Remember the days of getting EM's for free out of people's garages? Finding pristine wedgeheads for $50? Or people who would *pay you* to take them away?

Yeah, with rare exceptions, them days are over.

It's 2020 and a lot of people are stuck indoors wanting new projects to work on and personal arcades to build out. However, no one is making any of these glorious mechanical classics anymore. Supply and demand, yanno?

I just bought a Gottlieb 300 project for $650 and was happy to get it. Dusty, needing some tuneups, but good backglass and playfield.

You know where I found it? Facebook Marketplace. It had been there for about five days at $650 asking price.

The guy said he received 28 IM's within the first 30 minutes. WITHIN THE FIRST 30 MINUTES, Y'ALL. All clear so far?

Amazingly, it sat for five days before I picked it up. Can you guess why? Everyone wanted a discount. Offers of $200-$600 all rejected. The guy had $650 in it, and he wanted his $650 back.

Apparently, that magical thrill of "getting a bargain" is so powerful it prevented 28 people from getting a nice EM for a few extra bucks. Now it is mine.

I've been collecting since 2013 and have never seen a price & demand spike with EM's like this before. Back then, it always seemed reasonably possible to get nice projects and great A+ titles every month in the $300-$400 range from Craigslist or even (gasp) eBay:

March: Out of Sight with perfect backglass and playfield for $350? I'll take it.
April: 2001 with perfect backglass and playfield for $400? I'll take it.
May: Old Chicago ditto ditto for $300? I'll take it.

In early 2015, it became every-other-month.
In 2016, it became one per season, maybe.
In 2017, it was one A+ per year and a few A-/B+'s.
In 2018, well, you get the picture.

Sure, you might still find someone who is moving and "NEEDS IT GONE RIGHT NOW" or maybe someone who used OfferUp letting you swoop in before anyone else saw the ad. But nowadays, if you see a good game listed around $350, it WILL get swamped and likely overbid within the hour.

Count on it.

That being said, fellow friends and Keepers Of The EM's, now is the time to firm up your wishlist. Do not wait any longer. Build the fleet now. Put them in storage if you must, but hurry up and get them under your wing. Even if you pay premium prices to get a few choice ones from your fellow collectors... do it.

You must also consider our patron saint of pinball parts: Steve Young. He is approaching 80. Still enthusiastic and no sign of slowing down, but, you never know.

Steve Kulpa's pinball pages are now gone. You can view some of them via the Wayback Archive, but this won't be true for Pinball Resource parts. They have unique dies for pop caps and parts not available anywhere else. Your future supply is not guaranteed. Beware.

Get your wishlist games identified and get them acquired. Just do it. Also, go ahead and buy the parts you'll need for them. Order your pop caps and drop targets and target faces right now.

I personally forked out $4500 for pinball parts, legs, etc. earlier this year in advance. It feels good knowing I'll have everything I need to rebuild my entire fleet when the time comes. Or, if I sell one, the buyer will have everything *they* need to finish the restoration. I hate the thought of EM's being out there with no path to restoration (or a long DIY one).

I could be wrong, of course. Maybe everyone will soon forget about pinball? Maybe get sucked into VR worlds instead? I know I'll be doing a massive PC upgrade next year for some awesomely detailed Microsoft Flight Simulator runs. Still, I think EM's are here to stay because they can be rebuilt again and again for generations to come and offer something "real".

If you haven't made a wishlist yet, I recommend using ipdb.org to build it. Create five columns: BUY, MAYBE BUY, PLAY ONLY, ART ONLY, NAH. Then comb through the database year by year and place the titles accordingly. I put each year on a new line in Excel. Works well.

Pardon the long post. Just wanted to convey the urgency. I'm especially sensitive to paradigm shifts whenever it comes to businesses changing/folding... and for some reason my radar alarms are going off in EM-land.

We will be the ones to keep the hobby alive and share with another generation. Something is happening... change is in the air... just sayin'.

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No kiddin'? Seems NY and PA are still dependable for spoiling people with affordable projects. I assume you aren't talking about A-titles in good shape in the $300-ish range like the good old days, eh?

Not seeing it here. Prices up, availability low, lots of people visiting the museum wanting and buying games. Many first-timers and homeowners wanting something classic and fun. We cannot keep enough stock for the interest presented. Then again, we only sell fully rebuilt and tested EM's with a 6-month warranty and ongoing service if needed... that's a big part of the appeal.

Local sales are same-day. A decent Space Time for $350 was snapped up within the hour nearby... didn't have a chance.

The potential parts availability issue is a concern. I'm trying to stay ahead of what I'll need & recommending fellow collectors position themselves now rather than later.

Yep. We sold a rebuilt Wizard earlier this year for $1500 and the buyer was very happy to get it. He would have paid more.

The market might be a "covid bubble" for all I know. Too many people desperate for something new. But I've never seen enthusiasm like this before. Sales are blowing up around here... and when you have surge, you also (eventually) have parts shortages. For example, Steve is currently out of tall lamp sockets. Never run into this before.

Not suggesting anyone hoard games or parts. Don't do that. Just firm up your wishlist and get the rebuild parts waiting in the queue.

Well damn, maybe I need to drive a UHAUL up there and load it up like Allentown all over again. BTW, feel free to pass along those free Bally projects if you like.

Sold an Aztec and Big Deal for $800 apiece earlier this year. Same buyer. He wanted more... I didn't have any.

I just checked CL in NYC and surrounding. Where you seeing 'dat? Lots of $800 Triple Strikes and Miss-O's and other B-titles but nothing A+ in that range. Saw a $1000 Wizard... that's not too bad.

Yep. Wise to listen to your spidey sense back then. In 2015 the bottomless EM well started drying up but still able to trip over the good ones now and again. It's just not happening at all nowadays. Refresh button all day long... either priced absurdly fools gold high or gone in an hour.

I can't shake the sense of urgency for serious collectors; especially those recently bitten by the EM bug. Get those wishlist titles locked in while you can.

Hey I'm just grateful I could buy back my old Surf Side from you for $1400!

Just paid that much for a nice Pop-A-Card from David Hoover. Rare, good, fun, nice all-round condition game that plays perfectly? Definitely worth it.

I think Zac understands where I'm coming from on this wishlist stuff. It's *highly* curated by now. Already cycled through a ton & only wish for the stuff I really want now and will pay for. It's not "wishing" for a room full of cheap games I've never played before.

Hard to say. Some may be the EM Evangelist aura following me around. When I left Dallas, at least five new friends went from zero pins to several dozen.

Here in VA I've made a few converts. Part of it is the addictive repair side of it. New people want to join my volunteer team and start turning screwdrivers. Can't do it until covid is beaten back, but they're ready to dive in and already picking up projects.

I dunno. All I can say is that it is encouraging! I love all pinball but a rebuilt & cleared EM is a thing of beauty like none other.

Ohhhhhhh that's right. He sold it to you and then bought it back before selling it to me soon afterward.

Agree, for the 1960's decade, Surf Side is Gottlieb's best multiplayer IMHO. Only drawback is that you must have two players. Not so hot with just one.

I'll never beat Keith Elwin at Iron Maiden, but I could on one of my EM's. The equalizing factor and quick gameplay makes it ideal for playing with pals & keeping everyone interested.

Does anyone know his birthday/age for certain? I recall (hopefully correctly) that he mentioned a number in his mid/upper 70's during my pinball tour and that was 3 1/2 years ago (my, how time flies).

I'm skeptical. EM layouts and short-ish ball times tend to flatten the peaks and raise the valleys when it comes to skill differentials.

Ted Zale pins can give you several house balls per game, skilled or not.

All I know is that I'd much rather play an EM against Keith than a modern game. The newer the game, the further the experts pull way, way ahead of the beginners.

You get tired of that Volley, it has a home here.

No way man! You smokin' coil wrappers?

Unless it's a personal quest for a nostalgic title, the Atlantii (Atlantisusses?) and the Strange Worlds and so forth command a much higher price premium... you know that. *pshaw*

Yo Levi... here's my current personal inventory of EM's. How much should I price them all the same as?

2001
Abra-Ca-Dabra
Argosy
Captain Card
Dixieland
Flip Flop
Flipper Fair
Freedom prototype
Jumping Jack
Little Chief
Mini Pool
Old Chicago
Out Of Sight
Pioneer
Pop-A-Card
Queen's Castle
Rancho
Skyrocket
Snow Derby
Solids N' Stripes
Surf Side

Yah... take what I'm saying with a grain of salt because I'm an experienced EM enthusiast, not a retail buyer.

They aren't "listless", that's for sure. Otherwise the same could be said of cars at a Mecum auction: Thousands lying around, all have four tires and a motor, etc., what's the diff? Same for wristwatches... a $40,000 Patek tells the same time as a $15 Casio, right?

If they are all the same, why bother looking for any particular EM at all? Just buy the nearest one and play it. Same experience, eh? Like a 1967 GTO will take you to Burger King same as a Honda Fit.

Haha of course this is rhetorical. We are looking at this from two different perspectives: Newbie (retail) vs. collector.

The only difference between a newbie and a collector is experience and enthusiasm. In time, the differences between games/cars/watches/headphones/shoes/eyewear/etc. become apparent... and that's when the price follows.

Retail shops can sell EM's for $1500-$2500 but only because the market is so scattered and uninformed. We are capitalizing upon a lack of familiarity and an eagerness to just get something playable and vintage-y in the house. But no experienced hobbyist would ever pay that. Not unless it was a restored beauty they've been hunting down... because they just know the difference.

If you're here on Pinside, well, you know the difference.

Ironically, it sometimes works in reverse: The newbies are the ones aghast at the idea of paying $10,000 for a single machine, but the collectors are already lined up.

If I listed my EM inventory at $800 apiece in the condition they are in, they'd all evaporate by the end of the week. But hey, maybe I'm the crazy one, because I paid $1500 for a Freedom prototype in good project condition. *shrug* I like what I like.

All I am saying is the serendipity of the EM marketplace isn't quite as favorable as it used to be. Definitely noticed a shift especially over the past nine months. Seems like a good time to get the favorites locked in and the replacement parts on hand (if going full restore) vs. later.

Is it a covid bubble? Maybe. But then again, we could see many more indoor pinball parties once the pandemic is beaten back!

*gasp* it's good but not THAT much of a sleeper!

Skyrocket is my #2 all-time pin. Best light show of any EM and great gameplay 1p or 2p, in a 1p cab! Pretty neat. Also designed by Harry Williams. Too much there to ignore mang.

I bought mine in, uh, maybe 2015 from a Pinsider in Washington. $1100 plus shipping to TX. Totally worth it. Has won numerous awards and everyone loves it.

Looking forward to getting my Little Chief rebuilt and cleared. I wanna see just how good max level Chief plays...

Condition means a lot when it comes to pricing. Hmmmm... I'm gonna have some fun and estimate what these could sell for today (maybe not instantly, but eventually) in "good project" status: Decent cab, nice PF, nice glass, perfect plastics, good mechs just needing the usual cleaning/rebuild:

2001 - $1000
Abra-Ca-Dabra - $1000
Argosy - $700
Captain Card - $850
Dixieland - $700
Flip Flop - $850
Flipper Fair - $1000
Freedom prototype - $1500
Jumping Jack - $900
Little Chief - $650
Mini Pool - $1000
Old Chicago - $900
Out Of Sight - $900
Pioneer - $750
Pop-A-Card - $1000
Queen's Castle - $1200
Rancho - $850
Skyrocket - $1100
Snow Derby - $900
Solids N' Stripes - $900
Surf Side - $900

Retail price all cleaned up with warranty? Multiply times 2 or 2.5 should do it. I guess Levi isn't crazy-off-the-mark... they aren't THAT far apart in price. Even so, I wouldn't sell any of mine for any of these prices. Except maybe Pioneer. Hasty buy.

It could happen. EM's tend to sneak up on you. I think pricing is backwards (and glad for it) because I find EM's vastly more interesting mechanically and more focused in terms of pure physics.

I used to be all about modern games and owned more than a few, but the EM's kept growing and the SS's kept getting sold off. This greatly accelerated after discovering how to perform a full meticulous rebuild and a professional clear coat. Best of both worlds. Sparkly, fast, yet classic.

The mechanical->human connection is tighter with EM's. It's just more kinesthetic. More "alive". All of those little snaps and clicks and rhythmic chimes evoking the age of automatons and steam engines. Pinball is basically a shrunken billiards table. EM's manage to keep that connection at the fore. Not coincidentally, they are also more social... as everyone is in the same "headspace" while taking turns. Like playing foosball or ping pong.

Conversely, modern pins invoke more "theater of the mind" than pure physics. Audio callouts, blinking lights, video effects... you know. All of that can be really exciting and take you places EM's just can't, but over time it gets repetitive. HAY! LOOKIT HERE! HURRY UP! WOW! BANG! ZIP! AWWWWWW! I dunno. I play EM's to relax and moderns to grind away at the high score.

I'm just glad I run a pinball museum so that I can get my modern fix there and play my EM's at home.

I know, the “buy urgency” thing is half due to the 2020 EM price inflation and the other half the sneaking suspicion that we are reaching a tipping point of some sort.

Hard to qualify, but I know it when I feel it. The single-source nature of PBR, the EM marketplace, the pandemic, the plight of arcades and transformation of homes into places of increasing leisure. A familiar feeling I get when something is about to pivot... it just seems like the ideal time to firm up the collection, get the parts needed, and sail into the sunset while options are still on the table.

Nobody knows the future but... I’m in buy mode. I also want to help others get the games they want while I can.

I just bought a nice Air Aces.

Wasn’t on my shortlist... but it flips well, great backglass and playfield, and was $400.

$400 for a nice fun game these days? Can’t resist.

Also a real nice Volley nearby for $1100 “owned since 1985” and looks it. Would probably try to pick this up if it was in my neighborhood.

Don't forget having a storage unit offsets the cheapness of EM acquisition, so don't go too large.

I'm finishing up an attic game room renovation which will hold 17 pins. In the meantime, they are piling up downstairs. I'm hoping I can beat the clock and get the renovation finished before finding too many more deals and have to consider a storage unit... ack! First world pinball problems.

Have made more progress since this photo was taken, but this is the best shot of the leveling done and double-green-glue-sandwich 5/8” subfloor layers.

About 900 sqft up here. Much more trouble than a pinbasement, but it’ll be worth it.

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Anyway, I digress... the rest of my house is currently a storage unit, and it’s getting OLD.

Going forward, EM's should do better than most antique collectibles.

A smart watch or retro-styled timepiece can tell the time just as well as an antique. A Toyota Prius will get you to Burger King the same as a vintage 1957 Chevrolet. An IKEA build-it-yourself wardrobe will hold just as many coats as a heavy wooden armoire. But only an EM is going to give you that "pure pinball" electromechanical experience... because you can't "play" anything else to get it. No substitute exists.

Even at almost-50, I'm still too young to remember EM's as a staple of my arcade years. The early SS pins had already replaced them in the arcade by the time I was old enough to play. Yet EM's have dominated my collection and probably always will. Every era has its "golden age" and nothing quite nails that down for me better than an EM. Chimes, reels, clickity-clack, always fixable... no circuit boards or sound effects needed. The primary joy of the game rests within the physics of the layout itself and the pop art decorating the machine.

Honestly, I'm longing for pinball to make a "return to form". A return to the essentials of the game yet updated for the present. I have ideas, alas, not the time to develop them... yet.

Cool story mon. Almost like I was there myself.

Based upon the adjectives you've chosen and the fact that you are starting your journey right at the top with OOS (easily a top 5 Gottlieb multiplayer)... you might be facing a divorce if your partner isn't somewhat open to the idea of an EM journey at this point in your life. Only half-joking.

Sounds like the deep hooks may already be there. "Primal engineering"? That's a key phrase if I've ever heard it.

Some people only play EM's or collect them, but you may be heading for the Total EM Experience: Rebuilding, playing, upgrading, listening to every little click and clack throughout the game and knowing its significance from the operation of the circuit to the feel of the parts with your own hands.

EM's were born during a special period in time - locked in machinery, topology, tensioned springs, mechanical elegance in motion, graced unironically by popular art. A living example of the Old World transitioning into modernity. The last vestiges of analog, manual labor, postwar middle-class wealth and so many other things brimming with unstoppable enthusiasm before the megacorporations wiped out so many of our beloved haunts which couldn't keep pace.

To me, EM's are living paragons of middle-class leisure and the optimism that it would last forever. As long as I can keep the fleet running, so too does the dream unfold.

I really can't think of a better reason than that. It's much deeper than a hobby. It's a gateway to a world I can't imagine living without.

Even after so many zany pinball adventures crossing the continent, I still haven't been able to get into woodrails.

The gameplay is slow, really dislike gobble holes, and most rulesets center around "lighting up all the stuff" to earn specials which I find rather dull. I much prefer playing for points and having to find and tabulate the score every time is an additional annoyance.

I will admit they are incredibly pretty and wish the 60's and 70's EM's continued to use woodrail cabinet design.

I think the 60's and 70's EM's with good rules and flow will stand the test of time. Good physics is just fun by any measure.

I owned a Crossroads after playing it at the PHOF several years ago. Didn't keep it, but really liked the ruleset. The trap holes worked with you as long as you filled them with every sequential ball. But if you lost a ball or especially two, they started working AGAINST you... at which point you had to avoid them and hit other targets for points.

Pretty cool. But still... a bit antiquated as the main thrill was designed around earning replays. I'm not a play for specials/get all the thingies guy unless there is some sort of tasty prize at the end of the struggle. CELEBRATE MY GLORY, MACHINE!

Seems the banjo is collecting dust nowadays. Stuff ain't sellin'! Not just EM's either... up and down the board.

Of course the A++ titles still sell, but off their highs.

A shame, but it makes sense. I actually like the EM's most of all, but my "golden age" should have been the early solid states like Xenon, Centaur, etc. because by the time I was old enough to go to the arcade all the EM's had already been replaced! And I'm not young!

Well, it'll be a boon for those who know just how good a classic EM fully rebuilt and restored can be!

Nuffin’ is sellin’… nuffin’ at all.

Not unless people are giving it away, which some are! Dimension for $200? Flying Carpet for $100? Not in bad shape either.

I almost wish I didn’t have what I have (ha ha not really). But even with so many deals around I’m maxed out.

Exceptions made for a Gemini, etc… always of course.

It’s time to do unexpected things with pinball like using them as as adjunct to sell other things or get attention in new ways. I put one in the (previously boring) store window of a sandwich shop and now people stop and come in asking to play.

Could also do raffles or take them to fairs and festivals where certain scores win prizes.

Do y’all have some at your local breweries yet? Eh? Eh?

Dude, WTF. Too much caffeine? Just hit the unsubscribe button if you are only here to inaccurately reframe the entire topic, give snarky unsolicited advice, and top it all off with a not-so-humblebrag that you finally sold an overpriced EM.

Keep strumming in that Levi-bubble. It’s honestly a good way to relax.

Meanwhile, did anyone get the $200 Dimension? Seeing some good pre-pandemic prices pop up lately… though some sellers with “ok” games are still stuck on the high side.

Good lord stop the trolling already.

“What I want” is very simple: Some friendly EM chitchat about prices and related stuff with some cool fellow hobbyists… without suddenly being called a whiny neurotic out of the blue because of the urgent need to proudly brag about a single transaction and complain that I and perhaps everyone else is bullshittingly out of touch or whatever.

Two years ago we saw pandemic pricing and the fastest sales yet. Today more EM’s are lingering in the market ads priced in the hundreds again, often now in working condition and better shape.

So, that’s kind of interesting. *ahem*

Anyone marked stuff down lately? A $500 decent Expressway not selling in CA certainly wouldn’t have happened in 2021.

Haha I would if it was in my neighborhood and we could do a little trading. I’m 2001 > Dimension all day long even though I tend to favor AAB’s. First game of Dimension I earned 10 extra balls… too easy for me.

A minty game with nice backglass, fully rebuilt, professional clear coat, 100% fixed or replaced lamp sockets, polished metals, etc. I’ve never sold one for less than $3500 personally. But as always “it depends”.

In my opinion (certainly not shared by all) a clear coat playfield is “the” most value-enhancing tweak of all. Do yours have one?

I’ve driven about 5,800 miles for pinball since the start of the pandemic. My search zone is basically the entire eastern half of the USA at all times. Roanoke is merely where I live… it’s not where I look. Have definitely seen some softness since the start of the year.

The sky isn’t falling but I am seeing $200 steals on FB Marketplace like I haven’t seen since I lived in Dallas and was buying in 2014-2015. That’s primarily what I’m referring to along with the longer lengths of time EM games seem to be sitting on the Pinside shelf.

Minty EM’s alone don’t seem to be enough to fetch the higher prices anymore. At least, not from “us”, and not if it isn’t an A+ title in demand like Strange World. But it depends. I’ll bet the general public still has an appetite… just have to fish a bit longer and maybe sell in new venues other than strictly online.

My personal “no compromises” meticulous rebuilds are about $3500 apiece but I won’t have time to do any more until my personal fleet is done. Finishing up the world’s nicest Paul Bunyan and a similar 2001 to be delivered this December and that’ll be it for a while. But I will always scoop up a nicely kept EM if it is priced right for a future restoration. Retirement queue!

Also yes seeing some softness in the newer market as well including brand new games. Someone here has a lovely CCR remake almost brand new not selling at $7300… yeesh! And it’s a GREAT game.

I'm picking up two decent EM's this week. $300. For both.

Big Chief and Paul Bunyan.

This Abra has been on eBay a while for $500 with no bids. Half of the photos are useless and the cab is blue, but superficially from what I can see it looks like a decent pickup. Slap a Pimp stencil kit on it and if the backglass is good it could be a really nice game.

ebay.com link: itm