5 Mods that Increase Your Pinball Machine Value

Just because you add a bunch of mods to your game - doesn't mean you will get a return on your investment. Luckily, Cary has 5 mods that are guaranteed to be enthusiast approved when selling your machine.
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[@RetroRalph]

You know this video is going to make me call every accessory a MOD in any pinball video I do now, just to mess with you. LOL. Love you bro!

[@nightsurfride]

I think mods and accessories should be installed from a stand point of if you like them for your personal enjoyment and not if they will add value to the game. I look at it also as they may make the game more attractive to potential buyers and increase its chances of being sold, but the game isn’t going to sell for more just because you put a nice shiny bow on top. It just has the potential of selling easier because it has icing on the cake. Mmmm.. icing… 🎂

[@mattrunnebohm5390]

Exactly, price is already a barrier for most potential buyers. Why would you intentionally do anything to raise the price even higher?

[@troyhill4270]

Another great video with good content, thanks. After viewing your video on the extra support braces for the corners on the inside of machine I immediately bought and installed them on my old '79 Gorgar. Maybe the new pins don't need these, dunno, but glad I did it, thanks

[@JoeMama1142]

Can't argue with the list, but I think "Sadfully" is my new favorite word.😄

[@CaryHardy]

...it's Texan.

[@OVERKILL_PINBALL]

If you are going to install a PinSound board (highly recommended) you should definitely consider upgrading your speakers also. The PinSound amp has more power and can drive a more powerful speaker. The difference is definitely noticeable especially on 90's games. EDIT: Assuming your sound pack has also been upgraded.

[@OVERKILL_PINBALL]

There is also the OCD mods from comet pinball. They make a huge difference with a game that has been converted to LED.

[@nataliegreystar]

I want to try these but oof the price. Plus if you've already installed NG lamps you have to swap them out. I wish there was a list of pins that benefit from them the most to what pins don't benefit at all.

[@OVERKILL_PINBALL]

@@nataliegreystar Hmm my reply was deleted. I guess I wasn't allowed to reply to you with a video demo so you could see the difference. I'm not selling anything and have nothing to gain. Comment moderation is exciting work.

[@Jouerdelabatterie]

I had it on my Simpsons pinball party, from the previous owner, but I could not the see the différence with or without it. I took it off. Maybe I should reconsider that ?

[@Jouerdelabatterie]

Agree with everything ! Except the invisible glass. I just have one so far and I Want it for all of my machines !! It’s a must have to me (About 200€ in France, totally worth it !)

[@Rich_Ice]

Great video. I install shakers in all my premium Sterns before every turning them on. My Godzilla has Stern art blades installed and a Pin Woofer kit. I also have Stern blades for DP and JP, not installed yet. I'm leaning towards Tilt Graphics blades for those two. They seem so much more detailed. I have not given Pin Stadiums any thought yet. I think I would have to see them in person first. When adding accessories or mods I'm not considering the resale value. I'm thinking about what looks/sounds good and what makes me happy.

[@MidniteClimax]

Pinwoofer absolutely belongs on this list. Maybe if it is like pinball pro or one of the other crappy speaker companies that could be subjective, but pinwoofer is 100% worth every penny and literally anyone that can hear would notice a huge difference. I've never seen anyone consider speaker lights to be really a price adding mod, and for me personally, I'm going to be ripping them out almost every time. I hate all the extra glare they make. Pinwoofer belongs on the list easily and should be swapped out with speaker lights being an honorable mention

[@handvschihuahua2640]

When I saw Pinwoofer, I thought you were talking about Moxi and was going to totally agree that she belongs on the list!

[@paulonatali5614]

PinStadium is a great addition too

[@scottypinball2163]

I love your explanation of pinball mod vs pinball accessory. Now please explain to those same people that Die Hard takes place over the Christmas Holiday but it's not a Christmas movie.

[@TheFiftyQuid]

@CaryHardy - Everyone knows that PinGulp increases the value of your pin by $400-$500.

[@CaryHardy]

I'm adding 3 more to each of my games then...

[@DDDpinball]

Nice video! Agreed with most, although some machines I don't like with mirrorblades. I have a Congo and it just doesn't really fit with the theme. Before seeing the video I guessed Cliffy protectors :)

[@moobutt]

I do blades and speaker lights, Stern’s get the kenwood speakers as well, on every pin. I have never valued my, or anyone else’s pins, at a higher amount because of these. Color DMD is definitely a $500 kicker. Bonus points for LCD over LED on DMD’s. And definitely the HD glass and pinstadiums warrant an up charge of a couple hundred.

[@michaelfokas8884]

When are we gonna get some youtube live gameplay sessions going? All those great machines we need to see in action.. especially Last Action Hero. It's one of my favorite movies,, would love to play that pin one day

[@zillelben8742]

The educator in me looks to Miriam Webster: "the making of a limited change in something", and Cambridge adds; "change for the purpose of improvement", thus making such a determination, subjective or debatable, as evidenced by many of the previous comments. Same could be said about the effect it has on the selling price of the game. I still laugh about the Pinsider who listed a bottle of Novus 2 as one of "Many Mods" to justify trying to sell his game over the value range listed on Pinside. And then we have George Castanza who bought a used LeBaron convertible thinking actor Jon Voight was the previous owner. 😂

[@jasontacoma2494]

Great Video as always Cary!

[@NoMadSaint]

Great video! I'm restoring a Getaway and wonder if you have the ram, shaker etc. installed on yours?

[@CaryHardy]

Yes I do!

[@conkysamsquanch]

what about Autographs? Do they increase the value?

[@CaryHardy]

Not to everyone. Depends on where they sign too. lol. There are people that would prefer the backglass be untouched - and that's where designers typically sign.

[@Major_Drain]

Anti reflective glass, color dmd, pin sound, art blades/mirrored, shaker, are the only upgrades I will pay extra for when buying a used machine.

[@wrd1972]

How well do mirror blades hold up. Do they get scratched up from raising the PF during the course of normal upkeep? I want these on my Funhouse.

[@CaryHardy]

Just be careful or get the side blade armor when raising the playfield. They are pretty resistant though.

[@paulfuller2167]

I love my Pinsound w/EQ, however, with older games comes older less desirable speakers, so I install car speakers in all my older games...make all the difference, (like JBL two way speakers and a Sub)and the pin woofer is not required...plenty of bass and volume without it. And its fun to use alternate sound files, like with my No Fear...oh my, so much more engrossing...

[@jesserobinson-cd7vg]

NVRAM and Color DMD should be mandatory imho. Anyone who loves their pin and takes care of it will have those done. And Pinwoofer is the shit. I have one on my Deadpool and it makes the entire game much better.

[@brunogaspar3977]

What about pinstadiums? 😮

[@CaryHardy]

honorable mentioned!

[@AllPinballFanatic]

question on adding shaker motor on new stern machine - will installing a shaker motor from pinsound instead of a stern shaker motor is a violation of stern's guarantee ?

[@CaryHardy]

I don't know for sure. but I doubt it. You can always call your distro and ask them.

[@nataliegreystar]

This video is very... specific to a certain kind of pinball collector. Few will pay an increase for mods. I almost exclusively buy pins that are as close to original as possible. What will I pay extra for? New playfield, good clearcoat retouch, good condition field, new ramps, refurbished boards, properly maintained, rebuilt functional parts, mirrored glass replacing translite, mods that improve the actual game play due to defects or issues with original designs. "Just because it looks good to you" is spot on. Too many machines on the market look like trash and people want an extra $500 for their bad LED choices that make the game unplayable. "It will increase the value" almost never. You will be waiting for the right buyer. Few are ever willing to pay extra because you did mods. People are getting way too obsessed and hung up on mods to the point I wonder if anyone plays pinball anymore of it's just a quest for infinite mods. Almost every pin I see for sale has bulked up the price because of way too many mods and they sit and sit and rarely sell. Lots of us hate color powder coated metal and chrome on a machine that wasn't standard on it. I have turned down machines when I saw their mods. Pinsound very rarely is a worthwhile upgrade. It's a huge money dump for minimal gain and waste of money unless your soundboard is going bad. A repair kit for a soundboard is $20. Pinsound is $400 starting. I think lighted speakers are disgusting, I won't pay for that. I will never pay extra for a shaker. I don't get this obsession, I turn them off. Even in games that had it integrated from the start, it's not better. ColorDMD is good for 90% of machines. Some games it's actually terrible. Almost everyone gets the LCD version though. No one knows there are 2 models of colorDMD and the LCD one looks like garbage on many pins. I prefer the LED because it retains the look of matrix but it's color now. The benefit you didn't mention is colorDMD gets rid of your high voltage for the matrix. Saves on power. So yes on colorDMD but choose the right one for your pin. You can't go wrong with the LED but the LCD one looks trashy on a lot of them. It kind of feels like people are making the same mistakes they did with arcade1up with pinball now.

[@CaryHardy]

Sense most of your comment was anecdotal I'm only going to point out where you are 'wrong'. You said, "The benefit you didn't mention is colorDMD gets rid of your high voltage for the matrix". cDMD getting rid of your HV is LITERALLY the first perk I mention for it at 8:20...

[@nataliegreystar]

​@@CaryHardy My bad I definitely missed that section, you went through those real quick and I was probably not paying attention. I just watched your colorDMD install video and you gave a lot of great info in there, you should link to that in this video. As for the rest I mean pinball is a niche and within that, people who love mods are niche so it's a very thin category of people. Maybe it's anecdotal but everything about this hobby is. I would never do a mod unless you love it or it's replacing something that needed fixing anyway. For the right people mods will possibly improve the value but in my experience those people are the "dreamers" as Todd likes to call them. You might like the mods, but are you going to put cash on glass? As you said at the beginning you should never expect to get everything you put in back out of a pin. I think the best advice you could have added is that if your mod replaces something working, keep the originals. Add pinsound but keep your sound board. If the dotmatrix is in good condition and you replace it, keep the boards. It adds even more value because your buyer will have options. That's a big plus.

[@JK-fv9xk]

What about a picture of Gary Stern ?

[@-Gramps]

Great list, Cary. But…you forgot to add the animated “Baby Yoda” for The Mandalorian- just kidding!

[@Kennebec27]

Come for the pinball, stay for the puppy

[@mcnillerandsons7906]

Tomato tomato. Mod/accessory the same thing.

[@CaryHardy]

I disagree. So do the manufacturers - the people that intentionally create something a certain way and then people change it via 3rd party. Another word for change is "mod". Which is short for modification. (changing something from it's original state)

[@pauz2175]

They’re all modifications from the stock game. But, can call em whatever you want… agree 100% people who charge $1500 more for a game with $1500 worth of mods are crazy.

[@Boxoflightsarcade]

Nice list

[@matthewmorton7386]

I don’t mind at all being in the minority here Color DMDs are fine on some tables… but there’s something, nostalgic and magical about a gas, DMD Orange baby all the way !!!

[@DenOfPin]

I don't have any of these mods on any of my games and I request for the mod to be removed if it is mentioned in the listing they are charging extra for it.

[@ScottParisi]

Fun list. Only the mirror blades impact sight lines. I have a ColorDMD in all my DMD era machines as well as LED lighting without a blue or purple focus. Interesting about the NVRAM. I personally uses Frank's Battery Board on my machines. Also have invisiglass on the entire lineup. It's a great addition in my opinion. I personally pass on the blades because I think they are at risk with each lifting of the playfield. Good video and list. Hope Moxxi is doing well.

[@veganm8918]

I've gone back and forth about color dmd on my medieval madness. I still like the original and am not sure if updating it is a huge upgrade. Any thoughts?

[@CaryHardy]

I would watch some footage of the cDMD on youtube regarding the game to see if you like the way it looks. Reach out to other MM owners and get their feedback too. I have yet to play a game that I feel should NOT have a cDMD though...

[@andrewreamer2113]

I decided against it for my T2 since the animations are so limited. I saw there’s a filter to make the orange into red. I love it on my TZ though. If only colourDMD will bring out support for Freddy:ANOES

[@King_Henry]

Shaker motors are accessories on the newer pins, not a ‘mod’. Perhaps it would be on a DMD era pin or early Stern. Everything else I agree with. I would note that lately, particular mods like the Medisnyl (sp) mods or any other mod that’s discounted for say EHoH is going to fetch a pretty penny. Even a Tokyo Neon Sign or Atomic Godzilla. People are better off stripping those mods off and selling individually if they want their money back out of those. That’s not what I suggest though; the right buyer will see those and not baulk at the added cost. Yeah I get it, Your mileage def varies on all of this especially considering the bursted, current market

[@dugfreez]

I appreciate the products that I conceived and designed being on the list, but I'm wondering why one of my products was shown in your video, yet you mention a competitor instead of my website? I AM Speaker Light Kits.

[@CaryHardy]

As mentioned in the video , speaker lighting is done by multiple outlets, and I merely named two off the top of my head. The footage I show isn't even my own and is merely reflecting the two companies I mention. I was just giving visual examples of what is out there. I did say "Speaker Light Kits," but that wasn't meant to point to a direct product. I guess I should have said, "Speaker Illuminating products." or something like that.

[@andrewlee88]

LEDOCD should be on there. i know its application is limited but for mid2k sterns, LOTR, NASTCAR etc.

[@MANUELHSTUMP]

What about a headphone jack? That would be an interesting mod/feature for all those wives/spouses who can’t tolerate the sound of a pinball after having played it more than 1000 times.

[@ryne16]

I've got a question, maybe stupid....but how does the color DMD even work? How does the pinball machine know what colors to put into the DMD to look correct when it was designed for orange dot matrix?

[@ScottParisi]

There is a file on the manufacturer's website that contains machine-specific code for the DMD. They all have a USB port to which you connect a flash drive before running the installation. Very simple actually. Good luck.

[@CaryHardy]

You download the firmware from their website and update the display via USB. I have a video on how to install it.

[@therexershow]

Not sure if i agree with your definition of "Mods" vs Accessories. By definition, mod is short for modify. Modify definition is "make partial or minor changes to (something), typically so as to improve it or to make it less extreme." Adding things like art work/blades, covers, etc, anything that either changes the appearance OR Functionality is a Mod, not dependend on whether it's done by an OEM manufacturer or a 3rd party manufacturer. I feel like almost any accessory to some fashion can be called a mod by definition. Maybe the least type of Mod would be a cupholder, becuase it adds something that doesn't change the Original appearance of the unit. It "accessorizes" your pinball. Id call that an accesorry.

[@CaryHardy]

Who said it was my definition? Talk to the manufacturers and all the distributors that categorize them as "Accessories" and not "Mods". Yes, you are 'changing' your game with the accessories - but to the manufacturers original intent of the games original full form.

[@therexershow]

@@CaryHardy I get it. So I don’t agree with them. And if that’s the definition , then if two companies make the exact same mod(one being the OEM) , EXACT SAME mod, one would be a mod , and one would be an accessory……. Makes perfect sense ….🤷‍♂️

[@scottoneal2744]

I have pinwoofer on my GZ and like it. It is pricey snd I totally get people not wanting to pay for it. Same for pinstadiums. I'd personally rather just keep my hd glass and swap it to the next geme.

[@dangerdonk6670]

ColorDMD for sure is #1, but #2 should have been HD/invis-glass.

[@CaryHardy]

I mention my reasons why it's not on the list in the honorable mentions. What are your reasons it should be on the list? (these mods are not in an order of greatness - I just put cDMD at #1 because it is undoubtedly accepted as being a great mod).

[@kantidinda6218]

I agree with all of it except mirror blades. They look good but I don't think they add a dime to the value of a pin. No different than art blades.

[@CaryHardy]

When art blades are able to reflect light back on to your playfield to help with illumination let me know.

[@kantidinda6218]

I don't disagree. I assume you mean that the machine just shows better with them then?

[@CaryHardy]

@@kantidinda6218 I'm merely disagree with you saying they are no different than art blades. Mirror blades do brighten up a game though, and are less likely to be looked at as tacky vs. some of the 3rd party art blades that are pretty bad.

[@alanbrady9609]

New dog, who dis?

[@afattori316]

Powder coating is one of the worst to do. I have not seen many that I like. Especially the one Stern Star Wars I saw with different color legs that was for sale on pinside a while back.

[@CaryHardy]

Not an easy fix if it's bad. lol. Either remove it all and redo it or just buy all new components.

[@SpaceJunk42O]

Pin2DMD should get an honorable mention for those too thrifty to pay ColorDMD prices

[@CaryHardy]

when Pin2DMD becomes as plug and play as cDMD....it will.

[@patrickmarino3932]

You hit them all on the head. A lot of games like GNR I think is a waste to put pin stadiums on. Really any JJP I can see them on the Williams 90s pins only

[@travisjohnson6358]

dachshunds!

[@ElGatoLoco698]

What are you doing with the puppies? Are they all spoken for? I'm in Fort Worth.

[@CaryHardy]

They are not spoken for yet. They are almost 3 weeks old now. We plan to sell at the 8 week mark which is around xmas time.

[@dennyk2294]

Great video, more wiener dog cameos!

[@theJohnnyPinball]

my vote is NV ram

[@King_Henry]

BTW I am sick and tired of Kenwood speakers being the main ‘upgrade’ option out there. They are crap speakers!!!

[@aaronnicholas5477]

Errrm it’s “rubber” not rubbers Cary😂

[@quasarulas3968]

ill be first to say/admit I'm weird but I'm not crazy for colour dmd. games with it are cool but the classic orange is fine by me and anytime where that weird antialising is going on its quite off putting. it should at least look like a dot matrix. I find the colour can kind of crap the style of older games removing that classic feel. its almost like colourising classic black and white film as if its always inherently better to retouch everything

[@davidcarper5411]

.. Trendy

[@pintrooper2412]

Voodoo glass