Id pick this up in a snap, but dont know anyone going to York.

Great Buy!

Unfortunately folks, this never happened. This game was posted for sale both here, and on RGP. I was the first to contact Mr. Piel, and he texted me that "the game is yours", but he never delivered. He says he had the game loaded and was driving to the show, when suddenly he had to turn around due to "an unexpected turn of events". Now he doesn't want to "move the game", but this "isn't normally the way (he does) things". Apparently, he made an exception in my case! Don't do business with this chump.

Felt a bit bad for JR. (I was there in person) I hate when a deal goes sour for whatever reason, and could tell he was pretty let down by this issue after being promised it was his.

You two are still pretty close in terms of location, maybe you could still work something out, particularly cpiel. JR is a great asset to the pinball community and it sounded like he really deserved to finally own this title, if he's still interested, of course. Sounds like he was paying your asking price as well?

Either way, I hope if you did have a legitimate emergency for backing out that everything is alright and that you and your family are okay. If not [legitimate], well...

Thanks for your input Steven, but I severely doubt there was any legitimate emergency, otherwise he would have offered to have me pick up the game on my way home from York. I hope Mr. Piel is content that his name and reputation are equal to (X-$395).

Until the money changes hands, I don't see that anyone owes you anything. If you were driving to his house and the story changed when you got there, maybe then, but it sounds like he changed his mind or found a buyer for more money which is totally his right. You're out how much cash now? $0? That's right. Move on and find another machine. If you wanted it that badly you should have driven to his house ASAP instead of waiting for delivery or a meet part way.

Read the original posting. There was a pinball show in York, PA which we were all attending. He was supposed to bring it. I don't know about you, but when someone says "the game is yours", that is giving your word that you will deliver on what was promised. I hope this doesn't ever happen to you because I know you wouldn't be happy about it.

Nice work joe.

Your bad seller post was really necessary and really contributed to the hobby and pinside. Thanks for warning us all about this terrible seller.

Let's not bury the lede here, you have a hot dog serving station? Amazing. On the plus side, you never have to share hot dogs with this guy again!

JrPinball wants everyone to know the following:

------------- start message --------------------------

"The moderators and Robin were gracious enough to allow me to respond to the following posting made by “cpiel” regarding his reneging on a deal we had made for a Gottlieb “Skill Pool” machine. The thread was closed before I had a chance to reply to it.

Quote: I just received the following from someone who was at York and claims to have been "close to the situation":
"Don't sweat it Cliff, we all know you're a stand up guy. Joe was planning to flip the game at the show and he's just upset because he lost out on quick cash. Keep it or sell it to a real collector who will appreciate it because his hundreds of games are just rotting in a shed."

I had absolutely no intention of flipping the game Cliff was supposed to bring to me. I did intend to set it up for free-play in “woodrail row” at the show if it was working as he said it did. I was intending to bring this woodrail home, as well as another one I was planning to buy. At this point, I’m looking to buy woodrails, not sell them.
I don’t know who this person is who was “close to the situation”, but he obviously has contempt for me. As far as being a “real collector”, I’m not sure what that means. I have machines in storage, as do many other major collectors that I know. They are well kept, and not “rotting in a shed”. All of this is beside the point anyway. I have a love and passion for EM pinballs that I would match with anyone else in this hobby. This whole situation is regrettable and unfortunate, and could have easily been avoided if Cliff had just followed through on the deal he made with me. He never even called me to explain why he suddenly backed out, and has not replied to any messages I have sent him since.

------------- end message -------------------------

With that, both parties have had a chance to state their story.

Closing at OP request.

Marcus