Quoted from too-many-pins:And to be honest what is best for me is doing what is best for the pinball community.
It seems like you have a genuine internal turmoil with trying to figure out the 'right' way to do this to help out the community.
First off there is really no 'right' or wrong way, but there are some things I would do if I were in your same shoes and my main motive was to get these projects into as many hands as possible for fair prices and ensure they actually get brought back to life.
1. I would not be selling anything greater than a lot of 3 to any single person. You have obviously gotten lots of response from the retailer types that are going to try and convince you to fill a truckload and they are all about greed and dollars so you have to avoid those guys. Most of them are well known but some are not. By limiting purchases to 3 at most per person you will weed out these people.
2. It will take more time and effort to do what you want, but I would suggest loading up as many photos as you can of each game with the best description you can. I would put this ALL into a google doc spreadsheet. It is too unwieldy to be dealing with mutliple ads on pinside and hundreds or responses in threads combined with thousands of PMS. You want to streamline your effort, so having a google doc with individual line items and links to each set of game photos will allow you to control stuff and keep it organized. Make sure you are the only one with edit rights, but then you can make the link to the google doc live when you see fit.
Basically a bit more up front leg work will help save you lots of time and headache on the back end.
3. State your expectations clearly. For example:
-These are the only photos you will be taking so buyers need to make their decision based on that
-Prices are FIRM. Dont ask to negotiate! Period or your email will be put in the do not sell to bin.
-Deals are $100 off each game for buying up to 3 at one time.
-Deposit must be sent of $250 non-refundable via paypal friends and family within 4 hrs of being told you get the game
-Games must be picked up within 7 days. If you dont show then you lose your deposit.
-Email title MUST contain the name of the game you want. Contents of email must contain... Basically make it simple on yourself to weed through emails.
4. How to pick whom to sell to? That is honestly tough if you are striving for fair. There will be no 'fair' way. No matter what you come up with, someone will always feels slighted if they miss a deal. I think first to email is as good a way as any. If you limit to 1 purchase (of up to 3 games) then it may help by limiting peoples response. For example, if you list them in lots of 15 at a time, then maybe I will hold off on emailing for something in the first lot in hopes that something in the second lot may be of greater interest to me. That said, you are limiting your geographical audience if you don't publish a nearly complete list of titles and lots at the start. For example, can I really afford the time and gas money to drive down for a single game? unlikely.... For 3 games, then all of a sudden you will be spreading the wealth out much further as people can justify the drive.
5. Publish ALL games, sales prices, and names of buyers publicly and request that nobody resell any game until it is brought back to life. The public alone will help regulate this. You wont prevent all, but you will prevent many from just trying to hussle/lie to you for a quick buck. It will also be cool to see whom got what and then hopefully spawn some cool threads on here for how they are bringing them back to life. I know if I get a game I want then I would be happy to document its return to greatness.
6. Good luck! I agree with rotordave that you may have jumped the gun a bit with these threads, but I also understand your desire to give people a heads up at the holiday season with funny money funds.
