There seems to be trends in pinball that drive prices. Certain titles are always popular and some seem to become hot titles through rediscovery. Some types of games cool off as another type gets elevated. So yes some games do increase in value and some decrease, depending on what is desirable at the time.

What game are we talking about?

EMs are affordable. I see no reason to predict demand will suddenly surge in the future.

Importantly, it is just as easy to end up "upside down" in a SS/alphanumeric/DMD game because of an larger number of more expensive parts.

It is part of the hobby. If you want your project to be worth what you have into it at the end, you need to get a great deal on it and be careful about what you spend restoring it. Most people don't find this a fun way to restore pins and would rather restore them how they'd like than be worried about whether they'll get their money back one day.

Your sofa is going down in value; are you thinking of selling that?

It could be worth next to nothing as time passes. If it no longer brings you joy, it may be time to ditch it and find something that does. Life is too short to worry about the maybes, what the market might be in the future.

If it is worth $1000.00 today and you like playing it then why worry about it? If the price declines the most you would lose is $1000.00. Assume it is worth $1000.00 today but will only be worth $800.00 two years from now: Do you think you could get $200.00 of entertainment value out of it in the next two years?

I'm picking magic numbers here but you get the idea.

I look at it for what it is. For me, it is a hobby. Hobbies, by definition cost money. Sometimes, with a hobby one can make some money, but usually hobbies are money pits. Like buying a new circuit board

So, you like to play golf. After you sink several hundred dollars in golf clubs and the other trash you need to play the game, you have green fees to pay. Green fees are money in the wind. And the market for used golf clubs is not a strong one.

Like to fish? Fishing poles. Hooks, line, sinkers, lures---and don't forget the stink bait. Fishing license. Gas to get to the lake. Or river. And you don't want to take the good car, so now you need a fishing wagon and more car insurance.

Like to hunt? You might make money on your guns. But if you are going to go shooting you have ammo expense (not cheap) and gas for the drive.

Just consider it a hobby and not a moneymaking adventure and decide it like that. If you don't need the money the money to pay the rent and you like playing it then continue to play it and enjoy it.

TKO, Strange World, Blue Note, Gemini, Mata Hari EM, Evil Knievel EM, Joker Poker EM, Space Walk (Countdown's EM alter ego).
Perfect collector quality Wizard, Capt Fantastic, 4 million BC, Nip It and Fireball. Risers - time is on THEIR side now.

B Level:
El Dorado, Canada Dry, Centigrade 37, Old Chicago, about 18 others.

Aside from these and a few others prior to 1970 I do not know about, just have fun.

I enjoy Blue Note every time I play it. It isn't just the history of the game, I find it to be a lot of fun.

Play Rock Star a lot and it is pretty fun.

The only way I'll sell any pins is to make room for new ones and that's the only way I'll look at it.

It's like buying a car. Goes down hill fast then levels off. Then, rarely, it becomes a collectors item and increases. Enjoy playing them. If you want to make money, you are in the wrong hobby.

to give any kind of reasonable answer the name of the machine is needed

I would like a Canada Dry Pin! You have one for sale, let me know!

me too!

It's a hobby, not an investment although some do make money doing it. The games I've sold are the ones I did not like. Not the ones I felt had reached their peak in value. I did, however, sell all the gold I had back when it was $1850 an ounce.

Seems the minute I show up they do.

Canada Dry +3

Re: hobby or investment it's personal choice . A handful of guys flip, wheel & deal , rack up
Miles on vehicles and countless hours of travel. Those same guys are the ones who tell me the hobby pays for itself. LOL Sure if you think so

I overpay more than I get deals but I enjoy the living ch1t out if all my games . Selling is timing with the market. Right now everyone wants an Atlantis as the rush on C-37 is winding down . Bad time to want an Atlantis because the market dictates you will pay top dollar for a pin that really was abundant and reasonable 5-10 years ago. I'll blame EBay for this one for fetching $3000 for a pristine example

Right. And of course that also means if you decide to install a $90 mod to a game, do it because you think it's awesome and you like it, not because you think it will increase the game's resale value by $90.

Im looking to pick up a very rough game, "A" list tittle. shipping 200, new repo pf, 600, new repo backglass 300, paint job 500. Might sell it for $2200. But I have fun doing it.

If you enjoy the hobby and are expert level like some guys have become. Eventually when you need to build yourself a keeper game you are your own best friend with the tools and knowledge.

Its like any expensive hobby. You win some, you lose some. You buy a game typically with the intention of keeping it. If I break even great. If I lose 500 dollars or more after 3 or so years of enjoying a game then so what. If I gain 500 or more dollars from a game after enjoying it then so be it. If I bought a 75 Atlantis for 1600 dollars (example) and 5 years from now the game is worth 1000 dollars (oh well) if the game is worth 2600 then again cool and "oh well". It is vastly different i feel on say a NIB Stern LE at 7500-9000 dollars and the game ends up only being worth 3500-4500 dollars because of lack of code or the game ends up being a turd. It makes me very happy that the EM games have been out for 38+ years and are well established on what the masses find good or not good.

Another thing you might think about is trade value. This is not necessarily equivalent to monetary value. As an example, I traded on a two-for-one to get a game I really wanted. I could have posted them for sale, and to get the price I wanted may have had to wait a while to sell both games and then find the desired game. For an immediate trade, the convenience and time saved to not have to go through a long sales and buy process carries a value beyond dollars. If you are simply tired of a game consider you might consider its value as trade bait.

350-450

~$450 via STI. A second game adds another $40 though, and a third game game another $40, etc., so it really helps to ship more than one at a time when possible.

Time is also an expence

I picked up a $500 project game on the weekend. Three hour round trip + fuel

All part of the hobby

Texas is close to Cali correct? The head is now the proper color. Cab could use a little work but bg and pf are nice

--Jeff

TheCaptain_(resized).jpg

Generally the market is split between projects/hobbies/player games and museum pieces. 99% fall into the former camp.

If you buy a game from Craigslist, tinker with it a bit, maybe replace some rubbers and fix a few things... you'll typically get your money back or maybe even make a few dollars unless you paid too much for it in the first place.

Generally, unless your game is especially desirable or rare, it won't dramatically increase in value unless you put in a ton of time and effort and go for a full restoration. You have to commit to going "all the way" or you might as well not bother because collectors won't bite if it isn't perfect. Which rarely makes sense as a business plan, financially speaking, unless you can attract the kind of clientele who are willing to compensate you for the trouble. Even then, it's craftsman-level work... no get rich quick here... probably not even minimum wage compared to traditional vocations.

But hey, we do it because we love it, right?

Just like those car restorers. Blows my mind how much they lose on a sale after it's not 'fresh'. If I had the money I'd have a restored hotrod, though. Can't take it with you, plus my kids would only spend their inheritance on stupid stuff anyway.

losangeles.craigslist.org link

you ever have one of those moments where a word just doesnt look right or sound right then you think "who the hell made up that word?"

sofa. m'er f'n sofa.... say it s o f a

My Lazy Boy recliner has gone way down in value but there is no way I'm selling it. It's like an old friend now.

did we ever find out the title of the game the op was talking about?

The market has a much broader spectrum than this. It's not that clear cut.

Not really true either, but I get where you're coming from. It's just not representative of the entire collector market.

Yeah, might as well take that with a grain of salt. Not meant to be an absolute rule... just a trend I've noticed how most games in the marketplace between 10%-80% quality attract the same group of lowballers in droves. Whereas if you have a museum piece... the sheer sparkle of it drives 'em away like vampires hiding from the sun.