Rec.games.pinball - The best place to start.  A super source of info for the new enthusiast.  An invaluble FAQ section.
Pinball Links - All the other links you will ever need are here.  Bookmark this one!
Mr. Pinball - The place to go for info.  It is slightly technical in places, and a good knowledge of terminology helps. Classified ads, a blacklist, auction results, pictures and more.
I have a bad addiction and hope to get a few more machines in the future.  Have you played them?  Good pinballs are gettin hard to find in public arcades thanks to video games.  If you get a chance, hunt them down and spend the 50 cents... you wont regret it!!

My ultimate game room would include these awesome pins:  Theatre of Magic, Monster Bash, Indiana Jones, Twilight Zone, Earthshaker, Whirlwind, Cyclone, Whitewater, Cactus Canyon, Addams Family and of course, Medieval Madness.
Medieval Madness (1997).  I bought this from a dealer in Canada.  This is hands down the funnest pinball machine ever.  It is in real high demand and still makes alot of money in the arcades.  It is also on pretty much every collecter's "gotta have" list.  I was lucky to pick this up (awesome condition) at a reasonable price.  It has an explodng castle, hilarious voices that heckle you while you play, pop-up trolls, a killer dot matrix (like a video screen) display, and killer sound.  I love this pin more than my own wife and children.  Just kiddin.
This is the reason my site hardly gets updated.  I can't think of anything more zen than getting into a good game of pinball.  Video games are fun, but can't hold a candle to the feeling of  playing a good pinball.  The clang of the ball around the playfield, the feeling of whacking the flippers and gunching a good save, the lights, the sounds and the satisfying "thwack" of winning a free game.  *sigh* Too bad I am such a crappy player.  Sadly, the makers of the following games are no longer in buisiness.  Pinballs these days are getting WAY harder to come by and late model machines and parts are only going up in price.  A nice late model pin can be both a toy and an investment.


I liked pinballs so much I recently have began collecting them (if you can call 2 pins a collection.)  The research involved in buying a game is pretty time consuming.  The one thing I have learned in the 3 month quest for my first pinball machine is that there is no shortage of DISHONEST and GREEDY people in the game buisness. 

There are basically two methods available to the home collecter to get a pinball - operators and dealers.  An operator is the guy that owns the machines in pizza parlors, bowling alleys and the local corner market.  A dealer is a person or buisiness that hunts down machines, cleans and refurbishes them and sells them to collecters.  The only thing that concerns most operators is money.  They will gouge the novice buyer, sell defective, damaged or severely worn machines and refuse to help you after the money changes hands.  And this is even if they will bother dealing with you at all.  Buyer beware... A dealer is usually the way to go.  They lose customers if they deliver lousy service, so you are more likely to get a good, clean, working machine from them.  Trust me, pinballs are fickle creatures that require alot of TLC. It is better to get a nice working machine up front and pay a little extra unless you have ALOT of time and knowledge in repair and cleaning. 

Keep these important tips in mind- know what you are looking for and what you will pay, know a little bit about how pinballs work and how to repair and clean them,  and if possible try to deal with a person face to face.  In a nutshell...don't jump on Ebay and buy sight unseen without getting all the facts.  I was lucky and hooked up with an honest local operator (one out of about 5), but I know alot of people who got burned.  See my links below for more info!
My machines:
Medieval Madness (1997).  I bought this from a dealer in Canada.  This is hands down the funnest pinball machine ever.  It is in real high demand and still makes alot of money in the arcades.  It is also on pretty much every collecter's "gotta have" list.  I was lucky to pick this up (awesome condition) at a reasonable price.  It has an explodng castle, hilarious voices that heckle you while you play, pop-up trolls, a killer dot matrix (like a video screen) display, and killer sound.  I love this pin more than my own wife and children.  Just kiddin.
Whirlwind (1990).  My first pin.  I bought this game for both it's nostalgic value (I dropped big bucks in this when I was a young pup in the military) and because it is a fun classic designed by one of the best designers in the buisness, Pat Lawlor. 

This game is a blast with lotsa ramps, cellars, spinning discs, and even a fan on top that blows on the player when a "storm" comes up during play.  The sound is super and the artwork on the cabinet is very eye catching!

I bought this from a local collector for a good price.  It had a rare diamond plated playfield but needed flipper coils, a good cleaning, a new flipper button, new rubber, about 30 light bulbs, and new stickers for the drop targets and spinners.  All this was minor stuff.  Total cost to get her up to speed: $60.  Total time spent: about 8 hrs.
Helpful Pinball Links:
I have a bad addiction and hope to get a few more machines in the future.  Have you played them?  Good pinballs are gettin hard to find in public arcades thanks to video games.  If you get a chance, hunt them down and spend the 50 cents... you wont regret it!!

My ultimate game room would include these awesome pins:  Theatre of Magic, Monster Bash, Indiana Jones, Twilight Zone, Earthshaker, Whirlwind, Cyclone, Whitewater, Cactus Canyon, Addams Family and of course, Medieval Madness.
Mr. Pinball - The place to go for info.  It is slightly technical in places, and a good knowledge of terminology helps. Classified ads, a blacklist, auction results, pictures and more.
Pinball Links - All the other links you will ever need are here.  Bookmark this one!
Rec.games.pinball - The best place to start.  A super source of info for the new enthusiast.  An invaluble FAQ section.
The Manufacturers:
The only pinball manufacturer still in buisiness
The best by far...gone but not forgotten.
No longer making pins
Pinball Page
TenNinetySeven's