It is easy to get hooked with a pinball game, but once you decide to own one you may end up confused and requiring a little help from those who know pinball machines by heart.
Don’t know where to start? You’re not alone.
Here’s a complete buying guide that discusses the most important points to consider and the most useful guidelines to follow for those who need help in buying pinball machines and choosing the one that’s best for you!
Clearly, knowing how to play the pinball machine is much simpler than knowing how to buy pinball machine for you to own. It is a must to find the pinball machine that suits you budget, expectations, and personality.
The good news?
We will take you through the guidelines on how to buy pinball machine to make the process simpler and leave you with nothing less than a machine that satisfies you!
Choose Your Preferred Theme
Pinball machine theme is an important consideration if you want to buy pinball machine. There is a wide range of themes that are popular among pinball machine game enthusiasts. Some of the most popular examples are listed below:
Festive themed Pinball Machines
Movie Themed Pinball Machines
- Last Action Hero
- Terminator 2
- The Flintstones
- X-Files
- The Wizard of Oz
- The Hobbit
Identify the Features You Want
As pinball machines are designed to offer enjoyment, it is very important the features that can add up to your gaming pleasure. Throughout the years, changes on pinball elements emerged and you may want to use more than just the basics like more than 2 flippers, multi-level playfield, audio features for sound and speech, or a ramp infested game that is common among the newest range of pinball machines.
Check the Basics
Finding your pinball machine is as simple as getting back to basics to know if they’ll work according to your preferences. Check important factors including:
- Functionality
- Appearance
- Complete electronics and accessories
- Neatness
- Signs of Wear and Tear (for used pinball machines)
Inspect Backglasses
One of the most expensive parts of the pinball machine is its backglasses. While some backglasses have been sealed to prevent paint cracks from increasing, there are backglasses that are not sealed. if you want to buy pinball machine, check to see if there are major paint peels or if there are damages that are beyond repair. Though newer versions of pinball machines use translite to prevent these problems, older versions don’t have this and when damage is present, you may be shelling out big bucks!
Know How Each Feature Works
You have to be smart enough to check if the pinball machine features are working as they are designed to do. To avoid dealing with problems, here are some points that you must check:
- Lights. Make sure that lights are working as they should and those that don’t light as soon as the pinball machine is started are designed to do so. Problems with blinking lights could be an indication of resetting game defect.
- Popping devices. Make sure that devices that are designed to pop function as they should or else, you could be dealing with a minor switch adjustment or a bad coil on the driver board that must be replaced.
- Displays. check to make sure that displays are working properly and shows what must be shown – no missing rows or digits.
Ask for a Pinball Machine Manual
Manuals offer useful guide for pinball machine buyers. There are pinball parts suppliers
that can provide you with the manual you need, or you can choose downloadable and printable manuals to have a step by step guide in checking the condition of your pinball machine.
Use Warranty Period to Your Advantage
Reputable retailers of pinball machines will provide you with at least a 30 day or longer warranty period. The 30 day period should be used to make sure that any weak spot will be revealed. Generally, defects show within 30 days of use so you should watch out for warning signs that there are problems with your supposedly cool pinball machine.
Common Questions before Purchasing a Pinball Machine
Just as some tips are very useful in teaching you how to successfully buy pinball machine, there are also questions that are essential to make sure that you will be able to own the pinball machine that meets or even exceeds your expectations.
Below are some of the questions that you can use as your pinball machine buying guide.
#1. What’s your reason for buying a pinball machine?
This is one of the basic questions to ask yourself if you want to buy pinball machine. Surely your reason to buy a pinball machine will guide you in finding the one that you’ll enjoy and treasure. Here are some thoughts to ponder on: Are you simply looking for enjoyment? Do you want a machine that is similar from the one you previously played with? Are you specifically fond of a character or inspiration that you want to include in your game?
#2: What’s your personality type?
Understanding the type of your personality can offer you a simple guide in finding a pinball machine that suits you. Your personal traits can help narrow down your choices to easily find the machine that’s perfect for you. Surely, if you are a thrill seeker or if you are a person who is usually laid back, there will be different types of pinball machines that will work for you. Your choice will determine the pinball machines that will either excite or bore you!
#3: To what age bracket do you belong?
It is only expected that younger and older people have different preferences in choosing the right pinball machine game for them. Usually, retirees would like to eliminate the complicated parts and just go for the simpler ones. On the other hand, people who are in the age range of 20-30 years may prefer the fast-paced games that are loaded with excitement, animations and other high-end features. Your age is an important consideration in finding the pinball machine that matches you well. Basically, what feels good and seems to work right mainly depends on your personal preferences.
#4. Where will the pinball machine be placed?
One of the basic considerations that may be easily overlooked is the location where the pinball machine will be stored. If it will be placed in a high traffic area, you definitely have to look for a pinball machine that is durable enough to withstand wear and tear. Another factor is the theme of the room where it will be placed. It would be best to choose a theme that is perfect for the room so that it will blend easily. You can also create a theme to make sure that whether you prefer Wizard of Oz pinball machine or The Hobbit Pinball machine, you will have no problem in creating uniformity in a particular space.
#5. How much would you be willing to spend to buy pinball machine?
Before checking out the prices of pinball machines, you should first determine how much you are willing to spend. It is best to set a budget and choose a machine that is within your preferred price range. There are pinball machines that are offered at a low cost and if in case your budget doesn’t meet the pinball machine of your choice, you can wait for the best deal to come along or save more until you have enough money to buy pinball machine.
Where to Buy Pinball Machine?
Now that you are already equipped with useful ideas for your pinball machine buying guide, the next step is to know where to buy it. Here are some essential tips for you to follow:
- Look for a reputable Pinball Machine distributor. This is the easiest way to buy pinball machine with high-quality. Reputable distributors like Pinball Sales Australia lets you buy pinball machine that comply with the original standards. You have to know if distributors are legit to avoid dealing with those who offer substandard pinball machines online.
- Buy pinball machine from sellers that offer repair services or product warranty.It always makes sense to choose retailers or distributors who can extend help in case your pinball machine malfunctions.
- If you want to buy pinball machine from other types of sellers, there are important considerations to keep in mind.
- From basement dealers: Expect to pay less because they don’t give overhead cost. But make sure that they will deliver well and are professional enough to give you good deals just as what large retailers offer.
- From private sellers: To avoid getting a bad pinball machine, make sure to check it thoroughly and play with it for some time before making it your property. Most private sellers don’t offer warranty and you will be on your own the moment a defect surfaces after bringing it home.
- Homeowner sellers; Pinball machines for sale that are placed on ads in the local classifieds are most likely from homeowner sellers. This could be a hit or miss transaction because there are great buys and at the same time, there are those that are not worth your money. You also have to know that they don’t offer warranty and perhaps, you will be taking care of delivery without their help.
It is understood that it could be so easy to get hooked with any pinball machine game, and most likely once you realise that you just can’t have enough of it you will decide to buy pinball machine and keep it for personal use.
Buying one could be a tricky experience especially without equipping yourself with knowledge that will help you find and buy pinball machine that satisfies you.
Did you find this guide on how to buy pinball machine useful? Did you get the advice you need on buying a pinball machine? Let us know your thoughts by sharing your comments below!