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The all new eBay Auctions / Facebook / Gumtree / Shpock 2020 thread!!

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I got the business seller one earlier this week, 100 free listings with £1 max FVF (only 3rd time they have done it for business sellers, once a month so far) started last Monday, runs till Sunday. They have been timed rather well for me, sold a £4,000 book in the first one, second one sales were mixed, this one I'll have to see but I do have a £20,000 item listed which would be usually £1,440 FVF at opening bid.
 
What a bargain indeed!
I hope the usual doesn't happen and people contact the seller to advise him he has made a mistake.
When I saw it was Pontefract I thought it was williams amusements
 
it may be one of the owners of williams amusements as id looks familiar. its a bargain if the displays work. if they are totally dead then its still a good price!

glad it wasnt a space station as ive got a craving for another one of those at the moment!
 
steve brum said:
it may be one of the owners of williams amusements as id looks familiar. its a bargain if the displays work. if they are totally dead then its still a good price!

glad it wasnt a space station as ive got a craving for another one of those at the moment!
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It was listed as below first, with a bin of 800 or start bid of 300, someone bid so bin option was gone! He then relisted as above and sold within seconds!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bally-Wi...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
 
Nice bumpers on Sexy Girl

John Wyatt used to have one in the UK and that IFIRC cost him over £2k many years ago so I dont think this one is that far out the ball park
 
Would this be a good starter pin? I see a lot of comments saying System 3 games are built pretty solid; my only worry is the Helicopter mech arm if it went wrong in the future and I’m not handy. The seller has posted this short video
Can someone with a good eye pick up on anything that I should be asking them? It looks a nice pin and have enjoyed playing the game VR in the past. Am I right in thinking about £1000 is it’s top value- I know some people aren’t so keen on Gottlieb and don’t wanna overpay for something I can’t move on down the line.
 
I own a Gottlieb so am not myopically prejudiced against them. Gottliebs are not good starter pins as they are relatively uncommon in the UK. If it goes wrong, few folk know much about them and most spares need to be imported.

Best starter pin IMHO is a low end wpc era game (90 to 94 era). Good knowledge on this forum. Good on board diagnostics. Far more of them knocking around. Fish Tales, Bram Stokers Drac, World Cup Soccer, BoP .... that sort of thing
 
SteadyP said:
Would this be a good starter pin? I see a lot of comments saying System 3 games are built pretty solid; my only worry is the Helicopter mech arm if it went wrong in the future and I’m not handy. The seller has posted this short video
Can someone with a good eye pick up on anything that I should be asking them? It looks a nice pin and have enjoyed playing the game VR in the past. Am I right in thinking about £1000 is it’s top value- I know some people aren’t so keen on Gottlieb and don’t wanna overpay for something I can’t move on down the line.
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Finally, my time to shine, a question I can answer on this forum! Rescue 911 was my first pin, and remains my only pin, I’ve had it about a year now

I (humbly) disagree that Gottliebs don’t make good first pins, a pin is a pin. But I agree they might not be for everyone. More on that later.

Regarding this specific pin on ebay, the helicopter isn’t working correctly, Its not rotating properly on its vertical axis, and therefore, finishing its cycle in the wrong place. This will have a minor impact on gameplay, as you’ll be flattered by always dropping the ball in a target, rather than it draining to the left flipper. The issue is mechanical, and fixing it is about the same difficulty as replacing the washer in a tap. Parts are difficult to get hold of in the UK, but can be imported from the US, for this issue, you can just cut some rubber to fit Also, the helicopter rotor blade isn’t spinning, but that’s just cosmetic. In other news, there is a fair bit of paint loss on the playfield by the pop bumpers.

As a game, I think R911 is underrated, even among Gottliebs. That playfield art is poor, and the game instructions are simply not explained while your playing. If you read the instructions published online and know its tricks, its plenty deep enough for me, and some of the shots/situations are genuinely satisfying. Where this table really shines is with non-pinball people. Anyone, with a few simple pointers, can call the helicopter, and get a multiball. Other, more credible, machines might be less approachable. I went to pinfest last year, and having played countless other machines, I came away satisfied that £for£, R911 was the right machine for me.

Back to the topic of Gottliebs as a starter pin. If you’re handy, most mechanical issues can easily be fixed with bits you’ve made up yourself. Minor electrical issues are no different to any other machine. There are good guides on diagnosing electrical issues, but some parts will be harder to find (e.g replacement boards). The reward for taking the risk is a much cheaper machine. My machine was in worse condition to the one on ebay now, it cost £850. I’ve probably spend £40 fixing everything on it with no prior pinball knowledge. I’d assume the same journey down the WPC route would have been £1500+
 
… and on Gottlieb parts. Andy stocks some and can also obtain from PBR if requested. However, Best of Pinball in Germany has quite a lot with little difference in postage time and cost. Marco in US is the PITA backup with expensive shipping, but I've rarely needed to use them. As for help, quite a few on here.
 
I'd go for a Gottlieb as a first pin, definitely. Their art packages aren't stellar but the kitchy-ness does have it's certain charm. As long as you don't overpay for it I'm sure you'll be happy with it. ^^ Ditto on Marco. ^^
 
Imho, it's true that less people know about Gottliebs but they tend to be knowledgeable enthusiasts - you know who you are:clap:

For me first pin purchase revolves around the "deal", namely; trusted seller, honest description that fits what you're seeking at a fair price :thumbs: Possibly Ebay not the best hunting ground for those attributes.
 
Why people disregard a whole manufacturer as a good starter pin is beyond me, makes no sense at all. Gottliebs are built like tanks and the system 3 boardset is fantastic. A lot of people on here are too deeply in love with Stern, Bally and Williams to actually appreciate Gottlieb machines which is a shame as they're missing out.

Parts are easily available, I've workshopped 5 Gottliebs and never needed a part that I can't source online. I'd say Gottliebs are the best starter pins you could find, they're under appreciated, they're reliable and they're cheap. If you happen to not like it in the end and you want to sell it on you haven't invested such a large chunk of change to try and get back. VIVA GOTTLIEB!!!
 
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MajesticPinball said:
Why people disregard a whole manufacturer as a good starter pin is beyond me, makes no sense at all. Gottliebs are built like tanks and the system 3 boardset is fantastic. A lot of people on here are too deeply in love with Stern, Bally and Williams to actually appreciate Gottlieb machines which is a shame as they're missing out.

Parts are easily available, I've workshopped 5 Gottliebs and never needed a part that I can't source online. I'd gay Gottliebs are the best starter pins you could find, they're under appreciated and they're cheap, so if you happen to not like it in the end you haven't invested such a large chunk of change. VIVA GOTTLIEB!!!
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Great advice everyone, I don’t want to sink too much money into it (£1200 ish) so am pretty sure this prices me out of most Williams games unless it needs some tlc. I’ve got two kids who would probably like the theme- might help me to justify this to the missus! Gonna see how the auction progresses in case it starts getting overpriced for what it is. Thanks everyone :thumbs:
 
£1200 isn't going to buy you very much these days - you might get a rough WPC but that will be a machine that needs £££ spending on it !

SteadyP said:
Great advice everyone, I don’t want to sink too much money into it (£1200 ish) so am pretty sure this prices me out of most Williams games unless it needs some tlc. I’ve got two kids who would probably like the theme- might help me to justify this to the missus! Gonna see how the auction progresses in case it starts getting overpriced for what it is. Thanks everyone :thumbs:
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And for those wanting a little more Gottlieb diagnostic feedback, you could always try this little PCB that I've just finished.

1590685049130.png


Plugs directly into the MPU and gives you diagnostics for the CPU, the memory chip, and all three riot chips. Basically all the main stuff that goes wrong.

Can't take credit for the code - that was written by Marco Albus.
 
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