Ebay, craigslist, forums.. wherever the deals are.

If you're buying off eBay, you're doing it wrong.

I've bought both right and wrong. I'm a consumer whore.

There's two big advantages to buying off ebay. For one you have buyers protection in case the item isn't as described. So if issues were hidden, if there was foul play like being sold a stolen item, etc, then you have some financial protection from paypal. The second advantage is that off ebay it will typically be a retailer which means you get an invoice, they declare the profit from the sale and hence you can tax deduct it if that's applicable to you. So while it can seem confusing to some why anyone would spend more to buy tables from ebay, at the end of the day a $9000 ebay pinball machine is actually somewhat cheaper than a $7000 cash purchased machine, and you have some financial protection as well.

Not following this. Are you saying you, as the buyer, can deduct expense of buying pins because you're an operator? Otherwise I don't see the argument you make to the IRS that you should be able to write off the expense of buying yourself new toys.

I'm just making the point that buying off ebay isn't necessarily as insane as it looks, it depends on your circumstances. In my case I tend to buy all my machines at retail because I use them for business (they are at my model/film house) hence ebay is always an option for me. Your mileage may vary.

There are a very few deals on ebay, but the sad fact is that 95% of the pins listed don't sell, and the ones that do from B&M retailers almost always go for an undisclosed "best offer accepted"...

The listing price needs to be significantly increased to stop this BS mining for a suckers... I mean come on $3k for a rampage upright arcade game???
WTF

ebay.com link: pinballzarcade

ebay.com link: AVATAR Pinball Machine Stern 2012 Experience a New World

As soon as you hire the shipping company to pick up your pinball machine, you lose all ebay/paypal protection. If the seller sets up shipping, you are still protected.
Been there, done that.

I have bought several pins off ebay. Most of them were in driving distance and I went to look at the game and made a cash offer. Not the listing price. Most sellers will take less for their games with cash in hand. IMHO I believe this is how most games are actually sold on ebay. I did pick up my working Bally Star Trek (with in driving distance) on a buy it now for $500 last year. Not a steal but not a bad price.

I've never bought a pin that I haven't inspected in person.

I've bought and sold pins from a variety of sources (Pinside, CL (from NYC to Detroit), NIB, Mr Pinball, referrals), but never eBay.

I'm the guy that lists them on ebay and your the guy that makes me the cash offer I'm happy with. I like these guys. Because I always say it's "for sale local" listing fee on a machine is 10% if buy it now is hit. Some one hit my buy it now on a monopoly pinball machine listed at $2,900. Ebay and paypal fees. My take home $2525.

I think I've only bought on game that was listed locally on ebay with a "best offer" price. There aren't many deals on ebay.

I've used ebay to contact the sellers (b&m) when there is no other alternative. it's odd that some of them (who will remain unnamed) will not offer to give you a better deal to deal outside of ebay, especially considering the fees that they have to pay if the items sells on ebay (10-13% of the final value, plus an additional 3% for paypal)

Why would they? If they get the same price outside of ebay, their revenue just went up 10%.