Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Swinger / EM 2 player
Year: December 1972
Production: 3,229
Cost: $300
Location: Terryville, CT
Link/Contact: nwct.craigslist.org link

OP: This is one of 3,299 units produced of it's kind in the early 70's. It's a two player model, which features a moving target, pop up bumper, and a kick out hole. This is the same machine as the Fun Fest but is a 2 player version. The play field/cabinet is exactly the same! This unit was made in late 1972 to early 1973, Also made in a 4-player version Williams' 1973 'Fun-Fest.'
Back glass: Dance scene of women and a couple of men, drawn in comical style.
Play field: Symmetrical layout with five jet bumpers at the top just below the top rollover lanes. Between the top rollover lanes is a saucer that advances the "swing reel"--a 0-9 scoring reel in the back glass that is reset to zero at the start of each ball. This machine works great but it does have some cosmetic issues on the cabinet.

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: #grand-lizard / SS
Year: April 1986
Production: 2,750
Cost: $900
Location: Lemoore, CA
Seller: Matt Martinez
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/234506863645321/permalink/634666983629305/?sale_post_id=634666983629305&rt=11

OP: All original electronically sound and complete game. Needs extensive touch up on upper pf or overlay sold on Pinside needs full shopping. All boards are working original and serial numbers matching!!! Original back glass in great shape too!!

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Firepower II / SS
Year: August 1983
Production: 3,400
Cost: $800
Location: Camp Hill, PA
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275864809245632/permalink/1213333048832132/?sale_post_id=1213333048832132&rt=11

OP: This is a players machine that works and plays OK. It will need some cleaning and some work. Playfield, cabinet and backglass show wear. Pickup and cash only. Thanks

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Hearts and Spades / EM 1 player AAB
Mo/Year: April 1969
Production: 615!
Cost: $500 OBO
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Seller: Michael Zilner
Contact/Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/958426214184968/permalink/2527487343945506/?sale_post_id=2527487343945506&rt=11

OP: Folks, I am selling HEARTS and SPADES. 500.00 or best offer. The game works and plays but could use a lil tuneup. Newer rubbers. Backglass is awful. Prior owner touched up and it is bad. Shay has a replacement. Bottom of playfield has striped splintering... smooth but evident. You can pickup, or have a trucking company get it. O will not ship. I can deliver to Allentown show in May for no fee. Head cabinet is decent, side cabinet has flaking loose paint. I can answer any questions and send extra photos for you. Game is in Pittsburgh Pa 15108

Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: Eight Ball Champ / SS 6803, 4 Player
Month/Year: August 1985
Production: 1,500
Cost: $1,000 OBO
Location: York, PA
Seller: Andrew Specht
Contact/Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/275864809245632/permalink/1212029628962474/?sale_post_id=1212029628962474&rt=11

OP: The Bad...Need some work there are a number of switches that do not work. Needs pop bumper caps. A few lamps do not work and a few are always lit. Needs left flipper coil, plunger and linkage. Also needs rubbers and good shop job.

The good. Play field is in decent shape I added comet LEDs in back box above and under the playfield. Game coins up, starts, and plays.

Make an offer.

Many times they're overpriced and don't sell. The estate sales folks will look up market sales prices for the pin and set their prices accordingly often without taking into consideration condition. Most of them are local only (no online bidding or shipping). I'm sure there are times when a good deal is made but the buyer may not be on Pinside to follow up with a post or they forget to. I myself did my first estatesales.com purchase several week ago...they had a Mata Hari listed in a 3 day sale about an hour from my house. It was tired and partially working, cosmetically challenged, and 99% complete. Fortunately the estate sales manager would take phone calls and let me know what the price was and that each day it would drop. Day 1, I called and they wanted $1200. Day 2, I called and it dropped to $900 and he said it would drop farther on Day 3 if it continued not to sell. On Day 3 I woke up super early, got over there, was first in line, and bought it for $600. Good thing I got there first....there were 14 people lined up at the opening time and 5 of them were there to get the Mata Hari.

After a few weeks, I got it 100% functional (repinning all of the connectors and rebuilding the power supply took care of most of the issues). I now have the playfield stripped down and am prepping for a hardtop install. Repro plastics in hand, and repro backglass from CPR will be here next week.

What do you consider to be a deal?

A deal is what you or I (or the average collector) would pay? Been to a few and all the reports I have read from others indicate that the estate sale people overprice them by looking at eBay asking prices and such.

As Mathazar stated... most estate agents will accept offers.

Couple years ago, high-end Northern Chicago suburb million dollar house... had a Nip-It and Time Warp tagged at $1200 each.
I was an early Saturday arrival (no pre-phone/emails allowed) and told the state agent they were high. Gave them my top bid of $400 each, phone number and left.
Got a call Sunday afternoon that I could come get for my bid.
(both machines worked... NipIt in pretty good shape)

So deals are still out there for estate sales. Just gotta work them.
I've gotten several machines from estate sales in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Almost all were well under normal Pinside prices (for that year).

I've found estate sales way more likely to grab a machine, then the few auctions I've attended. (those tend to be stupid money plus fees, etc) And there's none of that "buy-back" BS at an estate sale.

Thanks for sharing. Seems to be worth it if you are patient and work it.

I have some project sterns to sell:
Big Game: Complete game, decent backglass (some red flaking) and cabinet, Playfield has lots of planking and wear. $500
Stars: Decent backglass and playfield, cabinet has been painted a solid blue, boards are missing; otherwise complete $500
Nineball: Decent backglass and cabinet, playfield has typical wear in ball rack inserts, boards are missing. $1200 SOLD
Magic: decent cabinet and playfield. Backglass is flaky. Complete, boots and plays. Good plastics. Lite project $600 SOLD
Located in southern MN. Preference to a buyer that will take the lot.
PM for pics and questions.

Not really. Most estate sale sellers know their stuff. Sometimes you might get a bargain, sometimes not.

I don't bother with estate sales unless they are close by. Too many unknowns, too much competition, and too much variance of the rules between different sellers. Some sellers will release a price, sometimes not. Some sellers will do a pre-sale just to get rid of a big item, some won't. Some will sell the item, but still leave it listed in their ad.

Yeah, it's unfortunate that the pre-sale prices are almost always too high. Last estate sale I went to, had an escape from lost world in the attic. Not a desired title, and it wouldn't boot, and I don't think it had ever been attended to in years. Was able to get BG off, and boards were all there, but MPU wasn't booting. I talked to the estate manager, explained that without powering up, the game was $400 at best. They were asking $1500. I gave them my info, left, and got a call that Sunday, that they'd take $1000 for it. I told them no. Probably sold it with the house if I had to guess.

Most Estate sales people do their research by looking at Ebay sales. They don't differentiate pricing based on condition. A Demolition Man sold for $4,500 on Ebay, so that's what we want for ours. The one on Ebay was in really nice condition and works 100% (still 50% overpriced), and the one at the estate sale has never had the playfield glass removed to clean it, heavily worn playfield, etc., but they still think it's worth $4,500.

If it's a title that I'm interested in I check the ad to see if they refuse to give out pricing or not. If they don't specify that they won't give out pricing I'll ask the price and request pictures. I'm usually very friendly about it and mention that I network with a lot of collectors and that I'll share their sale with others. That usually motivates them to share pricing. If the pricing is way to high I won't even post in this forum. Keep in mind that I'm only checking on pricing for a select few pins. Usually they're asking Pinside pricing or higher, regardless of the pins condition. Unless you're really excited about buying the pin listed, or it's close to you, they're usually not worth the time and effort.

They make money by selling stuff so it's in their interest to know markets like antiques, pins, collectibles, whatever, and they should have specialists on hand to price things. So I'd say if you get a good deal it's a fluke.

Most estate sales i have dealt with price very high, but have half off on the last day. Half off is usually too much still, but ive left my name, number, and offer with several and have gotten pretty good deals that way. If it doesnt sell, the people usually want it gone and will entertain offers

It is the game. First day is the high prices for the people who just have to have it. 2nd day is a certain percentage off. Do you gamble on day 1 and not buy just hoping it will be there on Day 2. You might walk on day 1 but the " got to have it now peep" blew your 2nd day gamble out of the water.

Say it is still there on Day 2. Do you want to gamble it will be there on Day 3? The Mata Hari guy had a close call on Day 3. It sounds like if he has got there a few minutes later he would have left empty handed. Everybody wants to shark a deal.

If the estate seller is sitting on a Williams Swinger in less than average condition, he might be motivated to unload on Day 1 at most any price. If the educated estate seller is hanging around here and is selling a Stern Quicksilver, that pin ain't going nowhere on Day 1 or 2 for anything less that full asking price. On Day 3 the estate seller may decide to drag it home for himself.

With a ton of patience I've had what I feel is good success at estate sales. Mata Hari for $60 (10 years ago), Alien Poker for $200 (Spring 2018, thanks again, bluespin ) and Flash for $150 (Fall 2018, and bluespin again). All were negotiated and, except for flash, were re-visits after "here's my price and contact info" conversations. I've also seen what others have referenced - people lining up to pay way too much for some titles. I never go to tire-kick; only if there's a real chance I would actually fight the "bring it in the door" challenge when I got home.

-Rob
-visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets or my replacement LED displays for model H & model S Skee Ball

Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: Future Spa ---BACK GLASS
Month/Year: Oct. 1979
Production: 6.400
Cost: $175.00
Location: Nashville TN.

nashville.craigslist.org link

Now listed on Pinside....$500 obo
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/76053

Part of my problem is that most estate sales with pins I see are long distance (3-4+ hours each way) and I can't do multiple trips like that on a glimmer of hope. It's a waste of time and gas. I think there's only been 2-3 local estate sales with pins within an hour's drive in the past few years.

I got a Majorettes locally a couple Summers ago at an Estate sale. No idea on the condition or price of the game beforehand. I only noticed it in the corner of one photo of their Craigslist ad.

In my imagination every wedge head collector within 100 miles was probably after it. I got there a bit early and tried to see if I could go in. They told me I had to wait until the advertised time. So I hung out and my anxiety rose as I see a bunch of trucks pull up. In my mind I was sure they were all a bunch of pinheads there for the same thing. As the time got close we all lined up at the end of the driveway. A guy next to me in a Hawaiian shirt. He had to be one of us right? I can tell he is a bit anxious also. They give us the go ahead and we both start walking at a fast pace toward the garage opening. He stops in the driveway to scoop up some old world globes. Probably relieved as I kept on trucking. Ha.

Anyway, I was the first to find the game in the basement with a handwritten price of $300 taped to it. It looked a bit rougher than I had hoped but my typical project price for a more collectible title. Was happy to buy it. Fixed it up a bit and had a lot of fun with it, still miss it. I generally don't bother if it's not local.

ESTATE SALE

Manufacturer: Segasa, of Spain
Game/Type: Monaco / EM 4 Player
Month/Year: July 1977
Production: Unknown
Cost: ????
Location: Highland Park, IL
Link/Contact: https://www.estatesales.net/IL/Highland-Park/60035/2105280

DATES: FRI 03/08 - SUN 03/10

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Dipsy Doodle / EM 4 Player
Month/Year: December 1970
Production: Unknown
Cost: $400
Location: Pittston, PA
Link/Contact: scranton.craigslist.org link

OP: THIS IS A 4 PLAYER PINBALL BY WILLIAMS. IT SET FOR FREE PLAY AND DOES WORK , JUST NEEDS A LITTLE TLC. VIEW PICTURES ANY QUESTIONS JUST ASK.

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Central Park / EM 1 Player
Month/Year: April 1966
Production: 3,100
Cost: $600 OBO
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Seller: Jack Grenuk
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/299213816922644/?fref=nf

OP: Gottlieb Central Park Pinball Project Complete AS-IS in Alpharetta, GA

For sale is a project Central Park. The machine is complete, but needs to be gone through to get it working. The backglass is in very nice shape, and was sealed at one point. The playfield is beautiful with very little wear. All of the playfield plastics are intact. The cabinet is in decent shape as well. The machine will power up, but continues to cycle. I will admit that if this were a Hurdy Gurdy I would not be selling it but unfortunately it is not. The machine comes with a backdoor. I am listing this machine in AS-IS condition.

Asking $600 OBO. I'm located in Alpharetta, GA and the machine is easily accessible to ground level. If you have any questions, or need additional pictures, please let me know! Bob Cunningham comes through Atlanta often and would likely be an option for transport if you need it.

There are a few machines I would be interested in trading for, the list is here:

Gottlieb Majorettes
Gottlieb Flipper Fair
Gottlieb Lucky Hand
Gottlieb Strange World
Gottlieb Gold Strike
Gottlieb Dimension
Gottlieb Pin-Up
Gottlieb Atlantis
Gottlieb Melody
Gottlieb Hurdy Gurdy
Gottlieb T.K.O
Gottlieb Knockout
Gottlieb Asteroid Annie
Williams Skill Pool

Jack
IG: @jackgrenukpinball

All are now SOLD

Here's an odd one

fayetteville.craigslist.org link

The actual ad
raleigh.craigslist.org link

Who can grab and hold this for me?

John_in_NC pm sent

hope someone can rescue this one

sfbay.craigslist.org link

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Stellar Wars / SS 4 Player
Month/Year: March 1979
Production: 5,503
Cost: $150
Location: Mounds, OK
Seller: Jim Danforth
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/midwestarcade/?fref=nf

OP: Powers on but does not work. I am Moving and don't have time to mess with it. I bought it in this condition and have not been able to do anything with it. Time to cut my losses and let it go.

I could as well.

Turns out the gentleman found another buyer thank you all for the offers though

Well at least you have the Tar Heels to keep sprints up

2nd in line for this one, keeping my fingers crossed

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/322738445041850/

Empty Cabinet, not sure what it is

$100 Princeton, NC

Cabinet (resized).JPG

#mystic

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Alien Poker / SS 4 Player
Month/Year: Oct 1980
Production: 6,000
Cost: $200
Location: Peachtree City, GA
Seller: Ron Elkins
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2098828943531934/?ref=product_details

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Hot Shot / EM 4 Player
Month/Year: September 1973
Production: 9,000
Cost: $200
Location: Peachtree City, GA
Seller: Ron Elkins
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/221333955388424/?ref=product_details

Me: This is a picture from the Alien Poker pin listed above.
Seller: Head is removed from base as well as I have removed the glass for safety reasons. It was found in a barn. Just too much of a job for me right now.

Manufacturer: The Valley Company, Subsidiary of Walter Kidde & Company, Incorporated,
of Bay City, Michigan
Game/Type: Spectra IV / Cocktail 4 Player
Features: IPDB: "Playfield is manually rotated under a stationary glass top."
Month/Year: April 1978
Production: ????
Cost: $150
Location: Florence, AL
Seller: Michael Bracey
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/366891090522162/

OP: 70'S MODEL SPECTRA 5 PINBALL MACHINE
VERY RARE AND UNIQUE
THE INSIDES SPINS SO PLAYERS CAN TAKE TURNS PLAYING
THE GAME ISNT WORKING BUT LIGHTS DO COME ON AND ITS MISSING THE COIN OP MECHANISM.THE LEGS ARE IN ROUGH SHAPE AS SEEN IN PICTURES BUT A VERY COOL AND UNIQUE GAME THAT COULD BE REDONE!COULD ALSO BE TURNED INTO A COOL TABLE!MAKE A CASH OR TRADE OFFER.

He didn't know how to open the game properly, did he?

AUCTION

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: #bronco-gottlieb / EM 4 Player
Month/Year: April 1977
Production: 9,160
Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: #kick-off / EM
Year: May 1975
Production: 1,655
Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: #fireball / SS Series I using CPU board 0606-00905, Series II using CPU board 0614-00913 4 Player
Month/Year: October 1976
Production: ~10,000
Cost: $????
Location: Addison, IL
Link/Contact: https://www.estatesales.net/IL/Addison/60101/2151954

DATE: SUN 03/17

Maybe you get lucky and the System 7 boards are OK. I just spent almost $200.00 having my Laser Cue driver board repaired. Shipping, parts, and labor add up fast. I tried all I knew and could not fix it.

If it was here I would buy it for the parts. Transformers are starting to bring decent money.

ONLINE AUCTION

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Jive Time / EM 1 Player
Month/Year: April 1970
Production: 465+ units appx. (!)
Cost: ???
Location: Belton, MO
Link/Contact: https://www.estatesales.net/MO/Belton/64012/2152068

Starts: SAT 03/09, Ends TUE 03/19

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Rancho / EM 2 Player
Month/Year: August 1977
Production: 1,229
Cost: $400
Location: New Orleans, LA
Link/Contact: neworleans.craigslist.org link

OP: Selling my Rancho. Clean playfield, clean body. Works perfectly.
Me: Not a project, but a cheap price for this title

I really want this, anyone know who travels from Alabama to the Northeast?
Spectra IV and Rotation VIII are the only 2 games I would be willing to buy even though I’m at max capacity

I did not know that was such a low production machine.

Bob Cunningham. Look him up on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/bobcunningham68