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(Topic ID: 250308)

Don't stock up on Pinball Machines

By Xenon75

4 years ago

Topic Heartbeat

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12 posts
12 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 4 years ago by DBLM
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#1 4 years ago

CMS

Xenon75

Pinside member

11y 86,800 1,967

I have two machines from 1971 - Drop A Card and 2001.

Not only do they have the occasional part that needs replacing but the company who made them is not even in business any longer! I reached out to a Gottlieb family member and he said the games must have been purchased 48 years ago. I told him I just bought them within the last 3 years! What gives?

I am no longer stocking up on pinball machines for future enjoyment as you simply cannot count on the manufacturer to keep them up and running now or later.

I should have learned my lesson when Polaroid would not give me a refund on the instant film I had been hoarding from the 70's when the recent pictures I took with it came out completely white.

You all have been warned, things are not the same as they apparently never were.

Have a great day and don't take this life so seriously, no one makes it out alive.

#2 4 years ago

WTF

swanng

Pinside member

18y 50,800 482

Fortunately, I stockpiled (hoarded?) most of my machines AND parts back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. For Gottlieb machines, Steve Young is the man for parts. Try finding an unused, non-pulled SC-01 these days. So, there are some advantages to being a self-admitted hoarder.

#3 4 years ago

JWL

zr11990

Pinside member

Humble, TX

14y 87,050 6,656 9

Well shit, you cant buy parts for a 4-5 year old stern most likely so what's your point? That is why all my machines are the more popular W/B pins that have more parts available.

#4 4 years ago

TOM

twhtalm

Pinside member

8y 58,300 261

Quoted from zr11990:
Well shit, you cant buy parts for a 4-5 year old stern most likely so what's your point? That is why all my machines are the more popular W/B pins that have more parts available.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/don-t-stock-up-on-parts-from-marco-specialties

#5 4 years ago

MAS

Swainer80

Pinside+ Frequent

Ballwin, MO

10y 86,800 920 32 28

Awww hell! Why didn't you warn me about this earlier!

#6 4 years ago

DLD

Dent00

Pinside member

Ridgeland, MS

5y 55,550 929 1 5

Pinball machines, like all normal devices, require maintenance and repair periodically. The older they are, the more repair cost you can expect. So, if you buy an older machine with parts that are difficult or almost impossible to obtain, you have to expect that cost to go up. However, it is seriously flawed logic to buy a new car and decide to trade it in when it needs an oil change. There has to be a happy medium there somewhere.

#7 4 years ago

COS

cosmokramer

Pinside member

11y 120K 8,443

I thought this was going to be a collector who just bought a bunch of new sterns and jjps with soupy clear coat....

#8 4 years ago

SSP

zarco

Pinside member

11y 57,900 895 45

I think the original post was tongue in cheek guys.
Steve Young is indeed THE man for all EM Gottlieb parts.
Keeping a good stock of used parts and junker games/PF's is
all part of the collecting game. I've been in this long enough to
have a pretty darn good stock including NOS SC-01's.
And for those that think they should be available for $5,
they were NEVER cheap!
Steve

#9 4 years ago

JJF

wolverinetuner

Pinside+ Frequent

Dearborn, MI

7y 94,800 2,952 18

Quoted from zarco:
Steve Young is indeed THE man for all EM Gottlieb parts.

^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^

#10 4 years ago

ROB

Rdoyle1978

Pinside member

7y 117K 18,121 14 6 1

Crap, too late...

#11 4 years ago

DMC

Bruce_Pickle

Pinside member

6y 55,550 215

Try buying NOS Hydrofoil parts!

#12 4 years ago

DBLM

Pinside member

7y 125K 15,253

Quoted from zarco:
I think the original post was tongue in cheek guyse

8B07C76E-1E58-46F6-9B4C-6CA765C2C79A.gif

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