If you're going to shit on someone's for sale thread, at least have your facts straight. I don't even have to look up the data to refute your claim, since I personally sold my Congo through Pinside for more than this seller is asking.

Sorry for shitting. Are people really asking that much for Congo? Holy shit. Honestly had NO idea Congo commanded that much $$$.

Restored is a little different though. Oh and one in that previous list was an NBA FB rethemed with all new populated play field. Just saying.

To be totally truthful real nice ones are worth this kind of money, but before i say anything about a for sale add i look sellers pics over and over in large images zooming in on everything. I have looked at this one, and the cabinet scuffs and fade brought me to my opinion. Hey at least it keeps getting bumped to the top.

People that don't own one and think it's an OK game will still think they are $3500. Owners all think it's a 5-6K game now. Truth is usually somewhere in the middle.

This one looks nice and with a lot of work and time put in it. For me personally I would need a restored cc playfield to pay that price for one. For the right person looking for a nice one this might be worth paying a small premium instead of waiting around for a better deal. Congo prices do seem to be on the rise so overpaying a little isn't going to hurt you much if you decide to resale it later. This is a nice game and I hope the seller gets his asking price.

Well, at least the OP is getting all this free advertising bumps.

Advertising bump

It's just my opinion, don't take it personal ! When someone puts FIRM on a price you would expect it to be worth the price . Sorry pics speak for themselves.

It is worth the price! Just my opinion

It ain't for sale.

Game will be bumped for a long time IMO. Then again Congo wasn't my thing and I like to sell games pretty quick so I priced mine for a quick sale.

I don't know that i'd say it's a great deal, but this market is just inflating more and more, so who knows anymore. It's certainly a great game, and if it came out today it would be more new. But it's not new.... eh whatever. I've rambled long enough.

Pinball should be fun. This forum sucks the life out of it at times.

Speaking of fun, Congo is just that, fun! I've had 2 or 3 people try to buy mine and it's staying put. If you don't "like" a game, why get in a sale thread to say THAT for christsakes? As for price policing, it's not like it's listed dramatically above averages or by some brand new pinsider...stop taking this shit so seriously people. Have fun. Life is SHORT.

To be truthful, this is a hard title to come by and the people that have them don't want to sell them. It seems you think this pin should be at HEP level to command this price. Funny thing is if this were a Chris Hutchins pin for $12k all you'd see is praise on how pretty it is, well worth the money, wish I had the money etc. No matter what your opinion is, the price likely won't change, so all you are doing is bashing this guys item. It's simple, you are interested in buying as advertised or not. It appears you have zero interest in buying this pin.

The whole just don't enable discussion mentality is dumb. I like to see and ask questions like most other people. I believe the idea behind being able to discuss was not intended for bashing, but more to answer questions and concerns that weren't addressed in the ad.

I know several people who are done with Pinside due to all the repetitive negative discussion/mentality. If you enjoy the hobby, endorse it. If you disagree with something, state your issue and leave it at that. No need to continue statements that are degrading to a person or item. The golden rule should be used more often. A little respect goes along way.

Didn't pass over this game.. I owned it back in the day. Paid 1500 and sold for 1500 a couple years later. Best part of the game is the music.. I added amps and better speakers.. the diamond-hunt multiball cha-cha really thumped.

Yes it is somewhat rare. No, it is not that great. Congo is just a collection of disconnected modes with no real coherence, with a very basic main multiball and disappointing wizard mode. The volcano is cute, but the lower playfield is a flailfest. It's nice that some folks really like this title, but after a couple years I found it boring. To each their own.

the op is a great man. serves his community. i know him personally and one of the best people i know. all he is doing is trying to sell his pinball machine on a for sale thread. he is throwing it out there. if it doesnt sell than market will determine the price. i would buy this because i know the seller and know how much work went into this one. sometimes you spend a little extra for a game you can put in the lineup and play right away.
so if he had it for 4500 without the extras it wouldnt be an issue? bump for a good man! glwts!

Can't thumbs up this enough. Well worth a little extra to get a dialed in freshly shopped awesome playing game from someone that does good work and that you respect. Someone local should grab it up.

I'll be another to vouch for the seller. He's an awesome dude and does things right. I made a deal with him on a DM which a friend of mine now has which constantly gets praise for how nice it looks and how tight it played. I'd deal with him on any game in a minute. He knows what he's doing and does things right. I can't believe the hate around here sometimes.

$5000 Congos and $7500 TOMs are all the evidence I need to avoid collecting this era of pins right now.

Looking forward to more remakes.

If there are nice ones out there that are cheaper than this, hit me up! I'm looking. My guess is this will sell eventually.

Out of my price range for a Congo but dang this one's nice. Would love to pick one up some day. Maybe in a more players condition though. Going to have to watch this thread to see what it sells for.

The reason this thread is so hot is everyone here remembers when Congo was a $2000-$2500 title. It was an affordable game. Then Stern's tier system hit, WOZ blew the doors off the pricing floor, and all the "lame B and C listers" started going up because all the NIB games get expen$ive and it had a trickle effect on this hobby. Dude, an XF now for $4000+ in another thread? That is absolutely insane, and Congo doubling its price in 5 years - wow.

Just is what it is. Not saying the OP is out of line with his price. This is just what a solid Congo is beginning to command.

We let the NIB market get insane, and the used market was affected. We are our own worst enemies. WE did this.

NPO IS 100% correct, i never would have purchased a NIB pin, but i did so with AS ,it seemed like a bargain compared to todays used machines.

Better check again.

I think you missed his point. He's saying that the NIB prices became so high that it affected the market for used machines. During the lag there was a definite value in used machines, but now it's about back to where they were 5-10 years ago IMHO. If I were looking for a value now I'd go for some pre-90s machines outside of the top-100.

I would rather play a Congo than TAF, MM, CC, TZ, AFM or MB. It's bewildering to me to see these games constantly in high end collections.

i agree.
I can play those "A" list games at my friends houses. most of the collections I've seen are the same or very similar. i prefer the lower production games not commonly seen.

What broke bitches say...LOL just kidding

Upvoted for some truth...at least in my case.

IMG_3897 (resized).PNG

I appreciate when those games come to shows. It means I don't have to wait to play the games I'm interested in.

Congo is a good fun game. Everyone should own it at least once. It isn't for everyone. I had to sell mine in order to make room for a MET pro. I don't know what Congo's are worth but it is rare and the price keeps going up so buy it now while you can still afford it.

Don't harbour your regrets (like me because I thought $4k was too much for a mint MM all those years ago - then it was 10k+ and beyond.) Buy it, play it, judge it and then keep it or re-sell it).

GLWTS op.

Congo is a great pin, regardless if you have a collection of "a" or "b" titles. I had mine and loved it. Couldn't get enough of that volcano shot and the DMD animation on the volcano explosion. I sold mine back to a buddy who originally sold me the game. I think he missed it and I felt guilty, so I sold it back to him. Biggest regret I ever did. HIPPOES!!!!! GLWS Operator.

me too!

all the others that BOUGHT or SOLD for less im guessing didnt have new ramps, color dmd, etc.
mine is in the 5ks for sale too. new plastics, new ramps, powder coating , new rails, new targets etc all ads up.
you cant compare our pricing to just a normal congo for sale.
just like you cant compare what someone bought a blown out TOM for compared to one that was gone over well with new parts galore.
apples to oranges.

one just sold on pinside that was NORMAL (not new parts) and from overseas to usa to boot and it was in the high 4ks.
we have the only 2 for sale on pinside and both of ours have tons done to them
take it or leave it.
and please, buy his first, im in no way steeping on this for sale post, just justifying HIS pricing. new parts and time add up.

look at what BTTF were 3 years ago and look now. triple in price. and congo is one of the most balanced best pins on the planet playing wise if you actually play pinball and not just collect or repair.
its a true players game.

But you can throw too much at a project and not recover it. Just because someone spends money, doesn't make the resulting effort worth the dollars spent.

Spend 40k on restoring a Gremlin... It's still a Gremlin.

op isnt asking 40k for this pin!!!!

I remember having TROUBLE getting $2k for a MINT Congo.

I had to walk in 2 feet of snow UPHILL to school. Kids these days, GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

i used to pay 20 cents for a snicker bar
now i pay 1.25 wow!

congo bump

Id buy it at the asking price no problem if I could get it to Australia which would cost another 1000.

Glad to see this title make such a turnaround. I know of at least 5 that were stripped for parts (mainly boards) because they just were not worth much as a complete game. (Back when most B titles went for around $900). Who knows how many of these are actually even left.