Everyone is googling the name now!
I put my expert Portland detective on it. If there’s something on him she’ll come up with it.

Need more details. Got a Pinside username? Did he respond to your Craigslist ad? What is he asking you to do?

Bingo.

LTG : )

It could be legit, but these days it is hard to know. Scammers thrive on buyers greed to get cheap prices and/or rare items, and their trust. Mr. pinball ads are the WORST offenders.

I suppose you could send via PayPal goods and services and be covered, but I would really ask "how bad do you really want the items?" Also...could you get them anywhere else?

I had an ad on Mr. P for parts for a Super Hockey for which a guy (name Rod Churpin) said he had both parts I needed and that they were NOS. I asked for pics and received the following response:

"My grandson would normally help me out with the pictures as is the case with some parts i have sold out in the past but he's out of town and i have difficulty operating my tab i'm vintage I'd give my word it’s been maintained personally over the years"

I replied advising him that if he could provide pictures of them I would but both. Never heard from him again!

Next phase of this (if a scam) will likely be the "I have another party wanting to send payment, but you were first in line"...
Don't let your emotions of thinking you found your long lost parts get the better of you.
I'm with Dad, IF YOU INSIST on seeing this through, use the goods & service option.
We can't be talking that much of a % that paypal will get and the seller will loose.

From what I've been hearing, Mr Pinball ads seem to be swarming with scammers lately.

Personally, I'd treat the situation with a high level of suspicion. It has the earmarks of a possible scam (long distance, no proof of ownership, continued excuses).

This is all you really need to do!

A good general rule of thumb is if you have to ask, you already know the answer.

It is only a 2.9% charge

I agree. Mr. Pinball is the bottom of the barrel these days. You shouldn't really be hanging out in that sketchy neighborhood unless you are delivering pizza, mail, or drugs.

I'd skip it.
Mr pinball ads really need an update on security. Could easilly verify accounts and build website better.

Now it's time to bait him and string him along. Ask for more parts, make up stuff and have him tell you he has it.
I did this once as a test. I had a Who Dunnit and needed a few boards for the slot reels. Within minutes of putting up my want ad I had a response. That was first red flag. Email came in within minutes, 2-3. Said he had all 3 boards and some slot reels. So, I was instantly excited, price wasn't bad $60 a board if I remember right. So Now, I asked for the 'Bushing converter Mech that goes to the right of slot assembly". (This does not exist, I made it up). About 5 min later, Wow, he has one, $150 bucks. I laughed and Laughed. So, for several days I strung this guy along. I wanted to send a check or cash in mail, needed address, never got it.

^^^ this!

100% agree.

Have some professional pointers:

Mrpinball about 75 percent scammers now.

I deactivated my auto email after 20 years.

If you do, please start a thread and include pics

Take your gun with you.
And then take your second gun because usually the first one is kicked out of your hand.

Probably best to strap on a suicide vest as well, if they get the second gun too at least they go out with you.

You really are asking if he’s a scanner and you don’t know the answer

I thought his name was Tony Barn..

With times as they are now
I would never ship or buy a game unseen or should I say untouched lol

Even parts are scammers.
I don’t spend more on 200 on parts most times since I don’t want to lose that from someone sketchy.
Times are tough and technological advances have scammers coming up with all sorts of madness. Buy what u can see. If you can’t drive and go get it, forget it. I’m willing to travel 6-8 hrs each way if I want something.
Call it crazy but hey you keep your money that way. The easy way is not always the best way.

Is this THE Tony Barn, of "Barn Find" fame?

LOL!

Don’t automatically assume he can post pictures and is tech savvy just because you can use PayPal. My 87-year-old father is VERY good with his laptop and PayPal and web purchasing. However, I’ve taught him many times how to attach and send pictures. But he quickly forgets how to do it if he’s not doing it every day. Sometimes it’s difficult for old people to grasp new technology unless they use it every day.

What a baffles me to this day is how scammers gravitated to such an obscure site as Mr. Pinball. I mean, is it because it is archaic and can be exploited? Such a weird niche hobby/site to target.

Does your dad also spam-respond to ads on Mr. Pinball using different aliases but the same cut and pasted text? If so, we may have located our "Tony Barn" ...

They are here too.

Better question is how did these guys discover pinball?

Thank You! I watched the whole 10 minutes!!
FU****G Hilarious!
Trust me....Ive been doing this to emails and callers for years..
I had a man in Mumbai cry once.

I hear you all about Mr. Pinball - but I posted a wanted ad for a GNR on Mr. Pinball and while contacted by two scammers who were easy to weed out because they weren't interested in cash in person transactions - I was eventually contacted from someone legit who was moving cross country and selling his HUO GNR for a very reasonable price. It's been in my house for two months or so now. My point is that Mr. Pinball absolutely came through for me and did so in less than a month after I posed my ad - but I do agree you need to be careful anywhere nowadays.

Side note - I emailed Mr. Pinball and shared my glee and willingness to make a small donation as a showing of thanks but never got any response about it.

Pins are very expensive items. Scammers gravitate towards high dollar items that require shipping, deposits, or money transfers. Pinballs are a natural fit. So are cars and homes.

I just received an offer from my Mr. Pinball ad from "Tony Barn" in Oregon. Part of his reply was cut and pasted from his reply to Pinsider meSz in post #7 in this thread back in July. He "has" a Joker Poker NOS playfield for $200 shipped to Maryland. Too good to be true is usually too good to be true.

Scammers for EVERYTHING.
We recently lost a pet in a part of town we do not normally visit. Put up missing adverts on local pet e-bulletin boards and within minutes someone text from NYC, hey, I found your pet!
Luckily one of the sites and forwarded us of this scam which would ask us to go through hoops to get 'verified' by sending some money before they would send details and photos.
Fargin ice holes!