(Topic ID: 216168)

First time buyer: Sky Jump; what to look for when buying an EM?

By bloodonthepins

5 years ago


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#1 5 years ago

Hello Pinsiders, I'm new to the hobby and itching to buy my first game. The games I really want are mostly outside my budget right now, and I'm thinking an nice EM game without breaking the bank might be a good start to my collection.

Any advice on what I should be looking for when I check out #SkyJump this weekend? Seller claims it is 100% functional. Any known issues with this game, or red flags that should tell me to just leave it there?

I'd appreciate any insight!

#2 5 years ago

How many spots are worn to the wood on the playfield and how big are they? Time consuming and expensive to restore artwork.
Is the playfield planking? Not repairable but generally doesn't affect play.

Pull the glass off and use a ball to test all the playfield switches. Bonus count properly? Does it advance to the next ball? End game after correct number of balls?
Backglass flaking or have bare spots?
Schematics & manual included? Often no manual produced before mid-seventies but you will need schematics.
Cabinet condition? Need carpentry repair? Painting?
All chimes and bells present? Replay knocker present & working?
Does it add and remove credits appropriately? All score reels functioning?

#3 5 years ago
Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:

How many spots are worn to the wood on the playfield and how big are they? Time consuming and expensive to restore artwork.
Is the playfield planking? Not repairable but generally doesn't affect play.
Pull the glass off and use a ball to test all the playfield switches. Bonus count properly? Does it advance to the next ball? End game after correct number of balls?
Backglass flaking or have bare spots?
Schematics & manual included? Often no manual produced before mid-seventies but you will need schematics.
Cabinet condition? Need carpentry repair? Painting?
All chimes and bells present? Replay knocker present & working?
Does it add and remove credits appropriately? All score reels functioning?

That's a lot of valuable information, thanks so much for your reply.

#4 5 years ago

Pinwiki has a post purchase checklist: http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Post-Purchase_Checklist

The restoration guides at http://pinrepair.com/ have extensive info you'll enjoy if you're considering repairing damage you find.

The EM tech area has many knowledgeable people willing to walk you through any issues that come up.

#5 5 years ago
Quoted from YeOldPinPlayer:

Pinwiki has a post purchase checklist: http://www.pinwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Post-Purchase_Checklist
The restoration guides at http://pinrepair.com/ have extensive info you'll enjoy if you're considering repairing damage you find.
The EM tech area has many knowledgeable people willing to walk you through any issues that come up.

fantastic! thanks again. I love how much information is out there, and I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction. Hopefully there won't be too much work to do on the game, but I'm willing to do it!

#6 5 years ago

I would recommend slowing down and not plopping your cash on your first potential purchase. Really make sure it is something you want. There are lots of EMs !

#7 5 years ago

I have a Sky Jump, it's a great fast fun EM and I think a nice choice to get a game to start with. Congrats if you get it!

#8 5 years ago

Sky Jump is a great game. Take your time with it, take the glass off and activate the drop targets by hand, make sure the special lights all light up and move as they are supposed to. Lift the playfield and make sure there is not water damage/rust in the mechanics. Nothing hacked together, etc. Good luck!

#9 5 years ago
Quoted from bloodonthepins:

Any known issues with this game

Every EM will puke out for a variety of reasons, one being lack of play so play it a lot and read this: http://www.pinrepair.com/em/index.htm

You will have to repair your game eventually. Single player is a good start...fewer score reels to adjust!

#10 5 years ago

Also check the state of the inserts (raised/lowered/cupped) -- can affect gameplay. Is this the one that was on kijiji in Gatineau recently for $600? It looked pretty nice (from the little kijiji pictures anyway).

Depending on the price it needn't work 100%. Fixing switches is doable. But flaking backglass, sunken inserts, etc. are much harder.

#11 5 years ago
Quoted from homebrood:

I have a Sky Jump, it's a great fast fun EM and I think a nice choice to get a game to start with. Congrats if you get it!

thanks! I really want to get an SS from the early to late 80s, but in Montreal these seem to be harder to come by, and quite pricey as well. This Sky Jump looks clean and fun, and MUCH less expensive than SS tables. I've gotten lots of great advice here on Pinside from different users, and one piece of advice was not to spend too much money on that first game. Sounds like a good idea, don't want to burn myself out of the hobby right from the start.

#12 5 years ago
Quoted from dr_nybble:

Also check the state of the inserts (raised/lowered/cupped) -- can affect gameplay. Is this the one that was on kijiji in Gatineau recently for $600? It looked pretty nice (from the little kijiji pictures anyway).
Depending on the price it needn't work 100%. Fixing switches is doable. But flaking backglass, sunken inserts, etc. are much harder.

getting this one for 700$ CAD, is that too much? it been repainted black, maybe it's the same one?

#13 5 years ago

The one I saw was not repainted, it looked nice. Didn't last long on kijiji though.

If it is latex you can remove the paint with a bunch of work (using xylene or can of Goof Off) but probably only can recover the original art for making stencils for a repaint -- which is a lot of work.

Are you going to Canada PinCon on June 2/3? May be able to pick up an EM there: http://www.canadapincon.com/
Post on www.maaca.org.

#14 5 years ago
Quoted from bloodonthepins:

getting this one for 700$ CAD, is that too much? it been repainted black, maybe it's the same one?

not sure on CAD prices but I wouldn't pay that for one that needs a whole cab paint job...that's a good price for an average condition with original paint

-1
#15 5 years ago
Quoted from bloodonthepins:

Hello Pinsiders, I'm new to the hobby and itching to buy my first game. The games I really want are mostly outside my budget right now, and I'm thinking an nice EM game without breaking the bank might be a good start to my collection.
Any advice on what I should be looking for when I check out #SkyJump this weekend? Seller claims it is 100% functional. Any known issues with this game, or red flags that should tell me to just leave it there?
I'd appreciate any insight!

The very first thing you should check out, and this is extremely important, make sure your EM is an SS.

#16 5 years ago

Picked it up! Great looking pin, very friendly and helpful seller. Thanks for all the help! First pin!

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