Doesn't seem crazy at all... if I didn't do my own work, I'd gladly pay that kind of $$ for a restored EM. Obviously the high majority of folks on this forum do at least some restoration work, very few on here would pay that price... the fun is in learning/doing it yourself and saving $$$.

Wow do I wish I could pick up an EM in the $$$s! I know others disagree but I reckon EM wise this is a relatively inexpensive hobby so I am prepared, within sensible reason, to pay what it takes to get the game I want. But I think on your figures the pf $750 & cab $200 are too high. I also would never clearcoat an EM pf and I to date I have always been able to recover the legs. For me if you can get out of it for $1k-$1.5k all up that's ok.

If I was to pay 2k or up I would want a pristine un-restored EM.
Edit- maybe a few touch-ups, gone through, cleaned, polished and shipped by Pilot.

... or, find an above average original, rebuild it, clean and detail it, skip the over the top stuff (clear coating and repaints) and save tons of money, but still have a very nice and playable game. They're only original once, and a lot can be coaxed out of nicer ones.

Dropping $2K on a $500 game doesn't always make a $2500 (or more) game either (or even $2000, or $1500). The $2K would be better spent on a very nice original. Or two.

(yeah, I'm in that other camp... )

nope, doesn't sound crazy to me... to bring one back to pristine condition is expensive and time consuming...

Yes expensive and unfortunately the current market does not support those prices. Or should I say there are a limited amount of individuals who will pay that type of money for a fully restored game.

+1

How much for one converted to SS

My problem is not with truly restored pins commanding the high prices they deserve, just so called restorers charging high prices for crap work on what they say was restored machines that should be priced 1/3 of what they want. Just my 2 cents from a couple of personal experiences.

Ken

Welcome to the club. You know how ungodly annoying it's going to be to have the Crescendo playfield looking all nice and custom flourescent color highlighted and cleard and then...

Plastics held together by grey epoxy. Yay.

you can easlily throw that much money into an EM, but you better to expect to be upside-down on it. Putting money into does not make it worth the cost of the work.

NOT crazy to me at all, infact, I would add on at least $500 more for some titles, that are truly minty. You forgot to also add in new coin door, new coin entry plate, new plunger and other chrome stuff and a cabinet repaint done the CORRECT way.

I used to think that way myself about NOT clearcoating a EM playfield ... but once I got my 1st playfield repainted and then clearcoated, it was BEAUTIFUL!!! No wear anywhere and no more worries with it ... EVER ... Plus, it plays a lot better. NO more balls changing direction because of cupped inserts and other playfield problems.

I will post before and after pictures of my COW POKE and other EM's someday. Again, everybody has there own opinions and preferences, but don't knock a clearcoated EM playfield until you tried one ... of course that pin still has to be set up and working 100% correctly with rebuilt flippers, rebuilt pop bumpers and everything adjusted correctly, because if it is NOT, that is usually why people don't like EM's or won't ever give them a chance play wise, because they play so slow and sluggish. If they are tuned just right, there is NOTHING better than a classic EM.

Dan

Oh, he has tried one...his Doozie was pretty awesome.

Don't forget many EM collectors do not want ANY touch ups on their games.

That's it man, I'm putting in phillips screws in all my Gottliebs!

Oh.

/face_wtf lol

Vid's hoarding all those NIB EM's that are yet to have any touch-ups.

I always do.

Standard screw heads are too slow and too much risk of slippage.

I might be in the minority of this thread, but I wouldn't pay 2500 for any EM games. Part of the charm of an EM game is how much value it provides. Crazy good value, and so much fun that can be bought inexpensively. I will grant you that it may be because so few people desire them, but when they are in the 2500 range, I want something more.

There is nothing like a well sorted EM. But gives it to me in original shape with 40 years of history. Get it playing well, and set me lose on it. It's going to be a fun night!

So I guess I should have left my pitch & bat in its ORIGINAL condition, instead of RESTORING it??? I know its not a EM pinball, but I have these pics handy on my computer, so that's why I used them ... but same principle here.
001.JPG002.JPG003.JPG004.JPG005.JPG

Oooops, I used the unfinished bleacher picture ... here is the completely finshed pic.

P1080032.JPG

Thank you. I have only hit it ONCE ... and I almost peed myself!

I don't know if you had it cleared or not, but Flipper Fair is still my favorite of your restorations.

Okay I will put in my 2 cents. I have a Central Park. I paid 900 for it and I was told it is worth 700 as it sits. 9 backglass and 9+ playfield.

I have 500-600 worth or parts from PBR.
500 for a cabinet repaint.

So I am in 2000 dollars for a game that is worth 1500-1600 decked out.

I didn't have to ship it so I saved 400. I will most likely never sell it and if I do and lose 400 dollars...*shrug* oh well. It is not like I paid 5500 for a Stern Pro NIB and 2 years later sell it for 3000-3200. I didn't lose 2k by opening a box.

Don't clear a EM. Don't clear and EM...They play like garbage when you do so. (IMHO) To each their own.

Rat

Just curious why you think a clearcoated EM plays like garbage. I think they play ALOT better ... everyone has there own likes and dislikes ... I just want to know your reasons.

They play too fast and slide around like a bowling alley. Over the top and not meant to be played that way.

At least Rat keeps track of what he spends on them.

One of my EMs has been cleared and I agree with Rat. It is my Bon Voyage so it kind of fits. A fast, slick game. On any of my older vintage games it wouldn't be right.

Just curious, are you going to put that under a blacklight? I had the same thought, but for a custom pin I want to do some day.

They also weren't made to play slow and with cupped inserts making the ball react like magnets are all over the place. You have to figure that all cleared EMs have all new parts and all new coil sleeves. Also they are probably hi-tapped. Hi-tapping is definitely not needed. Anyway, even a non-cleared machine plays really fast with a coat of wax and everything under the playfield hopped up.

That's fine ... maybe it depends on how many coats of clear your playfield had put on it. My EM's play SLIGHTY faster and again, the ball does NOT change directions by cupped inserts or other playfield problems. Everybody likes things different ... no worries

Hey O-din next time I am out there we can spread some crisco on all your EM playfields, load them with orange dot coils and put them at 5%.

I hadn't thought of that, lemme go take a picture and I'll show you why we're going the hot pink awesome flower route. Now that you've said something Frax is all brainstorming, though..

You lightly fill the inserts with something non slick sand it down and wax over it. I am not against filling inserts to level them off if done right.

Can't you fix cupped inserts without clearcoating? Or would that just look bad?

I love my blacklight gameroom. I wish I had the nerve to do fluorescent highlighting on my Time Fantasy's playfield.

20150112_222113-1.jpg

I am interested in this method. What do you fill them with, because every attempt at this I have seen looks bad and is not smooth.

I don't currently have any cleared EMs by the way, though I do have a Quick Draw playfield from Wade that went to Kruzman for a minimum thickness clear. My current QD plays fast as hell and is not cleared.

It's not that all games should be preserved as untouched, original. Average games, in average to below average condition make great candidates to go all out on. Better titles, in lesser condition especially; lesser titles, in lesser condition - probably not worth it.

But it's the true survivor games, those time capsules that are in above to well above average condition that are better left alone (cleaned up, tuned up, rebuilt - yes, but left original where feasible, not counting consumables and other fine print). The tragedy is when these get the full treatment, and the opportunity to leave them as nice survivors is lost. Once restored, they can be restored a dozen times over. But there's no going back from the non-reversible stuff like repaints and clears.

It boils down to a judgment call, but as the population of truly nice originals dwindles, the premiums tend to get placed there (at least among most collectibles and antiques, in the long run).

[I'm OK with all the Bally/Williams/ChiCoin/United/Genco stuff getting restored though. Have at it.]

Ask Pinhead52...I saw his insert leveling on a Atlantis and I was "wowed" by it.

I hate posting from the phone. What I circled is where the maroony color has faded .. only instead of fading out, it's become this awesome fluorescent orangey pink shade. All of this started with my desire to paint the maroon flowers and the words 'flower power' that shade, and now that we've got the airbrush and the frisket we've decided we might as well do it right and redo the majority of the playfield (there's some mild planking up higher, and there's a large discolored area down by the flippers). It's my game. The backglass is all but perfect - like 9.7/10 perfect. We bought it because the backglass was so nice. Might as well go all the way and make it nice all over.