Do all tables hold their value?

[retrogamerdaz]

I'm continuing to do my research and am deciding that slow and steady wins the race. I'm looking at starting off with a simpler table (that hopefully won't require masses of maintenance) and slowly build myself up to something my majestic as my money pot (I don't get paid a lot) increases.



Could I say buy a table for £600 then sell it for the same amount and put the money and my savings towards something bigger? Do all tables hold their value, or is it only certain ones that people are interested in? Is there much Interest in non dmd tables, or should I stay away from them? Sorry for all the questions guys.

 

[Multiballs]

That all depends...How long is a piece of string (double half it's length lol) ;-)



The 2nd hand market has boomed in recent years.



What table are you considering to purchase?



Take LOTR (Lord of the rings) for example.. .It may increase in value if another film is brought out.



Don't forget pinballs are rated on playability.. Just because Taxi (for example) sold for x amount doesn't mean that Monster Bash is valued the same.



Ford Fiesta - Bentley. Yes, they are cars but very different in many ways.



You may sell it for x amount get paid x amount on a Monday, then on the Tuesday the same table sells for £250 more that you got for yours. What can you do? Nothing.. That is life.

 

[retrogamerdaz]

I've not decided, because I need to play them all first. I just thought it might be a good way of getting into it without spending money I don't have. so I could play pinball now and slowly work up to a good machine when I know that I'll genuinely continue to play it.

 

[Multiballs]

Quality/playable/interesting table requires a few more quid...

 

[johnwhitfield]

Sadly the underlying trend for pretty much all tables has been upwards. You would be unlikely to lose value on a table you bought off the forum or group. ebay is a far bigger risk if you pay over the odds to start with. You'll probably be able to sell most machines for the buying price unless you've really been scalped. Newer Sterns might depreciate a bit more but most 90s machines will hold their value or (boo hiss) increase



The cost of maintaining them though is where you might find yourself losing a LOT of cash. Beware of machines using the bigger SEGA DMDs, if one them those goes you are looking at a serious chunk of cash. RFM/SWEP1 also have the dreaded prism card and if that goes you will have to dig deep (i discovered that one from bitter experience). Also never believe the "easy fix" quote on ebay....



However, it really depends on how you look at it. I'm happy to spend money replacing parts as I enjoy the machines and it's all part of it. The cost is pretty minor compared to what people are prepared to pay for football etc.

 

[retrogamerdaz]

Cost is a concern for me. I'm not made of money and even £1000 is a huge outlay for me. The plan originally was to wait until my fortieth and get a 2-3 grand table based on a series I like, but that doesn't seem to be a very sensible thing to do now. I think I'm better off starting low and seeing where this interest goes....

 

[Wizcat]

I think so long as you buy a table for a 'fair' price, then you will likely get that money back when it comes to selling up. Where you will 'lose' money is likely on things like delivery (£85 or so), and general maintenance.



New set of rubbers. New set of bulbs, or LEDs. New plastics if they get broken etc etc. The maintenance can be small amounts, but it all adds up. Particularly so if (like me) you're new to the hobby and enjoy the maintenance side of things. Buying new tools and gadgets to help strip and refurbish these machines is enjoyable, but can be expensive

Bottom line is, don't worry too much about it. Chances are whatever you buy you'll be itching for a second machine within a month or two, then a third, fourth etc! You only need to worry about selling when you run out of room!

 

[replicas]

No matter what table you buy from the late 80,s onwards then it will go up in value. The thing is while your table is increasing so are all the others and the grail pin you are hoping to end up with will be going up even more in value. So when you come to sell your first pin , yes you would have made money but the pin you are hoping to end up with is a little further away.

You have to be very lucky in today's market and there aren't many bargains out there.

Get yourself to a show and play as many pins as you can, once you have found some titles that you would like to own then ask on the groups for those machines.

There are some great titles out there and most are just under a grand and the best bargain you are going to find is direct from someone on here or the Yahoo group.

Good luck in your quest for a pinball machine and don't forget don't look to high as you will overlook some great pinball machines.

 

[Calimori]

Better not to look at it as an investment but know that if you buy sensibly, the money you spent should still be there if you need or want to sell up. Like many people, I overspent on my first machine due to setting my mind on something and rushing to buy an available one. Keep calm and shop wisely, you should do fine.



Maintaining a machine is not unlike a classic car, if you want pristine then you will pay for that, or you can buy a good second hand part cheaply.

As for the tools to maintain one, I had a soldering iron, multimeters and wire cutting tools but someone have bought new versions of those plus a load more but that is all part of the hobby.

If I wasn't doing this I would be spending it on something else, I use the beer money exchange rate when the missus asks "how much did that cost", "Less than a round of beer down the pub would".

 

[Multiballs]

A few bargains come along on ebay now & again.



Plus you'll get a well looked after table on here (sale section)

 

[Sgt GrizZ]

Part of the reason prices keep moving up is because a lot of sellers expect to get what they paid for the machine PLUS a bit more on top - you often hear people saying a machine'owes' them X amount sometimes due to the fact they may have replaced some rubbers, bulbs etc...or they factor in delivery charges

So a £600 machine changes hands a few times, everyone expects £100+ more for it than they paid and before you know it its a £1K machine. Vicious circle.

 

[Multiballs]

..I also put it down to the fact we're living on a sinking island. No-one likes loosing out now-a-days.

 

[Replay]

Depends if you buy the right table for the right price. Simple as that but much harder to do.



I usually lose a bit, occasionally a lot but condition is the key factor and being able to assess the condition of a table.



If not sure ask for advice!

 

[ronsplooter]

If you do go looking at tables and there's someone on here you lives near you....might be worth seeing if they'd come along to help out.

 

[replicas]

If you do go looking at tables and there's someone on here you lives near you....might be worth seeing if they'd come along to help out.

Great advice from ronsplooter.