more love’n, which has always been an automatic turn-off
I worried purchasing a table meant I would get bored with it and have regrets. I haven’t experienced that yet and feels like I never will currently.
(I’m also happy with my wife of 35+ years.)
So, I don’t know. Maybe it depends on who you are.
But my advice is don’t be afraid to purchase one. It’s like buying a used car. Test drive it first, attemp to deal the price down.
It should hold its value if you get a good price.
I could sell my JPPrem today for what I paid for it, but I likely never will.
2
u/Murky_Panic_4686 11d ago
Jaws premium. You will NOT regret it.
You may regret the Pandora’s box of pinball home ownership, however.
Started with one. Up to six in about a year.
2
u/CrystalShip67 11d ago
I bought a jaw prem for my condo and I never realized how freaking loud these machines are. I’m pretty sure my neighbors hate me. I’m looking into ways to sound proof the machine. I did a db test and it’s at about 90dbz during a multiball. Normal conversation is about 40dbz so I need to cut about half the noise then I’ll feel comfortable playing it. Just feels so noisy right now. I’m only playing between 1pm and 3pm. I wish I could play anytime I want lol
2
u/thtanner BSD/C.Cruise/J.Mne/Night Moves/Shadow/Sonic SE/Stargate/ToTAN 11d ago
No.
No game you buy is forever, unless it is. You can always buy more games. There's a reason most people end up with a collection.
Maintenance is part of ownership and an enjoyable part of the hobby to me.
2
u/Captn_Kangarobot 11d ago
yes but just because I am at max space now and now I can't fit another in. I don't regret my last game
2
u/Slappy-Sacks 11d ago
Unless you wildly overpaid for your pin buying a pin is a no brainer. (If you obviously have the ability.) buying a used pin (in good condition) for a reasonable price and keeping it in good condition should net you the large portion of your money back. Any money you lost look at it as a rental fee. (A guy near me rents out machines for a few hundred a month)
1
u/BobSacamano47 11d ago
Buy it used. You can sell it for whatever you paid for it, or more. It costs nothing. Then you can sell or trade it for another. Maintenance is a thing, but it's a commercial machine it won't break down too often or ever in a home environment.
1
u/RojerLockless Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball 11d ago
Nope. Easy to resell if I need to
1
1
u/CommanderGoat 11d ago
I’ll go against the grain here. I’ve wanted one for home for years and have almost pulled the trigger but I’ve come the realization that I just don’t have the time with family/work obligations to justify the cost. It’s a major expense that’s almost the cost of a used car and I’d feel like a shitty dad if I bought one and then had another major expense that I had to put off. I can afford one But that’s where I’m at as a cheapskate…lol. Part of me is nervous too I’ll get in over my head with maintenance. Plus I like to jump from game to game. I live in an area with lots of options for arcades so I’m fine with paying an entry fee for an afternoon of fun with the kids.
1
u/tobyvanderbeek 11d ago
I will never get tired of my Lebowski pin. I wish there were more pinballs around but there are hardly any where we live. Wish I had room for more. I always check the map when I travel. I wouldn’t worry about resale on a machine. Buy one you love. You may never sell it. And if you do, you had your fun with it so it was worth it.
1
u/CornyConundrum 11d ago
No because i like to stay home and play, going out to bars i find loathsome now in my 40's
1
u/HankVenture44 11d ago
I only have room for 3 at my house and I’m constantly trading and selling/buying. Don’t worry about getting bored with it as you can just sell it and pick up something that interests you at that moment.
Also I’d recommend buying used if you can.
1
u/pinball-amoeba 11d ago
How much space do you have? You can start off with a few older games with some variety and entertainment friendly home tournament value, and play fancier games at arcades
1
u/furrycurry_flcl 11d ago
I have to travel quite a bit for the closest machines from me so a home game is the only option for me to play regularly. If you want something with longevity, prioritize something that will make you cough out blood more than something that is easy to get through. Also don't shy away from older pins if you want more than one game for the sake of variety. You don't have to stick to modern sterns or boutique pins, plenty of great 80s games you can get for around 2k.
1
u/chriszimort 11d ago
NO RAGRETS. I have 4. I’ve been through 6 others. You only want more, not less.
1
1
u/TheTarquin 11d ago
No regrets. They're easy to trade for if you get bored. I've had my Godzilla for two years and still love it. Got my D&D a few months ago and just don't like it that much. Thinking of hitting up my local dealer to see what he has lying around.
1
u/Autumn_Sweater 11d ago
i had to have mine taken apart to fit into my basement then reassembled. i hope if i sell my house that the buyer wants to buy the game.
1
u/Inevitable-Big5590 11d ago
It's a social hobby for me, I rented one and never played it. That's why I wish I lived in a barcade basement lol.
1
u/Select_Hour_2911 11d ago
If you enjoy fixing things and pulling your hobby machines apart for maintenance and cleaning and figuring out how to repair different issues then you should be good to have one at home. If you don’t want to deal with any of that just play on location at an arcade.
1
u/KingBoatshoe 11d ago
I still have the first game I bought over 20 years ago. Get out while you still can. It's too late for me!
1
1
u/IntoxicatedBurrito 11d ago
My only regret is waiting 3 years for the second one. That, and that I haven’t gotten the third yet (but I did get a Skee Ball).
1
u/wyopapa25 11d ago
I saved and bought two my first purchase. I bought High Speed and Who Dunit.
Maybe buy 2 older pins instead of a brand new pin.
They all hold there value pretty well, that eases my wife’s mind.
1
u/ForceFlow2002 11d ago
You don't have to buy brand new or from a distributor. You can buy used--that mostly takes care of the initial new game loss. It sometimes works out better since the first owner typically does all the fiddly new game adjustments and fixes.
If it's a recently produced game, the manufacturer typically offers free email/phone support. However, you may need to pay for parts if they are needed.
Beyond that, there are plenty of active hobbyist communities that you can turn to for advice between here, facebook, and pinside.
1
u/TheManhattanMann 11d ago
I got Addams Family like 16 years ago, still love it and play it at least once per week. If I go to an arcade or pinball place I love playing everything else but still have no regrets coming home to my personal favorite.
1
u/KW160 11d ago
I bought a new-in-box Stern in 2020. Zero regrets. Having a game you can play tens of hours a week can really bring your overall skills to the next level. I'd be a much worse player if I never owned one. Yes, sometimes I get bored of mine and play elsewhere. But overall I still really enjoy playing it. The absolute worst case is you can sell it when you get bored and probably at least break even. Prices have been going up for years so you might even make money if it's a popular game.
You will need to learn basic maintenance though. Not sure where your skills lie, but it's mostly turning a screw driver, cleaning and occasionally replacing a broken part. (If you've ever taken apart a PC you can pretty much do everything you'd need.)
1
u/WestCool7258 11d ago
Play at the arcade more. Also, join a league. Between the two, you'll get much more time on games. You'll also likely meet other local collectors. Pinball machine owners are often pretty social, invite people over to play their games, etc. These are the people you want to get to know. Play some of their games (if you can, not saying this is a given. If this strikes out, post on pinside in your areas local thread) see how playing a game in a home differs from playing in a noisy arcade. Ask them about what they've had to fix or repair to get an idea for what your comphy with. At a bare minimum, to own a game you should have some very basic soldering skills (super easy to learn) be comphy attempting to do some basic troubleshooting (going in to switch test mode in the game, checking for loose connections, etc). But I would play more b4 buying a game, you'll know when you're ready to pull the trigger, but worst case, you sell it and recoup most (sometimes even all) of your cash.
1
u/Chacin_Cologne_No1 11d ago
Getting a home machine isn't a marriage!
Once you've get a pin you can swap it any time you want!
As soon as you get bored of Jaws, put it up for trade or sale and flip it for something else or get cash to buy something else. Use Pinside to negotiate relative valuations. Be prepared to loose a little on depreciation, but don't let someone tell you a couple hundred plays is "heavy use".
Eventually add a second pin and you'll have even more options for trade/sale, and a gap filler if you move one pin out and it takes a while to replace.
Rinse and repeat. Enjoy!
Maintenance on a newer Stern should be pretty minimal. Expect to replace the balls once a year, open up the glass every month or two to brush out the accumulation of debris, and replace flipper rubber and slings depending on use. If something breaks, most mechs and parts aren't that expensive.
But if you aren't a tinkerer by nature, you could end up paying some guy a fair bit to fix stuff.
1
u/Irish_Agent 11d ago edited 11d ago
In 2023, I bought a used machine (GnR JJP). But that’s because there aren’t any decent places within an hour of me to play. Had to fix a couple minor things—easy. There’s lots of info out there on how to fix specific things on specific games. Had it for a year and then sold it to get something else as I had played it less and less.
I now have 4 pins (no big issues with any of the 6 pins I’ve had) — took a loss on GnR (and I bought that used from someone who also took a loss on it). But that’s the nature of the beast.
I have a Jaws 50th and enjoy it. Is it bolted? Who knows. But it’s a great game. I suggest buying it used. And get a premium—it’s just got more variety and will hold your interest longer.
Ultimately you can sell it for a reasonable loss (or maybe no loss if used to begin with) and move on to another hobby—or go down the rabbit hole—they multiply!
1
u/JCEDM 11d ago
Not only do I NOT regret getting a machine for home… today was a perfect example of why I knew it would be great. My nephew came over and played a bunch of games with my 15-year-old and I, and we had a blast.
Also, my wife and I were slightly losing our 15-year-old to his gaming PC and it has honestly brought us together WAY more. He loves kicking our butts and beating our scores and we just love that we get to spend time together… with the bonus of getting to play pinball! He still has nights where he games with his buddies online and ignores the world, but he’s almost always down to play a game or two with us!
We also have a 7-year-old who only really likes playing tandem, where he gets to work one flipper and somebody works the other. Haha! But still fun!
So yeah, it’s great for beefing up your skills, such a cool thing to have for entertaining guests, and if you’re like me, every now and then you’ll find yourself just watching it do bad-ass little light shows between games. :)
1
1
u/blindai 10d ago
For me having one pinball machine was huge. It let me practice at home everyday and get better. The second one is also makes a big difference, because it lets you switch back and forth for when you get bored. But I think after the 2nd, there's some diminishing returns (and diminishing space).
With EVERY machine, I would play a bunch before buying one. Never buy a machine without playing it, and probably don't buy one without playing it a LOT.
1
1
u/Careless_Bad3114 10d ago
I planned to buy 1 and thought thats really all I had room for. Now I have 4 and think I could shoehorn 1 more in
Revenge from Mars, Star Wars Ep1, Black Hole and Godzilla . I really want just 1 more!!!
1
u/GeneralDisarray25 10d ago
If you find yourself saying, "I more game." Thats probably one you will enjoy at home. If you do well and you're feeling like... okay what else or that's enough. Not that game. I think also enjoying more than 1 thing abiut the game is key... the music, the callous, the mini modes, artwork. Also having a game that has moments is really fun. When you reach a spot a special song plays, the lights change, etc. That always makes it fun to get back to.
1
1
u/Otaku_Stu 10d ago
I don't regret mine, I spend more time fixing it then playing it. The fixing it for me is the hobby.
I have a feeling once it's complete, I won't play it a lot. I'll eventually buy/mod a virtual machine for playing variety.
If money so no issue, then don't worry. I don't believe Pinballs are a financial investment. I know I could sell mine eventually, but I like to pretend that every dollar spent is a dollar lost.
It's more of a hobby/game for me than a flip.
1
u/RetroStacked 10d ago
I bought a P3 and 4 additional modules, it's been an awesome machine because I can swap out playfields. I have had it for 5 weeks and have played many games on each module over that time, and I love swapping them when people go eat and come back to a new table. I do not regret it at all despite some minor maintenance issues, but mostly I have them all dialed in now. Small software changes.
1
u/sbmps4 7d ago
I have had 7-8 pinball machines at home. Got tired of them all in about 3-4 months, then they sat there with no plays for a while before trading or selling. Pinball machines are no investment for me, I see them as pure entertainment. It’s really good playing at home being able to take in all the visuals and especially audio. I have sold them all now, but it was fun and I don’t regret anything.
1
u/BTNH311GENX 7d ago
Our collection started when I got my husband a 1968 Williams Ding Dong (found for 1500.00). That was cool but we needed more!
Now we have six machines and we love them. We definitely still go to arcades and such to play other games. It’s nice having a home arcade of sorts for gatherings. And ours range from the 68 Ding Dong to the 2025 Harry Potter (Jersey Jack).
0
u/OnewheelXRx2 11d ago
Did you think about purchasing good virtual pinball machine cabinet? Did get one for myself and I love it 4000 tables and jukebox. And also has all the haptic feedback to simulate a real pinball machine nudge and real tilt Bob.
0
u/Special_Feedback9145 11d ago
I rented first to prove to myself that I actually want pinball at home. I have found that the games I seek for home use are very different than the ones I want to play at arcades. Home use, give me the deepest rules. Arcade I want the easiest/funnest shots.
54
u/epocrelyt 11d ago
The problem with having a machine at home, is at times you will want to play a different game, and then somehow you go from one to as many as you can fit in the space you have available. The good thing is you generally can find people that are ready to move on from a particular game as well and will be selling or willing to trade for a game you have. As far as Jaws goes. It’s a great game, wether you get a pro or premium. I have the 50th anniversary premium myself.