That stinks. Hope things rebound for you soon!

THAT SUCKS!! Sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations. Keep on keepin on though with your head up, you will find the light at the end of the tunnel.
BTW: what did you do at your job? Maybe someone can help.

My only suggestion: Try and sell them to some friends who get it. Maybe you can buy your favorites back later at "friend" prices...

Good luck to you. You shouldn't have any trouble moving any of those titles. Not that this information makes you feel any better, I would guess...

Not only a great idea, I was going to offer to do just that with either TSPP or RS.

bummer. Hold on if you can. But real life has to come before pinball.

I'm in Rockford. If you get your back up against the wall, let me know. Maybe we can work out some type of arrangement where you have buyback rights for a certain period of time or something like that. Not trying to take advantage of your situation, but just thinking out loud for a way you might be able to get them back when things turn positive for you. Good luck, I know the employment situation here sucks big-time.

Yea, sell them to a friend at a 'friend' price with an agreement to buy-back at the same price. That's the way to go if you have some good pinball pals in the area.

PM sent. I am happy to help as well.

BTW-What is your skill set for work?

Jim

Hey jorant,i also was made redundant a while back and now i can play pinball all day!!

What line of work are you in? Maybe someone on here has a lead on a job that could help you.

Best of luck, hang in there. I was out of work for 6 months. It was scary but I got through it and like my new job better than my old job. Hopefully things will work out for you in a similar fashion.

I'm very sorry to hear about your recent situation. I'd definitely be interested in the DW if you are forced to sell it.

I'll add to "what do you do" questions. I need PHP programmers.

I am also interested in TS> if you have to sell (i hope it works out so you don't have to)

sorry to hear this!

Let us know what your line of work is and how far you are willing to commute. Maybe we can help?

Madison is not that far and has lots of opportunities if you look in the right spots.

Also> like others, I would be happy to help out if it comes to you getting rid of games (RS and WCS).

Honestly, I hope it does not come to that.

Best wishes ! I hope something works out for you.

LTG

Sorry to hear about your situation. Too many people in that position these days. I am in WI and would be interested in TS and TSPP. I would sign a paper giving you buy back rights for a year at the price you sold them to me for. Hopefully things will turn around and you can keep them all.

Man, that's harsh.
Good luck and don't give up.

Fellow Pinsiders in IL, hook this man up with a job!

Best wishes to you, sir...let the community know what we can do to help.

I totally feel for you - I'm kind of in a rough situation right now, although not sure how bad it is going to get.

I would be wiling to help in anyway I can (DW).

I hate when collectors have to sell their games for financial reasons. Or for a divorce - that's even worse!

First off, I know how you feel. Three years ago I was in the same boat. No job, but for some reason the bills kept coming. At the time I only had one machine (TAF) and we were considering selling it. I knew that if I sold I may never get another. I was so thankful when we somehow managed to make it thru that "financial storm" without needing to sell.

I am encouraged to see the amount of support offered by fellow pinheads. It is nice to be part of such a wonderful and supportive pinball community.

Good luck and best wishes. A few prayers certainly can't hurt either.

What's your line of work, jorant? We might be able to help you find something.

Guys, I have been without a job since mid Feb(3rd time in a 3 year span).When I got fired(I knew it was coming, business was terrible), I walked out of there smiling. I knew I had to make a serious change in my life. Right now, until I get all my ducks in a row, pinball is what keeps me going! I buy, sell , trade, repair, shop out, refurbish , and do odd opportunities when I can.

I have ZERO plans to work for anyone else again. I am figuring out my own job and how to make it my profession. No, it will not be in pinball. But after being in the automotive industry(mostly repair) for the last 24 years and have seen shop after shop suffer, go broke, and close, due to mismanagement, poor choices, and not adapting to this change in our economy, I am OUT.

I am looking into opening a fast-food lunchtime type of restaurant. No breakfast, no dinner, no Sundays. Feed the masses at a reasonable price. In by 9am, out by 3pm. Enjoy life and my hobbies. You had better believe there will be a couple of pins in there too!

To the OP, yes, your pinballs will be quick cash. But if they mean something to you, find something to make ends meet. Once the pinballs are gone, and the money still runs out, are you any better off? Recreate yourself and expectations. Take the chance to do something else. It may be scary as hell, but so is having nothing left.

Hang in there, hopefully you can fight the dismissal. Sounds like bs to me.

Even if it doesn't work out, in the end it might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. It sounds like you didn't really like the job. Maybe a fresh look around the job market will turn up something better.

Here is some advice and you can do what you want with it.

Do what you love and what you know you are good at. Thats where you will find success.

If you are really good at selling than you will make more money than that job. Thats a fact!
I moved out at 15 and did not even finish school. Went back and did a GED. But I sell, Love to sell and I am really good at it. I will find the layer beneeath the layer of whats driving my clients and based on their needs help solve their problems ; )
Doing that well makes me more money than most Senior Professionals. I have everything I want and a wonderfull life because I do what I love and I do it really well.

You have the magic now go find somewhere to work it. Start at a Mattress store , Car lot or business services but go back to your skill set and passion.

Good luck and get going right now!

sorry to hear this as I too was laidoff. Now just a stay home dad, which is saving money on gas and Daycare which both were costing close to $300 a week, but nothing to save for a machine. Thankfully wife is an Engineer. grh450 is looking for a pin to buy. Good luck, maybe try and keep 1 pin so your not totally out of the pins.

Not bad advice.

There's jobs out there, anyone who's willing to adapt and work can find something. You may need to find something to hold you over, take what's available and keep looking. Any job is better than no job, and it's always easier to find work when you have work.

Good luck, you have a great collection, so sale should not be difficult. TS is one I'd be interested in if it came down to it, but I truly hope you find a way to hang on to them.

Dude. Hope posting made you feel better, total sukk factor what happened. Try this, every door closed is two doors open, just look around for the other doors, sometimes they are hidden . Or - if it does not kill you it makes you stronger. Don't let the world win, beat that sukker till he soils himself. Sometimes when you are at your lowest, you can see best under all the bullshit. Point best stated by Clint, "If you give up, you neither win nor live, and that's just the way it is." It will get better man, count on it

Whassssuuuppp man?! "just"? JUST?? it's a great job man, enjoy it. might be the best job on the planet. Certainly the most rewarding. And your customer(s) love you and call you Daddy and it's not a lawsuit. Beat that.

Jorant, have you concidered going back to school for an Associates or Bachelors degree?

A little bit bout the other aspect of me the forum doesnt know till now. I work for an online school and we have federal financial aid available to those who qualify. I have helped alot of new students! Were not talking snot nosed 18 year olds either, no offense to those "yewts" as we still work with them! I'm speaking of the adult learner like say between the ages of 35-55 is the primary demographic we work with.

If you are looking at opening your own business I see alot of people do a management degree in business administration. Its a 3.5 year program online for a bachelors, and 1.5 years for an associates, and heck even putting on your resume you are back in school learning is a good thing to show employers. With your experience a 1.5 program may be what the doc ordered to show you have some professional scholastic training, increase your credentials on paper so to speak.

I know its a bit off the wall info to get, but wanted to extend the option. Wish you the best in your endeavors.

Find a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life - Confucius

I always believe things happen for a reason, even if things are bad now, people land on their feet. Sounds trite, but don't give up and keep plugging away and good things will happen.

Good luck, and selling your pins to a friend who will sell them back to you for the same price is a great idea if you want to keep your pins.

Sounds like you should take the opportunity to sieze a sales position.

However, if you prefer to use the CDL instead...

Are the driving violations on your CDL record or just your previous employer record?

If not on your CDL then I would look into IDOT and WDOT. They typically hire on with temp positions but those can become permenant pretty easy.

Second thought would be to look into smaller warehouses that do delivery (i.e. furniture, plumbing, etc...) as I know of at leats a few in Madison that seem to be always looking for CDL drivers with clean records. Maybe try Ferguson Plumbing Supplies >> I think there is one in Rockford? I know a few guys that deliver for the one here in Madison and they probably make 45k.

Good luck in your hunt.

Same here on the shadow maybe. Bummer to hear. Fingers crossed on the job front.

Jorant: Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Call your department of social services too.. they usually have a HUGE listing of jobs open.

Good luck bud and stay motivated. This too shall pass.

I am not a huge proponent of unions (even though I paid dues the whole time I worked...by choice) but this sounds like a classic case for intervention. Do you have union reps at your company??

I feel the same way. One door closes, another opens.

This is so so true.

I don't know about IL but here in Mass even if your fired you can get a hearing with the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) , not sure what it would be called in IL.
Many people who are fired win their hearings and are allowed to collect Unemployment. There is also some help with Medical Insurance available as well. There are even programs that allow one to go to school full time and collect. Again this is in the People's Republic of Massachusetts.

In a way this is a good time to be unemployed as the Feds have programs to help out the States because so many people in the USA are out of work. I also hope everyone realizes that the Unemployment rate is more like 14.8%(even higher) versus the Gov's stated 8.2%.

Anyways it looks like a lot of the Folks here are willing to lend a hand in preserving your pins and helping you find a good job.

Great bunch of Folks here on Pinside, hat's off to All of you!!!

Inquire with a attorney
May cost a few bucks but also may be able to get your job back!
I really hope you don't have to get to that point and I wish you the best of luck!

I bet the real reason was that video with the duck!

That is an accurate statistic of 14.8% for unemployment pdman. My team here at the school talk about it in meetings all the time. Obviously Were faced with so many new students that were working good paying jobs, lost them for whatever reason, ussually due to hard times, and they are not sure what to do.

Heres another statistic to keep in mind too guys. I'm not dealing with exact figures so I apologize. All the exact figures are available here... http://www.bls.gov/

So roughly out of that 14.8% who are unemployed, only ~4% or so have some sort of degree (associates, bachelors, masters, etc) the rest do not. Would you rather be part of the 4% with a degree out of work or the 10% or so without one?

I don't want this to sound like a sales pitch, I feel for the OP who started this thread because I was in his position very recently thus why I offered my organization as a reference. ***I would prefer to keep my professional position separate from my civilian/pinball fan role here on the forums.***

If you are interested in school, please feel free to PM me about your inquiry and not on a thread, always willing to help!

Its good to know others here on pinside have offered options to keep the games you love and enjoy. Rips my heart out when I have to sell/give up something to make ends meet.

It may not help to actually get the job back (I don't know what the employment laws are where he lives) but it very well may help him qualify for unemployment. It sounds like he has a good claim to qualify.

What a bummer. Best of luck with your situation.

same thing happened to my brother in law worked at waste management quite a few years with no problems then 2 accidents within 3 mos and he got fired I know they were trying not to give him unemployment but he fought it and was able to get it. If you want to talk to him about it let me know.

Best of luck dude. Hope things look up.

Jorant, BB is right. Go down swinging if you believe.

Sell your pins. It sucks, we all love pinball, they bring us together and it's a social experience, but they're just things. When you're back on your feet and have some disposable income, get a nice one and build from there.

Best of luck.

I can relate, lost my job Nov 11th, 2011, and enjoyed the holidays with no job (enjoyed...right!)
I ended up finding a job Feb 1st. In th mean time did some around town jobs, and did sell one machine to help cover some bills. You see my wife is a stay at home mom.....sooooo, my check and a rental house was it!

You will be okay, but at least you have instant cash with pinballs, see, so when people say pinball is not a good savings account is full of Sh*t

Good luck to you, start networking now, also hit the unemployment website.

Hopefully u find something soon. Might take a pay cut, but like others have said maybe u can do something with truck driving.

If u do decide to sell, I call dibs on wcs94. I would totally sell it back at same price if u wanted it back when u get back on your feet.