Hi all!

I'll start off by saying that I'm totally new to the hobby. Unfortunately, getting actively involved has been a bit intimidating. I'm 25 - so I completely missed the pinball phenomenon as it happened - and I can't help like feeling like a bit of an outsider. Getting into it now is hard because everyone else has been playing pinball for 30 years, and I can't even nudge properly yet! I realise that I have a LOT to learn... and to be honest I can't wait to learn it!

Unfortunately pins aren't always easy to find, plus they ain't cheap to learn when you drain balls as fast as I do! So I am thinking about getting my own pin to practice on and learn how to play properly. Trouble is, since I never played many pins when they were popular, I really have no idea what kind of machine to get. Can anyone give me some advice to try and narrow my search? I've already decided on this so far:

• Late 80s/early 90s machines appeal to me. These tables seem like a lot of fun and I like their styles.
• A machine that won't totally destroy me! I was trying to play Spiderman (2007) recently but the outlanes kept eating my balls, which was frustrating since I haven't mastered nudging yet. Kickbacks and similar save features would be good!
• Repairability. I understand that machines break all the time and I want to learn how to fix and maintain them properly. However as a newbie I don't want a machine which is incredibly hard to disassemble or impossible to find parts for.

Would really appreciate some pointers. Can't wait to get into pinball as a hobby properly and learn to play the real thing!

Thanks all.

you seem to like the same era machines as I do. the new stuff I play at the local arcade doesn't have the same appeal as the older ones