I would go through that mess in a heartbeat for the deal you got on the game.

Did I miss something or was that huge post rude as heck? I realize the OP's story was long, but I enjoyed every word. Pretty good writing in my book. I would've stopped and at worst said my peace if I disapproved- is there a full moon tonight?? Am I missing some inside joke here? Wow.

funny-picture-like-this-picture-if-no-batman-slaps-robin.jpg

TL;DR: True Detective is non-fiction.

I did, too. It was great.

That's just some "heart of darkness" for those who want to journey deeper into the maw of despair.

I disagree 100%. Life is only about dueling banjos and pig farmers. Nothing else matters.

Never get out of the boat. Absolutely g*d damn right.

Ah, gotcha! Not in my wheelhouse, but I'm definitely going to go back and read it and see if it grabs me!

Since I finally stopped laughing....I really want to thumbs-up that shit Jayhawkee...but,..nay,...I shan't scroll back up.

Wow, Coffinstuffer, thank you for your recount, I would have to say if there is voting for the best thread you would be number 1!!! I admire your resilience, and "People" skills.
cheers
Ali.

I enjoyed reading it!! Great story

Cliff notes > It was a good story about a pinball buying adventure from a smacked out junky hoarder.

Worth the read.

Loved it!

Did anyone else really wish they were along for the adventure?

I love these sorts of experiences.

"I never learned to read!"

Ummm, NO!

You sure the machine wasn't stolen goods?

Do you have any pictures of the STTNG? Would love to see it.

Totally true story. Coffin stuffers brother called me while he was at the house, half laughing, half-terrified because the kid in the truck said something like, "He's been in there 15 minutes! I don't know if he's coming back and I'm not going in there to find him!"

The ad had been up on Craigslist for several weeks. I contacted the guy early on, but since I already had a STTNG I passed it on to a few of the members of our club. They all were a bit put off by the guy's demeanor. I said, often some of the best deals are from crazy people - no pain, no gain. Admittedly, I kinda prodded them to go for it because they weren't going to go for the game - it was a long drive from New Orleans - in the middle of nowhere, and they kept harping about how they wanted to get one of those "great CL deals" (especially after someone snarfed an $800 Dr. Who from us last week). So I said, "Hey, I am pretty sure that deal in Monroe is legit.. you just have to be willing to go up there and take the chance.." Well he did. And despite how bizarre the scene was, they came back with a good machine. Better to relieve those people of it, before they offer it to Satan or try to turn it into a spaceship take them back to their home world

Congrats dude! Great pickup!

Really... This sounds like a hell of a good time so long as you come out with the game.

As the story unfolded, I kept thinking "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

Is this a Nora Roberts alias posting this?

+1
Was thinking the exact same thing.

Guy went to a "crazy person's" house to buy a machine, but didn't bring a dolly. Who's the crazy one?

Nice post, albeit a bit long, and short on paragraphs. Glad it was worth the Trek...

I don't know. Sounds like these guys were pretty nice and you were just being a big pussy. They even found the extra leg for you.

They weren't that nice. They didn't offer to share their crack.

If it grabs you, you will be the first! Better to watch Apocalypse Now, which is based on Heart of Darkness anyway.

Please edit original post to include paragraphs so I can read it. I really want to.

Great story...you are indeed a good writer. Glad you both made it out of there safely.

I was thinking the same thing. Who's crazier...3/4s naked Greg and Trailer Guy, or us pinheads who throw common sense to the wind for a good deal?

--Luke

Who brings 700's worth of tools? I usually just use my cell phone flashlight and have a ratchet, torx screwdriver & backbox key...all disposable in that situation...
Glad you made it out. Twice!

I don't think Greg is as far gone as you say! He deleted his craigslist post already.

I can just imagine Greg reading this thread on his computer as the tears fall down onto his bare belly.

Wow. I'm sorry you went through this. Although next to impossible to do in practice, when you got there you should have turned around and gone home. Your part about threatening to withhold pay from your nephew for not going back into that hell hole over tools is especially dark... $700!? What was in that bag, a pocket oscilloscope? I hope not because if so, you brought an oscilloscope but no dolly?

I'm sure you don't see it this way, but I don't think you saved one penny on this machine if you count your emotional well-being as having any value.

Man, think about this story from your nephew's side: I was dragged into physical danger for a pinball machine and then the guy threatened to dock my lousy $100 if I didn't go back in. $100 is spent in a second but those nightmares he'll have (and stories he'll tell to others about many things, including you) will last a lifetime.

With all sincerity, I really hope you enjoy the game and that one day you can play it without thinking of the insanity you put yourself through to get it.

Been there, done that - sort of. My grandfather used to run a furniture store. When I was 15, i went with my Dad and brothers one day to go repro some furniture. When we got to the place, it made the OP's destination seem like a freakin' mansion ... Forty years later, I've still never seen anything like it and just can't imagine how any human, crazy or not, could live like that

This story is freaking amazing!!!! Thank you for sharing it. This will be what i compare all my pinball pick ups to.

*almost* as good as the bottom boyz thread

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-best-ad-i-have-ever-seen

You beat me to it! Read like a Warren Ellis comic as well!

^^^^^^^ What he said.

And, to answer your question at about word # 6,543 where you asked "What crazy person uses their own house to rob people?"...The answer includes: Criminals are not smart. Drugged out criminals are not as smart as regular criminals. People get robbed, shot, and killed REGULARLY from CL where they are lured to locations a lot nicer than where you were lured. Where else but CL can an anonymous criminal get a person he wants to rob to come to him on his turf, with pockets full of cash? And you relied on Garfield, the alleged next door neighbor, who could just as easily have been "Greg's" lookout, to point you down the road to where "Greg" lives. If you've ever been in the military, think of the dozens and dozens of tactical advantages "Greg" had over you in this situation. You realized but ignored every common sense warning sign, one after another and in doing so, you legitimately put your life and the kid's life in danger.

I tried to teach my kid to look at any situation where a decision needs to be made and ask himself what good can happen if he does it, and what bad can happen if he does it. In this deal, your best case going in was to save less than $1500 on a pinball machine. Your worst case was about as bad as can be imagined.

You're a very lucky guy and you dodged a bullet. Or a whole clip.

pinball is a helluva drug.

I don't think I'd say regularly killed from CL

OK, if not "regularly", what *would* you say?

Try this, from International Business Times:

"Classifieds site Craigslist has been linked with 330 crimes, 12 murders and 105 robberies or assaults in the United States last year (that would be 2010) due to anonymous interactions on the site, says a new study."

Sounds pretty regular to me....a murder a month, 30 crimes a month, and 9 robberies or assaults per month.

Another quote from the piece: "Police in Chicago have labeled Craigslist crimes, “robbery by appointment” because criminals in the Windy City REGULARLY use Craigslist to identify victims and have the luxury of scheduling their crimes. The most notorious crime last year led to an entire family being taken hostage and the father shot dead in front of his wife and children, who were also assaulted."

Here's a link: http://www.ibtimes.com/craigslist-cesspool-crime-study-270401

I'd like to see the evidence you're citing for that claim personally, because I don't really believe it, but I'm happy to be educated. Sure CL has scams, we all know that, but what are you basing your assertion on? Robbed? Shot?! Killed?!! Got some links to this madness?

Edit: lol you posted your link as I was typing.

Uh, seriously? It's some of the worst creative writing I've ever read. It was repetitive, claustrophobic and used way too many words. It was like reading a Mad Lib filled out by Charles Manson. As much as I bag on HouseOfPin for his posts, at least the drama isn't artificially created.

OP, please take my criticism as constructive. These guys are blowing smoke up your chimney.

Umm...Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes.

I was amazed by how much there is out there just for the Googling.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=killed+craigslist

You are obviously an elitist, what with your love of "paragraphs" and other hoity-toity extravagances.

Sure, it could use some editing, but I'm assuming the OP (like must of us) is not a professional writer. Let's focus on the fact that it was one hell of an entertaining story.

My favorite line:

Once we get it down the stairs we use the lift and drag technique to the door. I would never employ such techniques on a pinball machine in normal circumstances but in the situation I found myself in; I saw it more akin to dragging a wounded buddy with a sucking chest wound to safety through the middle of a raging firefight. A little damage was acceptable for a trade off of speed to reach friendly lines.

Remember the "End of the World?" Harold Camping's May 21st 2011 Doomsday? Well then I have a CL pinball pickup story for you from a few years ago....

I went to check out a DW at this guy's house, and he seemed pretty nice/normal. He showed me a bunch of his guitar gear and his other pinballs. His kids were freakishly polite, I remember one of them (about 10) introduced himself and shook my hand.

The game looked good and he was asking a fair price, so I told him I would buy it. But I needed to give him a deposit and come back later that day with a truck. He said if I had the full amount he'd be happy to follow me home with the game in his van (that sounds creepy in hindsight). So I agree and we load it into the van. He says he will follow me back to my house, yet he's the one leading the way nearly blowing every red light. I'm thinking to myself, this is a long way to go to con me out of my money...But I finally get in front of him and we arrive at my place.

So we drag it inside, and he's helping me put the legs back on the machine, and this is when it gets weird... He starts talking about crop circles and makes me look at pictures of them on his cell phone. "Look at how detailed these are! You can't make these with rope and boards!" And he proceeds to tell me how all these happenings are various religious signs and signals. He asks me if I go to church...Am I baptized? Because judgement day is coming! And really hush-hush he leans in and says "May 21st..." And I ask: "As in next month?" He says yes and that God is coming for us and the world is going to burn on Oct 21st!

At this point I really wanted him the hell out of my house. So I start walking out of the basement, towards the walk out steps, and he follows me talking about how FEMA has secret processing plants for the bodies in Indiana (I live in IL). His parting words as he drove away were "Remember, when the ground starts shaking, head to Wisconsin!"

I go back into the house, look at the machine, shake my head, and contemplate immediately re-selling it. It was going to take a lot of Novus 2 to get the crazy stank off this thing! I walk upstairs, and my wife who had apparently overheard everything, just smiles and says: "Did you have fun talking to your new friend?

I really wish I had saved the guys email address, because I wanted nothing more than to email him on May 22nd and ask him if he also got left below!
__________________

Cliff notes: Bought pinball on craigslist, guy was batshit crazy, told me the rapture was in a month.

wow crazy story but written well! Now go add that STTNG to your collection - you earned it!

What does does judgement day have to do with the FEMA camps? This guy needs to get his conspiracy stories straight. Did this guy look like Jesse Ventura?

To the OP: was there anything weird hidden inside the pinball machine? That seems like the kind of place they would put something shady and forget about it.