Hard to say as we usually end up in a lengthy conversation about pinball in general as we look over the game. Seems as though an hour is usually about right. Look it over, play it, pay, break it down, load it up etc.

I personally would expect to have potential buyers inspect and perhaps test play a game or two in under 30 min. I mean, what really needs to be done? look at circuit boards for hacks, under playfield, upper playfield, cabinet art. Play. Buy or go home. These things aren't generally cheap and if someone is looking to drop 3 - 6k or whatever the case may be, it is fair to give them a bit of time to look at stuff.

5-20 minutes to actually look over the game. Another hour or so to chat with the seller if they're feeling chatty. 30 min to an hour to break it down and get it out, depending upon how easy/hard it is to move out.

When selling, I usually allot 2-3 hours for a potential late arrival, looking over the game, chatting, and loading up.

People who own pinball machines just seem to be very friendly most of the time.

I've also been a part of rush pick-ups where the game was all ready to go, so the stop was only 15-20 minutes.

I usually buy project machines, so that assessment is usually different than buying a working game for top dollar. I look over the artwork, wear, circuit boards, backglass, and check to see what's missing (if anything). I'm not usually concerned about how well it plays since it's a dead game most of the time anyway.

I probably need to get better at checking stuff in general, but most people I buy from seem to be really honest with all the issues a game is having.

I bought a funhouse for pretty cheap. there were some game breaking issues that the seller didn't disclose before I drove the 3 hrs. Maybe he didn't know, or maybe he was playing dumb. Probably could of talked him down in price, but I figured the repairs would take an hour tops. The sound didn't turn down (took longer to diagnose then I anticipated, thankful for pinside) and the shooter ln kickout coil didn't work. The guy was showing me that I could still play it by flicking the ball into the shooting lane. other then that it played fine, after taking it home I found some nasty hacks on the back side of the MPU board, it still worked though.

It started down pouring as soon as we got there, it was a 10% chance of rain. So we had to go out and get some tarps and plastic wrap after meeting the seller. We wrapped the machine really well and went outside, down the stairs and they snapped off from the house from the weight of us plus the machine. By the time it snapped we were half way down, the stairs were really wobbly and swaying a lot. the owner slipped 3 times and almost ate it on the last one. It was like rudy didn't want to leave or something. I will never do stairs again.

Just about always less than 5 minutes. Works for me.
~Steveo

FF, ya...on the buying end I historically have purchased a lot of projects and almost all were very friendly purchases (be it from a pinhead or just someone moving an old game out ofof so and so's basement etc.).

I have had a couple times where I wasnt too comfortable with nicer machines I purchased where seller "did me a favor" by having it all torn down and wrapped up already so I could load and go....very leary situation at that point. If it were a 3+K machine, I don't think I could even accept it unless they unwrapped again...idk

Anybody ever purchase a cheap cheap project, show up in highest hopes, realize it isn't as good to be true as you hoped, and have to make an uncomfortable quick mental decision as to whether you need to Renegotiate/haggle, or not say much and buy it as is since it is still fair?? I have had it a couple times, but price was still fair for found condition and people were nice, so I purchased just the same...it's just rough coming home with a bigger project than you thought...and having to explain to the Mrs. Lol

I LOVE the convos with like minded enthusiasts....sadly on my end, I did have one more expensive machine (for me...not for a lot of folks) that I purchased within last couple years where I enjoyed the convo enough, that I wound up glossing over my purchase too lightly....

It wasn't until after I had it set up at home, that I started realizing how neglected it was and just how bad the PF underside etc really was....wound up like 2 months later having more money in it than a good condition would have cost. I'll never forget it and from now on, business is business deal; awesome hangout chats with friendly folks afterward .... not during the check over.

Not really sure but it always takes the buyer longer then they think it will...LOL. We talk more about pinball, have a soda and play games before we ever get around to looking at the game they came for. Never in a rush to get them out so I'm fine with whatever it takes.

John

Is it unreasonable to remove all of the boards to inspect the backsides?

Depends on what the front looked like for me, and if the game matched the description. A game that looks like it was routed hard, I would expect the boards to have some work done to them.

I would say so. It has never even occurred to me to ask when I was buying and I would sure not expect it to happen when I sell.

Easy to spot a high volume buyer/seller when they speak of numbers like this.

Serious buyers will take no longer than 5 minutes to inspect and play a game or two to show that it is leaving my possession either error free or with the faults I informed them of earlier and prior to sealing the deal.

Anything more than 10 minutes gets written off as a lowballer angling for a ridiculous offer. The 10 minute mark is where I have found the lowballer usually has built up enough chutzpah to make their move after what is typically a cursory examination.

Anything more than 15 minutes gets written off as a tyrekicker/timewaster. If they haven't made a lowball in that 5 minute grace period they are usually there for other reasons most of which revolve around wasting your time (a few free games on a pinball machine they don't and will never own, so what other machines do you own? et al).

For perspective I take on average 50 hi res photos of any single machine I sell from just about every angle possible along with a detailed inspection/condition report which gets sent to any prospective buyer beforehand so to then show up and pretend that this is the first time you have seen the machine is going to get me offside right from the start.

Man, no way I let a potential buyer pull all my boards to check the backsides. That's crazy talk.

Edit: Maybe a SS or easy one, but modern DMD - No.

If you are going to start taking my game apart to inspect it you are going to pay me first. Play it all you want and look it over but no taking it apart.

I like to play a game a bit before I buy it to make sure it does not act wierd when it heats up,10-15 mins min.

It depends. If I am getting an amazing deal I just look to make sure the cosmetics are as described and everything is there....all the boards etc. this is usually when I buy a game that isn't working.

If I am buying a working game, I will check the switches, coils, displays, take a look in the cabinet, check for water damage, and look for acid damage or bad board repairs.

If I am buying a game from one of the many other pinball folks I know here in Texas or Oklahoma I just take the word at face value and don't even bother to power it up.

Ken

Depends on the person and the machine. After looking the machine over (15-20 minutes) you can get a feel for the person by how they act and respond to your inspection. After that's all done is the time to bullshit (5-45 minutes) After it's loaded it time to GO (20 seconds).

Something cool about the ride home with a new machine in the back. I usually stop a few miles down the road to make sure everything is secure and nothing rubbing and so forth.

I just sold a machine today and it took about 1 hour from when they walked in the door to when they drove off with the game. They played a couple of games, but I try to explain all the good and the bad in detail prior to people coming to get the game so their isn't a surprise. It also helped that the buyers were great people with the proper items to move a machine. Made it extremely easy.

Lol... many times I've rechecked straps etc just blocks away. So many people want to tell you how to load your vehicle. The mrs. Askes why dont I say no when people insist on how to secure something; its because I don't want to leave on a note of debating it. I smile, say thanks again, and if I get down road and feel concerned, I just stop and adjust in truck.

Pinball people are usually fine, it's the casual person selling a single machine. It's nice to offer help, but I've hauled a machine or two in my days.

Exactly. It's hard to say "dude I got this" without sounding like a ass.

completely depends on the seller. If it's a pinsider with a high rating, I'll usually take their word. If it's a stranger, I'm hesitant. I don't know how many times I wished I would have inspected more when I find more issues after I've gotten it home. Even if pointing out the other flaws didn't lower the price, I'd want that person to know all the things that were wrong with it.

I'd say the best thing you can do before picking up any title is to watch a really good gameplay video, maybe a papa video. Make sure you know what it's supposed to do (this is how you get multiball, these are the lights that should be going off in this mode, etc).

I asked the question because I wish I had at least pulled the CPU from my last purchase. Hacks galore even though the seller said all the boards were completely unmodified. I'd never even thought of pulling a board during inspection before this.