nothing you can do... when they are listed that silly low, you probably would have had to live next door hahaha

I would never go see a pin without cash or a deposit at least.

On the flip side, Ive been burnt by taking alot of guys 'word' on kijiji/craigslist so I can see why he did it.

Thats why its best to buy sell on the forums its different, classified sites, guys can be a little duchey and get away with it.

If you can get those low price people on the phone (which is hard, they are normally flooded by calls and emails) it is normally best to just ask "can I come over to look at that machine?" if they live at all close to you. Normally you can get the people to selling it to you if are standing there ready to buy it. I have not yet had someone tell me to leave and call them in 24 hours so they have time to think about it.

The asking to see the machine is just the excuse to come over in person and avoid the whole waiting around while the bids come in from other buyers. With a motivated seller the winner is normally the person standing in front of them with the cash.

what b.s. no body parts any machine out untill its paid for in cash and in full- then you can take as many trips and come with as many stupid reasons you want to.
also you dont show up on time , im calling the next interested buyer

And how many times has this worked for you? My guess.....zero!

^this

I never understand people that go and look at something that may be a good deal, and leave without it because they're not prepared. So many times I've heard about ''checks, a run to the atm or can I come back with cash''

If you get the opportunity to look at a game that you want, it's only your fault you didn't come home with it.

and on the flip side, always remember no deal is better than a bad deal.

I think we found the Jack*Bot

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/2-machines-available-for-quick-sale

Just saw this one come up for sale in Florida on Mr. Pinball Classifieds: Pinball Machines For Sale: Search Results

Guns N Roses, 1994 Data East: 4950.00
Beautiful. New drop targets and slings balls and manual included. New rose plunger installed. Other pins for sale please call if interested.
Sean, Phone: 407-829-4411
Heathrow, Florida, 20 mins from Orlando
Posted: 15 December 2014

Great...now he's got another chance to make an offer on a Jackbot.

Maybe he'll go higher than $500 this time.

Says OBO -- maybe $600 will take it.

Here's my problem with what you said:
If you are a seller who wants the 1st person with the cash to take it, I get that. BUT, say that up front. To shake someone's hand and agree upon a deal only to change the deal makes you a douche. A seller can be a douche by changing the price or cancelling the sale and a buyer can be a douche by not returning or trying to reduce the amount agreed upon. If I shake someone's hand and agree upon a deal, than it's done. I don't care if it's Pinside, Craigslist, yard sale, or whatever. You stand by what you say...period

So to get back to you, No - selling to the 1st person with the cash does not make you a douche, agreeing to sell to someone, shaking their hand, then changing the deal or selling to someone else DOES make you a douche!

In all my dealings with selling car parts/cars etc...

First one with cash in my hand gets it.

too many flakes and broken promises to be holding out and losing a potential sale.

I had an real old guy show up and buy a fireplace from me. He gave me a check for my asking price $400.00 and told me he would be calling me to schedule the pick up. I never got that call ... I held on to the fireplace for over two years just in case until I moved ... Sold it again.
I guess he must of died????

+1 Money talks , bullshit walks

Too Easy...
When I go see a pin I bring:
1.Vicegripes
2.Flashlight/Voltmeter
3.Pinball skates
4.Military blanket
5.CASH (the right amount)
Anything else and I'd feel like I'd be wasting sellers' time.

Yup that's what I did with a local game. Had his asking price in my pocket and after looking over the game I asked him if he would take $200 less and he said OK ya got a deal. He helped load it up and I came home with it. Cash is King.

I never delete anything I'm selling off Craigslist untill a deposit is at least in hand and I will give them a hand written reciept for Non Refundable deposit with a pick up date. And would not let any part of what I'm selling leave without full payment.
Also a handshake is not a binding deal. There are no legal deals without signature or some money changing hands.

Then there should be no handshake, and it's understood there is no hold.

Your statement does not make sense. There was NO agreement if the seller said give me 24 hrs to make a decision. It appears the only thing agreed upon was you made an offer of $500.

This one is in no way related to the one the OP was trying to buy. This seller has a few nice games up for sale.

Possible. Possible also that he somehow lost track of how to contact you. Maybe he was using the CL ad to track your phone number, and you took down the ad? Either way, I think you waited long enough.

Agree with much of what you said. But happily or sadly, depending on your perspective, there are plenty of agreements enforced without signatures or money changing hands.

He had agreed and we talked a bit more but he got a few more emails and phone calls while I was talking with him. That's when he said "actually give me 24 hours" I should have upped the anti then but still it sounded like he wanted to wait to make a decision and would get back to me before he did. Again... oh well and lesson learned. I should have been the first person there. Next time!

I know that I am late tot he party here, but what I always don't get is why you would spend time talking someone down on a price that is already really good on a machine. I have NEVER lost a machine from someone who says they want $XXXX for their machine and I know that's a fair deal, so I will way I'll take it.

I don't go over there and go, "oh, well, uhm, your translite has a little scratch, how about $100 off the price?" because if someone else comes to see it and they tell the seller that with a couple hundred bucks to fix it up, they could sell it for double the amount, it makes YOU (the buyer) look like a jerk trying to put one over on the seller.

Hey! $2500 was a great deal, but I'll see if I can save some more!

And who knows, $2500 for a project may not have been a great deal, it may have been fair, but again, it's the haggling that is the issue. It opens them up for a bad experience.

If I had seen a GNR for $2500 with pics, and that was a game I really wanted, I would have told him I would have sent a deposit via PayPal immediately if he wanted it, and came out cash in hand to pay the full price ASAP.

I never show up to buy a pinball without cash and my truck to bring it home. If its a good deal I don't want to waist the sellers time on a return trip and eliminate the chance they will sell it out from underneath me. Most people on Craigslist are honest but there are a few with no business ethics/common sense.

When I went to buy my first one, I took what I thought was an acceptable deposit (10%) and that was all. I didn't feel comfortable walking into someones house I had never met with $2,500 in my pocket, or even in my car for that matter. If you're going to get robbed, it's not hard for someone to take your keys and search your car.

I also bought mine on a Sunday right after the banks closed. The seller suggested I take the back box with me as collateral, but ultimately I was able to make a few phone calls and borrow the money for 24 hours.

Having money on hand has never helped me one bit. Too many other guys in the area that are faster than me even though i don't even have a job and can leave at the drop of a hat.

It's not always that simple. I saw a Fish Tales for $700, broken of course. I called the guy and I sent him a PayPal while on the phone for $700. This was at 10:30pm, he didn't want me to come that night so we agreed I'd show up tomorrow.

As I was packing my car the next day he called me and said he sold it to someone else. Then, when he refunded me it was something like $20 short because of PayPal fees for some reason. After telling me the fees were on me I lost it and at least I got the full amount refunded.

OP - Why didn't you just hit up an ATM? I do it all the time. Just call your bank quick, raise the limit on the ATM card, then go to any bank's ATM and start pulling out cash. Bank ATMs will let you pull out more money per transaction. Most banks are at least $500, some are even $1000. So you would have only had $15 in fees at the most. I do this on just about every pin I buy. Unless I know well in advance and have time to go get the cash.

This far into you pinball hobby, you should know by now that you have to act quick on deals, and that no deal is done until cash is exchanged and the pin is in your vehicle. Unfortunately, most people's "word", means shit.

In that case, you should have charged him back using your credit card. If you refund PayPal to someone, you absolutely can give back the fees. Having said that, *that* is a dick move. I've never been screwed over like that. But, I would GLADLY have charged him back for it.

All you people who think a handshake means nothing are douche bags.

Do "knuckles" count too, or is that considered douchbagery as well?

All you people who think a handshake means something are setting yourselves up for disappointment.

I think the principle is very easy, and I am perplexed that a bunch of grown men(women) are finding this concept of buying and selling difficult.
It's easy as 1,2,3!

Step 1: buyer and seller agree on sale price

Step 2: buyer hands over CASH and places in sellers hand.

Step 3: buyer and seller shake hands, perform a "high five", chicken dance, etc

Step 4: buyer shows up the next day with his truck and meets seller at the front door handing him back the CASH with a song-and-a-dance that he and his wife decided to keep it. They just can't part with the memories, or at least, the memory of the other buyer showing up with more money the night before.

I've never made a trip to look at a game without taking an appropriate amount of money with me. As others have said, I don't want to waste my time, or the sellers, and I definitely don't want to lose out on a deal.

I always have a fair amount of cash on hand for quick deals as banks and ATMs aren't always readily available.

In this case, if you'd have had the money with you, the deal likely would have been yours.

As far as the handshake goes, I'm in the "it means something" camp. If I say "deal" and we shake on it, then I stick to it, unless you give me reason not to.

Dave

Nice job, Giardiasis! Cracked me up!

OOOH, the plot thickens!!
Offer him less, or no deal!! I would seriously f$%k with him now.

Same here....sounds to me like at least a Franklin reduction.

Time to go "Kick Tires".

Yep, take the $2400 over there but try to get it for $2000. You Prob coukd of got it for 2k the first day. Just play the "it needs more work than I originally thought card"
Sellers see the green and take what they can get. Bad idea to let them think too long or start talking to others on the phone about the add. I have seen the same CL add go up in price 3 times as the seller
Kept talking to more people.
A few years ago i dam near had a GNR for $1200. He thought too much and when I got there is had changed to $1800. Still a good deal though.

Shook a lot of guys hands over the years on promised deals. 1/2 never happen and I usually find out after I've told other guys lined up item is no longer for sale, and item takes forever to sell or I look like a flaky seller.

So now it's cash in hand, THEN Shake, then help dude load up his bounty. THEN tell others no longer for sale. If you come all the way up to see my pins fs without money or not enough money you've wasted OUR time.