Weren't they all diamond plated? With that being thevcase I'm not sure if the question has an answer.

No, only a handful were. Not sure on the exact number but it seems like the DP ones are the ones that held up the best over the years. I'd say it could add a few hundred more on to the price, although that's dependent on the current condition of the machine.

Diamond plate was in the testing stage when Diner and some other games (Whirlwind comes to mind) came out.

I don't know the exact number, but it is more uncommon to see a Diamondplated Diner machine. However, I would not add anything to the value if there are issues with the inserts. Just the diamondplate, if the playfield was perfect, would add something I would think. Maybe $200-400?

That is just a guess though.

I'd rather have a mylared machine with no insert wear than a diamondplated machine with insert wear. But, if you're going to have it restored, then my arguments are moot, LOL.

Chris

The fact that it has diamond plate directly affects how nice the playfield looks at the time you are purchasing. That being said, diamond plate playfields can be beat to shi*t so I would ask for lots of pics if you have not seen it in person. So it affects the value mosty on how well it has already protected the playfield all these years. Once you get it home you will be taking good enough care of it that it wont see the kind of wear and tear a Pin at a bar would see, so the Diamond Plate will in a way already have done its job.

Very practical assessment......Oh, I see

Well said.

Chris

That sounds very high to me for Diner to begin with. Book value is around $1600. Also, it depends on what inserts have wear. If it is the "Diner" in the middle or the people sitting at the table, that should drastically reduce the value. I had to put decals over mine and they don't fit perfectly and they are not transparent so it kills a lot of the effect of the 89 flashers underneath.

However, if it's any of the other inserts, you can get reverse printed mylar decals that fit really well from Little Shop of Games for I think around $40-50. You can scrap the worn silkscreen and clearcoat with a small sharp chisel held vertically, wet sand with fine grit sandpaper, polish with novus 2, allow to dry and apply decal with a bray. These will come out pretty nice; however, it still takes time.

That's my two cents, and also, make sure that left ramp up/down mech is working properly! I had to replace the small coil on mine and it has been a HUGE pain getting the stupid little down mechanism to function properly. After hours of futzing with it, I finally broke the lip last night and had to order a new one from Marcos. It's just a very precise adjustment that is a real pain to get right.

You're off base here. Sold a very nice non diamond plate diner for $2,300 6 months ago. a DP Diner is well sought after and hard to get, I believe they also had the yellow ramp and were samples?

At $2,200 I would grab it and ask questions later, you will have no problem selling it for that.

Sure, a routed Diner sells for $1600, but nicer examples push 2k these days. I'd jump all over a nice DP Diner for $2200 if it was a game that I really wanted.

Sounds like a good deal to me.I sold a minty non DP Diner in the early 90's and the buyer was thrilled.This pin is sought after by folks with ...well Diners.As a side note my sample FH is DP and in perfect shape.With only 200 made it adds more than a few hundred IMO.Forgot to add I sold that Diner for 2K.

Look at it this way.

If the playfield is perfect, the Diamondplate is the topcoat so that is good.

If the playfield needs some wear repaired, some touch up work done, or even insert decals, then a new clear coat will be applied and the ball will never touch the Diamondplate anyway.

I think the poster is just asking if there is a premium for the Diamondplate, and the answer is yes, at least according to a previous discussion regarding Whirlwind on Pinside. Approximate figures given there were $200-$400. Actually getting that much more is going to depend on a lot of things, especially what the playfield looks like right now.

Unless the playfield is perfect, I would not pay a penny more for Diamondplate.

Another benefit of Diamondplate - the whites stay *white*. No yellowed look on the playfield, even with a little wear.

I'd pay a premium for a decent DP, even with a little wear - I like my whites to gleam white. Not yellow or shellac'd

If all games of that title are DP, then I don't think it adds value. If half the game run is DP and the other half is not, then it adds value.

DP playfield should mean the playfield is in exceptional condition compared to one that's not. If it's worn to shit like most TAF's. It won't add a cent to value.

Not sure how many Whirlwinds or Diner were DP.I've seen a few WW way back and the playfield s seem to hold up much better than mylared versions.Again it all depends on everything else but it sounds like a nice Diner for sure.

exactly my point, if the playfield is trashed the fact its diamond plate is now worthless.

Make sure the diverter in the coffee cup works properly.Thats a mother to access.Hopefully all the customers are in their respective windows too.Fun game.

Any of these system 11 games that have a DP playfield are pretty rare. As already mentioned, only a handfull of the machines from the beginning of the production run get them - maybe around 50. They aged much better than the non DP machines; the colors stay much more vibrant and bright, and the inserts don't pop from my experience.

As for value, it definetly affects the price IMO. I have a very nice DP Diner #26 in my collection than a collector friend has been wanting to buy from me for a couple years. He is ready to step up at $3550, I'm just trying to decide if I want to let it go because they are so hard to find.

They sure did on my Rollergames... BUT, the caveat is that we were able to level them back down and there was no damage to the artwork or inserts due to them popping! The thing still plays smooth and fast with no noticeable ball travel effects since we fixed them. The cliffy sleeve that just BARELY nudges the ball STDM when you nail the right orbit is far more of a gameplay factor than the re-leveled inserts...that sunnofabitch is getting replaced or shaved down before TPF...it shouldn't STDM every time it comes out of the orbit, LOL.

Colors are much more vibrant and saturated on the playfield than pretty much every picture we've seen of other Rollergames. Way better than what's on IPDB. =P

I was missing characters in one window. I bought repro plastics of the characters from Marcos for about $25 and just went to the hardware store the other day for a 1 by, some springs and mounting hardware. I'll do a little guide on here once I get into that project, assuming it turns out well So, if anyone else is missing characters it will make it easier on them.

Just like anything that's a collectible. You need to assess 3 points; the rarity, condition, and demand. From there you should be able to put a value on it. A low # mint Diner can go to $4-5 , a POS that doesn't work can go as low as $500-1000. However, an item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If the overall condition is 8.5 or higher, that's a good fair price.

Its so nice if you can find a pin with a Diamondplate playfield.When I bought my Whirlwind it was so dirty I couldnt believe it.I dont think it had been cleaned in 10 years if even that. It has a DP playfield and when I cleaned it up it looked like a brand new machine.Its also really easy to clean cause its so tough you dont have to worry about buffing out the art.No insert wear anywhere.Most every regular WW I have seen has playfield wear.

My WH2O has a diamond plated playfield and it looks like it just came out of the box even though my game is routed. I'm confident that if I ever sell it (a happy day for my wife), the value will be much higher because of the playfield. By the way, does anyone else here have a center post on theirs?
Howie

I passed on a DP-Rollergames about a year ago. Seller wanted $2500.

I had a DP Radical once. Was also a prototype. Playfield looked damn good except one insert that the tip started to raise and was worn off.

Every playfield from T2 on was DP.It's only rare on the prior pins.