If you're talking about high end pinball restorers, I'd watch my wallet....

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/highendpinballrestorers-on-ebay-is-not-hephigh-end-pins

Now, if you're talking about HEP by Chris Hutchins, you will get the best of the best - a 15 on a scale of 1-10. Those pins are literally better than off the factory showroom floor. Chris has provided a couple examples right here on Pinside, as well as many examples on his website: http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/albums.php

Nothing but amazing things to say. The question here: how deep does your wallet go?

Pointless as I buy them to play.

There are much better options out there than The Pinball Company... what is your location? Chris Hutchins is located in NC, Jim McCune is in Utah and Bryan Kelly is in MN.

All three gentlemen listed are well worth their salt. Definitely superior restorers in every sense of the word.

Only? lol, that's better than most! Plus it will take these guys 6 months to a year for completion anyway so you're in good shape.

I would pick one of your favorite titles, find yourself a good base game which you might already have and get it to one of these guys. You will be amazed!

If you can find someone reselling one of these already restored beauties that's an option as well but they don't seem to come up for sale often...

I agree that if you want a true high end restoration, thepinballcompany.com is not a place I would consider.

You have to ask yourself why you want/are considering a collector quality restoration. If you just want a nicer game to play, that's probably not a good reason unless cost really isn't an object.

I decided to pursue a few fully restored games for titles that I believe are long term foundations for my collection. One is a game where I owned a rare original NOS PF and wanted it in a game, so I commissioned a restoration. Very popular title that will hold its value well.

Two were EMs that are rarely every restored that I've always wanted, but that because of their physical placement, double as decoration/works of art in addition to playable titles. In this case, I was fully comfortable with the fact that it will almost be impossible for me to ever sell them for anywhere near what I have in them.

I just got in the HEP queue to have a game restored because it has great sentimental value to both my daughter and I. No one in their right mind would ever put the money required to do so into this title for any other reason.

Most people have no concept of the work required to fully restore a pin (and there are certainly various quality levels) and/or the difficulty in finding the parts to do so and therefor don't really understand the costs/time involved. I happen to know what it takes, but I'm also smart enough to know I don't have the skills to restore a game to the point it would meet my expectations.

If you aren't prepared to put money into a restoration that you may never get back, you shouldn't be considering one.

However - you can get lucky. I recently did exactly this and will have a beautiful game in a few weeks, rather than waiting the better part of a year, so if there is a specific title you want, get the word out.

That's the way to do it if you can... patience and a little luck and you'll find your title already restored.

if it's only one per year, maybe you should stop looking at high end restorated examples and buy more pins that are just nice.

If you find someone willing to sell a high end restored ToM by one of the big three you better be prepared to dish out $8k plus depending on mods, etc. And $8k might be on the low side.

I would stick with the top guys if I was gunna get a high end restore done, all of the guys below do amazing work!
HEP
Kelly
Keller
McCune

I do fairly Top Shelf restorations for a fraction of the others You can see and follow my restorations on FB. Ask to friend me.

Here are some pics of a BK2k that Im in the final stages of finishing. These are just a few of the pics of the restore that I take from beginning to end which can be seen on my FB page.

1011735_10203642447875985_8480200281946678931_n.jpg
1012378_10203642450036039_1302414933093596358_n.jpg
1016467_10203642445755932_2249173847428593213_n.jpg
1452240_10203642450516051_5445551185032469390_n.jpg
1604454_10203642448796008_8628550728380012395_n.jpg
1620846_10203642441595828_5469781774908644701_n.jpg
1780820_10203642442675855_8662934135942815279_n.jpg
1782029_10203642449996038_986313298231116015_n.jpg
1798827_10203642447115966_417678420906077937_n.jpg
1898183_10203642443635879_4857070966654822188_n.jpg
1900127_10203642443515876_7215923311686087754_n.jpg
1924877_10203642442475850_1536512171513155300_n.jpg
1924877_10203642445715931_7140288885707862176_n.jpg
1959283_10203642444475900_5994771405938139529_n.jpg
1959563_10203642445115916_7232711469495188089_n.jpg
1960000_10203642444395898_3348638758963162207_n.jpg
1977325_10203642443315871_5036079871846441897_n.jpg
10169234_10203642441875835_4468326756033721589_n.jpg
10291074_10203642450316046_6094143107172669638_n.jpg
10294388_10203642449356022_4735055548709337970_n.jpg
10349017_10203642449436024_264858917684540628_n.jpg
10351092_10203642447155967_2250028822551431123_n.jpg
10351371_10203642446395948_4542691981771401639_n.jpg
10387239_10203642446315946_4206022766454998925_n.jpg
10393937_10203642448636004_4576526082547798748_n.jpg
10410951_10203642443195868_7391597320016099725_n.jpg
10420362_10203642447795983_5756987099675150933_n.jpg
10431462_10203642448676005_6592468343174395700_n.jpg
10431491_10203642442715856_492901853719230052_n.jpg
10455061_10203642444555902_7677373582121276354_n.jpg
10492101_10203642445235919_1977284360995999469_n.jpg
10522725_10203642441915836_7052747074317376375_n.jpg
10553511_10203642442395848_8192868769370426125_n.jpg
10616234_10203642445515926_2611327033914207633_n.jpg
10632643_10203642447955987_1382002027700179308_n.jpg
10641068_10203642442195843_3608791500979016359_n.jpg
10641111_10203642442155842_263259653657869393_n.jpg
10641137_10203642443835884_3744884570104293219_n.jpg
10653736_10203642446435949_198105475842778182_n.jpg
10665763_10203642441555827_4914857653481666163_n.jpg
10690186_10203642444115891_7130610492961070746_n.jpg
10703647_10203642449316021_2773905372040633738_n.jpg
10710823_10203642447195968_2996355151620640686_n.jpg
10734215_10203642444155892_612140284951055662_n.jpg

Well said. I have enormous respect for people like Chris @ HEP. The amount of work is mind boggling. Just think of the amount of work that goes into one of these things, let alone all of them: playfield teardown, cleaning, painting, sanding, clear-coating, cure time, rebuilding flippers/bumpers/motors, soldering, rebuilding all coils, tumbling, part hunting, harness cleaning, etc. Not to mention the time-consuming snags, like dealing with loctite, rust, stripped screws, etc.

I'll also nominate Scott Weir for your consideration. He did one of the games I have and it's fantastic.

Eddie, no offense that game does look nice but it is light years behind a HEP pin. I think you did a good job and depending on the price you could be a nice alternative but there is a pretty wide gap between HEP and that game you showed. Its the tiniest details that make all of the difference, the side rails, the planking, decals on the drop targets, ball trails etc. I am not saying that your game doesnt look great and is nicer than probably 90% of BK out there, its just not HEP or Kelly quality.

And the best backhanded compliment of the year goes to...

Didn't he say at the start

Sheesh!

Eddie, it looks beautiful. Keep up the good work and attention to detail.

Shiny!

The OP is asking for High End Restorations, I was merely pointing out to the OP that you should expect more from a High End restoration. To me consider yourself High End or Top Shelf or Whatever the game should look factory perfect or better. The work he did is better than I believe my skill set would allow but I do not pretend to be as good as the professionals.

I guess you can let the work speak for itself and let the buyer be the judge.

That sounds to me like he's looking for exactly what Eddie is offering. A nice, clean fully working machine without the high-end restoration cost. A 9/10. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows. jonharvey123, wanna shed some light on this?

I agree Im no HEP and yes my work is light years behind HEP but then again so is my pricing!

I have never claimed to do that type of work and have expressed to people coming to me if they might be interested in having HEP work on their machines instead of me explaining what the differences are. These clients never even heard of HEP but at least I offer them the option and I don't get HEP commission either LOL.

I also do all the board work and repairs myself no contracting out and trust me on this no one solders the way I do except NASA so I do have one thing on HEP LOL

I do disagree with your comment on the ball trails you will not find any on my finished machines the pics are not posted in any order and some show comparisons during the restore and the machine is still being worked on. I comment on every pic on my FB page so you have a better idea of what is going on. Its like a diary and instruction on how to and why something is being done.

I have also taken machines that been on location for years and really abused with tons of hacks ,crud and other unmentionables. to this level. Machines that I really believe HEP would not even accept as a base as at the price would be other worldly to get to his standard.

With each machine I actually ask myself what would Chris think of this result on this assembly, part etc? He is what i use as a bench mark.

Target decals etc I also am just as meticulous but it depends on what the customer can afford and this is where the true difference lies. I always confer with the client if they would be willing to pay for a new sticker etc and if not do all that it would take to get a worn one to look as new as physically possible.

Unlimited time and resources I would be right up there. but for those with neither Im your man!!

You want the very best and a completely re-manufactured machine that is an amazing work of art then HEP is hands down no question the right place to go.

Chris and the others listed in the thread all have my highest praise and my huge respect.

I wish you nothing but the best! I honestly wasnt trying to trash your work, I am sorry if it came off that way. I think there definitely is a market for the very nice but not museum quality restorations and it looks like you fit the bill

Where can I buy that Black Knight............Beautiful!!

Shows how little science the average person knows. Eddie's work is not "light years" behind. A light year is an enormous amount of distance. A notch or two below would have been an extremely more intelligent remark. And Yeah - I'm a physicist.

I've heard of Chris Hutchins and Bryan Kelly. Lots of other good restorers out there.. Pinball MikeD comes to mind, and his work is well documented AND he shares his secrets.

I'm not sure there is much money to be made right now on big money restorations... and these machines take a lot of time to get everything right.. especially when people nit-pick everything they can... or just buy a NIB remake and save $5K.

A remake is never going to be an original. I'd rather pay more for a high end restoration than a NIBR when it comes to the classics.

There's ALWAYS money to be made on big money restorations. There may only be one (MMr) or a handful of titles ever remade. And there are plenty of non-A-list games that would never have a chance of being remade.

Voltan Escapes Cosmic Doom comes to mind...
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/voltan-escapes-cosmic-doom-restore-hep

It's impossible to replicate the original integrity of a machine. I'm sure the remakes will still be great and have modern bells and whistles and even be better in certain aspects, but its won't be one to one with what we have come to love. There are just too many variables. It's like playing an emulated classic Nintendo game on the Wii instead of an original game on original hardware, some things are just going to be off.