My Recent Vist to &quot; HEP &quot; Chris Hutchins High End Pins, Thanks Chris !

OP
Quoted from ctozzi:
This past weekend I attended a wedding in Boone North Carolina with my wife and friends. I was told by my buddy and fellow high end restorer Jim(Honda350r) that High End Pins, Christopher Hutchins shop was in Matthews North Carolina. So I called Chris and he said come on by I'll show you around my shops. So yesterday on the way back to Charlotte's airport we made a 25 minute detour to his home and business. I must say the operation and scope of his business is 2nd to none. 1st at his home he has 3 different external houses behind his main home where many phases of a restore can begin or finish, his garage is yet another pimped out workshop with over 25 in the works playfields, and a plasma screen hanging on the wall. Just at his home I counted 15-18 pins. We then took a 5 minute car ride over to his dedicated shop where he had upwards of another 40-50 pins ready to start their restore's. I didn't snap as many photos as i wanted since it was Sunday and i didn't want to waste anymore of his family time than needed. I saw alot of games I have never seen before like Hercules which was the biggest pin I have ever seen, as well as 5 MM's ready to start their trip back to better than factory fresh. So here are just a few I snapped with my iPhone. You can see my wife and Chris in the pic with all the MM's as well as a Rocky & Bullwinkle that he fixed after a forklift went directly through the left-hand side. Enjoy, Chris could not have been any nicer or more cordial to me. Thanks Again for taking time on a Sunday to show me around.
Chris

Thanks Chris was a pleasure meeting you and your wife.

#46 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

Quoted from pin-tastic:
I do not believe that for a second, considering how popular "A" titles are becoming, sure he gets a lot of calls from people who would like to buy a machine and then have him restore it. This way he can sell them the machine and then do the resto. That is a good business plan.

I don't buy games nor stock them.There is no need to unless I find a great deal which has not happened in years.My time is best spent working on games that already have owners.

#47 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

Quoted from PinballHelp:
I think what HEP does are "boutique machines" - in many cases making the games different/better than original, including clear-coating playfields that were never clear coated. And the cost in many cases is as much or more than a normal game is worth. I have never seen him take anything that was too horribly damaged (although I imagine he has, but as you can see from the pictures, he's often taking a "7-8" and turning it into an "11"). He seems to cater to the pinball-as-an-investment market and very rich people who can afford to have pristine machines. Obviously someone who is having a R&B restored is probably paying twice the cost of the machine to have an HEP version. That's going to be a trophy.
There's nothing wrong with that if you're into it. I think that market is different from the traditional, "Let's play pinball" market. I "restore" games to "well-maintained arcade quality" which is light years below what he does. HEP does "much better than new." I'd like to think that even if I had a ton of money to burn, I don't know if I'd want all my games to be super-perfect like that. I'd be afraid to play them. Although I reserve the right to change my tune if I win the lottery

I don't think you realize how this place works or what takes place here overall.

#51 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

Quoted from PinballHelp:
You restore pins right? You charge a lot of money for very high end restoration. What am I missing?
Note that I'm not saying anything negative about what you do. I'm just noting it is IMO, a whole 'nother class of pinballs that you put out. For high-end collectors. If I buy a Fish Tales for $1200 and send it to you to be restored, how much would it cost me to have an HEP Fish Tales? It would be a $4-5k+ machine at that point right? Who's paying $5k for a FT? It's a whole different market you're working.

You are wrong about the games that are restored (7/8)and the people they are typically done for(rich)The. Majority of people I deal with are not concerned about investment nor am I.Not sure why you think you would know more about my business than I do but you are wrong.
I provide a service it isn't about marketplaces or values.
The games restored here are everything from one of a kind prototypes in horrible condition to NIB Sterns and everything in between plus playfields for regular guys and other restorer.There is just a lot more to it than you either realize or give credit for.

#52 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

Quoted from PinballHelp:
If I picked up a MM or something really rare, I could see spending the money to have it professionally restored. For some games it becomes more economical than others. But it's hard to spend $4k restoring a $2k game. Some people will pay for that. Good for them.
I've come to realize there are different types of collectors in the pinball hobby, kind of like there are different kinds of car enthusiasts. Some hobbyists fix up their cars and drive them, others make them as shiny as possible and keep them in the garage or on trailers. Different strokes for different folks. If you're spending twice the value of a game to restore it, chances are you're in the second category.

Some people just do things or have them done for pleasure.lt takes just as much work or more to restore a $500 game as it does a $5000 game.

#64 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

Quoted from PinballHelp:
Sheesh... First off, nobody said ANYTHING disparaging about Chris. You need to chill out. You can't control what other people think and say, and if you don't want any comments you don't approve of, perhaps you should create your own web site and moderate everything.
I'm really getting sick and tired of this mob mentality, like nobody can say anything that might tweak someone else or it's somehow inappropriate. I didn't say a single thing that was bad about Chris. In fact I paid him the highest compliment I can think of.
Don't tell me what I can and cannot say. Piss off.

Everyone can chill.I do not stress about this stuff that much.
What bothered me is that it was insinuated that I only start out with nice games and deal with the rich "pinball investors"..
All incorrect and worth correcting IMO.Not much more to it than that and nothing worth getting worked up over.HEP can be a hot button sometimes.Never understood exactly why but I think it isn't really about HEP at all but what some think it represents.

#68 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins

http://christopherhutchins.com/gallery/album425

Quoted from PinballHelp:
Go back and read what I wrote. I said no such thing. I never said you "only" start out with any type of game.
You know what you charge for restorations. It's safe to say a lot of your clients are well-to-do. That's just common knowledge. The average guy is not going to pay someone several thousand dollars to restore their games. Both of you guys were out of line jumping my ass. If this was merely an advertisement or "HEP love-fest" I didn't do or say anything earlier that rained on that parade. Give me a break.

I have read it and just to follow up on my point of contention . Here is a water damaged game being restored for a semi local guy(very blue collar/down home) he is not a collector,investor nor rich.He just loves this game.I rate it less than a 7 or 8 I am more inspired by his willingness to resurrect the game than any money I might make or he might spend.

Not sure why you are getting so worked up it isn't like anyone crushed you or anything I would hope that I would be able to debate what I think are misconceptions about my own business without having to defend it.
I just don't think you understand my business or customer base as well as you thought you did that is all.

#79 11 years ago

HEP

High_End_Pins