Best Bang-for-Buck Table $500- $800?

[HotHamBoy]

I'm looking to get my first game and I don't have a ton of experience with a lot of early SS and EMs.

These are some games I've played that I really liked, despite their relative simplicity:

Strikes n Spares
Mata Hari
Cleopatra
Star Trek
Bobby Orr's Power Play
Captain Fantastic
Big Shot
Flash Gordan
Dolly Parton

Most of these are outside my price range but I'm happy with something similar.

What would you guys suggest and where should I go hunting? Craigslist has not been very helpful, very limited offerings in my area. Maybe even more people on there looking for tables than selling.

Honestly, if you guys know a good deal for less...

There is one Craigslist posting in my area for a 1970 Aquarius, $300. Listing says it works well, dropped $100 off price because he broke the playfield glass. Good deal?

 

[Kolchak357]

Any pin shows near you? Can sometimes find cheap pins there in working condition. Would also give you the opportunity to play them first and really check them out.

 

[dtown8532]

Firepower

Multiball, lane change, FLASHERS, weird 80's voiceovers. What more could you want. And they made a lot. Like 17,000 a lot. So, usually cheap for player's condition.

 

[EldarOfSuburbia]

Any pin shows near you? Can sometimes find cheap pins there in working condition. Would also give you the opportunity to play them first and really check them out.

York Show in a couple of weeks, maybe take some notes and pics while I'm down there. Between this thread and [MENTION=3]Jeff Strong[/MENTION]'s thread, I'm getting antsy myself....

 

[Jeff Strong]

It is unfortunate that there aren't more Craiglist postings in your area. As others have said, going to a pin show might be your best bet, even if you have to travel a bit to get there. You might also try posting on Pinside to see if you can find anyone in your area with pins for sale.

Another thing to check Craiglist/Pinside for are people who do pinball repair in your area as they often sell pins too or at least know people who do.

$300 for Aquarius is a good deal, but is it something you'd like? There was one in my area too, but the theme didn't really appeal to me. I wanted something that was both fun and had cool art/theme.

 

[neglectoid]

flash gordon is great fun. there is a bar near me that's been selling their pins. I asked about their flash gordon and he said they acquired it for $800 and to make an offer on it. I was very tempted to do so. it does play, but it needs some work.

flash (by steve ritchie) could be a pretty cheap pin that's pretty fun also.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I live in Indianapolis. It's a desert here. Closest pinshow is the Pinball Expo in Chicago in October. I was thinking of going, anway.

@JeffStrong

For $300 the theme isn't that big a deal. It certainly looks like a quirky game. My goal is to get it working better and trade up. Maybe even put it on location. My area desperately needs more public pins. There seems to be a private collector scene that is fairly healthy but I'm just now starting to penetrate it. They have a nasty habit of gobbling up the good public pins.

The place I go to play the most is over an hour north. They put five games up for sale last week and 3 are already gone with a 4th on the chopping block. RIP Terminator 2, Demolition Man and South Park.

 

[WhiteChocolate]

The place I go to play the most is over an hour north. They put five games up for sale last week and 3 are already gone with a 4th on the chopping block. RIP Terminator 2, Demolition Man and South Park.

is that main st. amusements in lafayette? i've been wanting to go there for awhile - unfortunately having to sink a large amount into my car for repairs, so now i may have to pinch my quarters for a season, bummed! especially if they used to have a t2; i would've loved to try that again. hadn't played one for real since it was first out.

there is an expo in indy coming up in november; know about that one?
https://pinside.com/pinball/events

good luck on the hunt!

 

[HotHamBoy]

Are you referring to the Fountain Square Pinball Classic? That's not an expo, that's a 48-man tournament. There will be a good chunk of tables from private collections there.

Yes, I go to Main Street Amusements when I can.

It sucks that those games are gone but it was ultimately to make room for three pins that he has ordered:

Ghostbusters
The Big Lebowski
Batman '66

You need to get out there, all games are in excellent condition.

Currently on the floor:
Captain Fantastic
Spanish Eyes
Bobby Orr's Power Play
Tri Zone
Harlem Globe Trotters
Eight Ball Deluxe
Space Shuttle
Fire!
Funhouse
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Twilight Zone
Theater of Magic
Medieval Madness
Revenge from Mars
Star Wars Ep 1
Spider-Man Vault Ed.
Game of Thrones
Walking Dead
Star Trek (Stern)
Metallica
Tron
Avatar
Monopoly
Family Guy
Transformers

Currently on location at the Brookston Pizza King 15 mins North (he rotates them):
Strikes n Spares
Olympic Hockey
Black Knight
(The Pizza King also owns a Monopoly, Tri Zone, Firepower, High Speed, Jokerz and X's & O's)

Sadly, he sold Guns n Roses and The Getaway this year, too. Last year he sold Bride of Pinbot, Rolling Stones, WWE, Big Shot and Gorgar.

I think that WWE was there and gone pretty quick. He skipped Kiss, I guess.

For about a month there was a Rob Zombie Spookshow on loan on the floor...

 

[WhiteChocolate]

;0 man... you don't know what kind of childhood flashback ya sent me into with just the three words, "brookston pizza king" LOL! although, i don't think we ever ate at that one (for that matter, it probably wasn't open way back when when i used to live a scant ten-or-so miles SW from there; we always ate at the otterbein PK). still, reminds me of the white county 4H fairs near up north of there... and the church-lady tent where they sold the most excellent sugar-cookies every year, yum!! (me and my sis would hog all those down in the back seat on the way home from the fair!)

real "twister" country up that way; a small part of me misses it... it sure is a trip just to go back up around that way and see all the windmills. when i used to sneak up onto the roof of our family house when i was a kid, it was flatlands in every direction - a true "child of the corn" lol. it would look a lot different if i did that today! (and i'd get arrested for it, lol! "hey! who's up there on our house?!?")

i sure can't wait to make a trip up to main street someday soon; when i can manage to excuse the expense of it, i sure will do so!

 

[Heretic]

you yanlkes got it good for that kinda money id have 10, i ****ing hate you all, jefferys evil karls a cunt and well some others i cant mention

 

[Kolchak357]

Don't be a hater Hairy. Jump across the pond and become a filthy American. We can always use another pinhead.