No. I like Mousin Around and road trips but that is a lot of driving. Maybe some of you road warriors can drive for 5 days straight or whatever but not me. I get tired and tough to drive that long alone. Buying old used games is always a gamble. What happens if you all that way and the game has hidden issues or not what you expected? You are pretty much locked into buying it so might as well ship it. Like others said, costs involved in driving add up and it would be smart to spend night in hotel.

It's been a while since the last post...Have you made a decision??

DO IT!, Dont think, hop in the truck and just do the deed already...Check weather reports however, Mn can get ugly this time of year, and they use some kind of anti freeze slime on the road So bundle up your Mouse so it doesn't get wet...Are you still here, GET GOING RIGHT NOW!

I think it's just too common of a pin to go so far out of your way. A little patience goes a long way in this hobby. I'm sure you can find something closer and cheaper.

If you really want it badly, put out want ads on Pinside, craigslist, and Facebook. Follow up on everyone that reached out to you. Contact a few pinside owners and see if they would sell. Go to the mousin around forum and ask if anyone is selling. Talk with local collectors and arcades. Check eBay and Amazon. Consider shipping and it will open your options a hundred fold.

comedians don't explain their jokes

Just make sure that the machine is locked down. I once planned a trip to NJ around picking up a pinball machine and once I was in the area I got the "my partner had promised it to someone else, sorry" text. Still had a good weekend but that was four hours and not 11.

If you do all this and turn one up locally, you can still go on a road trip with it - bring it to the Texas Pinball Festival! I think we'd all be thrilled to put a few games on your new acquisition. Time's a ticking though - only 7 weeks or so until the show!

-Rob
-visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets or my Pinball 2000 H+V Video Sync Combiner kit

Safe to say if he doesn't buy it, it will be coming with me to TPF

Nah. There are plenty out there.

Have you looked into shipping?

Listen, I've drive silly distances for sillier games.
If you're getting a GOOD deal, it certainly makes it easier.
It's not TOO bad if you can justify it a little better - make pilgrimage to a famous arcade, brewery, or whatever else. Visit a friend, go to a museum you've always wanted to.
Otherwise, throw it on a Fastenal pallet and wait!

If you would've left at this time yesterday...you'd be home mousin around by now.

And here we go...
One just popped up here on Pinside and it is in Illinois. Comparable price. This trip will cost you less than eight hours!
...or are you already on the road?

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/91210

2900obo

EDIT: Misspoken.

If your going to Springfield, Mo they have the largest Bass Pro shop that's pretty neat and a great aquarium connected to it that I highly recommend. Only thing is you need reservations to the aquarium, it helps keep the flow going through it. Plan on 3-4 hours, at least, to go through.

Make the drive to Wauconda! Not a bad looking machine...I was checking that one out myself....

If you want it, just go for it, and "Quit Mousin Around!" (Somebody had to do it).
It's the weekend, so no need to rush through in one day. Find a couple fun stops to make en-route and break up the monotony.

But don't fret, show season is coming up. A lot of deals start appearing when things warm up.

-Hans

Plus 1 for Torpedo Alley. I had a harrowing road trip for one with stiff competition! I started driving for 2 hours before I even got the address. I figured “hey we’ll be that much closer when we finally find out where we’re going!”
It’s taken me at least a solid few months of work off and on the past year to finally get that sucker playing!
It would take a lot to make me part with it.

What happened to the stiff competition? Were you there, loaded up and gone before the competition arrived?

So you got the oil changed and tires checked?

Is this still the one in MO?

Do it man... why not. I just did a 12 hour round trip for a Dr. Dude. What else you got to do?

Go for it.
Two weeks ago I did a 1000 miles RT in a day for BK SOR LE.

Exhausted when I got home, but still had energy to play a few games to "welcome him to his new castle".

Yep, that was the whole point! Driving there before anyone, even the seller was ready! Risky tactic but it worked out and everyone was happy in the end. There were so many people in line I didn’t want to risk a case of “oh you can’t make it today? I’ve got 2 other guys coming to look at it. Whoever is here soonest gets it”
It wasn’t implied, but with all the interest you know how some folks can get “I’ll overpay THIS much if you sell it out from under that guy”

You should get this for your car keys.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/mousin-around-key-fob

If you are going to end up making the trip, you might as well stop by Texas. I will sell you a millionaire, and you can further your system 11 collection.

Well shipping would be no more than $500. $500 / 22 hours = $22.72 an hour. So it depends what your time is worth.

I’d ship it.

My Seawitch was $100 & 50 miles

I'm guessing it is at least 750 miles each way as well. At 20mpg and 2 bucks a gallon...that would be $150 in gas as well.

Add in a motel stay, since he likely won't be driving 22 hours straight.($100)

Tack on food and snacks ($50...and probably a heck of a lot more than that)

You also have wear and tear on your car, a lot of your time spent, and there are always unforeseen incidentals.

I think there are really only 2 ways to look at it:

1) save yourself the hassle (and time) and ship it or just wait and find one closer.

2) commit to an all-out road trip. Stop and see the sights. Go on adventures. Make it a 3-4 day getaway.

Yes

I had a couple of chases where I would text the seller about every hour to say, " I am in XYZ Kansas now. Stopped to gas up. I'm 3 hours away.
I stopped at McDonalds in Tulsa for a burger. I'm 2 hours away. "

That kind of stuff to let them know that I will be there.

If it is a hot pin, you gotta do what you gotta do.

I wouldn’t drive 22 hrs for anything.

Google Earth shows that you have Interstate Highway all the way. With a night drive, that is very good. Drink lots of coffee. If the caffeine does not keep you awake, the need to pee will keep you alert

...anything?

Well, nothing to do with pinball that’s for sure.

Will be fun to keep an eye on the thread. Any pinsiders along the route that could offer ruralcollector help along the way? Maybe challenge him to a game or two in your personal collection? Maybe a PB&J sandwich? Something to make the trip more memorable for him...

-Rob
-visit http://www.kahr.us to get my daughterboard that helps fix WPC pinball resets or my Pinball 2000 H+V video sync combiner kit

omg - you're out of your mind. Seriously reconsider and this is someone who just did an 8 hr today (IJTPA - so pretty).

22 hrs is nuts!!!!!

I did a 28 hour drive with a buddy for my Simpsons Pinball Party years back. Rented a van that would fit the pin, with unlimited mileage for the weekend. Got sideswiped before I left town, left it on the side of the road, back to the rental agency and got another one six hours later.

Drove all night drinking energy drinks and listening to techno to make sure we’d be there to pick up at 11am the next day. It was the middle of the winter and we made it with four hours to spare on a Sunday morning when literally nothing was open, so me and my buddy laid in the back to get some sleep in a parking lot about 15 minutes out. Cop stops by to see two grown men spooning in the back of a van, to this day I’d love to know what was going through his mind.

Picked up an absolutely beautiful HUO pin a few hours later, ate a massive amount of bad fast food and drove all the way back, unloaded and dropped the van before midnight on Sunday with just over 2000 miles on it.

Great memories, awesome pinball adventure.

Sometimes you just gotta make an event out of getting a pin you like!

I'm not sure everyone who lives in a big city or in close proximity to others like on the eastern seaboard know what it's like to have to make big drives to find
just about anything cool. 22hrs, if done in 2 days is no big deal. I've made similar drives in the past and it's been worth it. I've done a 6hr drive for a MA and another pin. Ma is a decent title, not A list in my opinion, but if we all wanted the same pins this would be a pretty boring hobby. Go for it, enjoy the ride (drive)!

....just make sure the ball locks work in the MA, those were a bitch to source

Hell yeah - It takes me 8 hours (each way) just to go Antelope Hunting. In State! ... and I go every year I can pull a tag.

Be nice if you could find a pinsider or two who need a machine moved from MN to MO to pay for the trip!

I've done it for Bingo pins.