Pinball transport... help?

[Neverending Project]

I have a chance at picking up three pinballs tonight, if the caller prior to me can't get them. My problem is, I have never transported a pinball (let alone three).

Aside from a truck and a friend, what tools might I need to transport them? I will get a truck big enough that the back box can remain attached. In fact, I will most likely have a u-haul, which means they could be transported standing. If so, and assuming they are sufficiently strapped down, could I transport them with the legs on? Will two (average) people be able to lift it into the truck?

If I remove the legs, will a standard hex set be enough? Can I lay the pinball on its side?

Signed,
Hopeful newbie pinball owner

[shardian]

Take the legs off, it isn't that hard. Don't set them on their side. Cover the glass with some cardboard and blankets.

Most important thing - secure, secure, secure.

Good Luck!

[DJ Infinity]

Laying on the side is a definate no no. Take a set of nut drivers and small socket set. The legs come off pretty easily. A set of hex wrences wouldn't hurt either. You'd be suprised at how little space they ake up once the legs are off. And like the post before me said secure secure secure. Have plenty of blankets and cardboard around. Good luck and let us know how it went.  *EDIT* I would remove the tops also.

[CheffoJeffo]

What they said ... but be sure to drop one off at my house !

 

[Neverending Project]

Well, while it wasn't too good to be true, I missed it by literally a few minutes. Even though I managed to call within about a half hour of the ad being posted, I was the second caller. I told her I would pick them up tonight for her asking price, sight unseen. She said if the first caller wouldn't match that offer, then they were mine. The next time I talked to her he was already loading them up and hauling them away.

So I missed out on a Torpedo Alley, Flight 2000 and Jungle Lord, all three for $275. Granted they weren't all working, but they all had playfields and backglass in good condition. One of them, as an example, would boot and look for a ball and then enter attract mode. So for a little TLC they might have all been in great shape.

Anyway, it wasn't meant to be. Phhtht.

[DJ Infinity]

Damn!
That bites. Well when one door closes another opens. 

[ChadTower]

Three pins for $275?  You should have offered $350.  Standing on a stupidly low price like that is guaranteed to lose out.  Even at $350 it's a great deal and it gets you the pins.  I've never totally understood so many people's obsession with getting things at the absolute lowest price possible.

[Neverending Project]

Three pins for $275?  You should have offered $350.  Standing on a stupidly low price like that is guaranteed to lose out.  Even at $350 it's a great deal and it gets you the pins.  I've never totally understood so many people's obsession with getting things at the absolute lowest price possible.

Hmm... I think you misunderstood. That was her asking price. I offered her full price, and said I would be there with a truck that evening to take them away. She then said she would call the first guy back and give him the chance to match the offer - if I couldn't, they were mine. Well, he did.

Anyway, the story continues. This morning the machine that would boot and enter attract mode (but not completely working) showed up on CL again, this time its new owner was asking $400 for just this machine. I called him, and told him that I was the other guy trying to get it on the $275 deal... Long story short, I offered him $200 for just this machine. And I said I would pick it up today. He said he would if no one else took it today.

Well, apparently he pissed some people off in the local CL/pinball community. He flaked on me, even though no one else took the machine. And now he has updated his CL ad to this.

Can't escape Karma. 

[shardian]

What he did I simply don't understand. If you are going to flip something in a community such as this, at least have the common sense to wait a bit. Posting next day?!? What a ---smurfing--- retard. If he would have simply waited a month and said "I intended to fix this up, but I just don't have time", noone would have given him any ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

[ChadTower]

Hmm... I think you misunderstood. That was her asking price. I offered her full price, and said I would be there with a truck that evening to take them away. She then said she would call the first guy back and give him the chance to match the offer - if I couldn't, they were mine. Well, he did.

I do understand.  I've seen it a billion times.  She wanted $275 and you offered $275.  Someone else also offered $275.  Had you offered $350 you would have three pins right now.  When there are multiple buyers at the asking price most sellers will take a hard look at a higher offer before committing.  Either way, that was worth more than $275 to you, and you didn't make a higher offer.  It doesn't always work but more often than not it will.

I see nothing wrong with what the guy did, BTW.  Pinball people are often petty and resentful.  They didn't get the deal so they will trash his chance to profit - it's not like he relisted them looking for a sucker.  That's a reasonable price.  I'm actually surprised they didn't just report his posts as scams and have them taken down out of pure jealousy.

[Neverending Project]

I do understand.  I've seen it a billion times.  She wanted $275 and you offered $275.  Someone else also offered $275.  Had you offered $350 you would have three pins right now.  When there are multiple buyers at the asking price most sellers will take a hard look at a higher offer before committing.  Either way, that was worth more than $275 to you, and you didn't make a higher offer.  It doesn't always work but more often than not it will.

I see nothing wrong with what the guy did, BTW.  Pinball people are often petty and resentful.  They didn't get the deal so they will trash his chance to profit - it's not like he relisted them looking for a sucker.  That's a reasonable price.  I'm actually surprised they didn't just report his posts as scams and have them taken down out of pure jealousy.

Well, maybe you have seen it 999,999,999 times. In talking with the guy who got the pins, he said someone offered her $450 for all three, but since she had already told him he could have them, they were his to take. I was just a few minutes too late, that is all.

I am just frustrated that the guy flaked on me because other people trash-talked him. He told me in the morning that if no one else made him an offer, I could have it. Apparently someone was going to buy it (he changed the posting to pending pickup for a while) but either flaked or changed their mind. When I talked to him, he told me to call him back in an hour to see if he could get a hold of the guy. When I called him back he didn't answer, and he did not return my message. Then I saw that his post was changed.

[CheffoJeffo]

I understand the frustration and overly-sweet CL deals like this often end up like this. The "Bid-Over" strategy is a good play to make in cases like this, but it sounds like it would not have worked here (and the other guy would have had to be a moron not to match at $350).

Last year we had a Joust pinball come up locally on CL for $600 ... bidding war (between members of the local collectors boards ... serious nerd drama on the Innernets !) took the price to $1700 ... was on eBay shortly thereafter (and I believe it sold) for $4500 (more serious nerd drama on the Innernets !).

On the other hand, a Computer Space came up (very cheap and unidentified, but we figured it out) and, once the first guy on the boards said that he was in contact, there were no bidding wars or attempts to steal it out from under him.

You never know -- if you want it (and don't mind burning local bridges), make every effort to get it, because, most times, people won't do what this woman did and will go with the bidding war.

Oh ... and the price on the F2K isn't terrible ... it's a fun machine to play, pretty easy to fix and, if you want to restore it, the repros are available/coming ...

[Neverending Project]

Oh ... and the price on the F2K isn't terrible ... it's a fun machine to play, pretty easy to fix and, if you want to restore it, the repros are available/coming ...

Interesting. So you think the $350 is worth it, for an almost working machine? I am not above trying to get in contact with him again if he will answer my calls... should I offer $300? $350? I know for a fact that he got all three pins for $275, and he told me he just wants to make his money back so he will have the other two pins for free.

I just don't want to over-spend since I am not entirely sure what I am doing (getting into the whole pin mission... vessel... quest... thang.)

[CheffoJeffo]

I would pay $300 for a partially-working F2K, but the big iffy issue for me would be the speech board. Mine works very nicely, so I've never had to deal with that aspect.

I have an F2K and love it.

For reference, I paid C$450 for it working, except for some bad drop targets ... turned out there is a glitch somewhere and it tilts sometimes when the loading up the ball walker, but I haven't isolated it yet (there are lots of wiring hacks and I decided to learn more before I tackle them).

On mine, the playfield isn't (nearly) as nice as the pic you have (I have significant wear in the planets above the flippers) and the backglass is crap. My plastics are broken (in all the same places that F2K plastics break).

I intend to restore mine completely (once CPR does the playfield repro, I'll be replacing the playfield, backglass and plastics in one $700 shot) and keep it forever (it's like my Galaga ... almost everything else can go, but it's going to stay).

I dunno if I would ever get the money out of it (after restoration) if I wanted to sell it, but it is a fast game for a widebody and a fun game to play.

IPDB Info:
http://www.ipdb.org/machine.cgi?id=887

CPR Repro info:
http://www.classicplayfields.com/order.html

I would be curious to hear what other folks think about the price on the F2K.

[ChadTower]

Pics are vague but backglass looks good, playfield may have some wear to the wood down the middle.  Really depends on what "partially working" means but at $350 it could be a decent deal.

[Neverending Project]

So now my emotions are involved. I don't want to offer him $350 just on principle. But I know that a good deal is a good deal, and I shouldn't let my previous discussions with him cloud that. I am having a hard time offering him anything over what he paid, even though I know that is just some left over bitterness.

So does anyone else think, assuming you can ignore the previous drama, that this is worth $350? In the link, he says "Game powers up, back box lights, then goes through the process of trying to find the ball. After that the game goes into attract mode and cycles some lights on the playfield."

[ChadTower]

There are always other games.  If a deal doesn't feel right walk away.  Basic rule of thumb.

[Lutus]

Offer 275 and leave your number.  If he doesn't take it, and no once else buys it, at some point he may come down off of his high horse and take you up on it.

Otherwise, walk away.  This guy is a dirtbag.   

[shardian]

Agreed on the $275.

He'll eventually take you up on it if you are firm. If not, who cares.

[The_Tyler_Black]

agreed on the 275 also.

if you set a firm price for him and he says no then dont change it because he'll just keep saying no, to see how far itll go up. ive seen that 999,999,999 times.

Stay firm and dont push off on a different number!

[Neverending Project]

Back to the original topic, I found that there are two This Old Pinball video podcasts available for download, and the second one is all about how to break down and re-assemble a game for transporting. Great Resource!

Link
"TOPCast Video Show 02" is all about transporting. (Video Show 01 is the basics about pinball terminology and anatomy)