It's a lot more work than you would think to build something from scratch.

Even if you did have incomplete code, you could at least use that as a starting point.

To someone who have a big interest of games in this era and pinball history, sure. A one-of-a-kind prototype is fascinating.

I wouldn't pay anything near that as it sits, though--unless there was proof that it could flip.

Let's not start that here, please.

In most cases, I'd agree. But this is a particularly special game. Who knows if it will see the light of day again.

I never do that with games. I inspect it, and cart it away. If I'm there to fix something, I fix it. If I'm there to buy something, I buy it.

Like I said before, this would be a special circumstance. The seller already knows it's worth something, lots of people are already hedging on it because it's "as-is" and don't know if it's worth taking a gamble on. Fixing it to the point where it flips would be doing a service to potential buyers, the seller, and anyone else who would be interested in potentially seeing it play and gain access to the ROMs (if they're good).

That's getting a little ridiculous. Someone like you, vid, or me has a pretty good idea of what they're doing. Handling boards and electronics are second nature at this point.

Doing an inspection, initial power-up without boards, swapping in a known working boardset, and connecting them one at a time, and going through the game diagnostics doesn't take that long. 10-15 minutes if everything goes smoothly? Probably less if you rush it and do everything at once.

Obviously, I wouldn't recommend a first-timer to cut their teeth on something like that. I've worked with a few very rare and essentially unreplaceable items, and I'm not afraid to. As long as you have some experience, you'll be fine.

It's not a project for everyone. But all you need is one person who is interested.

If I knew it played, I would pay a bit more for it (and be glad to), rather than lowball it (and knowing the seller isn't interested in lowball offers). I would be happy to pay more for it in a known state and the seller would probably be happy to get more for it. Everybody wins.

You still seem to be treating it as if it's a title as common as pinbot or something.

Simply know your limitations. If you have qualms about working on something like this, then don't touch it. If you repair games all the time, this won't be anything new.

I disagree. There's a lot more to be gained than lost from both the buyer and seller's perspectives with this game in a known state, rather than unknown.

The idea is to get it to boot and flip. Not to shop it out or correct issues inherent in a whitewood prototype.

I can usually get a game to boot fairly quickly as long as it isn't hacked to pieces. Fully playable where everything is 100% is something else.

I do that sometimes, actually. Then I sit on a stool or simply stand and toil away. A lot easier when trying to work on a playfield that basically only has one service position

Sometimes I'll leave it on a hand truck and put something under the handle to get it close to the right playfield angle if I actually need to play a game on it.

Or sometimes I'll have it on a lift cart. It really depends what I need to work on and what height ends up being comfortable.

Nobody said it was finished. I was assuming it may have gotten to the point where it could start, play some of the basic game features, and end. Anything beyond that would be a bonus.

I'm not reading anywhere where anyone is fighting over it. The way I see it, you just have a difference of opinion on how to hande the game as it sits.

Reproducing it sounds like a neat idea.

Nvram.weebly.com has aftermarket MPUs that can take ROMs, plus an inexpensive lamp board and rectifier board. Sound boards may be on the way too (he did two of the classic bally sound boards already). A driver board from altek may be needed.

Boards wouldn't necessarily have to be the limiting factor if you actually do go ahead with something like this.

Direct link:

ebay.com link: Stern Lazer Lord Joe Joss whitewood antique prototype pinball

You should really put a photo up of the rear end of the cabinet as a matter of full disclosure. A buyer would be very unhappy to see that damage since none of the other photos reveal it.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lazer-lord-prototype/page/3#post-3961152

Fixed it.

Honestly, I can see both points of view.

On one hand, the seller is saying they worked, so the buyer owes him.

On the other hand, the buyer is saying it was implied that the EPROMs were one-of-a-kind (thus valuable), but they are not one-of-a-kind and are already freely available (and therefore not valuable).

Compromise on $250?

I think the buyer assumed they would be, and so did everyone else in this thread. There was always the chance that the EPROMs were going to be toast, so there was a chance that you would not have gotten that $500 anyway. But like you say, they did end up working as far as you are concerned. I think the two of you are probably going to have to be flexible and come to a compromise of some sort to satisfy the spirit of the original agreement. Neither of you will probably be entirely satisfied, but that's how compromises sometimes turn out.

Well, you've only posted your side. The buyer hasn't chimed in on the issue with their side yet.

Not everyone wants to duke out a private matter in public.

I'm a little surprised at how many folks are out with their pitchforks. It's easy to say "fork it over" when it's not your money. Especially when at the center of it is an item that has turned out to hold little value. Was it an ironclad conditional agreement? I don't know. Personally, I wouldn't have made an agreement like this in the first place (either as a seller or as a buyer) since it can easily have the potential to go sideways if someone isn't happy with something.

After seeing private disagreements being made public many, many times, more often than not, the person who posts about a private matter does not end up actually being the fully wronged party.

I know a lot of people practically salivate at the prospect of a good drama and controversy and like to pick a side and scream for justice. I'm guessing since the buyer has been on the forums for a little while, he is aware of the kind of show that usually goes down.

Personally, I usually like to hear both sides. A dispute usually takes interesting turns after there is a response from the other party, and I've been surprised more than once with what additional information brings. So, I've learned to try to reserve judgement before all the facts are in.