Love to play pinball at your local bar or arcade and want your own machine for your home or office? Having your own pinball machine is a great way to practice your game, entertain customers, friends & children and is a unique piece of decor that will surely attract attention.
Where do I buy a pinball machine?
The best place to find and buy a new or used pinball machine is on eBay. Every year, many thousands of pinball machines are transferred between owners via eBay. Machines are sold by both individual collectors and professional pinball distributors.
If you want to shop in the real world, the best place to find a new or used pinball machine is at an arcade/coin-op distributor showroom. Even if you choose to purchase a machine from your local distributor, we advise that you take the time to research the value of the machine online before you purchase it. Just go to eBay.com and search for "completed listings" of the particular machine you are interested in an you will see the last few "sold for" prices of that machine. Arming yourself with this knowledge may help you better negotiate the price of the pinball machine from your local distributor.
How are pinball machines shipped?
Generally, pinball machines must be transported via truck line or freight carrier as they are far too large and heavy for UPS or FedEx to handle. Usually, the backglass is folded down and the legs removed, then everything is wrapped together with stretch wrap. The pinball machine is either placed upright on a wooden pallet or is packed into a wooden crate. Depending on the carrier, the pinball machine may be delivered directly to your home or office, or you may have to visit a truck depot and pick it up yourself.
Although thousands of pinball machines are transported this way every year, accidents do happen, so we suggest that you make sure that the transport carrier either accepts full responsibility for any damage to the machine while in transit, or if available from the carrier, you purchase their optional insurance.
In any case, be sure and inspect your new pinball machine for any signs of unexpected physical damage before you sign the delivery paperwork. Remember, if you sign the delivery paperwork without reporting damage, you will release the carrier from liability!
What happens if my Pinball Machine needs repair?
Pinball machines are complicated devices full of thousands of feet of electrical wire, computer circuitry, and all sorts of moving mechanical parts. Because of their inherit complexity, it's likely that at some point your pinball machine will break and need repair. If it does need repair, you have two options:
- Hire a professional pinball machine repair person: Many larger cities have companies that specialize in maintenance and repair of pinball machines and other arcade games.
- Fix it yourself: Depending on the complexity of the repair, you may be able to fix your pinball machine on your own. First, visit IPDB.org and search for your machine to find operator manuals, parts lists and repair guides. Replacement parts are readily available from local pinball distributors or via the internet. Make sure that you buy the exact part as specified for your machine, or you may end up having problems with your machine. You'll need basic soldering skills in order to replace electronic parts such as coils or switches. Lamps and bulbs are usually simple and inexpensive to replace, but may require removing screws or nuts in order to access. Many pinball machine owners are retrofitting their machines with modern LED lamps, which will last tens of thousands of hours before needing replacement. Visit our sister site LedPinballKits.com for more information about machine specific LED pinball conversion kits.
