I got the deal of a life time on a pin at an estate sale.

If you really want something, you gotta show up at 4AM to claim your place in line... just FYI

I did that. Claimed the machine... and after all the pinball vultures left, negotiated with the estate sales person. They called the owner with my final offer, it was accepted.

Was a ton of work - may not always work. Probably won’t ever do it again

I was first. About 10 others came right away and were hawking over it... everyone knew I was first on list. I said I was buying it. About 1/2 said I was an idiot and overpaying . Lots of gamesmanship going on. They all left within about 20 min.

It took a while for one of the estate sale people to come over... she got there once everyone left. I told her I thought I wanted it, but she couldn't find the key. So we started talking... I told her it was way overpriced (which it was). She asked me what I would offer for it. She got on the phone with the owner of the home. She told the person she had someone there that really wanted it and what I was offering.

The owner said yes. I bought it.

No shenanigans. Just what happened.

I'd never been to an estate sale before. The week leading up to the sale, I did some research online and read that people start arriving at these sales as early as 3AM to get a place in line. Me not knowing up from down, I got there at 4AM. Nobody else was there. In fact, no one got there until 7AM and that person was from the ES company. Truthfully, if I hadn't driven an hour into the heart of No.VA, I probably would have left.

Anyhow, the salesperson took my name down and noted what I wanted. She told me I could leave and come back at 9am and jump to the front of the line.

So, went and grabbed some breakfast. Got back there at 8:50. It was PACKED and the line was long. A bunch of people had a problem with me walking to the front of the line. BUT, I was so exhausted I really didn't care and the ES people read names off the list...

The rest is history.

It was a fun adventure... had some funny moments (like one of the neighbors knocking on my car window early in the morning, asking what I was doing sitting there, telling me they were about to call the police). And I really don't think I'll ever do anything like that again. I'm to a point in this hobby where I'm willing to pay a little more for convenience... and I don't have a big workshop space anymore, so major refurb jobs aren't as easy to pull off.

Maybe most of the time... but not always. Proof positive!

Yup. All about situation, timing, and how you approach people.

This was quite a few years ago... so jogging my memory here... but I do remember over hearing the ES salesperson tell the owner that I was someone that genuinely wanted it to fix and play - which was true.

That was the tipping point, because right after that she hung up and told me it was mine at my asking price.