9k for a TAF is very, very high. For 9k, you should get a machine with a swapped/restored playfield that looks pretty amazing.

A old routed in good shape/condition TAF is like 6500-7500. A 9-10k game should be damn nice. The thing is, you went to a retailer, they have to sell high because of being brick and mortar location, and help pay for staying in business. If you hang out on the forum here, you may be able to find someone local or in the same state as you selling one for a price in the normal used range.

Welcome to the forum, by the way!

$9k is probably to be expected from a retailer or distributor. If you found one from a personal sale, like on Pinside or on Craigslist, it'd be much less.

For background, search the Pinside market or 'Machines For Sale' section of the forum.

A brand new pinball machine can be had for less than $6000 shipped to your door. Addam's Family had more than 20,000 made, more than any other machine in the history of pinball and $9000 is a ridiculous price for one that isn't perfect.

I'll sell you the one I've got in my living room for 6k + shipping costs and materials once I get it pulled apart, cleaned, and with new rubber on it, and some tasteful LEDs. Also magnet board upgrade with a fused one and doesn't require batteries. If you're near D/FW I might be willing to discuss a 30 day warranty lol.

Try to find one where there's very little insert wear and no magnet burn, and the less overall playfield wear the better. Overlays don't work well. Playfield wear around the chair and swamp ejects, e.g., is ok, because it can easily be remedied/remediated with Cliffy's protectors. If it doesn't have the fuse kit for the magnet and the battery relocation, do them immediately.

Mods are personal preference. Plenty of options. I'm a fan of the Gold ROMS. Also a fan of the swamp lights, chair lights, and vault lights. Check in over at the TAF Club thread. Lots of mod ideas there.

I'd suggest not rushing into it. You seem very excited, which is great but you may end up happier in the long run if you try out some more pinball machines. Are there any more machines in your area? There's also the video game pinball arcade that has like 80 machines to demo (at least until June 30th). You may find a machine you like a lot more, for cheaper.

TAF was my first pin because it was my lifelong dream to own one after playing it for hundreds of hours as a college kid. It's not my favorite pin of all time, but it's in my top 5... That said, it's a pretty expensive pin for your first pin. Lots of great pins for cheaper. Depends on your budget. I suggest finding a pinball arcade near you -- pinballmap.com (they also have an app) -- and playing a bunch to see what you like/dislike. Then come on Pinside and post in the regional for-sale/wanted sections and the general classified section.

Since you've only played occasionally I would try and connect with local players and try to attend a pinball and/or arcade convention near you. Many fun pinball machines can be found in good playing condition under $1000. After you get experience playing many different machines you will have a better idea if that Addam's Family at $6k-$9k is a good value for you compared to the machines available for under $1k.

PAPA.org has many videos of gameplay, both competition and tutorials. If you can't find a particular machine to play watching a video may at least give you an idea if you should spend effort to seek it out or cross it off your list.

Many of us started with a used project machine. Sellers always say it's just a fuse. It's never just a fuse.

Ditto.

Seriously, on everything. I was going to say the EXACT same thing, even the first line! Kinda freaky!

They may remake this one day, regardless unless it looks brand new don't pay 9k as others have said. I got a nice one for 6k and a stunner with every expensive mod including light up apron was 7k and it had a clear coated cabinet (crazy). Wish I never sold that one but I keep thinking I might get a brand new one one day.

You can still find a routed decent TAF for under $6,000 unless i was in a coma for the last year, but hey if people are paying up to $7,500 for this title in decent condition my Gold Edition must be $12,000 now.

I think you were in a coma for the last year... I’ve seen mint Gold’s sell for more than that.

Mint, HEP ect yeah $12,000 would be a steal, have not seen any for sale lately.

TAF is awesome, but don't get hung up on just one pin for your purchase; I remember I did the same thing, and took forever to decide which pin I would buy first, within a year I had bought 4 pins...Just pull the trigger on one to get you started, as you will undoubtedly buy more in the future.

I would recommend not paying retail, I made that mistake; first find a good pinball tech in your area; then buy local; best to ask around here and find some trustworthy pinsiders; 99% of them are great to do transactions with.

Best of luck

.....holy shit. $7500????? Man, this is getting insane. TAF is good, but it ain't THAT good...

That being said, mine's not FS.

Were you in the Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach by chance? I know they have an arcade/pinball shop there. I'm located 15 min away if you want to test drive some pins including a very nice TAF just drop me a PM... They are mostly for sale at a very steep discount to what you encountered in the mall...
Regards,
Al

If your not set on TAF then for that kind of money you could get one new in box or a really nice home use only from somebody here and still save a bunch of money, what state do you live in? (You can fill that in where your name is).

As much as I love TAF, the ridiculous prices people are asking turned me off of owning one. There are just as good of games for less.

I am thinking about parting with two of my machines so I can purchase the brand new MBR LE NIB (8 K).

One is my used TAF, which has a worn playfield and worn (though not seriously) cabinet. Would it be too much to expect that I'd fetch 4K for it?

The other is a MINT MINT MINT GI in every sense. I think I overpaid for this best of GIs anywhere $5,200 but can I expect to get $4,200 for it now (taking a 1 K hit)?

Thank you.

I don't think you are in the right Forum, but 4k for an Addams would be the cheapest one up for sale on Pinside and would disappear in about 15 minutes. I would recommend posting it with lots of pictures and I'd start at $5400 OBO and that would be about the cheapest in a year if you think it is truly horrendous.

I don't have an Addams, but almost traded for one a few months ago. Here is the link to a poll about me asking for pricing on a machine with links to about a dozen photos. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/price-check-taf-pictures-inside The consensus on that particular machine was around $5000, and it had horrible magnet burn. Here is a list of every Addams Family that has been listed on the site in the past decade https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive?s=1&ad_machine_key=2

Not sure what "GI" is. I am not in a position to buy your machines but feel free to respond in this thread or PM me and I would be happy to point you in the right direction.

I can't thank you enough for being so polite and so helpful my friend!! Deeply appreciated. I have already availed myself of Mr. Pinball, but it does take three days for them to post it. I listed $4000 but will try to revise that if there is a way to do it before it is posted. I will check out your links now!! As to "GI" I am referring to GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, the very first dot matrix machine from Bally. It is mint in the extreme sense of that word.

Thanks again!!!!! Really appreciate it. TAF I have inst at all horrendous and plays beautifully. The original orange on the playfield has faded to yellow and is somewhat worn.

No problem. If you are going with Mr. Pinball be careful. It is as full of scammers as Craigslist is. I would only accept cash on the glass were I you (I personally have never shipped a machine, but many others have). This assumes you live in a populated area. If you can take a few pictures of your machine and post it for sale here, I would be shocked if you did not get some offers on this site. I think you are likely overvaluing your Giligans Island, and undervaluing your Addams Family. There is a huge market for The Addams Family, but Giligans is more of a niche pin. There have been 245 Addams Family in the history of pinside put up for sale, but only 35 Giligan's Islands. I would strongly recommend that if you put your ad up on MrPinball, you also put it up for sale here as well. If you go through the effort to take pics and do a good write up, it is not that hard to put it up for sale on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

I am going to guess that your Addams will go for between 4800 and 5400 and go quickly. I'd start at $5400 and see what kind of interest you got. Gilligan's I'd say would go for between $3800 and $3000, but it may take a while to sell. I'd start at $3800 and see where you ended up. I think if you are in a populated area you could get the 8k plus tax you need for a NIB MBR LE.

Good luck!

And I'm going to revise my estimated value on the Giligans downward. The most expensive one ever sold on this site went for $3250. https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive/46430 . Other examples can be seen here https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/archive?s=1&ad_machine_key=208.

Thank you ever so much for your added responses and research my friend!!

Well it sounds like I really overpaid big-time for GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, though as I say when I bought it via e bay and traveled to the seller's home in central NJ he proclaimed it as the mintiest machine of that title he has ever seen in his life. He said he waited many years to come across one that perfect and that beautiful and was actually asking for $6,200 for the signed "Mary Ann" translight poster. The condition is spectacular for sure but it seems by paying $5,200 (he let me go at that because I told him I didnt want Mary Ann's signature poster) I set myself up for a big loss. I do think however that this machine is in the best condition of any sold of that title. But I could be wrong there too.

I do indeed live in an extremely populated area. I am literally 6 minutes by car from the George Washington Bridge which connects me to Manhattan. I live in Fairview, New Jersey in the state's most populated county, and can see up close NYC's skyline from the hometown school I teach in.

In any event, I can at least feel better that I have due to your deeply appreciated alert undervalued my TAF. Thank you so much!

If the market for GI is so limited that it would mean a MAJOR loss for me, I simply will not sell it and make up the difference between a TAF sale and MBR purchase on my own. That is another option I'd probably favor. Thanks again!

Good Luck!

Also just post that you have these two machines on the following two regional for sale forums. You should get a few interested PMs on your Adams. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/northeast-us-for-sale-thread/page/262#post-4890585 and https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whats-fs-in-maryland-right-now-maryland-fs-thread/page/199

Well, Sataneatscheese, it appears you were DEAD ON with your acute knowledge of pricing as I just now received this e mail meesage from my long time pinball tech who now lives in South Carolina. He worked on my TAF machine several times over the years for minor repairs and once shopped it. He just said THIS:

"Sam, that machine is worth more then $4200, I would ask $5500 and go from there. It plays well and a lot of new parts were put in that game. It probably needs a light shop job but that’s it."

TY!!!!!!