Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Jumping Jack / EM 2 Player
Month/Year: May 1973
Production: 4,975
Cost: $300 OBO
Location: Alpharetta, GA
Seller: Jack Grenuk
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pinballenthusiasts/permalink/2356702764362637/

OP: For sale is a project Jumping Jack. The machine is complete, but the previous owner began to strip the machine down as well as painting the cabinet. The backglass has some flaking but is still presentable. The playfield has light wear near the kickouts but is overall very nice. The cabinet has been repainted, but there is the possibility that it can be removed. It comes with a back door but no legs. The machine has been sitting in storage for a while, so I am unsure of whether or not it will start a game. I am listing this machine in AS-IS condition.

Asking $300 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 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

Already messaged him!

blerg

What?

30 Rock reference of exasperation. When my son was 12 years old I got him to say that instead of "crap" and his teachers thought he was funny.

just the frustration of always getting 'pending pickup'. Hard to work and find these things... might be better off with a different hobby. Love to work on machines, probably more than even playing and I love that so not getting these projects is a kind of endless frustration, like stepping on a rake over and over and over and over. There's an episode of the Simpsons that I'm thinking of...

Sadly it is only going to get worse. The days of "warehouse deals" and cheap machines for sale on Craig's List & other venues is pretty much long gone. We have only been in the hobby about 10 years and things have gone from picking up 3 or 4 machines some weeks to being lucky to find that many in a year.

One of my "sources" for machines is a local "flipper" that runs ads in our local papers. (He doesn't even own a pinball machine yet he is constantly buying and flipping them). Anyway 5 or 6 years ago I would get so many calls from him I didn't know where to go with the stuff. I didn't want to say no to him for fear he would start contacting someone else. So I started selling off trailer loads of project machines at near my cost just to keep stuff moving. At times I would take a $50 or $100 loss on a machine and other times I might make $100 on one. (One day I actually took time to figure it out and it typically worked out that I would make about $200 on a load of 8 to 12 machines.

Anyway - I got my first call from him in over a year last week. Not for a machine but he wanted to know if I wanted to buy a load of "junk" jukeboxes & some pinball parts he was headed to look at. I love parts so that is fine but no machine? So when I hooked up with him I asked him who he has been selling stuff to lately and he replied "no one but you". Then he proceeded to tell me in the past 18 months he had only bought two machines and sold those to to friends or family members. This is a guy I was buying 35 to 50 machines from every year for about 5 or 6 years. Now he is finding one every 8 or 9 months!

So that gives you some idea how tough it is to buy these days.

I just sold a pin today. My CL ad has been up for about 5 weeks. I started out being in the pin for a decent price but things kept breaking on it and the next thing I knew I am starting to get buried in it. I priced it somewhat high, probably about $400.00-$500.00 over the market. I got the usual crap from the scammers and then the action died. I was firm on the price. This was not a "great deal" someone was going to chase.

3-4 days ago I got a call from someone who lives about 50 miles from me. I told him the good, the bad, and the ugly. I told him I am overpriced from what the market is, that I am firm on the price, and why.

As we talk on the phone he tells me he used to play the pins in the bowling alleys, etc. He said his days of fishing and hunting are over and he was wanting a different hobby. I asked him how old he was. He is 69 and has never owned a pin.

He and a friend came by today. I walked him thru everything. Board repairs. Schematics. I gave him the ugly. He is getting cold feet and does not want the hassles of fixing a pin. He wants to go home and think about it. Finally , I told him that I don't need the money and will not starve if he walks. But I told him I need the space. I said "take it home and that I would give him 30 days to change his mind. No questions asked. I think with all of the extensive board repairs that this will finally be a reliable for a long time".

That's all he wanted to hear and laid down the cash. It may come back to me but it a nice playing pin, so I don't mind.

But the thing that got me was that he is 69 and buying his first pin. I'm 66 and I just started my pin adventure 3 years ago. And I don't think he and I are the only 2 old farts doing this.

There is also a younger crowd starting into this hobby as well. I’m in my 30’s as are several others I know. Many of us played pins in the 90’s peak and loved it. That same joy is recaptured today with pins new and old. I bought my first pin in 2004, kept it for 8 years then sold it for another, and later sold that for another, etc. But now today I have more disposable income so we remodeled our gameroom and I have four pins. And still want more! But yea the Craigslist deals around here are rare. Most pins are overpriced if anything.

Craigslist has been a barren wasteland for years around my area. Yesterday was the first decently priced pin to pop up and I put a friend on it within minutes. Supposed to go get it in coming days.

But for the most part it's been 4k system 11's and 8k wpc that sit for months. 2k em's. Everyone thinks they have a gold mine on their hands because of the recent popularity and uptick in the market. I've been saying for years the price increases can't sustain but they continue to prove me wrong. So I just sit on what I have or occasionally trade within the community of hobbiests in my area.

In a free market society price is nothing more than a measure of supply & demand. As long as demand keeps going up and supply isn't being increased prices will continue to go up.

Some people argue "with all the new pins coming onto the market prices are sure to drop" but even if they are correct and prices do adjust because of increased supply this will only change the $5000+ market and will likely have very little impact on lower priced SS machines & EM's.

Right now Classic Bally and even some Classic Williams machines are on fire. Some more common Bally titles your couldn't sell for $500 a couple years ago are bringing double to triple that amount in today's market. Machines like Silverball Mania, Six Million Dolly Man, Supersonic, etc have really jumped in price recently.

I’m beginning to think ill get more mileage out of making custom machines. There are titles i’d love to have but they’ve all gone to 3-4x the price of just a couple years ago. Im resigned to it heading to just being a luck thing from here on. Money and space have meant ive let things go in the last couple years that id never have let go now as id have to pay 2x as much as i sold them for to hope to get back. At that level its just not worth it.

Steve Austin and Parton getting busy? There's a machine I'd like to see

What about that Jumping Jack at $300?

We all lament the prices, or higher prices, especially if we missed the boat on a pin we really want. But the fact of the matter is that if prices were stuck at rock bottom, more pins would wind up in the junk pile. Those pics we see where stacks on pins were left to rot makes our hearts break. But those pins are there rotting because there were no replacement circuit boards to buy and finding replacement parts was hard. And nobay wanted to but your POS pin you were trying to unload.

I have been spending a king's ransom fixing my pins up. But I feel confident I will at least get most of my money back. If they were selling for bargain basement prices I would just slap on some bubble gum and play the crap out of them; And eventually they would just be worn out and trashed.

I have a friend down in Mansfield Texas with a Fire and a Playboy. 20 years ago he and his wife were talking how Ebay had started jacking prices on pins. " Some of them are selling for $300.00 now."

I ended up picking both of these basket cases up for $350. I went assuming these were basket cases and indeed these would have taken heaps of work. The Hot Shot had the floor completely rotted off and the alien poker had wasps nests on one of the boards. He throw in a brand new piece of playfield glass still in the mailing pack. Super nice guy to deal with. I’m happy with the parts these will yield

Eh, I’ve actually accelerated my pin buying and I still haven’t spent more than a grand on a pin to date. You can find deals, I’ve found that hardcore networking and word of mouth is the real way to get to them. I always keep my eyes open and try to keep a cash reserve.

I recently missed a damn Taxi for only $500 dollars recently. I was super angry over that too. It wasn’t a scam, there’s a local town that has consistently yields insane pin deals if you keep on top of the posts. A Spooksville sold from there for $50 two years ago. Both were WORKING.

In my opinion it’s the speed that collectors find deals that makes it seem dried up. If a deal on a pin exists it is eaten up immediately. When I picked up my Mars Trek last year, I showed up only 5 minutes before someone else and I shook on the deal literally as the other guy pulled in.

People who sell just put their net out all over the place and are overwhelmed with offers.

If you really want to score today in this market, buy the basket cases and parts machines and start buying up parts and connect with the guys who have huge hoards.

For reference, I sold this machine for $240. I come across decent deals every week, and pass on many of them because I don't need to fill my garage with machines that aren't on my want list. Not to mention bluespin is here posting multiple project machines on this thread every single day. In my opinion, if you aren't finding machines you may not be utilizing the correct resources to find them, or just have bad luck.

Deals are out there. But not many deals on the super popular titles of course. You need to broaden your horizons if you want to score more deals. Get a fun EM. Of course the $150 Rocky and Bullwinkles are still out there. But bluespin won’t post those here. He will be on highway driving to pick it up. As would I!

Perhaps it is a bit of bad luck. As for not using the right tools - perhaps it is also a case of when I’m working I cant take the time to look for deals because I’m working. Id have liked to get the Jumping Jack and that Alien Poker but this also happened to be one of those times I didn’t have the $ at the right moment.

Jack, when you say you come across plenty of deals you don’t move on, it sounds like you must also have the opportunity to look more often as well. Perhaps that’s just a reason the hobby isn't the best choice for someone like me. I’ve diven deep into pinball and have taught myself to be able to fix anything I need to on these games - mechanically or electronically. Whenever I have the funds, or not, I’m looking. Just happens that the past several months, when I've had the funds, I'm always second, or third in line and miss out. The one exception was a few weeks ago I came across an actual deal, was first in line but needed a day or two to travel to get the machine. At first the guy was gonna hold, but changed his mind ten minutes later for someone closer. I’m not looking to have people tell me how I’m using the wrong methods because they can also find games, even ones they turn down; I wouldn’t rub it in someone’s face that I had better luck than them. Some people get the luck, some don’t. It’s just one of those things. If I have anything to blame it’s obviously my choice of career and my infatuation with all things electromechanical (I faced a similar issue years back when I became obsessed with Hammond organs).

Will take the time particularly to thank John here for posting so often. I know he won’t post games he is after (rocky and bullwinkle) being one I fell in love with and would love to have but won’t assume I’ll ever find one I can afford) but he posts a ton for everyone to see, a real service to those looking. Thanks to everyone else that posts these as well (except when it means I am second in line, of course ). For now I’ll be thankful for the games I do have. Gear envy isn’t any better than gear lust so good luck to everyone looking.

My horizons aren’t limited to SS at all, I love EMs too!

dayton.craigslist.org link

Not mine, just figured I’d share. Home model, looks to be missing the apron (and who knows what else). It’s a “pin ball”, lol. One of my Craigslist searches is “pin ball machine”, and sometimes I get lucky....

Crazy thing is how thin these cabs are.

But, it has 3 flippers ! Gotta love that.

You’ve had an insane amount of games already!! Maybe you’re addicted to the hunt, like many of us here :b if you posted a location or contacted local pinballers you could possibly have people hold games for you!

Maybe youre right, just in a long drought currently

Future SPA near Pittsburgh. Called seller, wear on PF & BG. Game is working. Asking $1500.

pittsburgh.craigslist.org link

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: SKILL POOL / EM 1 player
Mo/Year: June 1963
Cost: $125
Location: Conway,SC
Contact/Link: myrtlebeach.craigslist.org link

OP: Old Skill pool pinball machine. Needs to be completely restored $125 pick up only located in Conway

ESTATE SALE

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Stellar Wars / SS 4 Player
Month/Year: March 1979
Production: 5,503
Cost: ?????
Location: Setauket, NY
Link/Contact: https://www.estatesales.net/NY/East-Setauket/11733/2151921

DATES: FRI 05/10 - SUN 05/12

ESTATE SALE

Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: #old-chicago / EM 4 player
Year: March 1975
Production: 7,155
Manufacturer: Williams
Game: #slugfest / SS pitch and bat
Year: March, 1991
Production: ?
Cost: ????
Location: Woburn, MA
Link/Contact: https://www.estatesales.net/MA/Woburn/01801/2148009

DATES: FRI 03/15 - SAT 03/16

PARTS ONLY - 3 Boards and cabinet head

Manufacturer: Williams
Game/Type: Hyperball / SS
Year: December 1981
Production: 5,000
Cost: $100
Location: Detroit, MI
Link/Contact: detroit.craigslist.org link

OP: Please read the entire ad before contacting me, Asking 100 Dollars FIRM.
Me: System 7 boards are hard to find, and reproductions are expensive

Williams Hyperball Pinball Circuit Boards

First board is a Williams Type 2 Sound Board for system 6 and 7 games including Hyperball and many others. Part Number on the board is IC-2001-146-6. This PCB was from a Hyperball “parts game” that we used to have and has been in storage for some time, current condition and operational status is unknown. Buying as is where is.

Second board is a Williams’s pinball 7-11A power supply board part number 5765-09466-01. This PCB was from a Hyperball “parts game” that we used to have and has been in storage for some time, current condition and operational status is unknown. Buying as is where is.

Third board is also a Williams pinball 7-11A power supply board part number 5765-09466-01. This PCB was from a Hyperball “parts game” that we used to have and has been in storage for some time, according to the attached tag the PCB was repaired on 11/2015, reason for the repair is unknown. Current condition and operational status is unknown. Buying as is where is.

4th item is an empty Hyperball head full of wiring harnesses, mounting brackets and misc other items. Somewhat dusty and dirty from being in storage for years.

Selling these as a group, not splitting up at this time.

Address is 5267 Auburndale, Shelby Township, MI 48317. Goggle a map and be sure this is a drive your willing to make. I’m usually available only in the evenings and weekends for sales, Driveway pick up only I don’t drive. If you can see this listing then the item is available, I’ll remove the listing once item is sold. POOS, No holds, first come first serve. Thanks for looking, have a great day.

Keywords: Pinball, Arcade, Jukebox, Crane, Gumball, Williams, Stern, Jersey Jack, Atari, Gottlieb, Sega, Nintendo, Midway, Taito, Capcom, Cleopatra, Terminator, Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, Funhouse, Space Shuttle

1963 Williams Skill Pool

OP:Old pinball machine does not work needs to be completely restored pick up only $125 located in Conway, SC

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/356042871912595/

I've been holding off on commenting on this subject, waiting to see what other people have to say first. I agree with at least part of what all of the below individuals have said.

You have to be constantly looking for these deals. Having Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace alerts set up won't help you if you're not looking at your email inbox and Facebook throughout the day.

Many factors have contributed to the shortage of cheap projects; Projects that used to be bought cheap were marked up a little and passed on, people realized that they could fix them up a little and get a good profit on player machines, sellers now have many avenues to sell their one pin that's been sitting unused for a decade or more (CL, Facebook, Letgo, Offer Up, etc.). Until a few years ago, a seller would only sell on CL.

Trading amongst friends is probably the best way to get a deal these days, and by deal I mean a fairly priced pin. Join a local pinball league and network.

Most of the people that I hear complaining about the high prices in my area have been in the hobby five or more years. They sold a pin for a high price three years ago, but now that same pin is 3-4 times the price, and they're hard to find at the high price. For example the three highest priced classic Ballys (78-84) were selling for $800-1,000 3-4 years ago (Fathom, Eight Ball Deluxe and Centaur). Now these same pins sell for Fathom $5,500, EBD $2,500 and Centaur $4,000. What these long time hobbyists don't tell you is that they have seller's remorse. They bought a Centaur project for $400-500, spent $100 on parts and sold it for $1,000 four years ago. If they had kept it they could sell it today for $4,000, with several interested buyers.

I have to agree with everything that you said here except the first sentence. You can find deals for <$1K in all markets, but deals <1K are rare in most markets.

In summary if you want to score some great deals here's what you should do:
Join a weekly pinball league and network
Tell everyone that you meet that you collect pinball machines, and that you offer referral fees if you successfully buy something based on their lead
Set up CL and Facebook Marketplace ads, and check your emails and Facebook regularly throughout the day
Follow this thread for deals that may be 2-4 hours away from home and out of your CL alerts, etc. I'm happy to share any project pin leads that I find...unless I'm interested in buying it

Everyone complains about pricing on pins around them, there is no pins around me..

Oh wait this isn’t the confessional thread

Mark have you thought about retheming (cloning) a game? For example a Pinsider in Canada cloned a Star Gazer. He bought another mpu-200 classic Stern, bought a repro playfield, backglass, plastic set and stencil kit to build a Star Gazer. You have a great skill set for working. Pinball machines.

I know where you can find the hard to find parts necessary to pull this off; lamp board stencil, playfield wiring harness and playfield parts. The stencil kits, repro playfields, backglasses and plastic sets are easy to find.

P.S. Mirco will be making Quicksilver playfields in a couple of weeks. That’s another hard to find and expensive classic Stern that you can clone. Pm me if you want me to share my sources for articles and parts to pull one of these off

What is a lamp board stencil?

I agree. There is a lot of seller's remorse going on here. But some of these pins have moved up and are getting beyond the budget of some players. I paid $1100.00 for my beat up Seawitch. Today, it would cost me $2K-plus and I don't think I would want to go that high for this particular pin.

About the only pin that plays and may still have a reasonable (cheap) price are some of the 2nd rate Gottlieb wedgeheads--El Dorado and Abra ca Dabra are on the winner list, as well as some others, but a lot of them are ho-hum.

brenna98 made a stencil (paper diagram) for Star Gazer so you know where to drill the holes for the light sockets and cut out locations for the displays.

1960 WMS Black Jack - Save this from getting parted out!!!
Apparently complete.

$200
Roswell, NM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/299213816922644/permalink/1171083686402315/?sale_post_id=1171083686402315

Pass, I don’t wanna get abducted by aliens!

Gotcha. I was thinking lamp driver board.

I did pick up a mostly populated centaur PF a couple years back (with termite hole in back but its been fumagated). Plan to make a game from that but gotta find all the boards, transformer, harness...

Also have an old cyclone pf im working on. If i could do custom art and have a hard top made itd be perfect

Not sure what you mean about Abra and Eldorado being second rate less expensive games. In my experience, both of those are A titles and not that easy to come by anymore. May be analogous to the previous poster about fathom Eight Ball deluxe and Centaur in the solid-state Market.

I think he was saying that these two wedgeheads are A games, and the rest are ho him. My Abra Ca Dabra is definately not ho hum

Here on Pinside is a Firepower 2 for under $1K... https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/for-sale-firepower-ii-10

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

Thank you. That is exactly what I was saying.

Good to hear , otherwise I might be worried

Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: On Beam / EM 1 Player
Month/Year: September 1968
Production: 1,150 (!)
Cost: $400
Location: Tampa, FL
Link/Contact: tampa.craigslist.org link

OP: Bally "On Beam" Electro Mechanical pinball machine, circa 1969 that is not working. All original except for one solenoid replacement. All complete - no parts missing - needs restoration. Please contact for details.

You can use aftermarket systems like P-ROC.

I’ve had a proc and sys 11 interface built for this for a while. Just havent had time to get to it.