I'd love to buy a nice Fathom, totally in the market for that specific title, so I can speak just for myself as a buyer. I'm not paying an extra $1k for a new cabinet and another $1k for the "rarity and appreciation". It's still what it is, a nice 1980 Bally. It's only worth so much as an old game to me.

Maybe other people feel differently, but once you leave the $4k range I'm gonna pass for something else. Doesn't matter how nice it is (unless we're maybe talking HEP) there's just a point where you don't get your money back out of a game. Especially the labor. That's just part of the restore game for the most part, for better or for worse.

Hey, maybe there are people who will pay $6k for a Fathom. I'm gonna pick up a HUO AC/DC instead or something for that kind of money. There's simply no old game that's worth that much to me. I'd love to have a Fathom, but at the end of the day it's just a Fathom.

He can "want more" but it's the buyer who'll decide. Maybe there's a line for that price and I should lower my expectations for finding one, I honestly don't know.

I get your logic, but my perspective is just that you reach a point where the more money your pour into a game the less of it you get back, until you can reach a point where you're actually losing every dollar you spend. Then it's purely a labor of love, and speaking of labor, forget actually getting your labor back out. You gotta do it because you love it. I dunno how much time I spent restoring my EATPM playfield, but I knew when I was doing it that it was for me, and that no buyer would ever even pay me minimum wage for the time.

Well I definitely wouldn't pay $10k for one, period no matter what. But I know what kind of work you do, and I understand that there are special buyers for special machines, and you can't really compare them to the regular market. I wouldn't pay for a HEP either, but I understand why people do that.

Hey Joe, if you can get $6k for this one then take the money. I mean no disrespect to the work and effort, but this is just a really clean and nice game, not something where you not only "did the coil wrappers" but chromed every piece under the playfield that most people will never see etc.

Like I said, maybe there are buyers lining up at that price and I'm just not one of them. I wouldn't feel like I was low balling anyone by offering in the low $4k for such a machine though, and I'd walk without a second thought if they wouldn't take that.

Okay, I'm obviously out of touch or you're crazy if you think anyone is paying $8k for this game.

Okay, but (again no offense intended) this isn't a perfect Fathom. It's a nice restore, looks really clean and great, I'd love to own it myself. But we have people here who do "perfect restores", Mike is one and is posting in this thread even. Like I said, I get that some people pay crazy money for what he does, or what HEP does. Those are above and beyond.

This is just a really clean and nice game. Worth a premium for sure. Just like that beautifully restored Taxi, which just sold on eBay for around $3600. Because at the end of the day even though it's reaaaallly nice, it's still a Taxi.

So sure, we can play that "what if some rich guy wants it" game, but he's probably gonna hit up Mike or Chris.

Anyways, if someone wants to pay crazy money then of course I say take it. But if you want to ask what it's worth I say you're gonna be sitting on it at $6k, let alone $8k.

Maybe you haven't noticed, but the market is pretty soft right now.

Man that is nice. I'd pay that if it was in the US! Is that topper original or something CPR did or what? Never seen it.

Ah, makes sense. Where did the art come from though?

Ha, I didn't even notice that. Perfect.

I haven't a clue what the shipping would be, but buying a game from overseas from someone I don't know sounds kinda nervewracking, as much as I'd love to have it.