The ringer game is very collectible, I would love to have one...that one looks pretty rough...

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Yikes

Although not a pinball, Ringer would be the most desirable in the group for me. Good luck!

Show him photos of a classic car in need of repairs:

https://www.google.com/search?q=rusted+shell+corvette&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQ1b_32I3YAhWwkOAKHQoCCJEQsAQIKA&biw=1127&bih=552

Try explaining that if those pins were cars, this is more or less what he would have:
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The Ringer is the only one that could hold its value. I have looked at 2 in the past, and the price always starts at the 1,200-1,500 range for an ok decent one. I would be afraid to even touch most of those others.

I think your offer is generous.. With that said, I'd pay $200 for a good Beatniks backglass.. Those "slot machines" are very difficult to sell and really not worth the trouble.

She should do this as I'm in 100% agreement with her.
Step 1: wipe down machines.
Step 2: load up machines in truck bound for museum

That woman must be on drugs! Lol

Run....the dump fees would be more than this pile is worth...

You'd be a saint to haul all of that garbage out for her for free.

I'd offer a couple hundred for the Ringer but the rest, you'd genuinely have to pay me for the service.

I see a white paper coverall, nitrile gloves, and a respirator in your future.

Exactly this ^^^^!!

John

Run away....as far as your legs will carry you.

She would have to pay Got Junk guys to remove all those pins, the ringer is the only thing worth pulling out of there IMO. Good luck.

She should be paying you to haul off that mess.

She should pay you to haul it off. Wear a mask.

Mike, was this the bring your truck CL ad?

Those have been neglected for a loooong time.

What a shame .... Looks more like "bring your garbage truck" ....

ForceFlow "Show photos of classic cars that need repairs" > RIGHT ... That's a great idea !! People think just because something is old > it's worth a lot ... they don't think about the time, parts, effort and money required to fix it ...

Yikes. .....running away as fast as I can!

My best offer stands at they pay me 2K and cover medical bills!

They are ready to be wiped off and put in ....a landfill

Do not bring those anywhere near your home or else everyone will get sick from the mold. Like Iron Maiden says Run to the hills run for your life. Lol.

Yikes! If there is anything you can do with this mess, have her pay you to haul it away. I had a similar situation once, where a woman answered my "pinballs wanted" ad. She apparently waited a couple of years to clean out her basement after flooding from Hurricane Floyd. She had a Williams "Winner" which was a totally rotted out disaster. Her brother was helping her clean out, and they had a dumpster in the driveway. She asked me what I would offer for it. I said I would offer to help her load it into the dumpster!

Junk. Worse than junk as it’ll get u sick. In a toxic sorta way, not just the sniffles. Tell her you are not interested and run away. She did you a favor by not accepting your offer, take that as divine intervention. It is all ruined and contaminated. A hazmat team needs to remove that. I hope I’m being clear.

I have paid more & salvaged from worse so from lots of experience I can tell you that you are buying a lot of work. In an average year I scrap about 25 machines like this a year and it isn't as bad as some people are trying to make it sound but you do have to "work smart".

Typically I have plenty of gloves around and masks - I never bring machines with mold into the house - all salvage work is done outside. I save what I can and then move on to the next machine. It doesn't take many parts to get $100 (or more) out of a machine. Typically a chime box, lock bar, and plastic set is worth more than that. The key is save what you can but don't obsess over the rest. What ever you save is going to help bring other machines back to life.

Some people are afraid to get their hands dirty and I fully understand that, but other "slightly crazy" people (like myself) love to save parts off machines like this. I doubt you will be saving any of those machines but it is possible once you get them out and take a hard look at each. Just remember - lots of work for very little financial return in most cases - and if you are OK with that go for it.

Mike,

I have been buying machines like this and listing parts on eBay for several years now and I can tell you 100% for sure "it can't be about the money". I have figured it out several different times and once I figure all associated cost (storage rent, cost to buy machines, cost to pick up machines, fees, etc) I make less than $3 an hour doing it. But I just love saving the "junk" from landfills and getting what parts I can to people they will help.

For me it started out with machines I had purchased to fix up that were too far gone. Next thing you know I end up listing parts from those machines and my local pinball buddies started offering me "junk" they didn't have a use for at reasonable prices. 5 years later I have dozens of machines to part out (close to 100 sitting right now), people taking my "junk cabinets" etc for craft projects, parts going all over the world helping people save machines, etc.

Thankfully I am semi retired so I don't need to make a bunch of money doing it but I find it very rewarding in so many ways. To me the worst part is keeping track of everything. Be sure to mark parts with tags (or bag smaller stuff up and label the bags). You think you will remember what something was off of but after a few weeks it all starts looking the same. (Again talking from years of experience).

The "best parts" are the oddball stuff. That stuff doesn't sell as quickly but when someone needs it they are happy to find it. Chime units, bells & lock bars typically sell the quickest. Once they are sold most of the rest of the stuff takes some time. So when I buy machines I look to have the chime units, bells & lock bars pay for the machines then I just wait until the other stuff sells to see my profits.

I would offer $900-$1000 because of the Williams Ringer and in the hope that I could salvage a cabinet that I need. But I am a Project Pin lover and tend to see the pin as half full. In this case one would have to ask, ‘Half full of what?!’

If you do decide to gopher it, please make sure that anyone who touches these ‘diamonds in the rough’ have had a tetanus shot in the last ten years!!

Tetanus shot is a must - every 7 years these days from what I have been told - and thanks for reminding me I think I am due again. Typically I get one every 5 or 6 years because of all the BS I am involved in both with pinball and other stuff in life. I don't think a week goes by that I have not either cut or stabbed myself with something dirty or rusty.

As far as price - typically I add up lock bars & chime units and make my offer accordingly. Gottlieb chime units are worth at least $60 each as long as they are complete & decent, Gottlieb lock bars are about the same for button style (fin style are about $30). Bally and Williams chimes are typically around $40 and lock bars for Bally & Williams about $20 to $25 each.

On the average I will pay up to about $150 for decent parts machines and about $50 to $100 for "junk" like this. So I think you are right in the ballpark for both you and the seller at $600 (give or take a few dollars). I doubt I would go a grand on the lot but I might depending on how much work it would be to move everything and how bad you want it. Normally on something like this stuff I put a "standing offer" of what I think is a fair price and tell seller get back to me if they decide to be realistic and sell it for my price. 95% of the time I end up getting the stuff because most people don't want to deal with it.

You should have offered her $20. for the Ridgid Tri-stand or pipe threader ( I can't see enough of it to tell ) the only thing I see that's good .

Wait--you offered $600? That's about $700 too much.

Funny how far apart the comments are. Either "run forrest run" or "yeah you can make a profit from that". Nothing in between (like, "yeah its worth $400 tops").

Perhaps I missed it, but I hadn't noticed how far away these machines were from
you. A couple of those backglasses look useable and I do think that it's worth $400.00,
but if within reasonable distance, I'd make a short trip over, do some explaining, and
(unless you see something else that stands out) I'd offer like $250.00
If you're familiar with a little wood working, and if it's complete, that Ringer
should be a piece of cake to repair and Steve (bgresto) has that glass on file..
I myself have way too many projects already, but if you have access to work on them
away from the house, and are able to exit them out of that facility without too much
difficulty, I'd certainly would make a little trip and at least take a better look..

Some people are afraid of getting dirty (or doing some nasty work) and others realize the value of "junk". I have made a good living most of my life dealing with stuff most people wouldn't consider getting involved with and semi retired when I was 51 years old because of not being afraid to work. Something like this deal isn't for everyone but some people realize the value of the parts sitting their.

No right or wrong - just different ways of looking at things!

I'd be afraid of getting infected.

Offer $200 and send her this thread. What's more evidence than people actually in the business/hobby.

The blue one has what looks like a pitch and bat lockdown bar.

Everyone has an opinion. Keep in mind that I have saved some games that probably were NOT worth saving and I would NOT make an offer on any of the stuff in those pictures. The Ringer looks like it’s a mess and even though a nice one will get over a grand, that one is no where near a nice one, even if you fix it up cheap.

Yeah, I'd pass on that stuff even if it was free.

$600 is way too much . She should be paying you to take these .

Hope it works out. Money for nothing ....

I may be interested in more parts too.. Assuming you don't want to restore this one.. Clearly there is water damage to these games, but the backglasses on the ones that can be seen actually look OK.

Do it! These hauls are so much fun. I had similar comments from many people here in Australia about a bunch of machines in very ordinary condition that i was looking at. Have a look here at the thread https://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php/55269-Pinball-Adventure-Shed-Stash?highlight=adventure

Note how the comments changed from "run for the hills" to "thats awesome, wish i had done it" once some of the after photos came through. Many of the after/restored pics are on page 14 of that thread.

So sad seeing the way these pins have been treated over the years. Kudos to anyone with the knowledge and time and pure stamina to bring even a fraction back from the dead.

I've had mine. I would still buy them as everyone here hates to see pins go to the junkyard. You could at least see if anything was salvageable if not repairable in the lot. As a pinsider told me ultrasonic cleaners can do wonders on rust.