.

Yup, let the original poster verify his story with some photos.

I wonder what value a particular MICHIGAN pinball buyer would say this game is worth sight unseen? Doubt he would even offer a three digit dollar value if he detected the seller was uninformed. Guessing his selling price, even for a flipped game would be ridiculously high.

I'm sure to someone a beat to death mermaid is worth more than $500. but to *ME* it's only worth $500. i can't speak about other people, but to ME it's a bag of parts (that i don't need), and a hope that some day the magical playfield fairy will produce a playfield. Hey look if anyone thinks it's worth more than $500, then BUY IT. That is, grow a set and step up to the plate. Think a game with 1/3 of the playfield paint gone is worth money, more power to ya. Or invest the $10k i invested, and have more playfields made. Good luck. Me i'm set, i got one with a perfect playfield, because i man'ed up and had the playfields made, after i bought a "bag of parts" Mermaid. Because i don't believe that the playfield fairy delivers. For all the guys sitting on the sidelines playing monday morning quarterback, get in the game and step up and invest. Then you can tell us how it feels to buy a game for $5k (or whatever) with essentially no playfield. I can tell you exactly how that feels, because i've been there and done that. And it doesn't feel good, trust me.

Yeah, it takes a real "man" with a "set" to hornswoggle people and then make childish excuses for it afterwards. You knew that machine was worth more than your estimate. Don't get mad at everybody else just because you got caught publicly.

childish? really? go ahead, man up big boy and lay down YOUR CASH and buy the bag of parts. then you can tell us how that wait (forever) for a playfield feels, while the big money lays there useless.

False equivalency. I don't have to buy a game to prove you are dishonest. The proof is all here.

there's nothing dishonest about any of this. i pay what i feel a game is worth, not what you think it's worth. it's that simple. if you want to overpay for a bag of old parts, that's your choice. but my choice is mine, and i'm not paying more than $500 for ye olde bag of crap.

Go ahead rat. Start a thread asking if some totan is worth $1000 or am I getting screwed? lol.

.

Lighten up. I've gotten games for free that were worth a few hundred dollars. I've found some great Craigslist deals and made some money after a little cleanup. I've paid significantly less for broken games hoping they were easy fixes. Some were, some weren't. Searching out broken games that are worth almost nothing to anyone is what I've been doing for years. And I've turned down games and maybe thrown out a stupid number because I didn't really want it. We've all done all of these things. For some reason this rare title has an overly inflated price tag, not to me. the EM market sucks around here, I'd offer even less.

I don't normally comment on these type of threads but I just can't help myself this time.......
clay did not try to cheat anyone. he made an offer on a machine at what he thought is was worth to HIM. the other party either takes it or passes on the offer, it is their choice.
I make many offers on pins. I only offer what I feel it is worth to me at that time. sometimes the offer is higher sometimes lower than what the seller is asking.
if this thread was on any other pin other than mermaid it would of died quickly. mermaid is sought after by many. From the opinions of older guys that I know who have played it, (I have not) they say it really is not that great of a game.

just my .02

Wow the plot gets thicker-who the hell is Cliff?

people think my name is cliff, that happens a lot.
but Boilerman's point is correct.

sorry clay I got it wrong

IMHO, what Clay wants to offer for the game is his business.

Agree with boilerman. I also offer what I want at the time. I may be low on space or low on money or a Mermaid playfield isn't available - so I offer a low amount - if I get it fine, if I don't fine. Just because some Mermaids have gone for north of $15,000 doesn't mean this one is worth that with no playfields available. It's up to the seller to research prices.

I also assume that Clay needs good deals so he can make a little money because he puts tons of hours and money into putting free stuff up on the internet for us to use - exp. pinrepair.com - (Ninja and other sites may cost I know).

Lastly, before he moved in to the VFW hall, he had very reasonable prices on extra games he wanted to sell to raise some money. They sold pretty fast if I recall. I wished I were closer to buy a few.

Obviously this game does not exist, but if it did I'm putting in my bid at $501, Drew.

Vid I am totally cool with that, it's yours!

vid clay said he saw pics of it.
it does exist

it does.png

Thank you, sir.

When can I pick it up?

Hopefully you can get us some photos of the game. That would clear up a whole lot of speculation. Then, who knows; someone here just might make him an offer he's happy with.

I think he sold it to rob at the silverball museum. I think. Because rob has been asking me 20 questions about mermaid playfields. He said he'll take any playfield in nearly any condition, as long as it's not delaminated.

Ron Webb has a WTB Mermaid pf that's on the Pinside Market - maybe posting for SM or he has a Mermaid too?

Ron works at the Silverball Museum. I guess Rob did buy it then. I wonder what he paid for it?
He just might commission a playfield if all else fails. Who else could use one?

Put me down for TWO playfields if he does them.
Thanks

John P. Dayhuff
Battle Creek, Mi.
269-979-3836

I think it's worth more then that, I'm down for $502.00.

Ken

Sheesh, I hate when everyone on Contestant's Row knows how to play.

I know nothing about this game at all, but if it's so desirable restored, shouldn't 10-15 Mermaid owners be willing to each drop 1000.00 bucks into a run of new playfields?

The hi-res scans are already done, yes?

That would seem a viable project.

OTOH, what do I know? Not much.

RussM

I don't think there's but 2 or 3 mermaids in existence that need playfields. So that makes the process a lot more expensive. When I did it I found 10 people to pony up about $900 each. That plus mine covered the costs. Today it's probably more expensive to make, and less demand. So that 2 playfields could cost $2500 each? Maybe more...

Most pf,bg & pf plastics that get remade are for those titles that had high production numbers and/or are popular. the time and money to do them there must be money to be had.
money makes the world go round. if you don't make money you are a charity!
I never asked Wade what the profit margin is on the pf's that he does, my guess it is not that much.
With the tech the way it is I hope some day that one off parts get cheap and the quality is up to par with oem

That's still a great deal.

Buy the game for $500, add playfield $2500, add other parts, paint $500 = $3500

Sell for $12,000

Within ten years you will be able to 3D print a playfield. Guessing a backglass in useable form as well.

Sorry Mr. Personality, you won't be able to strong arm your way any more.

Vid it may be more like you spend 5k and then sit on that second playfield for a long time. I had my last mermaid playfield for nearly 10 years before a mermaid came around that needed it. And then I donated it. *sigh* I knew that would happen!

Wish I could believe this would come true, but unfortunately, I have a greater faith in something far more proven: human stupidity.

I've got two emails right now from guys looking for a playfield, so that would be 3 right there.

It seems like ever since that Aquamarine movie, the whole mermaid thing has blown the fnck up!

Aquamarine.jpg

$5k for "some work"?

500 dollars worth?

_mermaid splash darryl hannah.JPG

that is 100.00 worth! it taste like tuna
this is 500.oo worth

untitled.png

$(KGrHqRHJE0E92LQ0jy7BPmWYKwpzg~~60_57.JPG

I know a guy who has the build sheet, matching VIN plate and the matching engine block for a 1967 L88 Corvette. Probably $500 worth of antique Chevy crap to the average pedestrian. All assembled and built into the car it should be and it is well over $1 mil.

All it needs is a clearcoat, yellow dot coils and a 7.5% pitch.

Look what I just found in my closet. IMG_2199.JPG

I smell a big payday!!

Not really, I'm a collector, not a seller, but I do want to add one to my collection.

Time to open negotiations, sounds like....though personally I would not have played my ace in the hole right out of the gate...

I actually posted that I have a playfield back on the 7th post.
My thoughts are a different perspective... maybe the owner would like to see it come back to life instead of it just collecting dust somewhere. Knowing that I might be able to and one of the few that can actually do it might speak for something. Maybe... I hope... Or.... maybe I'm wrong and it's just about the money.

I wish the original poster would let us know the status of the game. Rumor has it, it was sold to the Silverball Museum. Would Mr. Swillie care to give an update?

Dang it,
you are correct, I've just been notified it has been sold to the Silverball.
My playfield goes back into hibernation again

Of course you know about the bargain Mermaid in the St. Louis, Mo. area for $13,000 I think he listed it for $16,000 last year or somewhere around there. Maybe if he comes down 3K a year, in a few years it will be a better deal.

Love Connection 1998 Pic 7.jpg