Arcade Collecting > Pinball
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ChadTower:
I was agreeing with you, if you'll pay attention, and reinforcing that you want multiple references. There are RGP guys who could provide a positive reference and would still rip someone's nuts off in a deal any chance they could. Best practice for this guy is to find someone local that he trusts to provide a decent reference to another local. A pin is something you really just want to see in person before buying if you're not willing to assume the risk.
Jeff AMN:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on June 08, 2009, 03:32:06 pm ---
--- Quote from: akoz on June 07, 2009, 06:37:51 pm ---looks can be deceiving. went to look at the machine and it is not in good condition. He turned it on and shot the ball, i started to play but when i used the left flipper a fuse blew. he changed the fuse and a humming noise happened. then we spent the next 30 mins trying to figure out what went wrong. in the end i am back again on the market for a another pin.
--- End quote ---
Never fix anything when you're buying it. Lower your offer dramatically, and if they don't take it - walk.
--- End quote ---
Yes! This is true for pinball and arcade games. If it's not fixed by the time you get there, it's because they don't know how to service their machines. You might clean up a specific issue, but it's an indicator that other problems might be overlooked. Drop your offer and walk away if they stick to the same asking price. Besides, if you fix it, you just increased the value of the machine, and that's a perk that should be meant for you after you've become the owner.
I went to go buy a Ms. Pac-Man when I was fairly new to collecting. A guy wanted $400 for it, but he said it had issues. I went out there with a few fuses, some solder, and my soldering gun. I was unsure of buying a non-working game, but he said he'd let me work on it for an hour or so before taking it home. Well, fast-forward an hour later and I had it working 100% after fixing a few cold joints and replacing the fuses. I pulled the cash to pay him and he said, "Well now that it works all they way I can't let it go for under $800. They go for that on eBay all day."
I stared at him in disbelief and with a dirty shirt and hands. I just spent an hour fixing his machine and he went and jacked up the price. I told him it would be $50 for the fix, and he refused to pay it and said that we didn't have a deal. What an a-hole.
ChadTower:
Heh, that's when you reach back into the machine to get your flashlight and snip the legs on 5 transistors. Then leave an assprint on his windshield on the way out.
akoz:
my problem is i dont know what you can fix on a pinball machine and what you cant. Can you fix a pealing and chipping playing field, the 4th player does not work is that a simple fix? and now the machine does not turn on. but i think i know what that it. i think his transformer went.
--- Quote ---If you're looking for a machine, and it's your first, I'd suggest asking around here, KLOV's pinball section, and rec.games.pinball. In those places you'll find collectors and people will be generally more knowledgeable and helpful. Prices will be more in line with what they should be, and if something goes wrong you'll find good support. Just be courteous and people will give you all the help you need.
--- End quote ---
i would like to stay local. dont want to ship the machine. but i will for sure see if there is something that catches my eye and still ask tons of questions.
JeepMonkey:
My suggestion would be to either buy a working machine that you can fix small problems that come up for experiance, or buy a project machine cheap to learn on.
You might check out RGP or the KLOV forums to read posts to learn a bit more about pins.
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