I rarely make money or break even if/when I sell my pins.
I sold some pins to some “friends” for excellent low prices. At the time I sold them because..
(A) I needed the room for another pin or…
(B) I needed the money for that purchase (which I usually didn’t) or because I wanted to use the money to pay off something else (which I would have paid off if I just had the patience) or…
(C) I wanted to give the buyer a great deal, regardless of the money I was losing. I wanted them to walk away happy with it and wouldn’t hesitate giving me a good reference in my future buys/sales. I thought by being this way it would factor in the long run of buying things in the hobby, right?
I don’t mind the sale, but it punches you in the gut when you contact that person later on wanting to make some type of pinball purchase from them (mod, pin, topper, etc) thinking they would remember my deal I gave them and they won’t even consider coming down on their price or at least pay back the favor in some small way. This is my biggest gripe in the pinball world. Yeah I know…MAN UP and move on. Whatever!
I met some great people in this hobby, but I also lost some too. I had some close pinheads suddenly quit hanging out once they bought the pin from me they’ve been chasing down for awhile.
On one sale the guy loved the pin I had, but stated he can’t stand mods on a pin. I found out later he either pulled them off (and I’m not talking action figures glued on the plastics. I’m talking about quality made mods from BAC, Mezel, modfather, etc) when he flipped the pin later. I wish I would have known that because I would have taken them off and kept them since they disgusted him just in case I miss the pin and bought that pin later, re-using the mods I enjoyed. And before you ask….NO….I did not ask more money because of the mods even though sometimes I should. Who can argue that tdiddy’s Naegel mod for Godzilla, Medisynl mod for EHOH, or Goudevia (sorry for the mis-spelling, but I’m a roll and proving a point here) IMDN Sarcophagus mod don’t enhance the pins’ overall looks, but that’s an argument for the pinhead who starts a topic on their hatred of toppers and mods so I’ll just leave that dog laying where he’s laying. Weird thing is he mentioned to me later while he was loading the pin he was going to get into the business of making pinball mods.
My wife sums it up the best.
I don’t mind you buying the pins, but I hate when you sell them because you’re too nice and you end up giving them away after you take such great care of them. Truth hurts!
In closing I just want to tell the pinhead who started this thread….
I FEEL YA BRUTHA!