I thought it would be fun to post this up... feel free to add any. It would be funny to reference these as time goes by:

#1:  Make sure you have room to collect games. Dining rooms, bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms are not great spaces for games.

#2:  Get a minivan or at a bare minimum, a car with a hitch. You WILL need it.

#3:  If you have room for 5 games, that means that at some point you will own 11.

#4:  DON'T LIE to your spouse... just omit details.

#5:  Don't spend lots of money on garbage. Pinball is not a religion. You don't NEED to save every one out there.

#6:  Invest in a dolly. Your back will thank you for it.

#7:  If unsure about a repair, ask. Don't attempt some dumbass hackjob and permanently screw your machine up.

#8:  If unsure about a machine for sale, ask. Don't attempt some dumbass purchase and permanently screw your wallet up.

#9:  Get informed. It will save you money.

#10:  Get tools. Chances are mess will break within the next few minutes.

#11: if the machine is rare, it doesn't mean that it is good.

#12: It's never "probably a fuse".

#13: Machines for sale on Kijiji, CL, Lespac etc are usually broken. People sell broken machines when they are frustrated or can't be bothered getting them fixed.

#14: Don't forget to ask for the paperwork when you buy a machine. It is likely somewhere else than inside the machine where it is suppose to be. Ask and ask again.

#15: Unless a machine is current, things will break far more often than you would have thought.

#16:  Dont buy machines a decade or older unless you are prepared to learn to repair them or you have someone who can and will fix them as frequently as you may require.

#17: You can never have just one.

Quoted from websherpa

#17: You can never have just one.

Correction.... there can NOT be only one (80's movie reference )

#18.  Make sure all your plumbing is good and your gameroom isn't prone to flooding.  (Sorry Sparky, I just HAD to do it!)  

#19.  Be wary of sellers with their own Urban Dictionary entry.

Quoted from Monkeybug

#19.  Be wary of sellers with their own Urban Dictionary entry.

BHAHAHAHA

#20 When you first start out take what you think a machine might be worth and multiply it by at least a factor of 5. You might actually find something for sale in that price range.

#21 Never think your the first guy to contact a seller with a fairly priced machine. If you think you were lightning quick responding your number 26 or higher on the list.

#22 If an ad looks like a deal is too good to be true, make sure you have a really good spam filter and don't expect to get anything other than life long email from the sale.

#23 Always trust sellers who respond all in lower case, don't punctuate appropriately and use "Mr." often to address you or themselves. This is especially true for sellers who have the machine in your country but were sent to a different country from which they are selling the machine.

#24 Western Union and wire transfer are the best way to send money... and never see anything in return for it.

Quoted Text

#19.  Be wary of sellers with their own Urban Dictionary entry.

#19a. Be wary of sellers who change their names

do NOT think you're going to own that machine for ever...no matter how much you love that pin, one day, you WILL sell it.  (and maybe buy another, and you'll eventually sell that one too...and maybe even buy another. Why? Because its a sickness)

oops, thats #25 btw

#26: Travel distance is inversely proportionate to how bad you want a pin. If you want a specific one REALLY bad, driving halfway across the country is considered a fun road trip, while picking up an overpriced turd for parts 8 blocks away may seem like driving to hell and back.

#27: When selling a pin, NEVER look back. If you do, and the guy that buys it messes it up, you will get pissed for nothing. Once it leaves your door, forget about it.

#28: Don't harrass and call a crook the person you bought a 30-year-old pin from if something breaks 3 weeks later. Cooperation is always best. Ask for tips on how to repair it.

#29: ALWAYS have fresh beer on hand. Handy when repairing stuff, and for when other hobbyists come over.

#30: Attend meetings... meet people... talk shop.

#31: Unless you have a shitload of money, start low. Get a really cheap game. Don't start off with a Medieval Madness. Goofs are more costly then.

#32: If you are painting or clearcoating, make sure you have the proper space to do it in, and the proper equipment as well.

#33 one is too much, 25 not enough

#34 Low balling is seen as a bad thing but highballing seems acceptable for some reason