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A new arcade/game store just opened up in my area, and needless to say, I've become a pretty frequent customer since its inception. The guys that own it are really nice and have been very helpful in introducing me to new games and systems. Along with several standup and sit-down machines, they keep a nice stock of pinball machines going (always ten at a time and they frequently swap them out). As a result, I've been bitten by the pinball bug and am working on saving toward my first machine. Luckily, there is a fairly strong pinball community in my area and I should benefit from knowing some of its members in my local search. Unlike video games, pinball is something you have to work to find locally, unless you have unlimited funds to blow. For my first machine, I though I might go with something more nostalgic to me. I was a big fan of the Williams machines of the late 80s/early 90s, such as Taxi, Cyclone, and Whirlwind, so I am going to start there, since those machines tend to be more affordable than the newer dot matrix models. [img width=600 height=834]http://silverballmaniapinball.com/forSale/pinball/images/Taxi.JPG[/img] [img width=600 height=834]http://www.pinballzarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/product_images/cyclone_pinball.jpg[/img] I know this is slightly out of the realm of video gaming, but I thought I might chronicle my search here on the ole blog. I've recently discovered that there is an entertainment machines auction every month just 30 minutes away, so I will be checking that out soon and hopefully be able to chronicle my thoughts on those. My goal is to accumulate about $2,000 to go toward my first machine. This amount is to not only secure a machine, but also to have funds left over for any necessary repairs or improvements to the machine. I plan to update the total amount I've saved every month in working to this goal. Don't worry, I don't plan on selling off my collection.  Current Amount Saved (September = $0.00)
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In the interim, might I suggest the Williams Collection pinball games for the PS2/Xbox 360/PS3?
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@Shadow Kisuragi: Yeah, I have the Williams and Gottlieb collections for my Wii and they are pretty solid. However, I'm a little miffed that they only put the extra tables on the 360 and PS3 versions (aka. systems I don't own). 
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I'd be very interested in following your Pinball Blog. I'd love to get a machine myself, but my location makes it extremely hard (at least with my budget). I dont have a particular machine in mind though so that makes it a little easier. I've played dozens, but never seem to find the same one twice.
I've looked into building my own, but I'm not sure I'm up for the task. It seems pretty intimidating.
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I love pinball! My dad infected my with the bug, and we're both on the lookout for a decent pinball machine. I'd love to get Medieval Madness, but they go for an insane amount even as a used machine.
We recently saw a cheap pinball for sale (I believe it was Space Shuttle) that needed some work for $400, but someone had just bought it. Oh well, hopefully we'll find something decent soon.
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@blcklblskt: Space Shuttle by Williams is a great machine. At $400 that would have been quite a steal. However, you never know how much work it needed. Sometimes it's just better to pay extra for the quality instead of tracking down parts that are no longer produced. Some of the older parts can be several hundred dollars each....
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Oddly enough one of my co-workers that just came back from a parential leave has been talking pinball with me lately. One of his buddies picked up 2 old machines for $500. Now he is on the lookout for himself and he's gonna hook me up with any leads he gets that dont pan out for himself.
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UPDATE: Found a guy locally who works on pinball machines. Currently in negotiation for a TAXI machine that he has. I've been able to save almost $1200 in just under a month. Sold many of my CDs to a used CD/DVD/video game/book store and made a ton doing that. Have them all digitally (and backed up on an external drive) now anyway, so I really didn't need them sitting around collecting dust. I still have all of my albums and will never part with those. Also sold an electric guitar and amp that I never play on Craigslist, not in a band or anything, so just prefer my acoustic around the house. I've also sold some games on eBay and to members of RFGen. Hopefully the auction I have going now will put me over the top and get me my first machine.
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