I’m new to this hobby, and have noticed that it is easy to find pins on the market with only a few hundred plays on it. To me, that doesn’t seem like many games. Why do people sell the games so quickly? Do they get bored that fast? If I only wanted to play that that much, I’d try to find one on location. Do these people not have good locations nearby as an option perhaps? I feel like if I buy a game, I’m going to want to keep it for years.
Quoted from DJHens:I’m new to this hobby, and have noticed that it is easy to find pins on the market with only a few hundred plays on it. To me, that doesn’t seem like many games. Why do people sell the games so quickly? Do they get bored that fast? If I only wanted to play that that much, I’d try to find one on location. Do these people not have good locations nearby as an option perhaps? I feel like if I buy a game, I’m going to want to keep it for years.
Some people don't mind wasting money. Im poor. I hate wasting money.
Quoted from DJHens:I’m new to this hobby, and have noticed that it is easy to find pins on the market with only a few hundred plays on it. To me, that doesn’t seem like many games. Why do people sell the games so quickly? Do they get bored that fast? If I only wanted to play that that much, I’d try to find one on location. Do these people not have good locations nearby as an option perhaps? I feel like if I buy a game, I’m going to want to keep it for years.
Also, some people buy new but don't play them much, more collectors than players (hey, it takes all kinds). You'll often see games here that are several years old with only a few hundred plays.
Quoted from DJHens:I feel like if I buy a game, I’m going to want to keep it for years.
I keep them longer, A. Because I have trouble parting with things and B. I am lazy.
I agree there are people, a couple dudes in particular that blitz through them...keeping them for just weeks. Good for used market I guess.
When I got my first pin I probably played it thousands of times before selling it. I had one game. With more games, I play each one less. Maybe they got a good deal and just didn't play the game that much (not a waste of money assuming they sell for the same price or more). Lots of reasons, not all of them are just 'being wasteful.'
some people like to buy the Pro version of a machine because it comes out first. then they can play it for a bit while they are waiting for the Premium or LE to come out and flip the Pro.
basically eating a few hundred dollars on resale as a 'lease/rental fee.'
Some of those always seemed suspect. Previously, the audits would reset upon update.
Me, I put over 100 plays on my Deadpool within the first week.
Quoted from Daditude:Some people don't mind wasting money. Im poor. I hate wasting money.
You've got a WOZ and a LOTR. You aren't THAT poor! 
Personally....as someone that went through 50 games in 5 years... I just get bored quickly. Once I learn all the rules and how to maximize scoring...most games for me just become the same sequence of events, with randomized recoveries when I screw up. This leads to very boring play for me. Like when I had LOTR, every game just turned into a mirror of itself, because I settled into an 'optimal' route to safely advance towards trying to get Valinor. I never ultimately DID, but I was playing the same modes, in the same order, every time, and could NOT break out of the habit.
A few hundred games was all it took for me to get to Portal on Tron 30+ times. What's left when you've been to a wizard mode that much? Frankly, I'd probably enjoy pinball in my house a lot more if I was TERRIBLE at pinball! 
Quoted from Frax:I'd probably enjoy pinball in my house a lot more if I was TERRIBLE at pinball!
Maybe that's why my wife and I are so addicted to it and haven't sold a machine yet.
Quoted from KingBW:Maybe that's why my wife and I are so addicted to it and haven't sold a machine yet.
Yeah...I mean...look at my history and what I've kept... Crescendo is the only long term survivor there, and it's one of the most unfair EMs that I know of.
Quoted from DJHens:I’m new to this hobby, and have noticed that it is easy to find pins on the market with only a few hundred plays on it. To me, that doesn’t seem like many games. Why do people sell the games so quickly? Do they get bored that fast? If I only wanted to play that that much, I’d try to find one on location. Do these people not have good locations nearby as an option perhaps? I feel like if I buy a game, I’m going to want to keep it for years.
For many people buying games is more exciting than actually owning them. Whatever floats your boat lots of different reasons to be in the hobby
Those are my favorite kind of games to buy! My Deadpool had something like 25 plays, and my Star Wars had 12. Not exaggerating. A few others had ~100 or less on them too. That is the risk people take buying machines without playing first. Sometimes they just do not click. For the buyer it's a nice way to save some cash letting someone else recycle the cardboard!
I would say the time factor is the biggest thing for me. Pinball is a smaller hobby of mine, but since I enjoy it when I can play it, I have 6 pins. Then you also have situations where folks like me have a pin that breaks and you don't play it... At all... Until you can find someone else to repair it. I typically don't have the time or confidence to go banging around a machine for fear of breaking it worse.
As an example, I have a Hobbit Smaug Edition that I love but haven't played it because the rollovers are causing airballs. This only started after taking off the playfield protector that I had put on from the factory like an idiot. End result is that I haven't played it a single time for a year.
Quoted from MrBubbles:I have a Hobbit Smaug Edition that I love but haven't played it because the rollovers are causing airballs. This only started after taking off the playfield protector that I had put on from the factory like an idiot. End result is that I haven't played it a single time for a year.
In the Hobbit thread they found that there is a thin flat plastic disc/cover on top of the rollover buttons that peals off of them. See if that exists on your rollovers and see if it comes off easily. That solved it for a few people at least.
Quoted from KingBW:In the Hobbit thread they found that there is a thin flat plastic disc/cover on top of the rollover buttons that peals off of them. See if that exists on your rollovers and see if it comes off easily. That solved it for a few people at least.
Ahhh... I'll take a look at that thanks.
Quoted from cosmokramer:Some games suck
Laughed out loud.
Good thing you filtered your reply.
In all fairness 300 games in a HUO environment with a skilled baller is enough to see and do everything and now you're bored. Also helpful is some people have a "disposable" income. Because of this they can change games like their under wear.
Some games just aren't "fun enough" to qualify for the forever museum.
I've got about 20 pins on their feet and probably play two or three, three times a week on average. Someone do the calculus, I'm not good with math. Tell me how many years it'd take to put 300 games on all of them given the parameters above.
Go ahead, I'll wait...
Quoted from whthrs166:100 weeks (almost two years) no calculator needed for that... you can stop waiting now...
Hold on now. I've only had one beer tonight (thus far) so I'll bite... let's start with the easy part:
I want 300 plays on 20 pins. That makes 6000 plays total, right?
Let's say I play three pins, three times a week. That's 9 plays a week.
6000 plays divided by 9/week looks like 667 weeks. But I'm probably wrong cause I suck at math.
All I know is at that rate I'm gonna need assistance.
Some people are too impatient to wait for the code to mature to see if the would like the game more.
A few hundred games is enough to break even on a game, it really depends on your play style. For example when I go play on location, between games, booze, fried oreos, food, etc I usually spend $40 to $70 on one outing. Your mileage may vary, but that's what I typically spend. So for me personally it doesn't take much to break even. Assuming say a $1200 loss when selling a new in box game and assuming each time I choose to play at home rather than on location saves me an average of $55, then skipping 22 visits to the local pinball location means financial break even. Side bonus, I get to play the game in the comfort of my own home anytime I want, I get to hear all the sounds, I can play it back to back without feeling like I'm hogging the game, I can take time to learn all the rules, I can experiment at my leisure, I can blast music loud while I play, I can live stream Deadflip on the tv next to my games while I play (I do that sometimes), etc...
But again that's me, your play style and location expenditures may be different. To each their own.
Quoted from Reality_Studio:Assuming say a $1200 loss when selling a new in box game and assuming each time I choose to play at home rather than on location saves me an average of $55, then skipping 22 visits to the local pinball location means financial break even. Side bonus, I get to play the game in the comfort of my own home anytime I want, I get to hear all the sounds, I can play it back to back without feeling like I'm hogging the game, I can take time to learn all the rules, I can experiment at my leisure, I can blast music loud while I play
I would give this 100 upvotes if I could. I did all the math myself. And the fact I like beer but I will not even have one beer and then drive, hell yes, my own barcade with no bs or traffic to get there!
Quoted from KingBW:In the Hobbit thread they found that there is a thin flat plastic disc/cover on top of the rollover buttons that peals off of them. See if that exists on your rollovers and see if it comes off easily. That solved it for a few people at least.
You are the man. Thanks for that info!!!! That was the issue. Finally I get to play Hobbit again!
Quoted from CrazyLevi:For many people buying games is more exciting than actually owning them. Whatever floats your boat lots of different reasons to be in the hobby
You just described me with cars. I live for chasing those low mileage grandpa gems that I end up never driving.
Quoted from mrbillishere:Hold on now. I've only had one beer tonight (thus far) so I'll bite... let's start with the easy part:
A pinhead leaves Colorado to pick up a pin in Ohio traveling at 60 mph.
Another pinhead leaves New York to go to a show in Texas travelling at a speed of 75 MPH
Who will reach 100 plays first?
Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.
Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!
This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/selling-after-a-few-hundred-plays and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.
Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.
Rockwall, TX
