I asked about world poker tour values on the forum the other day. Detective @mark9 put one and one together and asked on the thread whether I was looking at the game being sold by this guy on eBay. This prompted a few warnings from forum members about this seller's probity and past problems folk had experienced. I also got comments from other people saying they had and would buy from him
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STERN-2006-WORLD-POKER-TOUR-PINBALL-MACHINE-CHROME-PLATED-TRIM-AND-FULLY-LEDS-/221804396553?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a4928009&nma=true&si=oNYSnzcjV%2FZ%2BTaHqHhYWDknjf7Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
I had never met or dealt with Tobin before. I had a long chat with him on the phone about the condition of the game, extent of any wear, the warnings I had received on the forum etc and then travelled to Hove and bought the wpt from him yesterday for the agreed 1,800.
Given that people clearly have views on this guy, I just thought I would impartially relay my own experience. The game was as described. I gave it a good test at Tobin's place, played a few games, went through the diagnostics etc and it seemed fine. I adjusted a faulty switch I spotted whilst I was there. Having got it home and been over it more thoroughly .....
Three 5 minute jobs:
it was missing just one bulb
One 3a fuse had been wrongly replaced with a 5a
I had to adjust a wireform ramp to raise it by a mm
One 15 minute job:
I had to tighten the rail bolted to the cabinet that the playfield slides as this was disconnecting a plug from a socket in a drop target bank. There is only a small amount of clearance here, but that is a game design point
It is early days, I know, but it now all seems fine and withstood a couple of hours play today. I think at least this amount of niggles would be expected with the vast majority of games you might buy on eBay. I certainly had massively more trouble with the TZ and Vector I bought on eBay. And my eBay fathom is an entirely different universe of pain.
Tobin is clearly a dealer. He imports from Europe, sells them on. I would look at his games again, but in the knowledge that he is buying games from Europe essentially blind, giving them a once over and selling on. And I recognise that he does not go through his games with the same eye for detail that many on this forum would.
I płayed the Gottlieb Caveman he was selling on eBay a couple of times. I did not look inside it or test it. But it looked in remarkably good nick as it has a factory mylared playfield. The cabinet was in great condition too. Couple of broken plastics. Won't be many left in the world in this condition. Really basic game play, and a hugely complex beast that I would never risk buying for fear of future repairs of stuff I just do not understand as it is a full size (basic) video game and a full size (basic) pinball in one !,,,, an interesting pinball folly
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STERN-2006-WORLD-POKER-TOUR-PINBALL-MACHINE-CHROME-PLATED-TRIM-AND-FULLY-LEDS-/221804396553?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a4928009&nma=true&si=oNYSnzcjV%2FZ%2BTaHqHhYWDknjf7Y%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
I had never met or dealt with Tobin before. I had a long chat with him on the phone about the condition of the game, extent of any wear, the warnings I had received on the forum etc and then travelled to Hove and bought the wpt from him yesterday for the agreed 1,800.
Given that people clearly have views on this guy, I just thought I would impartially relay my own experience. The game was as described. I gave it a good test at Tobin's place, played a few games, went through the diagnostics etc and it seemed fine. I adjusted a faulty switch I spotted whilst I was there. Having got it home and been over it more thoroughly .....
Three 5 minute jobs:
it was missing just one bulb
One 3a fuse had been wrongly replaced with a 5a
I had to adjust a wireform ramp to raise it by a mm
One 15 minute job:
I had to tighten the rail bolted to the cabinet that the playfield slides as this was disconnecting a plug from a socket in a drop target bank. There is only a small amount of clearance here, but that is a game design point
It is early days, I know, but it now all seems fine and withstood a couple of hours play today. I think at least this amount of niggles would be expected with the vast majority of games you might buy on eBay. I certainly had massively more trouble with the TZ and Vector I bought on eBay. And my eBay fathom is an entirely different universe of pain.
Tobin is clearly a dealer. He imports from Europe, sells them on. I would look at his games again, but in the knowledge that he is buying games from Europe essentially blind, giving them a once over and selling on. And I recognise that he does not go through his games with the same eye for detail that many on this forum would.
I płayed the Gottlieb Caveman he was selling on eBay a couple of times. I did not look inside it or test it. But it looked in remarkably good nick as it has a factory mylared playfield. The cabinet was in great condition too. Couple of broken plastics. Won't be many left in the world in this condition. Really basic game play, and a hugely complex beast that I would never risk buying for fear of future repairs of stuff I just do not understand as it is a full size (basic) video game and a full size (basic) pinball in one !,,,, an interesting pinball folly
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