Sell all your games and invest in real estate?

odd ball

money is money

Regardless if you trade or sell the TZ, the equity is there. Your TZ has appreciated in value, and it doesn't matter if you trade it or convert it to cash (especially if you are going to put it into a new game since technically you aren't 'realizing' the return on investment).

If you spend $8000 cash or $3000 and a TZ, it's the same thing. Do it whichever way makes you feel more comfortable, but in my opinion, there's no difference.

It looks like you have a system you are comfortable with.

I've been looking for a pinball magic. Interested in a Godzilla?

I recently sold a pin and added 3k to get a WMS IJ. But I'm worse than you in that I don't even count the pin I sold so my IJ only cost me 3k out of pocket

Once I own a game the money spent is gone forever. Selling a game or trading a game always results in another game so I'm only concerned with any additional out of pocket cost.

So in your example the MB would only cost me 3k.

If fooling yourself about the cost helps you sleep at night....

Trade always seems to be an ideal, reality is 9 out of 10 it is easier and better to just sell then buy.

Looking for trades can be fun though.

I buy games and pour a bunch of money and time in them that will never be returned....is that not what you are supposed to do with a game/hobby?

Sounds to me like you will be turning down a lot of potentially good deals on a MB, because the seller wants cash and not trade. Seems like you might be waiting a very long time for just the right deal that someone is willing to do, just so you can trick your mind. On the flip side, I have seen items that I was interested in where people only want trade for a boat, car, motorcycle. I never bothered to call them, because it was obvious they didn't want cash.

Loosing money isnt a big deal, im not sure why everyone insists on making money or breaking even, hobbies cost money, yes you can parlay games into other games to ease the pain in your wallet which is ideal. Be prepared for a loss, TZ is climbing so high they may remake it like MM. So dont get caught up in the finacials just have fun with our hobby!

You are tricking yourself.

Its a hobby. I think you are over thinkin' it.

Delude yourself as long as you can afford to do so, don't do it with cash you need. I feel the same way and do the same thing.

Sorry I don't get it. Math is math. It is the same. To me the difference would be convenience of trading, if for the right game and maybe a savings on shipping/pickup costs.

I would say odd-ball, but I don't blame you. When your dealing with "toys" this expensive I'm sure we all have come up with odd justifications.

As I tell my wife, I don't mind the cost of games because there is an active buy/sell market, so if we ever need money it's easy enough to sell the games. Though as most people, I think pricing is getting out of hand

Investing in pinball machines is a bad idea but I do it anyways. All I buy are EMs and it seems they're going down in value. I blame it on the aging EM crowd. The same may happen to the SS crowd.

It's the same thing. You have to spend 3000 dollars either way. Trade plus 3000.
Or the proceeds from sale plus 3000.

The trade limits your options immensely.

This assume you have to find someone who wants your game at your price and is tradibg the game you want at the value you want.

If you try selling the game, you can take the time to get the price you need.
Then when you find the game you want, you can buy it outright because cash is something everyone wants (while twilight zone might not be).

I could see a trade might being a good option if you only have one game, and don't want to be without one.... But be prepared to wait awhile for the perfect scenario to work out for you. This works out for people who are more flexible in their game options.

Good luck!

Also, in your scenario, you're banking on the perfect deal. Suppose you have waited 6 months for a trade deal to come along. Let's say your TZ is pristine and my MB is beat up. I want $7K for my beat up MB, but if you want to trade, I want your nice TZ and $4K and I won't budge. Are you going to spend "$9K" on a beat up MB, just because it's the only one you've found that meets your trade criteria? I don't think so.

Sell everything now.

This thread makes my head hurt.

How many games do you own that have tripled in value? Once you've traded them off, isn't your equity wave kind of over? Do you intend to just keep trading off the $8k game and keeping the lower valued stuff?

How many new titles have people lost 1k on? There are several new titles I would be interested when I sell/trade gofers. Problem is that they will go down quite a bit in the next year or two. Also holding off on going after spiderman until the rumor of a ve is proven true or not. It is tough justifying the cost of some machines, cannot do it knowing I will take a loss in the short term if I get bored with it.

You are thinking waaaay too hard about this. Buy and sell at a price YOU find fair. Trades are good to combine 2 separate sales into one and you might save some time. That is all.

Exactly. and then play some more pinball.

Cash deal
TZ Paid $1500
Sell for $5000
Add $3000 cash
Buy MB for $8000
You have $4500 invested out of pocket

Equity/trade
TZ paid $1500
Trade in credit $5000
Add $3000 cash
Receive $8000 MB
You have $4500 invested out of pocket

The only thing you are doing by limiting it to a trade is limiting your opportunity to find an MB. IMO

I kind of do the same thing but not for myself. That's the number I tell my wife I'm spending on the next pin.

Don't forget to calculate for inflation, time value of money, and opportunity costs or your thoughts of equity value won't be accurate And yeah like others said equity in form of trade or cash is all the same. I personally prefer not to overthink the hobby from the financial side. If I wanted to get a return there's a lot better ways than in a hobby.

Yes, money is money but when you sell a game my advice is to put that money in a separate pinball account or in a safe vs. putting it in your general savings/checking account otherwise you might be guilted into using it for something else non-pin related.

Sticking to a trade only rule restricts you far too much. It also rules out buying a new release NIB should you want one.

Having cash in hand is a big advantage when looking for a game. It means you can act now, and gives you some negotiating power.

It's a cash flow and tax decision, assuming the older pin has little added appreciation potential. If we don't get future generations back into pins in a very big way, long term investment potential is clearly in jeopardy. I'm not convinced that the new resurgence in pins has staying power. Maybe when Chucky Cheese starts hosting them again... I'm not holding my breath.

I will say that it NEVER hurts to look for a trade for at least a little while.

I have many games that I would ONLY trade away for the right deal as they would be hard to replace so I would want to ensure I am finding something else I really want if it is leaving.

I have passed up two great deals that I shouldn't have and maybe two others that were good and I should have been more aggressive about.

But the point is I'm in a certain time/space where even if a great deal shows up I need to have the cash and the space to jump. Because the really good deals are so good that they last maybe a day.

I'm thinking of people I know and who I have dealt with so the deals were maybe a bit better for me, but I was a little slow.

Since then, I have 'sold' a pin. I didn't have to, but it frees up a space and I have the money to buy when I see another great deal. I don't even have a specific pin in mind, I'm more looking for a few pins but the price, location and condition have to be right.

If on the other hand you are waiting for a specific pin and then you need to trade your pin for that pin it's just limiting the whole universe of possible deals.

Long story short, I now have my space and I'm just sitting back wait for the good deal to show up, but as usually happens past on a few deals because the time space wasn't right now that I'm ready the deals never seem to be what I'm hoping for and I still am sorry for the couple that I let pass.

OP, look up the word "fungible". Your idea is based on the idea that equity can not be cash. Your thinking is illogical.

Pinball and equity don't belong in the same sentence.

Again, your house money and your pinball equity is fungible by converting to cash at any moment. Your theoretical differentiation between the two is what is illogical. It's fine if it makes you feel good, but it shouldn't impact your financial decisions because these are all assets that can be converted to cash at some cost. Pinballs probably cost less than campers/rvs/vehicles/snowmobiles, etc. to convert to cash.

What is this equity you speak of?

Im with you on this......being at capacity (space and $) is not ideal. Best to always have some cash and space ready for something new.

Trading equity, spending equity. What's the difference?

What happens when PPS announces a MB remake and it's value decreases? No big deal, I only paid $4500 for it. Could take the sting out of a loss too! Kind of a glass half full or half empty argument.