(Topic ID: 300156)

Pinball Museum auction pricing

By mark532011

2 years ago


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  • Latest reply 2 years ago by gonzo73
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    #241 2 years ago
    Quoted from null:

    Hello Pinside, I'm an ignoramus with money who had no idea what they were doing and have come to take my lumps.
    Have loved pinball for quite a while! I remember playing a TSPP over and over again at a local pizza place whenever I had the opportunity. Could even get a high enough score for a free replay once in a while. This was probably about 10 years ago, I was in my late teens.
    So when I learned the Banning museum was auctioning all their machines I figured this would be a great time to get my first one! It was right near me so shipping wouldn't be too crazy. And I can get it right away!
    And it's the Banning Museum, their machines have to be in pretty great shape, right? No need to go see it in person, I'll just do the online bidding.
    And I know auctions typically run a bit high, but there's no way they would go that far above market value. Right??
    So clearly, no need to do any research, I mean, pinball machines are pretty rare, people don't even really make them anymore, so getting one would be a steal at any price.
    ...right?
    Dear reader, I now understand now how horribly wrong I was on all counts.
    Figured I had to get Back to the Future at any cost, I even own a DeLorean!
    The BTTF machine comes around. It ends up being me and another guy trying to outbid each other. Man, this guy is going high. This is probably too high for me. Hmm... I'll just hit that bid button one more time. I'm sure he'll outbid me again.
    Well, you all know how that story ended. And I have the receipt to prove it. And it was not $14k, it was $16k after the fees and taxes...
    And if you were checking buyer numbers, yes, I bought the Baywatch too. At least that was for a more worthy cause, my dad has loved pinball and wanted a machine for longer than I've been alive. He actually went to the museum and played a bunch of machines and that was his favorite, so I was determined to get it for him. Again, failing to do even the most basic of research into how attainable these machines are and what they should cost.
    This BTTF is in middling-to-poor condition. It's clearly been played a lot (which is fine with me, though for the price it obviously would have had to been NIB), a couple rough spots on the playfield but nothing too horrible. Typical wear over the right inlane where every plunge drops the ball and some in the shooter lane, but no other paint wear. The mylar is bubbling over several of the inserts. Broken right ramp at the left side of the base. All 6 jackpot lamps aren't working and neither is the DeLorean D (not a burnt bulb, probably a wire came off). Some warped plastics.
    I haven't closely examined the PCBs yet so I'm not sure if there's anything egregious in there, but a quick inspection looks fine.
    The cabinet paint is in good condition overall, though the cabinet itself not so much. Some scratches, though a couple chips of wood missing (one pretty large). Lockdown receiver is bent up on one side!? The shooter rod doesn't hit the center of the ball unless adjusted all the way right (no, it's not bent). The lockdown bar had a bent right edge and was super tight until I bent it back out. Playfield doesn't seat unless manhandled and the right hanger is bent up so it hangs a bit lower. It also won't level side-to-side without uneven leg adjustment such that the front of the cabinet is tweaked (probably because of the hanger).
    Clearly something bad happened to the cabinet at some point in the past (or maybe during shipping... wouldn't know because I didn't see it in person first! :/). Seems to be out of square.
    On the upside, everything is functional and the game plays well! I've been having a ton of fun with it, I love the music and despite the simple ruleset, it's still an enjoyable game.
    After the initial few dozen plays, I took out every mechanism, disassembled them completely, and thoroughly cleaned them all. Ball lock, VUK, kickouts, outhole kicker, slings, bumpers, drop targets, flippers. Clearly had never been done, plenty of black dust everywhere. Nothing was horribly bad, all the coil stops and plungers weren't that far gone, they hadn't even reached the point of dragging in the coils.
    New coil sleeves all around of course, a flipper rebuild, new flippers (neither was Data East and one was cracked), cut and resoldered a few nearly-broken wires. Vacuumed and cleaned the PF with Naphtha. Waxed with P21S. Shiny new balls.
    And no, not a drop of lube or oil anywhere (I at least did my research after getting the machine).
    Just waiting on some bumper parts, one had a broken yoke, and I figured I'd just replace a bunch of the bumper parts while I was at it. So got new skirts, bodies, spoons, yokes, fibers, and plungers.
    The Baywatch is in better condition, no photos though because it's at my dad's. Just needs a couple flaky VUK switches replaced, I'll give it new sleeves while I'm in there.
    Anyway, if you made it this far, thanks for reading a fool's tale. I highly regret paying so much for my machine but it's mine now (not gonna sell it, not like I could recoup much of the cost anyway!). And my sincere apologies for contributing to an already overinflated market. I did not do my research, and I paid for it.
    On the upside, I'm definitely hooked and hope to be more active in the community. Even dreaming of building a homebrew someday (and yes, I do understand the magnitude of a project like that!). Hope I didn't make a bad first impression with my stupidity. I promise I'm not typically so airheaded.
    Now just to get the other pin I wanted, TSPP, at a sane price...
    [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

    Welcome, at least you are not afraid to get your hands dirty and make your new BTTF better. Bolt it to the floor and save that receipt for the story. BTW, your dad is going to love his BW, it's a great game.

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