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- Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!sao
- From: sao@athena.mit.edu (Andy Oakland)
- Newsgroups: rec.games.pinball,news.answers,rec.answers
- Subject: monthly rec.games.pinball FAQ, one of two
- Supersedes: <faq_buy_763150078@athena.mit.edu>
- Followup-To: rec.games.pinball
- Date: 1 Apr 1994 15:47:48 GMT
- Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Lines: 209
- Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu
- Distribution: world
- Expires: 9 May 1994 15:47:45 GMT
- Message-ID: <faq_buy_765215265@athena.mit.edu>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: cascade.mit.edu
- Originator: sao@cascade.MIT.EDU
- Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu rec.games.pinball:16039 news.answers:17184 rec.answers:4722
-
- Archive-name: games/pinball/part1
-
- This is the first half of the monthly posting for rec.games.pinball.
- If you have any comments, additions, or suggestions for this posting,
- please contact the editor, Andy Oakland, at sao@athena.mit.edu.
-
- Changes from last time:
-
- "Typical" price for fresh-out-of-the-box machine increased
- from $3000 to $3500.
-
- Updated rates for Game Room and pinGame journal, thanks
- to Joel Iott (joeli@eurpd.csg.mot.com).
-
- Note added about recent demise of Alvin G. & Co. Snif.
-
- There's an ftp archive for the newsgroup at ftp.rahul.net (192.160.13.1)
- in /pub/sigma/pinball. This is maintained by Kevin Martin, and
- contains rule sheets and a wealth of other information.
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------
-
- Frequently Asked Question number one: "How do I buy a machine?"
-
- Buying a pinball for home use has a lot in common with buying a car: It is
- a big investment, the item requires proper care, and the business is filled
- both with honest, decent people and sleazeballs.
-
- =========================================================================
- =============== Decide what sort of machine you want ==================
- =========================================================================
-
- Games available for home purchase fall into three categories: Used electro-
- mechanical, used solid-state, and new (all new games are solid-state). Which
- is right for you depends on what you want, how much you're willing to spend,
- and whether you ever intend to sell or trade the game.
-
- Think a bit about why you want a game. If you want it to play, chances
- are that you want a solid-state game. They play faster, and the software
- has features that could take you some time to uncover.
-
- If you're looking for something to tear apart, down to the bare wood, and
- build back up again (only better), buy an electro-mechanical. Doing the
- fix-up on a solid-state game wouldn't be as fruitful--At some point,
- you'd be staring at an IC-laden circuit board, and that's way beyond
- cleaning contacts and tightening springs.
-
- Aside from knowing why you want a game, you should zero in on which game you
- want. The market is fat with choices, and there is a fair chance that,
- if you look in the right places, you can eventually find what you want. But
- you can't go into the market saying, "Oh, just find me something you think
- I'll like." It goes deeper than issues of color and whitewalls or no: You
- will fare best if you have a wish list of games you are interested in.
-
- How much will it cost? It depends on the popularity and rarity of the
- game, the condition of this particular machine, and whether or not you live
- in California. (Not a joke ... Prices run higher in The Golden State!)
-
- A semi-functional older solid-state machine can be had for as little as
- $100, while a new game fresh from the factory runs about $3500. Typical
- price for a game that's seen a couple years of use would be $400-$1000.
-
- An electro-mechanical game can run anywhere from $150 to $750, with
- real collector's items (like Humpty Dumpty) significantly more.
-
- If this is your first machine, it's highly recommended that you get a working
- one! Picking up a cheap junker may be tempting, but you'll never get it
- going without experience, specialized equipment, and a stock of spare parts.
- Try to buy from someone who'll deliver it in working condition, and stand
- behind it for a while. Ask for references!
-
- =========================================================================
- ======================= Go looking for one =========================
- =========================================================================
-
- The path a pinball machine travels typically looks like this:
-
- Manufacturer--->Distributor--->Operator--->Collector or junkyard
-
- Unless you have very deep pockets, you won't be buying your machine
- from the manufacturer or distributor. Operators are the ones who
- put machines out in the field and maintain them...They're usually
- willing to sell used machines once they stop pulling in the quarters.
-
- Go to your favorite machine in the field, and ask who owns it. If the
- location doesn't, there's probably a sticker on the machine pointing you
- to the operator. Another way to find operators is to hit the Yellow Pages,
- and call up the companies listed under "Amusement Devices." First ask
- them if they sell machines for home use, then ask for the specific machines
- you're looking for.
-
- You can also buy machines from collectors. In fact, this is pretty much
- the only way to go to find an Electro-mechanical. You probably aren't
- going to find an EM in the field, or with an operator.
-
- For both EM's and solid-state machines, the little ads in periodicals like
- Game Room are an excellent source of leads. (See list of periodicals
- below) Also, you can try to find something locally. Buy every newspaper
- you can, including the little "nickel ads" type, and check the classifieds.
- Keep doing this for months. Takes time, but good deals occasionally pop up.
-
- You can also find a "broker," a sort of super-collector in business
- to buy up old used games, fix them up, and resell them. Again, you can
- reach these people through publications like Game Room Magazine
-
- Also, believe it or not, check with a dart supply store! I know of two
- in my area (Boston) which sell used pins, and at least one Norwegian
- store does.
-
- =========================================================================
- ======================= Publications =========================
- =========================================================================
-
- There are many periodicals good for getting background information
- on the pinball world, and for contacting other collectors. The first
- two, pinGame journal and Game Room Magazine, are probably the best ones for
- those interested in home games.
-
- pinGame journal
- 31937 Olde Franklin Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
- Written by pinball collectors. Includes info about new games in
- development, as well as articles on finding, reconditioning, and playing
- older games. Subscription includes one free classified ad per month.
- $30/year for US, $34/year Canadian, $36/year European(surface),
- $59/year European(air). Sample issue $3.
-
- Game Room Magazine
- 1014 Mount Tabor Road
- New Albany, IN 47150
- A monthly hobbyist publication, covering pinballs, slots, jukeboxes, Coke
- machines, neon, etc. High proportion of advertising. Runs at least one
- pinball article monthly.
- $24/year for US, $30/year Canadian, $48/year European(surface),
- $84/year European(air). Sample issue $3.
-
- The Flipside
- 81 Carrar Drive, Watchung, NJ 07060
- Bimonthly just getting started, written by fans and collectors, many of whom
- are r.g.p. regulars! Includes reviews of new games, articles about pinball
- and pinball players, and a national high score list.
- $18/year for USA, $28/year for Canada/foreign. Sample issue $3.
-
- Play Meter
- PO Box 24970, New Orleans, LA 70184
- Thick, slick trade journal, mostly aimed at arcade owners and operators.
- Provides uniformly glowing reviews of the latest games. Covers crane
- games, kiddie rides, etc., as well as video and pinball.
- $50/year, sample issue $5.
-
- RePlay
- P.O. Box 2550
- Woodland Hills, CA 91365
- Another monthly trade magazine with the same content as Play Meter.
- $60/year, sample issue $5.
-
- Coin Slot
- 4401 Zephyr St., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-3299
- A glossy quarterly covering all collectible
- coin-op machines. $28/year.
-
- Distributors Research Associates
- 197 S.W. 20th Way, Dania, FL 33004
- The DRA Price Guide lists "average" prices of games, jukeboxes, and
- vending machines that are actively traded on the distributor level.
- Note that this does not include games more than a few years old.
- $75/year for 4 skinny issues and 4 even skinnier updates.
-
- Canadian Coin Box
- NCC Publishing, 222 Argyle Ave., Delhi, Ontario N4B 2Y2 Canada.
- $38/year, sample issue $3.50.
-
- Coin-Op Newsletter
- P.O. Box 2426, Rockville, MD 20852
- A bimonthly hobbiest publication. Covers antiques and coin-op collectables.
- $24/ten issues.
-
- =========================================================================
- ======================= Manufacturers =========================
- =========================================================================
-
- Alvin G. & Company (Alvin Gottlieb, without the rights to his name!)
- 905 W. North Ave
- Melrose Park, IL 60160
- tel: 708-345-9000
- fax: 708-345-2222
- toll free: 800-858-flip
-
- Sadly, Alvin G. & Company has gone out of business. I'm keeping the
- company listed, though, in case people want to send fan mail or obtain
- spare parts for existing machines.
-
- Data East Pinball Inc.
- 1990 Janice Avenue
- Melrose Park, IL 60160
- tel: 708-345-7700
- toll free: 800-kickers
-
- Premier Technology (Includes Gottlieb and Mylstar)
- 759 Industrial Drive
- Bensenville, IL 60106
- tel: 708-350-0400
- fax: 708-350-1097
- toll free 800-444-0761
-
- Williams Electronic Games Inc. (Includes Bally and Midway)
- 3401 North California Avenue
- Chicago, IL 60618
- tel: 312-267-2240
- fax: 312-267-8435
-