nothing against them, they're great fun, but there's more to pinball than EMs.

The northeast has been booming with stuff for sale this fall/winter. I've been keeping quite busy.

Find a reliable shipper, as ForceFlow mentioned, we’ve been lousy with games, *especially* EM’s that haven’t sold! You’d be in heaven up here!

Really? I'd been thinking the same thing. Hardly any (project) ems showing on on Craigslist lately at reasonable prices compared to last year. I used to pick up a few games every month and now I've only gotten one since spring

I just picked up a Cowpoke project for a good price. Been looking for one of those for a while too.

thumbs down from dudes with non-EM games in their lineup. wtf? all i was saying is other types of games are good too.

Agreed. I've got a few 'modern' games amongst my Ems which I enjoy playing too. Each to his own, I guess....

I separate mine. One side of the game room is a the EM/Bowler nostolgic side, separated by the stairwell. ...the other is the more modern vibe.

This is the Em hangout. How many thumbs down would we get if we said modern games aren't all that in 90% of Pinside threads. Let us have our happy little place.

And yes, here in Wisconsin Em projects seem to have dried up for the most part. There was a time when I could pick up one or two $200-$300 games a month. There are still a fair amount of games listed but project games are now listed at prices that restored games sold for 2 years ago.

Cali seems to be stuffed with cheap EMs. No decent WPC projects here...

I'm stuck on no space for more. Pinball are hitting the market already I would like. In my area Los Angeles.
I need a new home.

If you're into EMs, you want EMs.
I can enjoy newer games, but don't have any desire to own or collect them.

I’ve noticed that project games more or less dried up, until I started look for games on Letgo, Facebook, ad well as CL.

For me, it’s not that games are harder to come by, it’s that they’re spread out kinda thin through all the different selling mediums/apps we have today.

except i didn't say anything against EMs. english is hard in the EM hangout apparently.

There's your dig. To many of us here (in the EM hangout) that just isn't true.

And then to say we don't comprehend what your saying, because apparently we don't understand English... I didn't down vote you. You have a right to your opinion. Common sense would have said this wasn't the best way or place to express it.

suggesting that EMs aren't the ONLY good pinball games is a dig? jesus you guys are sensitive. (i like EMs)

Most of the down votes weren't the EM guys. You tend to irritate people of all types.

Translated, it read "EMs are fun, but there's better."

"You're girlfriend is cute, but there's more than just looks"
Translated "yeah she's pretty, but there's a big empty space above the shoulders"

That's why all the downvotes

Back on topic, I too am looking for a good priced EM, but the ones for sale near me (Midwest) seem to be not-so-stellar-condition priced at nice-or-better-conditioned prices...

Plus, on top of that, I'm an EM newb and have very little idea of what title to look for or pick up. I've played a handful and enjoy what I've played, but there seems to be so many off-the-path games that it can be a little daunting at times.

$250 bank shot posted today in NH:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/post-project-pins-for-sale-here-cl-ebay-pinside-and-others/page/142#post-4097982

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-bank-shot-project

This is pretty typical of what I see in my area these days.
chicago.craigslist.org link

Friendship 7. A pretty neat game with potential. Flaking backglass, doorbell mod, post replacing a rollover on playfield (weird), doesn't quite work. $700.
To me this game cleaned up and working is a $700-$800 game. I used to buy this type of machine all the time for $200-$400. And they would sometimes sit for a week or longer at that price.

That's what I've been saying. From the bit I've been in the hobby, a machine like this would be a $300 machine, but is listed at 2x that. I'd like an EM, but I can't imagine that $700 is the normal price for decent condition with a few knots that need to be ironed out...

I haven’t seen ANY projects on cl all year, nothing. I almost got a $500 em recently but it was gone already when I emailed. I don’t know if all the projects are fixed, or if people all the sudden think they’re gold and don’t want to let them go. Theyre just not around here anymore. I saw a basket case in Chicago for 1200, didn’t run, dirty, missing a leg, cracked back glass. I just shook my head and walked away.

But that's soooo far away!

If the OP had started this thread in the general forum, your comment would be legitimate and you wouldn't have gotten downvoted.
Since he posted it in the EM Hangout sub-forum, you should expect the flak you got. What you said isn't wrong, but you just said it among the wrong group of people. We're not sensitive, we're just primarily interested in EM games here.
It would be like going to a Corvette rally, and shouting out "hey, there's more to cars than Corvettes. There's plenty of Ford Mustangs around". You wouldn't win too many friends there.

You're basically just trolling this thread. Why is crying aboot thumbs down votes not outlawed yet; so lame.

That's rich. The king of downvotes getting upset because of downvotes when he's dissing em's in the em subsection.

I wouldn't say they're bargains, but there seems to be no shortage here!

allentown.craigslist.org link

E

Right around Labor Day I picked up a Spanish Eyes in Oshkosh for $110. It was listed on CL and FB. It might have been listed for sale here too, not sure. They are still out there, but I agree, there have been very few in the last couple of years.

i wasn't dissing EMs. learn to read.

Ugh, Figures the one week I’m out of town something pops up in my hometown. If it was Facebook I wouldn’t have seen that as I’m not on there, but cL I would’ve seen.

Which side do the cool kids hang out in?

I see more EMs than I do SS. And with shows like pawn stars and American pickers the prices are through the roof.

I haven't seen any em priced under $300 in the last couple months project or not . I think pinball prices overall are rising and when a cheap one comes up its gone in 2 hours .

Same here

The PNW has plenty of games, if a seller is willing to accept negotiations and working the price, and the buyer uses contacts, develops networking, and has a good reputation for swift, non confrontational, fair sales.
"You only can be a tire kicker for so long before people will turn away."
Enthusiasts have to look beyond standard "for sale" locations, and that means doing research, and canvassing.
Games don't come to you, you go to the games.
They do exist, and not rare unless a person lives no where near a populated area (greater than 150-200 miles).
Normally, there has to be some form of explanation that something cannot be worth a bar of gold bullion, if it has to be restored and repaired by someone with expertise, a very key point to most owners.
Many times it is more than a few hours work for restoration, but not certainly insurmountable.
Sometimes I walk away, and let another take the game, knowing the trouble it will result, and I see up for sale again later.
Those that would prefer a $100 game, need to be ready to roll up sleeves (project), but they also exist, but generally closer starting price to $150-200, if intact. Backglasses usually are not that great for $150-200 games, though today.

Another Wizard! being picked up shortly, now working (unrestored) except for a minor reset relay issue that I will finish.
(Backglass was removed for inspection but exceptional condition)
Local less than 15 miles away from my home and shop.
A general "diamond in the rough", if known what to look for overall.
Typical light planking of the wood playfield veneer of this title and age and minor paint loss, but correctable.

1 Left Backbox (resized).jpg
3 Right Backbox (resized).jpg
4 Right Cabinet (resized).jpg
2 Left Cabinet (resized).jpg
5 Coin door (resized).jpg
7 Upper PF (resized).jpg
6 Center PF (resized).jpg

Yet another EM to pick up shortly among several others, a little road trip required, under $300 each.
A duplicate game, Dogies (Bally, 1968) Ted Zale "zipper flipper" game for my game archives.
General overall condition is excellent-superb, especially for 50 years.
French export version with operator "modifications" (see if you can spot them)

The trip will cost equal to the total games.

Dogies2 (resized).jpg
Dogies4 (resized).jpg
Dogies5 (resized).jpg
Dogies3 (resized).jpg
Dogies6 (resized).jpg
Dogies7 (resized).jpg
Dogies9 (resized).jpg
Dogies8 (resized).jpg
Dogies12 (resized).jpg
Dogies13 (resized).jpg
Dogies10 (resized).jpg
Dogies14 (resized).jpg
Dogies15 (resized).jpg

She’s a Beauty bk!

The days of easy pickins' is over. Now you have to work for it!

Took me 6 months of checking CL twice a day to find a game 3 hrs from me on my wish list. Not a bargain, but was really excited to pick it up. Those easy finds are gone for sure.

There's still a lot of games posted on craigslist but they're higher priced games that just sit forever!!

You have to be an opportunistic bargain hunter and react quickly. Good deals are often gone in 10 minutes or less. There's a lot more people looking for games than in the past.

Another Wizard! being picked up shortly, now working (unrestored) except for a minor reset relay issue that I will finish.
(Backglass was removed for inspection but exceptional condition
Excellent cabinet on that Wizard! Hard to find with few scratches and no fading. Nice!

I have the alert set on Craigslist to get an email anytime "pinball" is listed. Have gotten great deals but yes, you have to move fast. I keep cash at home so I can go straight to a game day or night if something comes up.

Holy center post mod, Batman. Ugh. This example also sports the added dummy zero score reels to make the scores 5 digits.

And the always stylish wood-grained pop bumper skirt blades. At least they didn't paint the cabinet poop brown.

heres an EM for any west coast guys...says it s been serviced and works great $350 obo...cabinet is rough though...
bakersfield.craigslist.org link

Such a deal!

Of my 6 currently working and restored by me games, none came from Illinois. My games are 3 from Wisconsin, 1 Iowa, 1 Indiana and 1 from Kentucky. Good priced EM's in Chicago are gone in just a few days. I just lost out on a Teachers Pet this past weekend because I was out of the country. Unseen, I offered the owner last Wednesday half down on PayPal and then the other half cash when I could pick up Sunday. He said no go, cash and carry only. Game was gone by Sunday when I got back. Price was a little high, but I did want it.

I have a 4 other project machines that I got for a great price from Illinois, but those came from friends at friend prices.

The great buy project machines I have bought off of CL have been true nightmares. I am at the point that I will pay a little extra to buy from a friend or Pinsider because I trust them and I know the machines have been taken care of, and if not taken care of, they are honest with me and tell me so.