So what did you pay for the TOTAN? That machine just probably reminded her too much of him in the first place....One man's trash, another man's treasure?
Here's what I did yesterday, that's kinda along this line. Found two EM's for $925, which I want because I have zero in my collection. Aladdin's Castle, and Amigo - beautiful shape, a weak flipper or two, but I called my friend for the hell of it and asked if he'd like to help me move them. I lined up borrowing my buddy's Suburban to move them and offered to fill it with gas for the loaner. (came to $75 and I didn't have to.) I really wanted both games, but my friend took the deal of splitting the cost $500 each, and I get to pick the one I wanted. So I took AC, and he took Amigo, which is funny because if you get him drunk and talk about illegal aliens, he goes nuts. lol
He's got two kids, and loves the wiring, the hand work, the backglass art, and just can't believe something from 1973 that looks like that was only $500. delivered....well he had to help. The seller was a great guy, from the number of machines he had and the condition of them, there was no point in bartering. My friend is a little OCD, so he will pimp out his first pin...and make his kids do most of it. I could have flipped one for a few bucks or just stuck it with my other pins, because hey I found them, lined up the truck to move them, but shit this gives me $500 to put against WOZ, and maybe get two kids into pinball. We can always swap games too.
That's what pinball is all about. Spread the disease, and everyone was happy, the seller, my friend, my buddy who lent me the ride, and me. We'll have these babies running sweet in no time.
If we sell the two for $925 later after putting the cash out to fix them up, we still make out from the fun we had. And just look at the inside of these games...the wiring, the mechanics....you can't find work like that for that price today. hahahahahah good luck.
Pinball is there to do with it what we choose. So be it.