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Wanted Pins That Need Love

PBrookfield

PBrookfield

Resident Uneconomical Repair Representative
Joined
Mar 23, 2017
Messages
1,338
Location
Wolverhampton, UK
Alias
Paul
I'm posting this here in case another offer that I received (via your frankly great forum!) doesn't pan out with the seller's expectations.

While I'd love to get an F14 as it is The Game I remember from many moons ago, and is a great table all round today and is stupidly fast (which I like a lot) I'm very open to the idea of acquiring a different game for my first.

I obviously have preferences, but my only real criteria is that it's enough of a beater table that the price desired is <= £500. I'll stretch a bit more for an F14. The only other games I'd be willing to feel the sting a bit more for, well, I have enough common sense to know already that they cost much more in any condition.

Anything that isn't a pile of wood chips or burnt ashes is a worthy candidate in my eyes. Doesn't work? No problem. Loads of electrical gremlins? My favourite. The table is all broken and smashed? Bring it on.

Hoping my meagre offering is realistic, but I haven't truly got a clue as I only see prices quoted for lovely examples.
 
Sadly you have chosen to get a machine right in the middle of a huge peak in interest in pinball. I can't recall anything decent being up for sale around the £500 mark for a while. Certainly nothing from the Systemm 11 era.
 
stoptap said:
Sadly you have chosen to get a machine right in the middle of a huge peak in interest in pinball. I can't recall anything decent being up for sale around the £500 mark for a while. Certainly nothing from the Systemm 11 era.
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Yeah, the prices I've seen lately have been eye watering, especially when looking at threads from years ago on most if not all pinball forums shows just how far the prices have raised.

Hence, hoping I can find something that others would call a lost-cause project... whereas it just means more glory when it's done for me.
 
The problem is the pool of project machines has been steadily drained over the last 10 to 15 years. Combined with ever spiralling prices and lack of supply of many titles ......especially Sys 11 and older ... means that even potential fixer uppers can command good prices. We've all seen 'project fever' strike on ebay :rolleyes:

It's a shame but nothing any of us can do about it really. It was nice 10 years ago picking up fixer uppers for couple hundred quid on ebay with not too much trouble <sigh>
 
Ah, bugger. It does make sense to be honest. Well, if I have no luck here, I'll just have to keep my pocket money saved and aim a bit higher later on...
 
PBrookfield said:
Ah, bugger. It does make sense to be honest. Well, if I have no luck here, I'll just have to keep my pocket money saved and aim a bit higher later on...
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Luck def plays a part. Project pins do still sometimes pop up on ebay/gumtree etc often with old skool prices ....but you need to jump on them FAST.

Other than that just good old fashioned networking can sometimes turn up results. Tell everyone and anyone you meet you are looking for pinball machines , you'd be surprised how many are still lurking unloved in garages/outhouses/unused games rooms .... you just gotta find them.

When we put on the Slam shows we often had 'Mr Joe Public' approach us with the usual tale of a pin in his garage that doesn't work anymore, someone gave it to him years ago etc etc. Did we want to buy it, fix it etc. May seem weird to us but majority of people who own pins don't frequent forums like this. I know ...i know :hmm::D
 
I think it's common to think that a doer-upper will be a cost effective way into the hobby, but sadly that's not been the case for well over 5 years, perhaps longer. You'll end up with way more work than you are anticipating, and will almost certainly spend more doing it up than the machine's eventual value - especially with the less popular titles (F14 comes into that category). If you really enjoy the project work, then you might find something out there to work on, but expect to pay almost the same for a project as an average condition working game; so do it because you really want to own and keep that pin.

On the other hand, if you envision yourself playing them and turning them over every few months (as I think the majority of people on here do) then you are far better off paying more up front and buying something in good condition from here - see the pricing thread to ask questions if you are offered anything by PM. You'd have to pay way over the odds for a 90's DMD game to then go on to lose money when you came to sell it, so your initial outlay is relatively safe. Good luck with your first purchase :)
 
@JT. is bang on the money here

Folk overpay for project games. Far better to buy a decent one or a dirty one that is fundamentally sound that just needs spit, polish and a few quid spending
 
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Thanks for the advice, guys - duly noted. Although new to pinball as an ownership hobby, I already know F14 will not be going anywhere once I get it, I'm willing to bend the rules of economy somewhat there.

But yeah, I was considering a renovate-and-flip way of getting through titles, as I fancy myself as good at not cutting corners while being as frugal as possible - so if there was any supply of good project machines out there, I think I'd do well on it. But it's clear I'm well late for that plan!

So except for F14 I'll just have to break my piggy bank and be more selective...
 
PBrookfield said:
Thanks for the advice, guys - duly noted. Although new to pinball as an ownership hobby, I already know F14 will not be going anywhere once I get it, I'm willing to bend the rules of economy somewhat there.

But yeah, I was considering a renovate-and-flip way of getting through titles, as I fancy myself as good at not cutting corners while being as frugal as possible - so if there was any supply of good project machines out there, I think I'd do well on it. But it's clear I'm well late for that plan!

So except for F14 I'll just have to break my piggy bank and be more selective...
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Sorry to be disheartening, but best be realistic ;).

Search out @Nedreud 's various posts in the Shop Log section of the forum to see how much effort it is to do what you are thinking, and also how much fun it can be. But, also, bear in mind that Peter is probably one of less than 5 (<2?) people on this forum who can do what he does, to that level of quality, within a budget, and I don't think he sells them very often either :thumbs:
 
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If I listed everything that I've done to a project MX-5 car I'm working on, you'd consider me insane. The only reason I'm not done with it is because it is very hard to do chassis bodywork when you don't have a garage and have to work outside.

A pinball table that can live indoors (except when using spraypaint) would be a relief!!
 
Why not borrow one for a bit from a friend? Plenty of folk don't mind lending out games to people they know, it's better than them gathering dust or risking damp damage when they're tombstoned and unplayed.
 
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cooldan said:
Why not borrow one for a bit from a friend? Plenty of folk don't mind lending out games to people they know, it's better than them gathering dust or risking damp damage when they're tombstoned and unplayed.
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Good idea. Now if anybody would like to lend me a Tron I would be most pleased. :)
 
Welcome some good advice here, but remember all pins need love!
Projects do come along now and again it sounds like you've already got off to a good start with the F14 I can't remember when I last saw one up for sale so hope it comes off
 
cooldan said:
Why not borrow one for a bit from a friend? Plenty of folk don't mind lending out games to people they know, it's better than them gathering dust or risking damp damage when they're tombstoned and unplayed.
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I don't have any friends because I pour my free time into projects. :( lol

Tony said:
Welcome some good advice here, but remember all pins need love!
Projects do come along now and again it sounds like you've already got off to a good start with the F14 I can't remember when I last saw one up for sale so hope it comes off
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Yeah, I'm realising the fact that the chance sprung so fast upon my entry here, doesn't mean it was a common chance...
 
Shop log required we all love lots of photos and you never know someone might be able to help out!!!!
 
We can all dream when tables cost an awful lot less.

It is like houses - all the prices adjust pretty well together.

Certainly less project games get sold these days. Why not contact Phil Palmer at Pinball Heaven as he sometimes buys a few games in 'unseen' and they dont meet his standard so they get sold on quickly as-is.
 
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@PBrookfield

Get to know folk by going to shows and the very friendly uk pinball league (do a google search for uk pinball league).

Project games do come along. Selling pinball machines is no fun - so guys will sell to folk they know at a discounted price if the sale is quick, clean, no stupid ebay-isms (would you take a marshall amp/ crossbow/ bull castration equipment ... in exchange ?)

But these are respond in minutes, collect within a day or two, hand over folding cash scenarios

Games can sell on here and ebay in 2 minutes

F14 is a great choice. I remember seeing one in a pier arcade in the mid 80s. It was probably the first game I played with the flasher bulbs in it, and was from the time that pinball machines emerged from their cost cutting abyss around 82 to 85.
 
PBrookfield said:
I don't have any friends because I pour my free time into projects. :( lol
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Make yourself some time for trip to Tilt in Birmingham. It might be the cheapest short term option for getting a few games in.

If you did ever find a £500 project, other than spending a fortune restoring it, you'll only want another one shortly afterwards. Accept the expensive path of ownership & maintenance now, or live forever longing.

Also, an MX-5 will not hold a pinball. Ditch it. Then again, neither do VW estates, without backbox removal. My next car will be a van.
 
Monkeyboypaul said:
Also, an MX-5 will not hold a pinball. Ditch it. Then again, neither do VW estates, without backbox removal. My next car will be a van.
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Heresy. You'll have to pry that MX-5 out of my cold, dead hands, and even then with a crowbar.
Thankfully it's not my only vehicle available to me - my parents car is perfectly suited to transporting pins.

I'll resolve the friends bit with a little time, I'm sure!
 
Alternatively buy a project em for £100 - 200 and spend 150 hours doing it up so it plays fantastic!
 
Beware of flipped pins too. This is where a pin of negligible value and desirability is sold on ebay or the like underprice, then reappears at double that price on the same selling medium shortly afterwards.
 
paddythegreek said:
What about this on Gumtree
https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-household-goods/1950s-pinball-machine-/1226517404
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That's just insane. But as said above, I'm not sure it's even worth me getting in touch - at three days old I imagine it's long gone.

paddythegreek said:
Or for those among us that like a challenge
https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-video-games/parts-pinball-machine-game-07448733546/1225488943
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Fails my one requirement of not being a pile of wood chips - anything with mold like that is already shrapnel, but just doesn't know it yet.
Should just get it, wipe it down with a bit of Cillit Bang and sell it as a great condition vintage, just needs finishing on eBay for £2,499 :rofl:
 
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