HA! I see what you did there.

The seller did say it needs refurbishing.

Wish I could get the day off to go grab that. Thx for posting

In regards to the "Stern price increase pushing me out of the hobby" thread, I feel glad and thankful that this thread exists and that I'm knowledgeable/inclined/motivated/confident enough to buy and enjoy project games. I think people that are chasing NIB games exclusively are missing out on 90% of the rest of what this hobby has to offer. There's nothing more satisfying than buying a dead game, bringing it back to life and enjoying the hell out of it, for a fraction of the cost of a NIB. I understand that some people just want the new thing, or that they don't have the motivation to work on project games but I'm glad I don't need the newest and that I can see value where others see trash.

Maybe it's because I'm only a handful of years into the hobby and haven't gotten jaded with "what's already been done." but for me, half of the fun is working on the games, while the other half is seeing and enjoying the result.

Just another thanks to everyone that keeps this thread alive and going.

For me half of the fun with pinball is fixing the machines! Repairing dead machines and making them play is super rewarding. Ongoing maintenance can be a drag but that comes with new machines too.

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Amazon Hunt / SS System 80A
Year: Sept 1983
Production: 1,515
Cost: $400
Location: Loveland, CO
Pinsider: Dr_Gonzo
Link/Contact: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/colorado-whats-fsft/page/110#post-6479317

OP: Fully working other than a switch or two. Rough playfield, excellent backglass.

I'm grateful that most of my collection is former trash / junk I resurrected, but regret that I found my calling far too late. I truly cherish the mystery, learning, and craft of fixing machines. It's cheaper than therapy and a drug habit. But a rising tide lifts all boats and those escalating NIB prices and disgruntled / capped out buyers are the reason so many projects and dead machines are priced for what working machines used to be. You can see the trends in this very thread, what used to be "insane for a project" a couple years ago is now a "great deal". Yeah yeah prices are up everywhere what else is new, but... the projects that kept me happy and sane are ever and ever fewer. I'm glad I got to do what I did, though.

Anything that can be restored for less than the cost of NiB is commanding top dollar at this point, but there are loads of empty chewed up cabinets and mechs, playfield hardware and wires from totaled machines that got stripped for boards and game specific parts. Time to start making homebrews!

I'd been designing playfields on graph paper since the 80s but kept putting it off until late 2019. The hundreds of hours spent trying to turn a hot mess of salvaged mechs, 3d printed crap, random electronics and anything else I yanked off of a random household object because it looked like it might fit all work together in a way resembling pinball has been some of the most fun I've ever had.

Another year of this madness and it might actually be playable by people other than me. A history of repairing machines gives you a head start.

Full Disclosure: I'm waiting on NiB simultaneously. I like fixing/building but I also like playing. Almost 2 separate hobbies for me.

The number of project pins at reasonable prices has been decreasing, but this trend has also been seen in the arcade machine hobby. As prices of fully working used pins and arcade machines increase, more people enter the hobby, further driving prices up. I've heard many non-collectors say "Oh, pinball is hot right now" as they try to sell "C" title 70s Williams ems and SS titles like Night Rider and Supersonic that have serious playfield wear and they want $1,500 for them.

Be patient, and network with others to find projects. Locally, two collectors monitor CL and FB many times a day, grab the pins/arcades, and then brag about it on FB. It makes it hard to find good deals locally, but networking is your best bet. Join a pinball league, play at a local arcade, tell your coworkers, neighbors and friends that you're looking for a new pin.

Some people are great pinball players but have no idea what a screwdriver is (which is no crime ). They depend on Stern, and the other mfrs. and the kindness of friends, to keep their pins going. I feel very fortunate ( maybe even blessed ) that I have always been good with my hands.

It is no different than a great guitarist who sends his guitars to his favorite luthier for repair. And the luthier makes great repairs in broken wood but could not rake out a chord if his life depended on it.

To that I agree. I feel the same way, in that I'm fortunate that I've always been a handy DIY type of person. Housework, cars, pinball, it's all the same to me. For the most part, it's nothing that a couple of Youtube videos can't demystify. Again, I feel very fortunate that I'm more inclined than others for this kind of work.

BUT...there are plenty of used games that are in 100% working condition that won't break that bank either. Going back to the original statement, you don't need to only buy NIB games to stay in the hobby. And one could argue that a fully working EM can be more robust than a modern Stern. So there's that

I really only mean to fix up games so I can play them. But then another one comes along. And then my wife suggests we make an extra room we have at work into a break room.
The score so far is three that work and three projects.

I have not had good luck with EMs. There are lot of things I need to see done at least once. EMs fit that category for me. I need to take a semester of EM maintenance and repair of relays.

But my cousin figured Ems out on his own and has a nice collection of wedge heads. There are no transistors to go bad. No diodes to go bad and make your pull out your hair...

I just put 2 Alltek lamps boards in the mail for wty. repair. Both have fried traces.

It a lots of ways, EMs rule.
================

Oh yeah, youtube has been a great help on demystifying how to take something apart. The only trouble with fixit Joe's fixit vid is that he always manages to leave out one step, such as not talking about that screw that is buried in the dark but has to come out to complete the disassembly.

I started out with EM's and still real comfortable with them, I generally can get a dead unit up and playing 90% inside 20-30 minutes.

A pinhead with a LOT of experience with EMs and solid states said that for EMs, he cleans all score reels and adjusts their switches and then does the same for the replay unit. He hand tightens any loose screws and that’s it.

He said that you can spend 30-40 hours to completely disassemble all em switch stacks, clean and adjust everything, but if you don’t know what you’re doing you’ll do more harm than good. For beginners (like me) stick to the steps in the first section.

With EM's I'm more of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" person Has worked well so far. It takes me a bit more than 20-30 minutes to get a game going, but I get there eventually. EM's tick another part of my brain that SS games don't. Reading (or attempting to lol) the schematics, and understanding the actual logic behind how an EM works is something that SS or newer games can't do for me and is very satisfying.

Said pinhead does what I usually do outside of a full shop job. Usually score reels and any stepper units (usually anything with a coil) gets cleaned and resleeved and they're pretty solid after that.

I'm interrupting our shop job discussion to post....a cheap project pin...

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Duotron / EM 2 Player
Month/Year: September 1974
Production: 2,525
Cost: $375
Location: Detroit, MI
Pinsider: steviechs
Contact/Link: https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/120414

OP: Fully working machine in good shape, but it has been folded up for the last year. I'd honestly rather not set it back up. The cabinet was repainted and looks very nice. The back glass is good. All switches and solenoids fire properly and it scores correctly. The inside of the cabinet and head are super clean and the metal brackets and hardware are nice and shiny. There is some planking on the playfield but it's not too bad, a couple bulbs are out.

All good Back to the projects!!

Proper ad link, but copied the OP description from the other non-project Duotron that is for sale on Pinside.

Someone come pick up a brain stimulator from me

My OP friend has nothing kind to say about 4-player EMs.

I have seen him get a broken SS Elektra and a broken SS Vector up an running. If something is not working he knows exactly where to look.

Love reading about your finds and wins in bringing these machines back to life. Hoping to find one of my own soon and join the club.

also i noticed that the best people at finding great deals and whole lots are flippers, wich drive prices higher for everyone.

in my humble opinion a repairman can never achieve 100% how you want a game to play, fine tunning and other meticulous fixes are left to you the owner.

my bad, back to the projects...
sfbay.craigslist.org link
portland.craigslist.org link
sandiego.craigslist.org link

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carbondale.craigslist.org link

washingtondc.craigslist.org link

Supersonic $75, Glasgow, KY

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/586992895655530/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A2d9c486c-1d71-4ad0-96f3-af877db61765

"Unidentified" $100 pinball for sale in Frederick MD that is missing the BG and basically a mess:

frederick.craigslist.org link

It's a Game Plan Sharpshooter from what I see.

Also in Frederick, $300 1964 Williams Stop N Go:

frederick.craigslist.org link

With a huge mouse nest as an extra bonus!

A Meteor playfield in a Gottlieb cabinet for $50.
carbondale.craigslist.org link

I could really use this. Is anyone near this going to the York show? I don’t need the cabinet, just the populated playfield.

Sinbad and Speakeasy in San Diego. $500 for both. Great deal.

Both those games are 3 hours round trip away but I just scored a Gottlieb Volley project and have a bunch of other projects in the wings. So mouse nest wasn't worth the drive.

I would click on the link and see the playfield. I was weak and looked at it.
It doesn't seem to be that populated underneath...

It’s missing the large six drop target bank, but it has the three three-drop target banks and two flipper mechs. Mostly I want the drop target banks.

Not a PROJECT MACHINE but if your headed to the York Pinball Show (or live near Central PA) I am selling off a couple lots of PINBALL PARTS that would be great for someone who buys a fair amount of project machines. See my two for sale ads here on Pinside. Feel free to email with questions! Lots of great parts CHEAP and they will really be helpful to someone but since we are getting away from the hobby I no longer need them.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/119479

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/120508

These will be a great deal for the right person but with the size and weight of the lots of parts they have to be LOCAL PICK UP ONLY - it will be impossible to ship all of this stuff!

Project cocktail machine: Circa 1933

Manufacturer: Fascination
Game/Type: Circa 1933 / SS 4 Player
Cost: $350
Location: Collegeville, PA
Pinsider: thegeekyhusband
Contact/Link:
Contact me

Description: bulbs and rubbers recently replaced. Powers on but flippers need rebuilt.
Original parts included. Missing 1 spring, 1 broken flipper mech.

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I reposted your project in the cocktail club. We cocktail'ers are a hardy breed!

1979 Flash Pinball Machine - Powers up but doesn’t play. CT, $800 https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/826819941313487/

Still on the hunt for a Xenon..

some one get this. It is a Meteor play field with the drop targets still there.

I asked above if someone can grab it for me. No takers.

Everyone is at the MOP auction.

Have you seen the insane prices the seller is getting?

Manufacturer: Bally
Game/Type: Eight Ball / SS
Year: January 1977
Production: 20,230 units
Cost: $1,00 OBO
Location: Poquoson, VA
Pinsider: Vinceseidnitzer
Link/Contact: https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/120583

Me: Seller just joined Pinside today.

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: King Kool / EM
Year: July 1972
Production: 3,325
Cost: $580
Location: Norman, OK
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/630406413802349/posts/2010116312498012

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: World Fair / EM 1 Player
Month/Year: April 1964
Production: 4,650
Cost: $600
Seller: Andrew Malouf Jr
Location: Kendall Park, NJ
Contact/Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563768590543398/posts/2920680081518902

Manufacturer: Gottlieb
Game/Type: Dodge City / EM 4 Player
Month/Year: July 1965
Production: 3,175
Cost: $500
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Seller: Jon Mitchell
Link/Contact: https://www.facebook.com/adam.vadeboncoeur/posts/1021874971914962:14

OP: Looking to sell or trade my Gottlieb Dodge City pin 500$ or trade towards a solid state pin or project. Can add cash. Hudson valley NY pick up.

O.K. Here is my two cents.
Why would you pay 1,000.00 dollars on a Eight Ball pinball
when you can go to California and pay 5,000.00 + for it.

Maybe he thinks he has an EBD?

Quick, everyone on this page add a 1000 dollars to your price. Shoot, add 2000.
Drive with the traffic.

The MOP auction has really gone bonkers with the games prices.