Getting Into Pinball? Here's What You Need to Know
Getting Into Pinball? Here's What You Need to Know
Erika and Andrew delve into the world of pinball, exploring Andrew's journey into the industry, the intricacies of pricing and valuing pinball machines, and the essential tips for transporting and...
Highlights
- New inbox pinball machines cost approximately $7,000 or more on average
- Pokémon limited editions are selling above the typical $7,000 new machine price point due to demand
- Theme, condition, and functionality are the three primary determinants of used pinball machine value
- Classic games like Addams Family and Twilight Zone often sell for prices exceeding new machines
- The biggest first-time buyer mistake is purchasing based on theme/hype without playing the game first
- Used pinball machines require ongoing maintenance similar to vehicles, with components like flippers or boards potentially failing within 6 months of purchase
- Wide-body pinball machines are significantly heavier than standard models and require more manpower to move
- A 'shopped out' game includes deep cleaning, new rubbers, lighting upgrades, rebuilt mechanisms, and full testing
Notable quotes
“Your budget's $3,000. That's not going to get you a new inbox game, but we can definitely work to get you a solid used, refurbished, shopped-out game.”
“Theme, condition, and functionality of a game is what determines the value of a game.”
“Within the first 6 months, you know, I've had a flipper go out. Maybe a board went bad or whatever that may be. That is part of buying a used pinball machine.”
“I often compare these machines to vehicles... the older the vehicle, the more use it's had, probably the more upkeep and maintenance that's going to need.”
“Buying just based on a theme or the hype of a machine is the biggest mistake... instead of people actually studying the gameplay.”
“I purchased my Lord of the Rings for a little over $8,000... they don't make it anymore, so that impacts value.”
“I felt so bad cuz I know that they just bought that machine. They forgot to strap the head on and it just breaks. Very expensive mistake.”
“We've had to literally slide pinball machines upstairs before because there was no other way to do it.”
Entities
- Erika's Pinball Journey· company
- Premier Pinball Amusements· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Addams Family· game
- Big Hurt· game
- Indiana Jones· game
- Lord of the Rings· game
- Multimorphic P3· game
- Pokémon Pinball· game
- Twilight Zone· game
- Whitewater· game
- Andrew Laners· person
- Erika· person
- Big Buck Hunter· product
- Minneapolis-St. Paul· venue
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