I saw a $3,600.00 TOM for sale last spring on Craigslist. It was heavily routed with insert wear, but it was an overall "players" pin. Not sure that price is common but I've seen it.

Almost can do for that, I bought a HUO a few months ago for 5,500 but 500 of that was to another person that was going to outbid me and asked that amount to not do so, so I paid him and paid 5k to the seller and 500 to the early birder but the birder transported it to my house since I had to rush over to get it using my car. Local HUO TOM's just don't happen and was once in a lifetime thing and I had to have it and would have paid like 7k for it if I had to outbid the bird. This TOM was clean as a whistle and was in a estate sell and was in a fancy house's game room with a expensive 9' billiard table, Wurlitzer bubble juke box and white albino buffalo head on the wall. Owner passed away and all house items where for sale as well as the 450k house in the foothills in Albuquerque. The widow wanted 5k for the Wurlitzer but I got cashed out on the TOM or I would have bought that too. Didn't ask what the buffalo head price was.
The picture is after I gave it all gold but since it was pristine it was well worth it and probably one of the nicest TOM's to be found if I ever sell it, not!

Gold Tom.jpg

Wow, quite a story. I never find stuff like this.

The game you are describing is probably a $3500 game at best. I probably would have offered $3K.

There are decent ToMs out there for $4500 but they might still need some work. A friend of mine just bought one at that price a couple of months ago. Cabinet was nice, playfield was decent. Needed some minor electrical work and a few parts but he ended up with a nice machine for under $5K.

Twilight Zone beside it was sort of the same, the owner past away but I knew the person that was selling it for his family and bought that HUO for $4,900 in December 2012. Been really lucky finding nice pins but try not to by beaters. The competition to buy local pins for sale has really heated up in the last couple of years and you almost have to stomp your way in to get anything local that is nice nowadays and then these are people you know and don't want to offend so like the TOM I try to buy off the early bidders to not make them so mad if I feel the pin is worthy.

The range on TOMs really isn't that big. Seems like decent ones go for $4800 or so and super nice ones go for $5500 or so.

Basically the only ones you'd find for $4000 or less are gonna be a hot mess.

Never ever say that because I always thought I would never ever have a TOM, Scared Stiff or MM either. Stay vigilant and get the craigslist app to notify you of local pins for sale and make many friend that have pins. I had the chance to get a Monster Bash for 7k locally from a friend but had tied up my free cash for the MMR so passed on that and passed on a really nice Totan for $6,500. Could of had a Fish Tales for $1,500 but passed on all of these since I did not have enough funds available at the time. I have been buying pins since like 2008 so over time as I save I have maxed out at 8 really nice pins, so give it time and save for pins that may popup locally. BTW Mezel wants to sell his WWE so if you know someone that is looking for one drop Tim Mezel a line, probably already modded out and was NIB for him so HUO for sure.

I sold one for $4,500 last year. The playfield was great, it worked 100%, and was clean and shopped. The reason I priced it as so was because the cabinet was water damaged from being left out in the rain, presumably after an operator failed to fix it and a location got fed up. It was really mostly cosmetic, and pretty much just the back of the backbox and bottom of the cabinet. My friends never noticed that it wasn't perfect.

Yeah, they're out there, but they're not going to be perfect.

Just wait until the TOMr and prices will fall accordingly.

Ive come across a few from 4000-5000 that were pretty nice and definitely better than the one you decried lol.i wanted it but not sure it has the staying power I want for a pin of that price so I opted out and passed them along.

What's your estimate on TOMr shipping? 8 years?

wait...what?

Dude apparently pays step aside fees on a regular basis to locals who he thinks are gonna buy a game he wants.

I wish I lived near him.

I always give the "Restored Camaro's go for $50Gs in auctions. How much do you think the rust heap under the tarp in the driveway is worth?"

I'm in your neck of the woods. Where was that beat TOM you looked at advertised? I don't want to waste my time looking at the same pin if it is as bad as you say. I hate to drive somewhere and spend 2-3 hours on a game that you think has potential, only to find out it is roached. Thanks!

Not on a regular basis just on this HUO Tom. This pin at least to me was a 6.5k to 7k machine so not to get in a bidding war with the other buyer, that buyer said to me that he would stop bidding if I gave him 500. I did and paid 5k to the seller. If I had to buy this same quality pin out of state it would have cost me on an average 400 to get it shipped in. So finding this pristine one local I knew I would never find one in this condition and would have been at least 6K out of state or more if I could ever find one like this one. This was a clean HUO. The bidding started at 3.5 went to 4 then 4.5 then 5 and then we both stopped talked and he said he would stop for 500. He was the first one there and I came just a few minutes later but the seller had not sold it to him and I asked the seller if he was going to sell it to him and he said that he would sell it to the one with the highest offer. I knew other people had seen the ad and would be there shortly so I just wanted it over and out of there before someone outbid me. I thought it was a great deal and I think the other potential buyer was happy. We don't see A list machines listed here very often maybe like once twice a year and most are in players condition. Probably never happen again but when the other buyer said give me 500 to stop he was thinking I would say no but I immediately said okay and then he jumped up and down saying crudely there but nicely here dang dang dang. He wanted it too but probably knew that I would outbid him but I did not know still today if he would have outbid me. Never did anything like that before but it was well worth it to me at least and a few hundred just seeing his reaction when I said okay. I did actually know this person personally so didn't want to make him to sore and thought 500 was fair. The other buyer could have bought it but he was trying to get it cheaper and took too long negotiating a lower price and should have just given him 4k or 5k before I got there and maybe the seller would have agreed. I glad I paid the seller a friend for the widow a fair price for it at 5k. Crazy maybe but I have a really nice TOM in my collection.

Nothing wrong with that ive did that before on a few pins that were good deals bc they rarely come around my parts .gotta do what you gotta do sometimes

Might not be in the US. From ads on PinSide/eBay I've seen them go from $5k-$12k. Here in the Old World they go by much cheaper (average good condition ToM 3000 EUR - 4000 EUR).

I remember when 2500.00 got you an amazing fully shopped ToM

sheesh those were the days...

Well, looks like I have a potential competitor (I'm buying one in the summer ). Shipping (well, flying) it over with US Airways would cost you a fortune, I'd recommend specialised logistics.

You could have have mine for $4500.

If you threw in an IM...

I don't work at CG, so I can't really give you an accurate estimate.

I did play a shitton of MMr this week and can say that other than it needing a little piece of deadening foam for Merlin's hole, the game plays great right out of the box.

Obviously, the first game off the line is the hardest, longest job - even for an experienced company like CG.

Each following title should be that much easier, lest costly, and much quicker.

You'll find a decent one eventually for 4500 but not perfect seems to be the consensus.

You see the one on CL in Lancaster for 4500?

I realize I'm in west coast Canada but I've seen 2 since January fully restored for under $4500 Canadian. I also found one needing a complete shop for $3000 cdn

Is this the CL one you saw? Just saw it on CL even though it says 15 days ago. $4500 firm ad says. Looks like a retail place Bob's amusement. Never heard of them. philadelphia.craigslist.org link

Bob Amusement in Conshohocken is a vending company. They wanted to liquidate all their pins to me, but due to the condition/price I passed.

10k by Christmas!

Were these ToM's ever listed for sale? Don't recall seeing them in the usual places.

Oh please. Not a chance in hell.

Okay I just happen to see it while I was on my iPhone so I didn't get a good look at it!!! 4500 for a dump of a ToM means mine should easily fetch 10k (by xmas of course)!

I just got one in cochranville for $6400....but this thing I believe was def a HUO...no wear at all, pf is perfect, cabinet decals perfect from the day they were put on and wood looks great still. I don't believe this was ever on a route. Only thing needed was a new trunk but it was given to me in the sale. I'm very happy with it. Thing is to me perfect.

image.jpg

There's one listed in leduc, alberta right now for $4400 cdn. Or trade for a spp. You have be patient and good deals do come along!

The game looks very nice!
But FYI a dollar bill collector on the door is a dead give away that it's not HUO.

T7...i had that put on after the fact just for my own amusement lol...it wasn't on there when I bought it...

Dan

Finding a ToM in great shape is possible.
I was the one who purchased this ToM back in September.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/is-the-tom-for-4500-in-the-market-for-real

It was definitely not HUO but in good shape.
I fully shopped the top/bottom with tons of new parts because i'm anal about making my pins as perfect as possible.

They're out there in "non-pinsider" homes.

A solid average TOM, fully working with good playfield and cabinet is a solid $5k machine Plus or minus $500. So you are definitely in the ball park. Patience... one will come up.

You can always buy that one from your best buddy

I got mine for 4800 a little over a year ago...it's beautiful.

Paid mine 5900 cdn , pretty nice one , almost perfect pf and cabinet .. but needed some little work ..