Your gorilla avatar is disturbing.

Man, you can't even post an ad outside of Pinside. The price police patrol everywhere!

Considering the cost of MM + HEP cost and I wonder if he's gonna break even.

You guys crack me up!!!!!! Tea bag just hits the funny bone.

Anyway, Yes it is a ton of money. If you add up everything including HEP fees you will see that this is about what it is. Trust me I know because I had to get out of it. This is the going rate for a fully restored, high-end finished, modded out MM. Black Nickel trim is nearly a $1,000 it self if you can find anyone to do it now.

I think thats the MM from this thread...
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/fs-hep-restored-mm-picked-up-november-2012

I won't comment on the price, but at some point what is the point of all this extra stuff and work? It's just a pinball machine. Play it and enjoy it.

Chris

Haha

Wow, this is flat out insane. I have worked real hard for the last 3 years to save up roughly this amount of money for a down payment on A HOUSE. Hopefully I'll be rich one day so I can afford a beat up EM or two.

-BB

we're just getting to know each other...

That machine is S-I-C-K though... I would have that thing insured to the maximum and I sure as hell wouldn't touch it without gloves on. Hats off to (Chris, I believe) at HEP for making that thing the finest piece of Pinball specimen I have ever seen. I'd straight trade my girlfriend and RFM for it, but in all honesty, you know someone will buy it... there is plenty of money out there.

You could say the same thing about cars and such. Some people just like to drive a car to work...some people love the attention of a modded out street rod.

Personally I like playing my games way more than looking at them...either way works

Its not a pin for the average Joe. That is a wealthy mans pin. I'd say if I had I few mil of discretionary funds sitting in the bank, F-it, I'd pick this game up. Why not?

I can ignore this because this is the #1 ranked machine in 99th+ percentile shape. It is an oddity. People pay crazy prices for the "best" in every hobby. There are hundreds of other titles to buy/collect that will give you just as much, if not more enjoyment. At least that's what i hear.

sure, if you have plenty of money and dont care, then buy it. its only worth what you will pay-even at that insane price

if you're into cars or motorcyles or most things for that matter, you know that you usually never get the money out of them that you put into them. People are usually only going to pay so much for something no matter how many extras you put into them. Are pinballs the exception? maybe.

I'm wondering if in 5 years we'll be saying...'remember when we bitched about that 22k HEP MM...that was a steal.'

My first house was $43,500!

It is a pretty bad-ass looking MM however. I have no problem with the price. He can ask whatever he wants.

At 22k, some of the obscure parts are going to start getting produced for MM IMHO.

more power to anyone that asks/buys a $22,000 pin. coincidentally $22,000 is what I have invested in my LOTR, TAF, acdc, TRS, avatar and tron; I'd rather have those six pins than any one pin... just my opinion.

It all depends on the price of the base game (which could be quite low if you've been in the hobby awhile). At 22k, I'd bet there is 5-7k of profit. I bought a gorgeous MB less than 2 years ago and it's doubled in price. The demand for MM/MB/AFM is just stupid. Of the trilogy, MM is my least favorite...owned a beauty for 3 months and was totally unimpressed.

I bet money we end up saying "wow remember when that 11k MM was selling for 22k ? " We would all survive this. Chris and Chad and Jim and Bryan will still take our money to restore them, it will just cost less up front.

Exactly. It's a HEP MM. Most people would consider this the absolute pinnacle of the pinball collecting world. You've got the number one ranked game restored by the most respected restorer in the hobby. Obviously, it's not going to come cheap.

Some guys get it, some don't. The best now. Wait in a couple years, you may see 25k or more for same pin. Core game goes up, mods go up, HEP charges more, transportation is more....

Maybe but Chris is booked for this year.

this is the same kind of thing people were saying in the midst of the housing bubble. are we in a pin bubble?

Its simple supply and demand.

I think a good look at the classic car market over a period of time would give a fair comparison. Prices do go up and do come down on various generations of cars based upon demand from certain age groups.

$22k is probably not even 1% of the value of most houses in Long Island.

But yeah, if it costs $22k to do a HEP restore, then I would fathom to say it's not worth it. That's what, three brand new LE sterns, at 100% retail price, shipped? (Or a WOZ + Sterns?)

I thought it was listed for $17k after a price drop or is that a different machine?

Whether or not it's worth it is a different discussion altogether. The general consensus seems to be that the price for this particular MM is not out of line given the current market.

$22k is about what I have into my whole collection.

It's a nice machine, but it's meant for a very small subset of this hobby.

A very very small subset indeed.

The difference being they kept building more houses. There is a relatively know fixed quantity of MM's.

Around 1980, you could purchase a Shelby AC Cobra for around $10,000. It's only a matter of time before Barrett-Jackson starts wheeling these HEP MMs out between Shelbys and Hemi Mopars.

Bah. Doesn't even have a plunger. Not a real pin.

It's actually over 10% (and over 20% for condos) as long as it's not an oceanfront home or in a fairly ritzy area. The pin market is the exact opposite of the house market right now. Mortgage rates are the lowest they have ever been around here, and home values are plummeting because everyone is selling and no one is buying. Except me

-BB

Boy, I'm so glad this guy decided to post his pin somewhere other than Pinside otherwise we'd all be complaining about his price!

I personally hope he gets it! (I have my reasons)

Great closer, wish I was price.

Please explain how you got to 22K on the pins listed - does not add up? Even at 4k each is more??

Free Delivery white glove service.

I'll send you more pics of gorilla's with girls in bikinis

Me too! Although I think he's about $2500 too cheap!

But yeah, if it costs $22k to do a HEP restore, then I would fathom to say it's not worth it. That's what, three brand new LE sterns, at 100% retail price, shipped? (Or a WOZ + Sterns?)

or 4 of these, or 10 of this, or ..........Guys have been saying this for years. Meanwhile supply and demand keeps right on working. If Chris is booked for a year, the market is trying to tell you something........

WTF.. almost page 2 and no boobs?

Pinsiders are slacking...

I think the major point that everyone needs to take from this is that just because this pin is asking 22k for it does not make your routed mm worth 11k

I'll take a guess..

LoTR - $3,500 -- purchased around 2009 or before
TAF - $3,500 - purchased around 2009 or before
TRS - $3,600 -- purchased Pro NIB or used in 2010-2011
Avatar - $3,800 -- purchased Pro NIB or used in 2010-2012
Tron Pro - $3,800 -- purchased NIB or used in 2011
ACDC Pro -- $3,800 -- purchased NIB or used in 2012.

That's $22K. The key is to remember that used TAF was a $3K game not too long ago. The Stern Pros could always be found for less than $4K through the right avenues.

Just a guess mind you, but a plausible guess.

Marcus

wish I was closer...