(Topic ID: 253771)

Pinball Transaction Stories -- Share Your Adventures and Pics.

By TractorDoc

4 years ago


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    #1 4 years ago

    Buying and Selling Pins has provided me with some memorable moments over the years. I've met some nice people and pulled some games out of interesting places. . . not enough to write a book (yet) but definitely have a few good chapters.

    Games are usually located in people's houses, which makes the interaction a bit more personal. Nothing like having a complete stranger walk thru your house to check out your expensive toys. Most people I've dealt with though have been great and very welcoming/respectful. I've also met people in parking lots, at shows, and have visited the occasional storage locker in the middle of the night.

    If you have any fun, scary, tense, or just otherwise entertaining stories about a pin purchase or sale share them here. . . pictures too if you have them!

    #2 4 years ago

    I'll start.

    Yesterday I received a call about a Flash Gordon.
    I've already owned two, so it was not high on my pursuit list but the history of the game had me curious. The seller stated he had owned it for the last 25 years and claimed a friend of his had owned it for a long time prior to that. From what he could remember the game was in very nice overall condition. I asked him to send me a picture of it but he replied that it was buried behind a bunch of stuff over the years and could not get to it. I was getting more curious.

    We talk some more and I find out he lives about five minutes from the in-laws. The drive was not too far away so I made plans to drive down today to look at the game. When I arrived at the address he gave me I was not sure if I was in the correct spot. . . it looked more like a flea market vs. someone's house. It turns out I was at the right address and the owner was just finishing up a sale of some truck parts with another customer.

    The seller turned out to be a very nice guy that lived a very primitive lifestyle. We walked into his "house" and I was greeted with shoulder high stacks of stuff on both sides of me. He had been working on clearing a path to get to the pinball machine. . . when we arrived at its location this is what it looked like.

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    This was after he had cleared a large amount of stuff. For the next thirty minutes or so we worked on clearing the rest to get a better look at the game. He said he had never played it. . . the accumulation of dust (and stuff) did not leave any reason for doubt.

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    I pulled the playfield glass, backglass, and examined the cabinet interior and boards. The game had potential, so we agreed on a price and in no time I had it disassembled, loaded up, and was driving home. I unloaded the game into the shop:

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    Before heading home I pulled the glass to better examine the playfield. A quick wipe down revealed most everything was covered in mylar and not much wear was present.

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    The backglass cleaned up well too. No flaking or scratches to the backside.

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    Not sure I'd call it a diamond in the rough and I'm not sure what my next step with the game will be. . . but I couldn't leave it to get buried in stuff for another 25 years. After dropping the game off I headed home and made a beeline for the shower. I still had cobwebs, dust, etc. on my clothes and hair. The seller stated that he did not have a bathroom -- he used a hose for the shower and had a bucket for a toilet. No kidding. Very nice guy, just a different way of living.

    #14 4 years ago
    Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

    it’s nice to read a great story like this with a positive outcome and not have to climb through the writer’s judgments and weird inner psychoses. Thank you!!

    Oh, everyone has their. . . unique qualities.

    I find talking on the phone can give a clue to a person's character. You never really know what you are getting into though. I'm sure some buyers have had some things to say after leaving my place. Its not my job to judge. If I had I might be without a good story. . . and a pinball machine with potential.

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