These are the websites and other references we frequently turn to for information about pinball machines:
The Internet Pinball Database aka IPDB https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl – Repository of machine data (i.e., how many were produced, which platform it runs, and who was involved in its development). IPDB has pictures of the playfield and cabinet of every commercially produced pinball machine and includes links to ROM files and manuals (where copyright allows).
Pinside https://pinside.com – Social Network for pinball; including forums, a marketplace for machines and parts, and profiles/messaging for pinball owners and enthusiasts. Probably the best place to go if you really want a particular game and are willing to drop good money or wait for a deal to pop up.
Pinwiki https://www.pinwiki.com/ – Wiki-style site focused on repairing pinball machines, sorted mostly by platform/era of game but also with some game-specific pages for some games. A great place to go not only for specific reasons like “one of the lights on my game isn’t working”, but also for detailed information like how lamp + switch matrixes work, general troubleshooting processes, and the different board sets used in each platform/era of machine.
Planetary Pinball http://www.planetarypinball.com – The current holders of the Williams/Bally pinball licenses. A lot of the Bally and Williams manuals don’t break down specific part numbers or have detailed views of how mechs fit together; to track that information down, you need to turn to the specific parts book from that era. You can buy the book from planetary or view it for free on their website.
Pinball Life https://www.pinballlife.com – Deathsave’s #1 recommendation for buying pinball parts online. A good balance of having most of the parts you’ll need and having good prices. Particularly useful if you’re building. your own machine, they have lots of parts that are specifically stocked/selected as being useful for homebrew pinball.
Marco https://www.marcospecialties.com/control/main – Another great place to buy pinball parts online. A lot of their basic things like flipper rebuild kits and lights cost more than the same parts do at Pinball Life, but Marco generally has a wider selection of parts especially specific parts that are only used for one or a few machines.
Cliffy https://www.passionforpinball.com/products.htm – Well known 3rd party manufacturer of pinball mods; especially known for their custom metal hole and cut-out protectors.
Topic-Specific References:
Apron rules/pricing card size references (so you can print your own custom or reproduction apron cards) – http://www.pinballrebel.com/pinball/cards/Card_sizes.htm
Flipper repair/rebuild https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/vids-guide-to-upgradingrebuilding-flippers#post-284622
Editorial note: we don’t (currently) have any relationships with any of these websites or make any money through affiliate links. But we’re certainly open to accepting bribes to talk up your brand if we already legitimately love what you do and think you’re an important/useful part of the pinball community!