Well now I'm lost I love theater of magic(too much money for my first) Circus Voltaire (probably the same thing) And I don't know. I want Ghostbusters to flow better, but love the license
@@XtianApi ToM will get fairly same-y after a while. It’s a great looking title, and the trunk is fun. Play it in one of the pinball apps or VPin emulation to be sure you really want one. Have you thought about Capcom Pinball Magic? Less loved title but a gem.
Thanks for sharing Cary some good tips for new people to the hobby .. the only thing I would add would be find a pinhead to go with you when you buy your first game.. That way you have some knowledge in your corner and an extra set of eyes to look the game over before purchase
When Cary, while talking about how his pinball collection has expanded beyond just having one and has now taken over other parts of the house said . . . "I mean we don't ever use the Dining Room anyways", that's when I lost it. That was funny!! And oh' boy, I can relate. :-) Another great video . . . !!
right? For me 2-3 pinball machines is the sweet spot and mayb 1-2 arcade cabinets and if space an air hockey table and dartboard would be the perfect setup.
Either a lot has changed in the one year since you made this or I'm not looking in the right places. Trying to find my first Pin and $2.5k - $2.8k are rare outliers. Avg looks closer to $6k - $7k. Am I wrong?
I think before you even buy a machine, you should find out how far the closest pinball tech is because most likely you'll need help at some point. Also my best advice (if you're on a budget) buy the cheapest working game you can find, and try to do your own repairs. If you mess up a game you didn't invest a lot into, you won't feel so mad at yourself when you do screw up.
This right here, it's the way I started being an owner, but unlike years ago finding a decent title that has issues for a good deal isn't that common now, or there's way too many problems and unfortunately becomes parts
I'll also add that if you're new to games (or even if you're experienced because you can't remember them all), I highly suggest that before you look at a game that you play the virtual one to see how it's supposed to play. If you get there and certain lights aren't lighting up, or certain mechanics aren't firing when they should that's instantly a red flag that there are board issues. Also never let them have the game warmed up, power it up from a cold boot. Often if there are cold solder or display issues, those can self-repair as the machine warms up.
I built a virtual pinball machine that runs off a Nintendo switch with pinball fx3, pinball arcade, stern pinball arcade, and zaccaria pinball (I have all the dlcs for each) I would love to own a pinball machine, just I would want either a white water, Ghostbusters limited edition or Godzilla limited edition but it's just so far from my budget. So atleast I can still enjoy playing pinball
Repair and maintenance. If you can up skill yourself in soldering, that will go a long way in pinball maintenance. Also, the ball in Pinball can move pretty fast around the play field and can break some of the plastic details. Even cause some of the wire point trigger switches to bend and weaken. So look for broken debris while cleaning the play field. Parts. Keeping a stock of play field light bulbs, flipper solenoids, a few bumper rubber bands, and fuses that will take care of most of the common ongoing maintenance repairs.
i played a lot pinball machines in the 90's... last year in April i bought one.... in may, another one, in june another one... this year, i bought 3 NIB last month... for a total of 6.... I need to stop buying... or change home...
Pinside top 100 is a great resource for a new to the hobby enthusiasts. It gives a general idea of how fun the game plays and shoots and also indicates likely interest and value when it comes time to trade it off.
Great video! I am looking into opening up a barcade and I'd love to have a pinball collection for it. I recently researched and documented the costs from distributors and I was floored at how much they generally cost. I would really like to start out with newer titles and it comes out to about $60k-70k for just 8 of them. That's insane! I've also learned that a machine at one distributor could cost ~$3k more than the same "new", advertised machine at another distributor. I expect that with older titles, but surprised this is the case with brand new machines. I might wait a year to pull the trigger in hopes of the prices going down. Of course, that could backfire! haha
Let`s face it. It`s a rich man`s hobby ...... which is for someone who also has the space ( most of us in the UK don`t have handy massive basements etc ) But for the rest of of us Virtual Pin is the way to go and ................. make and config your own like I did so that you have minimal maintenance and you can keep it going for good
or one who saves and invests! Not cheap but face it the inflation has jacked up prices for everything from food and cars to homes and gas prices. Living now is more expensive than ever.
yeah that`s all good too but not for me especially with minimal space and so I just build virtual arcade or pinball machines and also buy modern analog Synths to enjoy whilst also knowing that I will always have money tied up in them too if I ever wanted to sell them @@GuitarsAndSynths
Although imagine it would be a hard video to ultimately make and perhaps it’s far to broad of a topic but I’d love to see a video on basic pinball repair. As I’m new to the hobby and just got my 1st game. Tools to have on hand? How to do this or that (insert basic common repairs) like I said that may be far to wide of a topic ? But if possible I’d love to see it
I got addicted to pinball 3 years ago. And in my arcade they have 10.pinballs. Including godzilla 2021. John wick 2024 premium just delivered . Jaws 2024. Stranger things. 2023. James bond old but 2024. Dr who 2024. Turtles. And more. Damn it.
I've experienced CRAMPS. I bought six in the last 3 months. With a full sized virtual pinball machine that brings me to 9 total, so now I'm looking to put some furniture in storage as I move forward. Dang bug... a cocaine habit would be cheaper at this point!
I did that with Video games.lol Started with 1 now i have 14 and 5 in my storage lol My main Pin I want is Twilight Zone since I live in Binghamton NY where Rod Serling was from and ALOT of Episodes were filmed here . Along with the Movie in the 80s which was World Premiere was here . New I was Rocky and Bullwinkle and Robo Wars lol Yea Im old
The days of cheap pinball machines ended when they started showing up on Ebay MANY years ago. Facebook marketplace has made it even worse. People being willing to pay stupid prices for pinball machines are the biggest problem. KISS has been crazy expensive forever, and it's not even that great of a game to play. Still, it's gotten to the point where the only way to get a cheap machine is to buy a rough project, or get REALLY lucky. I still refuse to buy a working machine because repairing them is half of the fun for me, but what some people expect to get for games that are trashed is insane.
I absolutely hate the Home, Pro, Premium and LE edition model. Hate it. Stern and to a lesser degree some others I guess are making tons of money selling stripped and sterilized versions of their pins, but all it does is pollute the market and increase costs across the board. Just make Premium and LE's You save on all the tooling and can streamline manufacturing and assembly. This is why a lot of the smaller names only offer two models the base and the limited edition. Both are essentially the same game, but the LE has all the bling. Great! Home and Pro editions are absolute garbage and I think people should just not buy them. I get it who can afford $8k-$14k for a Premium or LE? Well, those prices would go down if people would reserve themselves and say no, those prices are too high. But they won't because people must have their stuff.
It's a circle of fire. Company won't change unless people vote with their wallet. People won't vote with their wallet because they want the latest game and have FOMO.
Knowing how to fix your own machines is EXTREMELY important. If you have to rely on pinball repair guys to get your machines working again, you are gonna be paying out the ASS!
Funny you mentioned those of us that can only have one pin. I got an AC/DC when I retired from the Army in 2014 and said I'm good with that. UNLESS someone releases a Foo Fighters pin. So now I have number two coming. But that's the last one, I promise!
Hi Cary, I choose "Repair and Manteinance" for this video. As a new suscriber may I ask you how much World Cup Soccer 94 Pinball cost in USA? (in good condition). Thanks a lot!, greetings from Buenos Aires 🙂
most accurate part for me was "addiction". I started 12 years ago with one pin and at one point we lived in a 600 square foot apartment and i had 7 pins going from the living room into the kitchen. We had to get rid of our couch to fit them lol.
Great video. As someone who made a LOT of mistakes early on when I got into this hobby, I agree with your assessment. I don't see any way out of taking the long road when getting into this hobby ($$$). The first pin I bought was a 1975 Gottlieb 'Pin Up' in cosmetically good condition. Problem was, as soon as it started having mechanical issues, I was in over my head and sold it for half of what I paid. I would love to have that pin back because I could easily fix it now, after 10 years in the hobby. And that was just one instance of that happening.........$$$$$$$$$$$$ 🤦♂
The one thing you missed that’s related to 2 and 3 is the other reason why you might want more than one pin. Since anything that moves… breaks, if you only have one pinball machine for your Fourth of July party, you run the risk of having that one machine break when you need it the most. Redundancy is something to consider. Also I think you can rent Pinball machines if you want to try it for a month.
Ya can rent machines if ya live in a major city. I'd like to rent one but being that I'm about 300 km's from the nearest major city (Melbourne) down here in Aus then I don't think they'd be keen on delivering here lol. And if they were the delivery would prob be about the half the rental price again on top. Or maybe more with the way bloody fuel prices are.
@@28russ well there should probably be a separate video just for Australian pinball fans because it’s honestly a completely different market than the us where they are built and found in random garages
Always loved playing pinball but was never in the market for one...until Rush was announced. Now that I have one I definitely want more. Only thing holding me back is the cost and space, and the space issue I can always figure out. Unfortunately I cannot justify the cost of more at this time, so the FOMO is definitely very real.
Great video! You point out important issues that must be taken into account before even start. Comment section also add a few more. Pinball hobby is not for everybody. Also, conditions on which you store the machines will decide longevity, beware with light, humidity and temperature!
I have two real pinball machines and then a high-end VPin which scratches the itch for some hard to find super expensive pins. I basically have 400 machines virtually.
why do you say the median is 2.8k , im curious if im missing something, not being sarcastic, i acknowledge that if you consider every possible pinball machine, there are unpopular games and EMs under 3k. I am guessing that most home collectors have betweeen 1-5 machines. Until people get big collectors they are probably buying things off the top 100 list on pinside, the classics, new releases. and recent games since the revival 2013 ish. If you go on the top 100 list, maybe a handful are under 4k. and if you assume the average person might set a budget to exclude the real expensive opitons 13-20k, , Most are going to fall in the 5-12 k range, Im basing these prices on pinside market, and that seems to be the only opiton. It seems the days of finding them at garage sales are over, I live near a city dont seen anything on craigslist
If Pinball becomes your passion and you are mechanically inclined, you'll learn to do your own repairs. And if it overtakes you completely (like me), you'll even start doing machine restorations.
How did you finance your purchases of pinball machines in the beginning? Do you have any general advice besides just saving money longterm. You don't have to be specific if its private but im just asking out of interest. I'm actually in it to go to college this fall so i can get a job with better pay in the future. Besides im looking at older machines now (classics) since they tend to be a bit cheaper and maybe start there. Thanks for the channel and keep it up! / A newly, committed pinball enthusiast from Sweden
There is the old saying "Everyone has to start somewhere". I hate it, but it's true. There are way too many variables for me to suggest where you should start. Location is one of those variables. Knowledge of the machines, etc. I personally started with a non-working machine. Fixed it and sold it for profit. Then bought a more expensive non working machine. Then fixed it and sold it for profit. Eventually I started to hold on to certain games that I enjoyed. My occupation and financials improved year over year. It took time for me - but that may not be the case for all.
Thanks for answering so quickly! I really appreciate it. Shows that you do care for the community and care for those who follow you :) Ah, interesting. The same approach has crossed my mind. To buy, repair, and sell or exchange. One last question and then i'll be out of your hair (for now, hehe) Did you have any basic knowledge for engineering beforehand getting in to the hobby or have you learn't as time goes by? @@CaryHardy
Both, actually. I'm a technician, but had zero knowledge about how the pinball machines worked. Knowing how electronics/mechanisms work made the learning process faster.@@abrodolphlincoler5809
Nice video! The part about addiction is very true and very funny; but while you mostly talk about aestethics and emotions, there's a more concrete explanation for the pinball bug: no single pinball machine can give you everything you want. WhiteWater is a fantastic game, but the only thing it's got in common with Lord of the Rings is flippers, pop bumpers, slingshots and a shooter lane. The more you play on your first machine, the more you'll realize how great it would be to add more variety. So, saying that you only need a pinball machine is technically true, but it's like having a NES and forcing yourself to play Super Mario Bros over and over again, all while you're aware that Tetris and Mega Man exist. The temptation to buy additional titles is only kept in check by problems like floor space and money, but the desire will always be there.
It must be nice to have places to go to play pinball. I haven't seen a single pinball machine in this country for more than 20 years. Every pub used to have at least one. I think the best solution for people who want to play pinball (like me), who have no access to pinball machines (like me), and who have no technical knowledge whatsoever (like me) is to get a virtual pinball. It's a box containing a computer and monitors. No extensive technical knowledge required; no hunting for rare parts; and the possibility to play over a thousand tables on a single machine. Mine should arrive in 2-3 months and I can't wait. I got a top-of-the-line model with all the bells and whistles.
You need to look harder. There’s places to play, pinball museums, arcades and pinball shows just about everywhere (post Covid). You just have to want to find them.
@@alienpoker I'm sure there are in the USA, but not here in Luxembourg. There's nothing. There has been one small arcade for a few years back in the 90s, and that went out of business after a few years.
So I guess these tips are only for newbies interested in owning machines then. IMO owning machines doesn’t make much sense. Plenty of arcades in my local area and most machines run 2 plays for 75 cents… I could go play Addams Family at the arcade 40,000 times before I’ve spent enough money just to buy one Adams Family in good condition. And that’s not even considering maintenance cost.
Supply and demand economics gets upended by dynamic pricing, built in scarcity, and weird niche obsessions. Think beanie babies! lolol... Economics 101 doesn't apply to real life.
Addition!!! I have a twilight zone which I decaled and playfield swapped and when I graduate college and make money I will own 20 games already picked out on my pinside wishlist
Picking the machine up is part of the fun (for me at least). as of F.O.M.O: I was always looking for particular machines (EMs from the 70s), and more often than not they showed up for sale only once or twice in the last 20 years or so (and I had to drive to other european countries for the pick up). So depending on what you are looking for, sometimes you have to bite the bullet.
I am new to ownership but have been a pinballer since I was kid. Now I'm at the level in my life where I can be an owner and I really appreciate your content.
So I went down the pinball rabbit hole last year and picked up a VR machine. Now I want to pick up a real world machine and this video was a fantastic resource for me to give me a good idea what I'm in for .. thankfully I have 2 pinball places here in the Kansas City area and one even has classes on how to fix machines.. they also have a tech that does a home service so I'm thankful for that as well. I'm going to start with one machine I swear.😁 Maybe two ...
I love that you talked about mods. I’ve been collecting for many years and only recently got into modding. Such a fun part of the hobby. Great video Cary!
About 10 years ago, I had a house full of machines (33 of them). A single virtual machine has taken their place and I would never look back. The tech has surpassed the bang-for-buck of an actual machine. If you don't agree, then you haven't seen what is available.
@@CaryHardy I totally understand. It's a great hobby. Love your channel. I enjoy my mechanical pinball vicariously through you. Keep up the great work!
I second that, I bought my only two real pinballs in 2014 and took a break from buying and fast forward to 2022 prices skyrocketed 😳 So I think I’m heading the virtual way for my next pinball and keep my two originals as a reminder of how cheap games were compare to now 😅
Understanding that it's a long term investment that money is going to go into after the fact is a huge shock for people I've met that want to get into it. It's like "Wait you have to actually repair it?!".
#2 is extremely important. If you buy a machine, you have to understand that you will have to fix and maintain it yourself. There are no exceptions. What I wasn't prepared for is how easily you can get hurt once you take the glass off or open the coin door. If you're looking to get cut, poked, bruised, scraped, deafened, or electrocuted quickly, a pinball machine is your answer. I tried to ward off the "I need another game" by buying a Godzilla. So far, so good.
correct I have been learning to maintain my first new pinball machine by using the diagnostic menus and how to remove the playfield glass and make adjustments to ramps to solve stuck ball issues.
Does company like Stern give big discount to youtube influencers to advertise their pinball. RU-vidr like 19kfox, kong, MichaelB, Consolekit,and Cooltoys suddenly buys pinball machines in short period. I wonder how they can afford it since they are all smaller channels.
Do you think used prices will ever come back down to something more reasonable? NIB I can see staying where they are, some the prices points for used games are outrageous. Looking for a ST TNG or a Stern ST Premium, albeit as a first game. (Sidenote: I know TNG probably isn't a good 1st pin, but I love the theme.)
Prices will adjust with the market. Granted, my financial advisor tells me a recession is very probable. Once people stop buying at the high prices - they will go back down.
NO. And I say this because people that can generally afford pins aren't going to be in dire straits if a recession hits. Nor will they sell.. They likely have other investments and understand how to hold steady. I certainly do!
Amazing work and very informative. when you said they look better in gorups i laughed so hard. I was 20 when i bought my first one and now i have 6 at the age of 22 haha. Crazy how time flies. The hobby is amazing and i keep hoping that more youth and growth comes by because the way its going is amazing and these machines are not just "games" they are works of art.
Seriously, cringe. But it does seem like you are really into the idea that you fake it until you make it. Maybe you can manifest those pinball machines if you keep pretending you have them.
I got my first pinball machine at an auction for $65. Worked on it for a couple of hours and it now works 100%. I started searching the internet for more afterwords.
Mods? Hmmm… I don’t install mods that couldn’t be taken off and have the game returned to factory. It’s your game and so mod it however you want. Don’t worry about value, if you like it then add it.
@@CaryHardy Liked & subscribed. Yeah that’s mostly the case. Sometimes people drill holes or change out board sets. I’ve seen posts added, stuff like that. Worst case they completely swap a PF or translight / backglass. In those cases, the game is usually pretty far gone already.
Someone loves colored GI. If I could only convince people that colored GI erases colors from the playfield, it doesn't enhance. Red GI makes red look white, blue look black and green look brown. Each color GI you add to your machine you are erasing colors from your machine. Please consider switching to soft white. Unless the machine had colored GI to begin with like my Space Station which has white GI and special green GI for a Condition Green mode. Colored GI is to pinball what LCD screens and 60-in-1s are to arcade games.
The addiction is real! I been in the virtual pinball side of things for about 10 years now, An d I must say you think playing them is addictive, Creating them is even more addictive, I find my self creating and working on pinball tables more often then playing them. Like a ratio of 20 to 1. I live breath sleep and dream pinball. If you ever seen IT Pinball Madness, that was my baby. got many more I created since like, my custom barbed wire, and Exorcist table. Currently working on at least 17 new tables. I just cant stop!
I've been a pinfan for years, have gone to our local NWPAS for 8 years running, but never thought I'd ever own a machine. Two years ago my wife developed a love for Mini Coopers and though we already had four modern Minis, she wanted a classic. I then agreed to sell my Mandalorian themed Mini F56 (Mindalorian) and we would split the money. She got her classic and I got my pinball machine. Coincidentally, the Mando pin was just released when I went to buy but pulled the trigger on a JPP instead. Once I received it after an 8 month wait I knew I needed more. My gameroom resides on the top floor of our house and I've mapped out future expansion while making sure the live load was in accordance with our local building code. Would hate to have all these pins crash down onto the Mini Coopers in the garage below. I may have sneakily tricked my wife into ordering a second pin (Mando Pro) and already have my next target as being a 90s era Bally or Williams. I'd even take the right Gottlieb if the price and theme were right. I've also heavily modded them in my head. I don't really know where I'm going with this but Pinball is awesome. Sometimes I just turn on my lone JPP just to hear the music in the background. I'm quite proud of it and as more pins enter my gameroom it will bring me prestige. But honestly, I'm just a sucker for flashing lights.
Top floor? Poor plan my friend. Christ I had 15 games in 2004 which I sold for amounts that make me weep but you need a game room on the first floor of wherever it is with easy loading and unloading. FFS
