Quoted from too-many-pins:

What most people don't seem to understand these days is it is nearly impossible to get a deal on "project machines". I started in the hobby 10 or 12 years ago and I could typically pick up a couple project machines just about every week with little to no effort finding them. I also had a couple "flipper" friends that would drop machines they found off to me at "fair prices". Over the past 3 or 4 years project machines have basically totally dried up. If it wasn't for the couple warehouse deals I made last year I don't think I would have been able to bring anything to the flea market but a few parts this year. I can't even remember the last time I picked up a machine from Craig's List but it had to be two years ago (or more). 10 years ago I was buying 8 or 10 machines some weeks.
These days people who have "junk" or projects for sale think they are worth as much as fully working machines. Dealers have no magical source to buy machines - they are chasing them just like everyone else they just work harder at it! With the "spread" so small between purchase price of project machines and what you can actually sell them for it is hard to justify the time it takes to buy them and get them to a show. Last year I took 56 machines to Allentown and sold 48 of them either at the show or as a result of those machines being at the show. After expenses I made less than $25 per machine on what I sold. How many people want to move 300+ pound pinball machines 5 or 6 times to make a $20 bill?
Allentown flea market has changed because the supply of machines (and even parts) is drying up. I am hoping to finalize things with "Phase 2" of my Virginia deal sometime soon and if that happens I'll have some machines for York & Allentown but if not all I'll have at Allentown in 2019 will be "finished machines". If you can't find stuff to sell at decent prices it is hard to bring machines to a show and sell them in the flea market area!
Times have changed - pinball is much more popular than it has been in years - there are less old machines every year that are just sitting somewhere - so don't expect to see the "Old Allentown Flea Market" in the future. Just be thankful there are still a few of us willing to work hard and dig deep trying to get some project machines to the show each year. 2019 will likely be my last year setting up at the flea market - I am just getting too old to be moving these things out of peoples basements. It has been a blase but it is time for me to step away and let some of the younger guys take over.