Every refurbished machine we sell has been through a complete restoration. Electronics rebuilt, playfield cleaned and touched up, backglass and cabinet restored where needed, every mechanism tested. This is the closest you can get to a factory-fresh pinball experience on a vintage or classic machine.
Every refurbished machine we sell has been through a complete restoration. Electronics rebuilt, playfield cleaned and touched up, backglass and cabinet restored where needed, every mechanism tested.
This is the closest you can get to a factory-fresh pinball experience on a vintage or classic machine. For buyers who want the best possible version of a specific title.
Before
After
We don't use the word loosely. A refurbished machine from us has been fully torn down, assessed, repaired, cleaned, and rebuilt to the highest standard the machine's condition allowed. Not a quick wipe-down and a power check. A real restoration.
Every machine we refurbish goes through these six stages in order. No shortcuts, no skipping steps. This is the work that separates a refurbished machine from a used one.
Every machine starts with a full hands-on inspection. Every switch tested, every coil checked, every wire traced. We document what works, what doesn't, and what needs to happen to bring it back. This is where the restoration plan gets built.
Playfield glass off, playfield out, backbox opened, plastics removed, ramps pulled. Everything gets a deep clean to address decades of dust, smoke, sticky residue, and general age. You can't restore what you can't see.
Circuit boards get bench tested. Failed components get replaced. Battery corrosion gets neutralized and repaired. Power supplies, driver boards, sound boards, and display boards all come back to proper working spec before reinstallation.
The playfield gets the most attention. Cleaning, polishing, and targeted touch-up on wear areas where appropriate. Not every playfield gets repainted, because sometimes original wear is what collectors want. We make that call machine by machine.
Cabinet artwork cleaned and repaired where possible. Damaged or flaking areas restored to match original. Legs, lockdown bar, and hardware cleaned or replaced. Backglass carefully cleaned and any lifting or flaking addressed.
Machine gets fully reassembled, leveled, and powered up. Then it's played. Full games, multiple sessions, over days. Anything that surfaces during play testing gets addressed before the machine goes on the sale floor. No shortcuts.
Three things we do on every refurbishment that tell you whether a machine has been properly restored or just cleaned up for photos.
Most sellers treat circuit boards as either working or not. We repair them at the component level. That means replacing individual capacitors, fixing trace damage, and re-flowing solder joints instead of swapping out whole boards.
Not every playfield needs a full repaint. Heavy-handed restoration can actually lower a machine's value and alter how it plays. We assess each playfield individually and only do what the machine truly needs, not what looks flashiest in photos.
Every refurbished machine gets played. Not a quick power-on to confirm it boots. Full games, multiple sessions, over multiple days. Issues that would surface in the first month of ownership usually show up during burn-in. We catch them before you do.
Refurbishment is a series of judgment calls. Overdo it and you damage the machine's identity. Underdo it and the buyer pays a premium for something that didn't earn it. Here's how we draw the line.
Workshop Standards
Refurbished machines are a premium buy. That's not for every buyer. Here are the four types of buyers who consistently end up happiest with refurbished over other categories.
Knows exactly which title they want and isn't willing to compromise on condition. Cares about originality, playfield integrity, and how the machine will hold value over time. Refurbished gives them the best version available without crossing into over-restoration territory.
Building the finished basement of his dreams and wants the machines to be centerpieces. Not looking to tinker. Wants to plug it in, play it with the kids, and have it work perfectly for years. Refurbished is the set-it-and-forget-it buy.
Buying a machine as a meaningful gift. A spouse, a parent, or themselves marking a milestone. The machine needs to look and play like the memory they're trying to recreate. Refurbished delivers that experience out of the crate.
Arcade, restaurant, bar, entertainment venue owner. Machines need to handle heavy commercial play and look sharp doing it. A refurbished machine built to run hard and hold up is the only smart commercial purchase.
The questions buyers ask most when considering a refurbished pinball machine over a used one.
Refurbished machines have been through the full six-phase restoration process documented above. Electronics rebuilt, playfield restored, cabinet addressed, full burn-in play testing. Used machines are inspected and graded but not restored. Our Used Machines page walks through how those are handled separately.
Labor and parts. A proper restoration takes significant hands-on hours, specialty parts, and bench time. That cost gets reflected in the price. You're not just paying for the machine, you're paying for the restoration work that was done to it.
We document every refurbishment. You get notes on what was inspected, what was repaired, what was replaced, and what was left original. Photos and videos of the before, during, and after stages are available for any machine you're seriously considering.
Not always, and intentionally so. Over-restoring a vintage machine damages its value to serious collectors. We restore to the standard that respects the machine. A 40-year-old machine that looks 40 years old in good condition is often more desirable than one painted to look brand new. We make that judgment call per machine.
Depends on the machine and what it needs. Some restorations take a few weeks. Others take months, especially for vintage machines with hard-to-find parts. We don't rush this work. A machine takes as long as it takes to come out right.
We stand behind every refurbished machine we sell. If something goes wrong shortly after delivery, you call us and we make it right. We're local and we service what we sell. That's why we do burn-in testing, so issues show up in our shop, not in your home.
Often yes. If you want a specific title and we don't have one in stock, we can source a machine and refurbish it specifically for you. Timeline depends on how quickly we can find a good candidate. Call us and let's talk about what you're looking for.
The same white-glove treatment we give every machine. Enclosed truck, trained crew, in-home placement, leveling, and full working confirmation before we leave. See our Delivery Service page for what's included.
Call us to hear what refurbished machines are on the floor right now. Every machine has been through our full restoration process and is ready to deliver the pinball experience it was built to provide.
631-652-9911Looking for a specific title, or want to know what restored machines are available? Send us a quick message and we'll get back with current availability.