How much would you pay for this? - Sight unseen

[brad808]

Ok so here's the scoop:

I have a buddy that works for a storage company that is having an auction (like storage wars kind of deal). I get a phone call from him saying there's a unit I'd be interested in. Nobody knows what is inside the units until auction but he's the guy that cuts the locks off and puts theirs on. He took a quick peek inside and said there was a mario pinball machine, a driving machine and one or two others as well as a bunch of boxes possibly personal type stuff.

Now the problem is I can't make it to the auction so my only real alternative is to send a friend down there to bid on the unit for me. It's the type of auction that you write down how much you'd be willing to pay for the unit and then at the end when they collect whoever had the most on their sheet wins the unit. He said usually about a dozen or so people go to these and half of them buy and sell for a living (said they like funiture and such).

So here I am in a situation where I can't even see the machines or the competition that would be bidding against me to feel out a good price to put on the unit. If it's only me vs people I can tell couldn't care less about the machine then I would put a much lower number down. If I put down $1000 and win but the next highest bid was $100 then I kinda screwed myself.

My friend has no idea what games would be worth. A pole position game vs a need for speed game would also drastically change how much I'd be willing to spend. Beavis and buthead standup vs a golden tee... you get the idea. Condition being another factor. Another problem is its always going to be a risk without testing them out which nobody can do.


It's going to be really hard without being there but I was thinking of saying $1000 for the unit, $1200 at the max if stuff looks new and good condition and to use his better judgement if the price should be lower. If I win the stuff I'd be happy with $1000 to see what is there. If I get outbid then no big deal I'll just give my friend some cash and a steak dinner/ beer for wasting his time for me. 


Let's hear the opinions

[Nephasth]

Depends... When and where is the auction?

[brad808]

Depends... When and where is the auction?

Haha 2013..... in Africa 

[drventure]

1000$ is a lot of money to spend on an unknown, in my book. I guess that just depends on your tolerance for risk.

For instance, I'm happy to blow 20-30$ on a power tool at a swap meet where they can't plug it in but they tell me it works.

But if it's 300$, I'd likely not do it. That's a lot to get home, plug it in and get nothing.

If you're friend has any concept at all of vids and their worth, though, the risk would be much less. If they open the door and he can step inside and realize that all the guts of the machines have been stripped, and realize what that would mean to the value of the machines, you'd probably be ok.

Or ask your friend to do the "other thing" for you so you can go to the auction  

[yotsuya]

Does that $1000 get you everything in the unit?

[brad808]

Does that $1000 get you everything in the unit?

Yes you get the entire contents of the unit you purchase. That is if $1000 would win it. Its a situation where this guy could be hoarding boxes of old school notes from when he was in grade 1 or he could have boxes of jewlery and $100 bills. Just never really know.


If I did spend the $1000 and the unknown machines worked I'd be happy, on the flip side if I bought a pile of empty machines for $1000 I'd be a little gutted.

[yotsuya]

If I had the $1000 free, I'd do it. Especially if I knew there was a pin and a few arcade games in there.

[brad808]

So my friend that works at the storage company said he'll let me know tomorrow but he might be able to work some magic and let me take a peak inside. If so I'd feel much better about the whole situation, even if I can't touch or go in at least it would give me a way better picture of the unit as a whole. Looks like I might be buying two steak dinners if he can pull that one off.

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[CheffoJeffo]

I would not count on the vids being worth anything.

A Super Mario pin has potential, but you are overpricing at $1000.

A lesson you learn early on in collecting is not to get overexcited just because you find an opportunity.

[Gray_Area]

A lesson you learn early on in collecting anything is not to get overexcited just because you find an opportunity.

[brad808]

I'm going to let this thread die now. It didn't amount to anything. The auction was yesterday and I was unable to get anyone to go there for me. The only new information I have is that there was also a few vending machines and he thinks one of the games was a space invaders. I was told it sold for a little over $1400.

[brad808]

The pinball was the main attraction for me. The guy that got the unit is a "regular" at the auctions and bought the unit to flip it and make some cash. My number is being passed along to him to see if we can work out a deal on some of the stuff, primarily the pin. We will see what comes of it.

Sent from my Desire HD

[abispac]

i got one of those SMB pinballs, if you guys are interested, its located at Socorro TX, i have to plugg the thing to see if it works, as i recall it was working just fine.Let me know if yu guys are interested.Pin its in good shape.

[Q*Bert_OP]

i got one of those SMB pinballs, if you guys are interested, its located at Socorro TX, i have to plugg the thing to see if it works, as i recall it was working just fine.Let me know if yu guys are interested.Pin its in good shape.

I'll offer $500 for it non-working.

More if it works and is decent condition or better.

PM me.

[ChadTower]

There is one at an arcade about an hour from me I visit often.  Once you get good at it the ball times on SMB are the longest I have ever seen. 

[yotsuya]

He's cockblocking you, James.

[abispac]

i got one of those SMB pinballs, if you guys are interested, its located at Socorro TX, i have to plug the thing to see if it works, as i recall it was working just fine.Let me know if you guys are interested.Pin its in good shape.

I'll offer $500 for it non-working.

More if it works and is decent condition or better.

PM me.

Ill stop by the warehouse today and let you know if it works or not.I guess the problem would be shipping but if you are planing to come to Texas the everything should be OK.

[Gray_Area]

Probably for the best.  I'm at the stage where I'd have to take something out to my back yard and smash it to make room.

I thought you had two games on the chopping block.

[abispac]

@ qbert-op: pm sent