Years ago in the mid-90’s I was an active collector of late 70’s/earlier 80’s pins, Evel, Harlem, Firepower, Blacknight, etc...I stuck primarily to pins and not a lot video’s. Within a 5 year period I filled my place with 30 or 40 games before I realized I was a junkie and it’s not normal to have Pinballs machines in your kitchen.
By 2001, I amassed a collection and left the hobby when I purchased a new house. I have not bought a game in 20 years now. I set most of the games up in the new house in a nice warm and dry basement.
Lately, I’ve been snooping around websites and Facebook game groups and seeing what these games are going for. People are asking $1800 or more for what I considered to be a “ok condition” games? Are they actually getting their price? I’m just shocked, I’d figure $950 to $1,200 would be the ceiling on these games in the future? I saw an ad for a $3,200 Black Knight where the playfield had huge amount of wear around the “save magnates”. In my day that game would have got significantly dinged as non-collector quality - but it sold. $1,800 Bobby Orr’s, Gorgars, Evels, and Playboys. Crazy…
Anyways, sorry for the long post. It’s been interesting to poke around in the pinball world in 2021 after leaving the games behind in 2001. It was fun when I was younger and don’t feel sorry for me. Around 2001 I started restoring the cars I had purchased in the early 90’s, before I started collecting games. Since then I’ve finished ground off’s on my 69 RS Camaro, 70 Chevelle, ‘69 GS Skylark and I should be getting my ‘64 Vette back from paint shop sometime next week and we’ll started assembling it. I just switched from one expensive hobby to a more expensive hobby.
However, the prices of the Pinball machines are mind blowing these days?
Later