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Buying and Maintaining a Pinball Machine

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The market for pinball machines has dramatically fallen, and currently, only one company in the United States—Stern Pinball—produces pinball machines. Stern produces a few new machine models each year.

For the most part, however, you would purchase pinball machines from a distributor rather than directly from Stern. If you want to purchase a machine, contact distributors of arcade equipment or vending machines and see if they sell pinball machines; alternatively, contact a bowling alley or arcade that has a pinball machine and ask where they got their machine (and if they’d recommend a distributor).

Pinball machines can cost anywhere from several hundred to ten thousand dollars. If you plan on playing the game a lot, you probably want a new model, but used machines might be adequate for less frequent use. The collectible value of a model also affects its price.

You can ask for a specific model or see the options that a distributor offers. Consider your audience and decide how complex the game should be. Think about whether you want a specific theme and a free play option. Also, ask your distributor about delivery. Pinball machines weigh more than three hundred pounds and are about twenty-nine inches wide, so you don’t want to be moving them by yourself.

Finally, make sure you ask the distributor about warranties and repair. Pinball machines have a lot of moving parts and electronic equipment, so they frequently need expensive repair. The ball moves at close to ninety miles an hour, so it can damage the machine. Players get competitive and tilt or kick the machine, breaking it accidentally. These accidents happen in a hundred different ways, and the extensive wiring requires an expert’s touch, so save yourself a headache and find out how your distributor arranges for machine repair.

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