I have been looking for a TMNT pinball for just under a year now. Back in early June one popped up on eBay for $799 starting bid. The auction had a phone # listed in the description so I contacted the seller. After talking he informed me that the display worked intermittently but everything else was good. He agreed to sell it outright for $1300. Woo hoo! This was on a Thursday so I told him I would call on Friday to confirm and be up Saturday to pay and pickup. I tell the kids (who are huge turtle fans) and they get super-stoked. I call Friday and he tells me that his friend picked up the display board to repair it and when he gets it back he is just going to put it on eBay and see how much he can get there. Disappointed I tell him to check the sold listings to see what the past ones actually sold for and that we can both make out if I pay cash (no eBay or PP fees for him and I can save a few bucks). He said he would think about it. I was pissed to say the least. I thought $1300 was a fair price. Grrrr!

A couple of weeks go by and I text him to see if he is interested in selling it again as I will be in the area for vacation and would like to make a deal. He says he just got the board back and he would give me a call in 30 minutes. Thirty minutes comes and goes; no call. He texts the next day and I reach out a few hours later (I was driving). He tells me that he wants more than $1300 and asks for another offer. Really wanting it but also not wanting to get bent over a barrel I offer a more than fair amount of $1500. He then informs me that the person that fixed the board for him offered $1900. I let him know that we are worlds away on price and I can only do $1500. After talking a little more he tells me that the "friend" who repaired it was Todd from TNT and he would call him and have him buy it. We end the call and I think to my self that he probably asked TNT what they sell for and they told him $1900, not factoring in that TNT goes thru the game and probably offers a warranty on the game.

Still wanting to make a deal while I was in the area I text him the following day to see if he ever got a hold of the person at TNT that he said wanted to buy it. He tells me that the person isn't calling him back (big surprise) and he listed it on eBay. I check eBay and he listed with a starting bid of $1500. I'm a little ticked now after dealing with what I feel like was an unreasonable seller.

I continue to watch the auction and there is only one bid for $1500 (not me) for just about the entire auction. I figure what the hell and decide to snipe it. Auction ends and I end up with the game for $1524. I immediately pay and message the seller that I will pick it up the following day if he is available. He replies and we agree on a time.

I head up north of Philly the next morning thinking and hoping along the way that the drive is not for nothing. I get to the seller's house and he greets me at the door. He asks where I am coming from, I say VA, he asks if I'm the guy he was talking to the past several weeks. I tell him yes and that he is a very difficult man to make a deal with. He's seems like a nice enough guy and tells me that he wanted to keep the deal on "paper for tax purposes". Whatever... We talk for a little bit while I am preparing the game for transport and I head out from my trek back to VA.

In the end he ends up with a little more than my original offer after fees and I still get the game and all of the head/heart ache that went along with the whole transaction.

I finally had time to set it up and let the kids play some games. It's a hit and so is Dad!!!

The display goes out so it looks like there are more problems than what TNT fixed on it. So I guess I will be looking into the DMD this weekend.

Pics...

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Also forgot to mention that the board repair cost him $175. So eBay final value + Paypal + board repair cost = well less than my original offer of $1300 cash.

A shame too cause I bet the guy could have really used the money.

- Mike