I got my first machine in Sep (Bally KISS)...got the fever and picked up a Mata Hari for $500 two months later. It had 3 new boards and I had to replace the solenoid board. It was filthy. I did a full shop on it, hand painted the cabinet and sold it. The game is one of my favs from high school and although my plan the entire time was to begin to buy neglected machines, restore and sell them, while accumulating enough $ for a Stern KISS Pro.
But when the buyer showed up, I had a strong tinge of regret. I thought to myself "You better keep good care of this machine after all of blood, sweat, and tears I put into the machine". I made a very good profit on the machine, but have other flippers had the same feelings after selling their first restoration?