This happens all the time in the northeast and I suspect everywhere.
It sucks but it happens.
-Mike

I have adopted a simple solution:

Don't sell, ONLY BUY!

Add them to your do not sell/buy/trade list and move on.

I always assume people who really need the money are the ones who do this. I haven't purchased pinball strictly to flip it, but I've done that with cars before. I really needed rent money and there was no other viable option at the time.

If someone is desperate enough to put in the work to do this, maybe they need to do it.

Sad when you give someone a good deal and you see your shit posted up for sale for way more money the next day, not even new pictures being used. Like bro I gave you a good deal because I like helping people out in the hobby. At least pretend you set the game up and enjoyed it for a while or be up front and tell me you're gonna flip it.

Look at it this way: You don't have to provide anything at all in terms of "warranty" (not that there's technically a "warranty" on an as is where is purchase) to a flipper. They're assuming all the risk.

Once you know someone is a flipper, you know how to deal with them going forward. They have their place, and if you get a network of them you can target market a machine to them you want to move yourself (usually for space reasons as you noted in your Ad). Sometimes they will flip a difficult fix for them back to you as well and you can save a bit if you're comfortable fixing.

A lot of the flippers I've dealt with have no idea how to fix anything besides something hacky or obvious, not always true of course, but that might not just be flippers based on some of the wacky stuff on machines I've seen. They're old operators and that's just the way they did it.

in my experience its been the opposite lol (except when I do it). I've never bought a cheap game and not touched it before marking it up though, and I've always been up front with my intentions. Usually on the extremely rare occasion where I score a great deal, its something thats been sitting in some random normal persons basement or garage for years and needs work. They don't know how to fix it and aren't interested in paying the amount it would cost to get somebody to fix it for them. Well listen heres what I can offer you, because heres what I plan to do to fix it up and if I want to exchange it out afterwards I need to be here so I can make a little bit of money. I've never had somebody not be perfectly fine with that. The ol dip n flip I have just never been a fan of.

This happens all the time. I've sold games at Pinfest on Thursday and saw them at a higher price in free play on Friday. Doesn't bother me in the least. I got what I wanted for the game and if my buyer can get more, good for him.

It’s not like Cyclone is a high end game, not a lot of room there to make a good buck. Couple 100 maybe.

Exactly! Set a price you are happy with - sell the machine - never worry about it again.

I've sold to people at pinfest that immediately put it out on the floor at twice the price, or moved it from one row to another with the higher price.

At least it becomes their problem and not mine!

Meh, you sold it at a price you were comfortable with. Move on.

It happens and is what it is. It's happened to me, so.I understand how you feel. At the end of the day, if you got what you wanted for it, that's really all that matters. And let's face it, no one is buying that machine at that price. Not even close. JS.

That said...
Imagine how Stern and JJP feels when they see machines they havent even made yet flipping for thousands more. Lol

Have a great weekend.

I have to agree with those who say sell it and wash your hands of it. However, it does really suck when 2 hours later it's back up for sale and they are using YOUR pictures to flip it. That's very irritating. Has happened to me.

Yeah, they are going shit, we better raise our prices!

In fairness, at Pinfest sometimes that is a great way to get people to leave you alone. I bought a Bad Cats at York this year from one of the vendors for $3700 the second day of the show. Moved it over to freeplay and my phone blew up with people wanting to buy it. I put a $7000 sticker on it to get people to leave me alone. Sometimes it is the only way you can share your machine.

"The feeling you get to see someone flipping your stuff"

You sold it, it's not "your stuff" anymore!

Every machine I have ever sold I would think that, by now, 85% of the buyers have sold it again.

As PantherCityPins said, "Meh, you sold it at a price you were comfortable with. Move on."

If I sell something, I dont care in the slightest what someone does with it... They can burn it for all I care. Clearly, I dont care for the item.. I sold it.

This affects me zero percent.

I sell a game for a price that I’m fine with selling it.

If someone is “flipping” your game you sold it too cheap.

Once I sell a game, I couldn’t care less what happens to it. It’s not my game anymore.

If someone shows up to buy a machine from me and doesn't have the money that was agreed upon, I would send them on their way. I know it is only 50 bucks, but it is the principle. If you agree on a price, stick to the price and have the damn money.

I've had plenty of people flip games on me right after I sold it to them. In general, it doesn't bother me. I sold the game at the price I wanted, and they can do whatever they want with it. That being said, it really pisses me off when someone lies to me and buys the game under false pretenses. I've had people tell me that this is their grail and that they've been looking for one for years, and then they turn right around a flip it. That is totally uncool in my book.

lol. wow.

I love the hobby too much to do that.

Anything someone tells me when trying to haggle besides the actual amount they are offering me sounds like Charlie brown’s teachers to me.

I do not care if it’s your grail. I do not care if you are buying it for a sick kid. I do not care if you just lost your job. None of this affects what I’m willing to sell a game for.

If you are giving people discounts based upon buyer’s bullshit or sob stories, you deserve to have your game “flipped.”

When it’s gone it’s gone. One time I can’t lie, I didn’t get a little upset. I sold a Bride to an operator who was so excited to put it on location because he never had one. I took a bit less for it since others would get to play it and the location wasn’t around long and just starting. It was there for like a day or 2 before they sold it.
Probably wouldn’t have thought nothing about it if they never stated how much they wanted it, excited, ect.

Your ad is REALLY weird.

You give a bunch of information nobody needs. You tell us Cyclone "got me into system 11, and I'm grateful." You tell us you are a "moron" for putting too much money into the game and you are going to lose your shirt, and "that's ok," even if it doesn't really seem like it's ok for you. You tell us you have 8 games, and you are out of room, and you have no choice but to sell.

In other words, you write a bunch of stuff that doesn't need to be in any pinball machine ad. It seems like you are (were) really attached to this thing. It seems like you didn't want to sell it.

You clearly had a serious emotional attachment to this deal. That's the issue really, not that your buyer is trying to "flip" the game.

Next time you make an ad - if it looks anything like this one - you should rethink your decision to sell it. If you aren't ready to sell, and are overly emotionally involved, you open yourself up to this kind of regret and anger.

It's only pinball! Once you've sold a few hundred of these things you'll understand it's just a hobby, and it's just hobby business. Keep it simply, keep it loose, and you'll always be happier.

Those who say "it happens" are probably the ones flipping them.

Had a sad story once - gave the guy a deal "for his kids" and he resold it for a lot more.

I only give "deals" to people I know or have done transactions with prior. Otherwise - full market price.

I agree with most of this and would like to add that putting this information into the ad kind of set you up to be haggled. I wouldn't worry about it. Nearly EVERY SINGLE GAME I have ever sold has been resold for more. And I have sold a LOT of games.

Cyclone is a 3K game in good shape. You probably took a little less than you needed BUT the more important thing is that I honestly don't see a decent Cyclone selling for much more than 3300 right now. So, in the grand scope of things you may have lost out on $300. No big deal. In 5 years when it sells for 5K, then how will you feel?

The only mistake that is not worth making is the one that you don't learn from. I would have asked 3K for that game and ignored any offer for less. If the guy showed up with 2700 I would have told him no thanks. Pinball is too EASY to sell these days to deal with anything other than your listed price. No haggling, no BS.

Watermark your photos. You can submit a DMCA claim and often get your photos removed.

I was at a pinball show years ago. I bought a game from someone and I grabbed my pinball dolly and was moving it across the room to my area where my other games were at. During the move of the game, someone really wanted the game and offered twice the price I paid for it. I did not want to sell it but I did.

I sold a muscle car to a pinhead on RGP way back when - he was gonna keep it, give it to his son when he graduated from high school in 4 years, yada yada yada - I sold it with the caveat that when they decide to sell it, he called me first.

9 months later he sends me an email, he's selling the car, and offers it back to me - at 3 times what he paid.

My ex and I used to sell pinball mods, had a website and everything - there are people on Pinside selling exact copies of things we created, so I understand your frustration. Pisses me off sometimes too, they even use the exact same wording from my old ads. And they don't look as good -

Maybe something unfortunate happened to the guy after and he needs his money back or maybe he realizes he doesn’t like the game and wants to get rid of it. And he marked it higher to give him room to negotiate.
And why didn’t your family member buy it?

I appreciate your frustration.

It’s just stuff. I get the best price I can get, or am willing to put the work in to get.
Meaning, do I want to wait until demand is high etc?

Once I sell a game, I put it out of my head.
Sure, It’s nice to see someone enjoy it or get a game they are really excited about. However, it’s doesn’t matter to me if they sell it on the way home or keep it for years.

I had something similar happen at a show. I owned the game about 15 minutes, and got an offer that was silly to refuse. The new owner seemed really excited to have it.

I’m seeing a pattern here...

If you want to get double or triple the value of your game, simply put it on a cart and start wheeling it around at a show. It’s like chumming the waters for fat wallet pinball buyers.

I get the feeling, flippers suck and they exist anywhere there is room to make a few bucks. I mean I've seen people scanning used CDs/records one after another in stores to see how much they can flip for.
Not sure what you ended up taking for the game, but your initial price seemed in line with the condition. Based on the craigslist ad price I don't think he's going to get anywhere near what he's asking either.

Yeah I don't think anyone is losing any sleep over your ex game getting flipped its just one of those things where you're like "come on man", just a thread to gripe about an annoyance and I think most of us are in agreement that is is exactly that. Nothing wrong with venting a little. I definitely agree the guy is out of his mind with what he thinks he can get for that game. Maybe he can pocket an extra couple hundred bucks, an extra ~$1600 though? LOL

Best reply to this is "Who do you bank with?" and giving them directions.

Using your pictures for his flip is a new low.

Excepting scammers, I personally have never been more disgusted in the behavior of people in the pinball hobby than I have been wheeling games into pinball shows. I brought 5 games into York this year (never again... to many) and had people trying to buy my freeplay games off me as I was wheeling them in the door. I am under the impression people were looking for underpriced games to snag and sell later. I told someone $10,000 now, or whatever the price is on the floor on my Super Mario Brothers pin that someone offered me $3,000 on wheeling it in... and they were not the only one trying to lowball me. I wonder how many pins we didn't get to see on freeplay because of people trying to lowball people coming in the door?

Now... have I flipped games? I've had 55 games, with a max of 6 at a time in my collection in the past 4 years. Earlier in my time in the hobby I'd always ask if there was anything else they were interested in selling and try and get a package deal when buying a game, fix it up, play it a month and offset the price of a game I've bought a few hundred. I've traded my game for others with the intent of selling the traded for game, but I always give people a heads up thats what I'm doing. I have found that selling a game for trade + cash is almost always better than cash. I always give the other person a heads up that I trade/sell games alot, and I don't think anyone's ever been surprised by me selling (although I could be wrong).

The few games I've truely bought with the intent of selling have been when I've found estate sale games or other rare opportunities and even then I try to pass them along to someone local that I know will put it together and have a great time with it. Sold a Time Zone for 4 times what I paid for it. Is $150 too much of a profit in that case when it goes to someone you know will fix it/ play it/ love it?

O man... not even close. There are documented cases of people (pinsiders even) going to look at other peoples games. Taking picutres, then offering a standing "lowball offer". They then take the pictures they took while at your house and list said price at a price lower than your asking, but higher than his offer on other sites hoping they can sell it for that price, then buy your pin from you and sell it to the other guy. It's happened. Thats low with pictures.

Or even worse...

I sold my Attack From Mars SE in 2019. The photos I took are still to this day being used to scam people.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/anyone-ever-see-their-house-in-a-scam-for-sale-ad#post-7342956

While I agree with everyone saying, once you sold it, who cares, I think they're partly missing the point. To me, the shitty part is how he tried to nitpick the machine and haggle you down on the price, then says he didn't even bring enough money. After that, he proceeds to reuse your pictures, and promote the game as if it's been his pride and joy, and it's in immaculate shape. That's just cheap and low. And hey, @Jorant, you gotta change your avatar back to the cat with the bag man..... cmon....

Im guessing you made money on the game. Whether you keep it for two years or two days, thats capitalism baby. God bless America! I know I always under sell my games as I see the crazy prices and I would feel worse about someone paying me some hyper inflated price on something that I dont feel holds that value but again, thats the free market, and I value my clear conscience. Calling him a douche? Walk a mile in his shoes first.

Absolutely amazing.

Dude didn't even bring enough money to cover the price of the pin, and couldn't be bothered to at least take fresh pictures to sell it. That's a douche move. No mile long walk needed.

Surprised nobody has asked who the douchebag is.

It would be nice to know since he appears to be central to a lot of IL people, myself included based on that CL ad. We don't need people like this imo.

I agree with all of this, especially the bag cat part