Nothing beats seeing a game in person before you buy. All other methods and you are taking your chances.

Recently, when I was doing a trade, the other party and I FaceTimed so we could see each other’s games live before making the trek. That worked pretty well also.

Required?

I don't know. What about "proper etiquette"?

As a buyer I'm not buying without movies, period -- whether they are public or privately sent.

But I am not sure we need Robin and the mods to police this, (or make it a requirement of the forum software to test whether there's a movie attached to for sale ads)

I think it can fall under 'good etiquette' and the price police can handle the task from there...

Price Police: "Where's your movie, a$$hole !??"

-mof

Anybody with a smartphone can just FaceTime or Skype with the seller?

I am not going to say that sellers should be "required" to post videos of the games in action. I will say that videos can be helpful, but you should always negotiate in person when you see the game and test it out yourself.

You wouldn't buy a car based on a video or a description, but a description or video will help you determine if it is even worth your time to consider it.

If I asked the seller for a video and he refuses, then it is my choice to decide whether I want to pursue this with a visit or if I should just move on to a seller who is willing to post a video.

It is between the buyer and the seller to decide how they want to proceed.

I would personally just ask a few questions about the game and then test it myself, so I know what I am buying.

Certainly shouldn't be a requirement - but if you're buying a pin and having it shipped sight-unseen then it's perfectly reasonable to request a video from the seller. Perfectly fine for them to say no, too. Taking a decent video can be a pain in the ass, IMO.

If you're not comfortable with a purchase, with or without the video, walk away.

huh?

lol!

I'm sure there are still people that can't take videos, but a dedicated field to put them would be cool.

But pinside doesn't even have video support besides from youtube embeds, so...

Good point. There is that little tiny hurdle of setting up a youtube channel, but once you do it... It's cakewalk to upload vids when you need to.

Man... everyone with pinball machines freakin owes it to the world to have a youtube channel where you post vids of your games and fixes!!!

Share your passion on youtube!!!

-mof

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOo0KaPllC5ZJGf-cmriBNg/videos

No.

Gotta be the dumbest thing I’ve read all day. Required? Really? It’s a free market. If you want to buy a machine based on the information you’re given, go for it. If you would like to request a video, you can do that do.

There should be no requirement.

Newbies been starting dumb threads like it’s an Olympic sport lately.

Well hold on now -- let's not rush to judgment until we look at the vote total:

26 against

1 for

Carry on!

Hell, some people put up ads without pics. I say let em do it however they want. Description, no description, pics, no pics, videos, no videos, pics of grandma, no pics of grandma.

Seller doesn’t provide you with what you are expecting to see, well he loses a potential sale.
As a buyer I put cash on the glass after I have played it in person.

HOT GRANDMA PICS ONLY

He's right -- we have our expectations set WAYYY too high. Hell, we don't even need the title of the machine or an asking price...

"Pinball machine for sale." -- that's really all we need!

I do if only for proof the game is what I say it is and working when loaded up.

Setup the camera, play a game or two and upload it.

Requirement? I got a good chuckle from that. Please don't assume that everyone has a smart phone. Even if the seller did make a video something could break the second they stop recording. If you want to ensure the machine is worth buying go check it out in person. If distance is an issue then find someone close to seller to go inspect it for you. If that is not possible then I suppose you could ask the seller to make a video. Seems easier to just find one that is located closer. If the pin was super-rare and nearly unobtainable - even more reason to go check it out yourself.

Might be appropriate to also note that pinball manufacturers barely make a teaser video, and they get plenty of orders from people who have never played the pin. Somewhat off topic, but if they can do it . . . .

Play in person before buying or buy from a reputable seller. Its that easy

What we need is more buyers that are willing to go look at the games before they buy.

One of my last transactions was half the nation away, am I expected to fly there and back just to check out a game? Be realistic.

The seller/owner was gracious enough to take plenty of pictures and I did the same plus video for the pin we were trading.

If all Pinsiders were trustworthy then it would be a non-issue. The reality is where there is money there will always those who will take advantage of the trustworthy. Plenty of forum posts by people who got shafted on one deal or another.

Requirement? Perhaps not a requirement but a positive mark towards the seller who provides one. Maybe a Pinside badge.

My table in action?
Mine usually just sits there, but once in a while something on TV will annoy me and I'll pound my fist on it. I have no intention of selling it though, so you won't see my video.

He’s probably referring to people who always want more and more and more. I don’t mind doing videos but I’ve had people request really obnoxious stuff. And after I send them that video they request another annoying one. And so on.

It is not just a matter of trustworthiness. Sometimes, there are things about a pin that you may notice that the seller hasn’t or that the seller has forgotten about. A seller could be 100% honest but just failed to notice that there were three GI bulbs in the back under a plastic that were off, for example. Best thing is seeing the pin for yourself. Next best is lots of pictures, questions and maybe a video or FaceTime. But, even then, you need to expect some unexpected issues if you buy without doing a thorough check yourself.

We had to add a leaf to our extendable dining room table for Christmas dinner to accommodate our family. Other than that our table just sits there as well...no action.

Hahaha!!

Definitely a bit absurd for sure. You can’t tell everything from a video unless you are extremely familiar with the game. On top of that, some people selling don’t know much about their games in the first place. They say “it works fine” and I’m their mind it does, but that actually means some lights turn on the and flippers work. Then you get their and the machine is black and the flippers have no rubber and are cracked, the ball is rusty.
It happens all the time. Video doesn’t show the whole story, only personal inspection tells you that

I have a better idea buy pins from fellow pinsiders who are well known by everyone..

Just like the good ole days

It’s a haggling tactic. The actual goal is to get you annoyed at the game and to see the faults yourself. Once you’re annoyed at the game, you might just want to get rid of it quickly, and that leads to a quick drop to your bottom line price... and maybe even a bit lower. I’ll send pics, I’ll even send a video if asked. But after that my answer is come see it or FO.

And the simple rule that lets me do that is “cash on the glass”. Buying or selling, that’s the only way a game moves. The buyer (me or someone else) sees and plays the game, cash changes hands, game gets loaded. Done. I’ll drive 10 hours one way for a game I really want. Maybe more for a special one, but I’ll never ship one unless you’re already a good buddy of mine.

I have sold a few games, if you want more pictures, I'm ok wth that. Want a video, I'll send that too. Want pictures of a certain area, whatever, I'll do that too.

I got nothing to hide. And if that is what it takes to sell the game, I'm all for it. I want the new owner to be happy.

No! I'm thankful that I can post a picture on the internet. I'm having a panic attack at the thought of me trying to post a video.

No way. Had a guy ask for a video a couple of weeks ago on a sub $2000 game. He lived about 10 miles away. I just ignored the request and sold it to the next guy.

If you are too lazy or busy to drive 10 miles, I’m to busy to take the time to make a video.

Anyway Rudy, welcome to Pinside!

I certainly don't think it should...or even could...be required.
What if the seller cannot upload a video?
What if the seller will only sell to a local buyer?
What if the machine is NIB, folded up, or just a project?

There are too many "what-if's"

It certainly helps a game sell, however...but so do lots of pics and an accurate description. Some sellers just give more/better info than others. That's just the way it is.

Next thread is gonna be about requiring sellers to drive their machine around to 'potential' buyers houses and setting it up for demos, thus providing the 'potential' buyer the opportunity to kick tires in the comfort of their own home.

For an A-list game, I can see a video being a benefit.... if it's well done. Let sellers that are so-inclined do that on their own initiative, it lets them set themselves apart. A good video can help a reputable seller with a good machine acquire top-dollar.

But for guys like me that deal in lower end machines I just don't see the effort being worth it. I often buy games with minimal photos under the expectations there are issues. Getting all working displays and a manual is considered a happy surprise. Half the time they aren't even set up, or aren't working, so a video wouldn't be of any benefit.

That and being able to post a video is very different from being able to actually make a usable video.

I wish pins were 10 miles away, I'd already be in the car.

Hold on in LA that could take 2-3 hours to go 10 miles on a bad day!!!

Don't judge "distance" -- judge time!!! thanks !!!
-mof

Did machines suddenly become difficult to sell?

Because I can't see doing this nonsense otherwise.

Is it still HUO if the video of the machine is in portrait?

If someone thinks a video is required before they will buy a machine, they are free to ask for it. I could see wanting one if I was going to have a used game shipped to me, or maybe before I head out on a ten hour road trip for a game, but otherwise it would be redundant, I'll check it out myself before money changes hands.

The seller is also free to comply, or to tell the prospective buyer to FO.

Were Pinside to start "requiring" a video, they'd see their game marketplace dry up real quick.

What is needed is a Committee of individuals appointed by Pinside, these would include a Pricing Expert, Condition Inspector, and Hacking Detective. Together these people would determine if the listing is legit, the price within narrow perimeters, and condition acceptable based on Committee standards. Otherwise the listing will be removed and the Member suspended indefinitely.
This will limit/eliminate spurious, speculative ads by shady people. Only the largest Contributors would be selected for Committee, which they would have to serve on for 6 Months or lose their Membership.

Sarcasm Alert!

IRL this might work, but for pinside you're going to have to add a couple of Mod experts as well.

Required to do video?, am I missing something?...I have bought machines with dead rats in the bottom, but still feel lucky as a buyer it was available at all, much less for sale...Dude dont send me a video, I probably won't even watch it.