IJ for $1160

every pin I own, except one. LOL

Tales of the Arabian Nights. In the fall of 1998. Bought it from a SEGA arcade in a mall the Denver Co. Because it was a SEGA arcade the TOTAN was not allowed in the arcade proper. They had it set up in the hallway. I contacted the purchasing department and ask them for a price. $ 1.795.00 quoted. The next day went to bank. Withdrew the funds. Called my girlfriend and bought the TOTAN $1,795.00. it was in excellent condition. Joy my girlfriend was not as happy as she had to carry one end of the TOTAN down a long hallway and then into my utility trailer. then we drove 60 miles back to Colorado Springs and she helped my carry it into my house. I move all my pinball with the legs on. Did not get any woopie that night.

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I'd rather not give a specific number, but my AFM was had for less than 1/3 of its current value. It was a pretty good trade for the time, but not nearly as crazy of a deal as it would be today.

All my pins was a steal with the exception of maybe one.

The early 90's was the best time to be in this hobby!

I paid $200 or less for %90 of the pins I've ever owned. The other 10% were between $200 and $350.

Jason

1400 for a heck of a STTNG, was reimport, hardly any NZ wear, NICE cabinet except for the head decals.

200 for a working Pinbot was pretty good too.

One day I saw a Craig's List ad from a couple hundred miles away for a non working Cleopatra and I figured if I could get it fairly cheap I could make one machine out of two (I had just purchased one that went through a flood and playfield was toast). Anyway - when the guy got back to me I told him I couldn't pay a lot for his machine since I would have a full 8 hour day of driving plus fuel to go get it. He said "you don't understand it is FREE" so you don't have to pay anything for it.

I made arrangements to run to his place the next afternoon and figured I would at least give him $100 so he could take his wife out for dinner or something. He wouldn't take a dime and told me he was just happy to see someone who wanted it get it because he didn't want to just put it out to the trash.

Not a high value machine or anything but I did manage to make one super nice Cleopatra out of two machines and made a customer very very happy when they bought to from me a few months later. I didn't put it together to sell it but after it was done I decided it just didn't fit into my line up. So after playing it and enjoying it for a few months it went to a buddy of mine and he still has it.

Not pinball, but I picked up a beat-up Area 51 for $15 at an auction. The monitor was shot but the boards were fine.

In all seriousness, In todays market, I have done pretty good in most of my pin purchases.

My pretty close to best was the TAF that I purchased for my daughter in february of 2012. A week earlier, my daughter played TAF at the laundromat for the first time. " Daddy, I like this game, buy me an Addams Family please". Was quickest draw on a CL ad. It was a little over an hour away. Headed over with a pocket full of cash. It was pretty dirty and not 100% working.... But it had mylar on playfield, no burn, and a new DMD installed with magnet fuses too. Toasted connectors on the driver board. Spent several months cleaning it, etc. Playfield turned out very nice. not cq, but still very nice. He was asking 2800. I got it for either 2400 or 2600, I cant remember which. Either way. It was a good deal. It gets happily played regularly.

$2600 for a TOTAN in pretty good shape.

$50 for NNG and CP

You are one lucky expletive!

300 for a working time machine and 300 for a bally bmx also working.

Ask me again in 5 years

Medieval Madness for $15,000? You'll be bragging about that by Christmas.

I overpaid and undersold pretty much all my pins except maybe one. I don't belong in this club, but this is a tag; cause maybe one day...

My next best deal will be my first best deal, ever...

I'll flip this on it's head a bit... my $3k Space Station.

There is a longer story here, so the short version is I overpaid at auction for a game well on it's last legs, and it blew up VERY early on. Didn't know much of what I was doing, so started trying to buy parts and learn how to fix it. Put enough into it that when you combine purchase price and repair parts, it would be right around that $3k level. And the game looks like trash still, I doubt I could get $800 for it today.

But, it's my best deal because it taught me SO much. I learned what to look for when buying machines. I met a ton of friends that I still have today when I was buying parts. I learned how to repair most issues that come up on machines myself. How to "play the game" at auctions. And lots more.

If it wasn't for that "deal", I don't know what I'd have or what I would have paid for it today. That game has saved me WELL over $3k because of all of that since then.

I got a Firepower for free that wasn't working and in the mid 90s I bought 2 KISS machines for $300. One needed a new power board one needed a new fuse. they were both FILTHY also.

I got a williams Honey for no $ (spent 45 minutes repairing his garage door for trade) He couldnt figure out why about 5 seconds after he would start a game it would stop. I brought it home and found out the ball tilt contact was stuck closed. Quick repair and we played the heck out of it...it got me into the hobby.

Hit a CL ad within a minute of posting and scored a $980 Funhouse. Best part was finding out I had spoken to the seller's husband numerous times on the phone at my previous job and never knew it! A great story and a after a little cleanup, a great score too! She wouldn't take a penny more even after followup callers offered upwards of $3K for it. Classy gal.

I got a HUO TSPP for $3800 and still have it.

This was in 2005 but..

Rush the rock alcatraz sit down racers X2
Marvel superheroes
Area 51
Attila the Hun - working project
Tekken 3
Street Fighter II

$2200
All worked but attila and some coin mechs.

Picked up a real nice WH2O 2 years ago for $1,500. It was a pretty good deal then that looks like a much better deal today.

a DH for $1500 and swaped a JB for a mint condition t3....... this is in Australia so prices are different

Got a Mousin' Around for FREE once. That was long ago.

More recently, a LOTR for $2600.

Chris

For a about 5 years ago, I bought a Out-run deluxe moving car arcade machine of ebay germany for about 250$ - when picking it up, they had a t2 on the floor without legs on and missing glass - I could just take it if I wanted it - naturally I did and still have it!
It looked bad because of all the dust and dirt from missing the glass, but a perfect playfield without any wear was hiding under!

My dad stumbled on a Williams Fire! for 50 bucks. He was at a garage sale and started talking to the nice gentleman by the house. Turns out the guy was a fire chief but had recently retired... He had TONS of collectible items related to firefighting... then he tells my dad he even has a fire machine. So my dad asks him if he was selling that as well, he said yup.... my dad asked how much and he said 50 bucks. Really nice guy. It didnt work, boards had battery damage... but after getting them fixed, and replacing a the displays, worked like charm.

Taf £1700

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Sttng £700

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My Tron LE for a less than a new pro.

Already came signed back in 2009

Routed STTNG for $1200.

Touche' I got mine for 3400 and it had 56 plays on it when I purchased it!

HUO TOTAN for $2500

I really hate reading this post, so jealous. I do it to myself though. Waiting to get lucky someday.

I just offered someone $500 for a Taxi in good shape which he accepted. Then before I had a chance to go get it someone offered him a $1000.

Close. But no cigar.

That's just wrong!

Working Rollergames for $150

Years ago I got 6 Pack of Pins:

Rocky & Bullwinkle
Terminator 2
Dr. Dude
Back to the Future
2x DE Simpsons
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Total: $1300

Then I did this dance all the way home

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Hahahahaha love that dance

Free:

A "free pinball machine" showed up on CL. I wrote an email with the subject line "Don't give that machine away it's probably worth something" and wrote a quick note saying I'd give them a little money for it.

Got an email back a day later "Hello. I received over 100 emails and yours was the only one that was honest and offered money...so I'm going to give it to you for free."

It turned out to be a sunbaked Pot O Gold. Cute little machine, pretty beat up but was thrilled to have picked it up anyway...

Oh so many good ones...where to begin? Pinball has been good to me.

I got a free Rolling Stones.

Bally mystic, elektra, and skateball 300 for all 3!

I've had my fair share. Got a working but dirty F-14 for $260 this year and a Diner earlier in the year for $300, but it needed a lot of work. My TZ was under $4k this year and my RS was a really nice price as well.

I agree. This makes me sad angry.

one question...how?