In that condition I think at least $15k. You probably get better return on eBay. Good luck with your sale.

If purchased Restored from recognized restorer easily $17-18,500
Most likely $14-$15 by your sell though?

Make sure you add Whitewater to your collection ViperBSD (it's missing in your pin lineup)

Serial #s are easy to match when you buy the sticker kit .. let see some pictures of this beauty ! If it is as nice as it sounds, 15K us not out of reach .

Jim

If an outright sale...

14k at MINIMUM

15.5K sounds about right but pics would prove it

up to 17K if you put it on ebay and let it ride.

Since it is a friend that led you to it you should sell it to them for cost >> especially since he led you to the game and you would not have even had it if it was not for him.

JMHO

I thought about this again and in Madison we have a group of guys that will help each other out with leads on games that we do not want (or can currently afford).

If I gave a buddy a lead on a sweet game and prearranged that he give me first dibs when/ if he sold it then I would be extremely pissed if he tried to sell it to me for even 1 penny more than he had into it. It sounds like you have 10,000 into this game so that is EXACTLY what you should sell it for.

edited to add that your time is worth nothing IMHO. That is part of the fun of this hobby > working and fixing them up is a reward in itself.

If you bought this game with the intention of fixing it and flipping it then you are dealing a low blow to the guy that set you up with the deal.

I would sell it to my buddy for my cost but I would also request to buy it back for his current cost if/when he ever sells it.

Only one way to find out what it's actually worth

But as you're asking for estimates I agree with the 15k range.

Unfortunately it doesn't really matter how much you have in to it, are you sure you can't keep it and finance the addition another way?

So this person is a friend and got you a deal on a MM, either sold it to you personally or found a friend of a friend who sold it to you? Sometimes I think I might be to honest and too much of a stand up guy for this hobby. I apologize up front if I don't understand your post correctly but there should be no question on what you should do with this Pin...if you have to or are going to sell it. I don't understand the problem, if you have an arrangement why would you not uphold your end. I guess I don't see where making an enemy is worth the manipulation and deceit. I hope you don't get too offended but is a couple thousand really worth it? I mean really...because you my friend will not only ruin your friendship (whatever it is) but that bridge is burned...along with everyone else associated with that other person.
Don't get me wrong here, I like to make a little profit on the Pins I sell but (1) I can't count my time cause I would never make what I have into it (2) if the Pin is high end and I give someone a deal while making a good acquaintance, Great and (3) I might upset some people from time to time but I try to be honest and use integrity at all times. Like I said, just my opinion...but to me I enjoy money and its nice to have but....you get my point. Hope we can still be friends.

On one hand, I know of a friend who sold a game to a friend at a 'friend price' and then the buying friend turned around and sold the game a couple of months later for about double. If you sell at your cost, you should have an agreement that it not be resold by the buyer unless the two of you split the profits. Otherwise, sell the game at the low side of the current fair market price. Then if your friend turns around and sells the game, he should be able to come out ahead and neither of you will have any worries. Just my .02

And I have one for trade! I'll trade the MM for it

Sucks to hear you have to sell it after all that time and effort, Jeff.

I say charge him for what you have in it with the stipulation that he give you first rights of refusal should he decide to sell down the road, and for the same price he paid; or split the profits if sold in the market. My $.02.

Todd

It sounds like this is how this whole thing started. Maybe I am of the minority here (although I don't think so) but it just seems like good practice to create these contacts and not burn the bridge after. I would think this person, if you sold it back, would give you first dibs if a future sell was decided. I don't know, like I said I sometimes feel like I am out of my element. I always try to be fair and help others with "things" but its the bold face lies and out right dishonesty I remember the most. Like I said this was just my .02. GL with your decision.

A friend price on that game is $12.5K.

A fair price for that game is $15K.

A market price on that game is $17K.

If anybody wants to give me $18k for my TC MM I've had for 10 years then it's theirs!!! Holy moly!!!!

I say for a friend $12.5 is fair. Especially if you can still play it or get it back!

Hope you don't lose a friend over a couple grand if this means you are burning a previous agreement with the guy that found you the game originally...

I read through all of this thread, and I amend my answer:

The friend price for the one friend that turned you onto the machine and you gave first refusal to should be at what you agreed to back then.

The "friend price" for any other friend is $12.5K.

You seem to be knowledgable, what's a HUO in perfect shape go for than?

Note to self , never have a sell agreement with anyone ! If you made one, honor it !

Jim

True HUO would be almost impossible to prove, but if it could be done and had no wear and no issues, I would say $17.5-20K.

HEP or Keller restore = sky is the limit

Mine is a documented huo that I have the original receipt to the person I bought it from including the credit card receipt. I'm the second owner and the game is flawless. I posted pics the other day.

I might be misunderstanding this but I don't think he had any sell agreement with the friend. I take it as the friend is the one who found it for him to buy. If that is the case I think selling it to him half way between what he has in it and what it's worth is ok. Isn't it? They would both be up about $2500 in either cash or value? Or am I missing something?

Thanks Gambit, Another question. Even if u had a receipt oF purchase And you are not the original owner would paperwork really make a huge diff in price? If so what is the diff? Say two MM are equal quality both supposedly HUO. But both not original owners. One had paper work one dosnt. Wouldn't it ultimately come down to a detailed inspection of each? Not paperwork? Who's to say the guy with paperwork didn't change things on his MM at some point... Is it really that hard to tell if a pinball machine is original? Thanks!

And what if he did have a sell agreement with the person that led him to it, to buy it back at cost when/if they ever sold it?

Seems to me that we're losing track of the big picture and that the word 'friendship' has changed it's meaning. It's clear that the owner put an ton of work into this pin and is only selling it for financial need. If the second party is truly a friend, he would want the owner to maximize his sale price to better the financial position of his BUSINESS. It seems to me that a friend would be willing to pay market value and be happy he's given first offer of refusal.

It's unfortunate that circumstances are such that he must part with such a beautiful machine. But let's put things in perspective, it's only a pinball machine.

Good luck with the sale and I wish you success in your business venture.

Steve (in Escalon, CA)

Money VS friendship . Money always wins . Sad but true .

Jim

I would say this could and would be the case in most instances and with most Pins...but this is not most instances and not just any ole Pin. First off, like I some what stated earlier (as long as I understand correctly) the now owner is not losing a penny on the re-transfer of the Pin and gets to practice and flex his integrity while keeping an intact friendship.

I really don't think most of us are losing track of the big picture...this is such a huge part of the foundation of many problems today...a man use to stand by his word and integrity was what we lived by. I guess that falling back to those times is just a pipe dream...

Holy shit !! I have a beautiful HUO MM and I am the second owner. I was thrown that kind of money it would likely be gone in a heartbeat.

If I had that in my gameroom, that's the same choice I would make. Sell something else to fun the expansion, sounds like you have a gem there.