Your $60.00/week to cover MX costs seems off.
At an even split, that is over $100/month for repairs, lights, rubber, etc...
With LED's the lights shouldn't be an issue.
Rubber a game completely yearly or less, more for just flippers, etc. (black lasts longer)
That leaves minor parts etc.+ the big one, ...Labor!
Even bulletproofed at home, expect alot of repair calls in the first few weeks/month.
After that the calls should recede, but so will some earnings.
Then you can just do it for the love of PINBALL!!!
Crane games are carnie
-DNO-

60 Bucks a week for a game, I never understood how this is very profitable. Even at 100 dollars a week per game on location, does the location get any of that profit?

Im very interested to see how this experiment goes.

When you decide id also like to know what titles you pick

-Jeff

That seems high. I've got 4 at one location, and if they make $60 a week (in total, after the 50/50 split with the location, for all four machines) I'm super happy!

Weekly maintenance, let's see, some Novus 1 and lint free cloth for the play field, some windex and paper towel for the glass. What else are you doing to them?

The odd time I've had to spring for replacement parts, but nothing outrageous. Mostly it's flipper rubber and balls.

Yah, I guess that would make sense then. It's a side thing for me, so most of those expenses don't apply.

Cool experiment.Ill tag this as a fav interestd to see how it turns out.

screw pinball...

can I please have the locations of these places to have sex w girls?

-jon

If you get 10 pins making at least $60.00 a week,you are doing well.Our best location brings in about $180.00 a month then we have to split that 50/50.The biggest hassle is loading up your vehicle full of parts,driving to the location and trying to fix it on site.If it is in a bar you got no light,you can't breath for the cigarrette smoke,the music is so loud you can't think and the whole bar is looking over your shoulder asking a million questions.Another thing is every time some kid say's he lost his money,they slap an out of order sign on it and don't let you know until you show up to collect the money for the month.I have had kids come up to me and said the game took there money but just didn't know how to push the start button.I could go on and on about the negatives,do it for the love of the game.

Get a SP on location. That thing is a money making machine at the local arcade and theres over 120 machines on location. It amazes me how many people dump coins into that thing! Plus it looks fairly simple as far as potential problems.

What state are you in?

Some pins make $40-$60 a week for us at good locations. We're just lucky, we have the oldest most run-down crap in town.

may be suprised, I am in the bay area CA and I think the pins on location at bars do pretty well. May I suggest you get someone to host a tournament night at one of the bars that has a few of them. They do that out here and do pretty well.

I'm all about the strap-on head lamp, personally. It looks dorky but comes in so handy when working in dark locations!

Are you saying the pinball machines will be in these 8 surrounding cities ?

LTG

Maybe that is why pinball machines are fast disappearing from locations ?

LTG

I quoted jeffgoldstein2's post, LTG didn't say that.

LTG

Considering every place I go wants $1 a play for a new stern...it probably takes a while....

Well if you are lucky. And can sell a used routed Stern pin. ( note - the HUO Transformer LE's for sale around $4800 that aren't moving ).

I'd say at the three year mark you might break even. not counting your time, labor, parts, etc.

LTG

Doing some probably unrealistic math:

$60/week is about $250/month. $5000 into $250 = 20 months.

That's not taking into account that 1) you have a machine that has some value after 20 months, and 2) any repair costs needed in that time. But 20 months is a lot more than 4 months, which is doubtless why pins on location are rare.

Yup, now times that by 2 because you have to split with the bar 50/50. In my situation anyways.

Nice hobby, but wouldn't quit my day job!

After the first month or two your $60 will drop off, considerably.

LTG

I hope your experiment turns out well. I really do.

Brixie's in the Chicago suburbs has an MM, Tron LE, Cactus Canyon, & an Indiana Jones out. Meticulously maintained and probably pull in some good coin at premium prices.

A friend and I have thought about this but we were going to try and hit the older crowd at local pubs thinking they would be kinder to the machines. Thought we would give away a free pitcher of beer for the high score of the week.

What is a Ghetto pan?

I've been lucky so far I guess. 18 months, and no carving, prying, peeling or anything at my location (sports bar).

I hope this works out great. We need more places around that provide pinball machines and a safe place to have sex with girls. Really my two favorite hobbys wrapped up into one cool place...who could ask for more?

Well, hopefully the cameras that are installed in the place deter any criminal activity (place was a casino prior to being a bar. lots of 'eyes in the sky').

That said, I understand, and I hope anyone else who considers doing this, is that there is a risk of damage to the machines.

Heck, I had my MM there for a couple months. Did not really bother me.

Cool. You'll have video of it happening. ( which won't deter anything and is pretty much useless as far as call police or pressing charges )

LTG

Dinner, drinks, and doggy style. Timeless trifecta.

So, video evidence of a crime by a perp has no weight? At all?

Why do casino's have cameras? Banks? And around here, a lot of bars, buses, businesses, etc. Just because? Enlighten us.

Oh, and it also makes insurance cheaper. I wonder why it would make the insurance cheaper if it has no effect on anything?

The places you mention have lots of money. Or people to protect.

Coin op doesn't.

Take your video of someone vandalizing a pin or breaking into one to a police station and see what they say.

LTG

This dont really make sense to me. If you setup a camera outside your house and catch someone attacking your car and you have it on tape, you can press charges against that person. Why would it be any different?

You did not answer the question as to why it reduces my insurance rate.

I would take the video in. But it has not happened. No thief wants to steal $4 in quarters, in a busy establishment, with a couple of very large humans bouncing. They would be better off skimming from an ATM, or busting a cars window, or stealing a bike.

Not that easy. You have to find the person, identify them, then hope the police or court system cares.

I believe you'll find out it isn't as easy as you think.

LTG