Ben Granger got it. Sadly it was not me, I like that game.

Yeah, he said it works great too. Total steal at that price. The seller was a man of his word who didn't sell it out from under him. Seller said he was getting all kinds of e-mails offering more and trying to screw Ben out of the game.

Why did you do that? What is the purpose there, except to try to screw up someone else's deal?

It's like thunderdome around here lately!

Props to the seller for keeping his word and selling at his asking price. See way to many of these deals turn sour when some jamoke offers more than double the asking price...

I'll never understand this thinking. Props to a guy who got ripped off? The "jamoke" offering double the asking price was offering LESS than the going rate for that game, but somehow he's an asshole?

You people celebrate people getting taken. Even the Picker guys will tell a seller when they are under pricing something, because they don't want to take advantage of people.

I assume you're saying the seller got ripped off...how is that possible? The seller sets the price, nobody forced him to sell the game at the price he was asking. In the information age that we're in there's no excuse for not taking a few minutes to check the ol' internet and see what your item (pinball machine or anything else) might be worth.

Obviously, the seller figured $1,000 was fair for his game. Maybe that's what he paid years ago or maybe he figured he's played it for years and if he got $1,000 he'd be doing good. Hard to say for sure but he set the price and nobody duped him into selling it for that price.

Now, should the buyer have offered more knowing that it was worth more than what the seller was asking? That's up to the buyer and each individual will have a different opinion on how to handle the situation.

Dave

That show is completely fake. Mike is an asshole, Antique Archaeology does not even exist except for the show. They do not really drive around "free styling". All of this was brought to light on reddit of all places.

I tried to get it too, hopefully it made it into good hands, somebody got a great deal!

Someone needed to read a story about it to figure that out? Yikes

Glad to hear Ben got it! And I made a mental note to never choose WCS in a tournament against him

^^^^THIS.

What someone needs/wants to get out of a game is up to them. Just because he sold it for $1,000 doesn't mean he got ripped off. Maybe he got it for free and he just made $1,000 and passed a good deal on to another, maybe just seeing the game appreciated by someone and getting some extra cash is good enough for him, maybe he is a financially well off and doesn't care about the money, maybe it isn't worth it to him to price it at $2,000 and have tire kicker after tire kicker waste his time and pick apart his game...then offer him $1,000 anyway?

Bottom line, he set the price at $1,000. That's what he wanted (for whatever reason) and that's what he got. Lord knows I have sold things for less than I could have gotten before for a myriad of reasons. You can't get ripped off if you get exactly what you state you want.

Ha no. But some people are delusional enough to think that, pawn stars, et al are real. I was just surprised to find how fake pickers truly was. And how large of an asshole Mike is. He always seemed to get along with Frank well but apparently he is a huge douche nozzle.

Sending an email trying to snake someone else is a scummy thing to do. The seller set the price, if he spent 10 minutes searching online he could have found out its value. $1000 might be a steal but who knows what kind of issues that game might have had (acid damage, waterlogged cabinet, corroded connectors, missing artwork,plastics, motors, etc) Just because the seller thought it was nice and worked completely does not make it so. The seller might have gotten the game for a few hundred bucks and would have been happy with 1000....I dont care if I get flamed for this, I think the op did a shitty thing trying to snake the deal.

He even said "My loss," implying that he figured out it was worth a lot more than his asking price.

As a seller, it makes zero sense to turn down more money for something I'm selling if offered. If you're telling me you'd do so and be happy about it, I don't believe you. As a buyer, if I know something is priced incredibly low that means it'll likely go fast, so I'd want to offer more than asking to increase the odds of me getting it. It is classic supply and demand.

We don't live in a magical fantasy world where NO ONE is going to offer more than the asking price, so even if you want to hold your misguided principles, all that will happen is you won't get the game, because there's plenty of people willing to offer more.

Whoever shows up first with the most cash wins.

Yep, a 100% dick move. Don't do it. Ever.

rd

Correct, his loss, as in, "I should have taken 2 minutes to figure out what it was worth". That does not equate to being ripped off. The seller wasn't ripped off, he chose not to do his homework and figured out, after he made a deal, that he could have gotten more.

So now it comes down to which is better, honor the deal you have with the person who said they'd take it at your asking price or jack up the price in light of your newfound information? That's a personal choice and I've seen it go both ways.

I understand people will offer more if it's a steal of a deal, hoping to get it at what is likely still a good price. I understand it but don't do it so you're right, there are plenty of games that I won't be getting as a result of not offering more and I'm ok with that.

I bought an EM recently for $60 and was also surprised at how the seller kept his word. He said he received 30 emails after I talked with him. I almost wanted to give him extra for holding the game but he just wanted to get rid of it. He wasn't in it for the money.

As a buyer, I will never offer someone more for a game without seeing it first just to get my foot in the door. Someone else may get the game before me but there will always be other games.

I had similar situation happen on a dramatically under priced pin I managed to snag. The seller said he knew he was selling it under price but wanted it gone and was selling it for a few hundred more then he paid 8 years ago. He didn't quite realize what it was currently worth. When I told him what it could go for in full working order, he shrugged and said it was OK. He got to play it for years and still sell it for more then he paid and he would not change the price now that I had showed up.

He prolly fielded 20 calls while I was there loading it up too, many offering double what I paid.

Dude, at least own what you did. No one in their right mind sends a second email to make sure the potential scammer has their contact info. You wanted to see if the machine existed so you could offer more.

Nice due duligence by the seller, its hard to put the name of the pin in google to get idea of price.

If the seller tells you someone is on the way to get it and you offer more, you're pretty much an asshole, and if the seller takes it hes an asshole too.

If you go in offering more on your 1st inquiry I'd say that's fair. It's pretty ballsy because you can immediately start a bidding war over something you have no idea on the condition of.

Ben is going to play the hell out of it. Happy for him. He was robbed of a good deal a few months back.

I wouldn't be "happy" but I would do it, because I'm a man of my word and it would be my fault for not finding out the true value before listing. The seller is a man of his word even after finding out it was worth a lot more. That's a real man, something you don't and won't understand.

I think it's more than fair. You offer someone more than it's posted for can be telling that person you want to be fair. If he messages back saying no, you can have it for what I'm listing it for then there should be no guilt on either end.

That I will agree with - if the seller agreed to the deal, and the buyer is already on the way, then that deal is done. However, if that guy doesn't show up it's open season again.

Good point! Assholes that make you wait and never show up. It happens at the end of my workday quite often. "I'm only ten minutes away, can you wait for me?" And then never show up. Assholes!

Yes, everyone involved is fully informed, which is the most fair transaction possible. I take exception to celebrating taking advantage of the seller's ignorance and calling the people making fair offers "assholes".

You have to remember there is a lynch mob mentality around here.

Guy posted this pin for 1k. Ben responded and got it. What's the big deal. Enjoy it Ben.

I agree with what you posted 100%!!!!!!!!

What is wrong with the seller being alerted and getting more coins in his/her pocket? Not a darn thing. The inverse of that equation is the buyer and wishful potential buyers here would be getting the saved coins in their pockets!!! It has to be fair both ways. I have alerted people before that they are asking too little. My 84 year old lady neighbor was asking $25 for a self propelled mower. She got $125 after I had a talk with her. Thank goodness I was there at the moment her garage sale opened. Her daughter did not list that item even close to market price. For those wondering I did not buy it. So did I screw someone else over that could have scored a $25 mower that day? Too bad if I did. Some of you cry babies just crack me up around here!

And there is not a darn thing wrong if someone emailed the guy that he is priced low. That is the business between those two and nobody else. Now if the seller agreed to sell, especially if a deposit was taken, but then changed his/her mind due to being tipped off...well that is another thing and it is wrong to do.

We gotta hang somebody this week! It might as well be you..

Okay, scenario for EVERYONE. You see the following ad on Craigslist: Twilight Zone Pinball $1200. You call the guy, who lives 5 minutes away from the you. The guy says someone just called before you and agreed to pay his $1200. The prospective buyer gets off work in 45 minute and going to driving directly to his location (...which let's say is 1 hour away.)

The seller says if he does not show up, you can have it for the asking price of $1200. But your welcome to come over and look at it right now

How many of you pinside angels do not offer the guy $1500 when you arrive there 5 minutes later?

It's Craigslist... Nothing is sold until cash exchanges hands... Craigslist Chicago is nuts... It seems the thing to do now is email every seller and say they are underpricing there game and they should be asking for more... Countless pins recently are pulled and relisted by OP because people like to email them with the above... Nuts.... Cash in hand and be there in 15 minutes!!!

For a $1200 TZ that asshole should have left work!!! His fault if he doesn't get it.

Here's my answer: he was first, and you honor that. Period.

I would ask the seller: "When is the prospective buyer 'too late' ?" or "How long until you, the seller, consider the deal to have fallen through and the game is back up for sale?" That way, I have my own barometer as to when the buyer has "missed his chance", and then you can believe I'll be there ready to purchase.

I've missed good deals in the past. The way I saw it: they weren't meant for me. It's not cool to look out for yourself at the expense of others. That's what breeds cynicism and a sense of paranoia within our community.

Ive been first on so many cl ads and on my way when the seller calls and says that they have been offered more ......well I just turn around bc im not going to go into a bidding war over a pin I haven't seen or know much about. Been there done that and its not worth it , however I have gotten many pins where the seller kept there word and sold to me at price agreed but its becoming very uncommon which is why I dont even check cl anymore and just buy from my connections ive made , friends, pinside or lately nib bc I dont have time for shady buyers and sellers.

OK OK I got the pin... Yes it was 1,000 and here's the deal. I had a lengthy discussion with the guy about the value of said game. I told him exactly what it is worth (or a range of values). He simply shrugged and said "ah, well, I only paid 1400 for it 8 years ago." The thing is, I have realized I'm only going to find good deals on CL from guys like this guy. "Man of my word" types. And I love them for it. LOVE THEM. A few months ago a 400$ LAH came to my attention and I got screwed on it after making plans and arrangements to get it (and a verbal agreement that amounted to me telling them exactly how someone might call and offer way more--1600 to be exact ***cough cough). I can't be mad at that but things are so cutthroat I have to appreciate when someone sticks to their word. And like herb and others said.. You have no idea what you are getting into. There could have been a rats nest in the thing (I still would have bought it). Is it an asshole move to price police once you know you didn't get to it first? Yes. Absolutely. Especially since the people who do that do not start off their email with "hey I'm interested but I want to pay more." No offense to the OP, I don't think Ben was ever trying to do that at all. And, by the way, the guy was an electrician. He makes 400$ in an hour. I pulled up in a car with no fender and a pizza topper and shelled out a months worth of tip money. That's irrelevant in the grand scheme but I'm just saying, value is relative. Just my 2cents.

Glad it got a good home.

LTG : )

/Thread

(and congrats to you!)

400$ for a Baywatch would be heaven on earth!

I love how everyone in this thread is Mother Theresa with their thumbs up/ thumbs down. The OP really wanted the game. He came in with a higher offer. Maybe it's his favorite pin ever. It's still a free country isn't it? At the very least it's a free market. Why is it such a dick move to go after a pin you really want? We all stalk CL looking for a deal.

Yes we do...but the point is if you know that someone else has already gotten the deal then you shouldn't offer more to try and convince the seller to sell to you. In this case the OP may not have known a deal was already made but for those that know a deal is already had and then try to steal it, well that's just a crappy move.

We all know guys that contact the seller, offer more to convince them to sell to them, then they show up, rip the game apart, and then try to get the price back down to the original price. It's all about doing whatever it takes to get first crack at the game. I don't play that game but I know others do and that's their perogative.