How about you keep that TX-Sector, and I'll take your Diner off your hands!!

You shouldn't have any trouble selling the TX around here if that is what you decide to do.

What did you pay for it? If I don't think it's too high I'll be your new friend and take it off your hands.

Wow! I don't know what you paid, but a HUO (or collector quality) TX-sector is a great find!

I'd say fix it and keep it. Spend some good time on it to get to know its gameplay. At least long enough for you to decide if it's your game or not. If it is, great! TX-Sector is a hard to find game, especially in the condition you describe. If it's not your game, as said, you won't have a hard time selling it. The game has gained quite a following in recent years. I think it's the most popular Sys80B.

For me, the game is a keeper. It's just an awesome game. The gameplay is awesome and original. The translite may be ugly, but the playfield is very pleasant to look at. Especially when tastefully LED'ed. And that soundtrack... it's just out of this world. The playfield on mine was pretty trashed when I got it, but I'm happy I took the effort to repaint and clearcoat it. It's not going anywhere.

By the way: any pictures you'd like to share?

sounds like quite the find! depending on how much you spent of course. I don't plan on getting rid of my TX-Sector ever. If you decided to sell it would probably sell in the first couple minutes here if you don't over price it. No one can accurately price a game when there are no photos, so load some up and we can help ya out.

True HUO, fully working and clean will sell for north of 3k easily.

I vote keep it. I took a peak at your colelction and it would fit in very well. It also would kick out a number of other games IMO based on what you have listed.

Great sounds, great gameplay, and just super fun to shoot.

I'd love to see photos of it!

I still have a list of buyers from when I sold my spare. Glad the new owner is still loving it. It is a keeper for most people once they get it in the house! Definately give it some time after you get it working before making any rash decision to sell for a quick profit. You obviously dont need the money and I am guessing you will love it if you give it a shot.

Haha, I can help you with your addiction! I have a 1994 Z28 with 52k original miles, one owner car if you want to do some pin trading!

Unless you made some kind of arrangement with him that he wasn't necessarily 100% going to buy it, your friend is a grade A asshole.

Speaking as one of many people in this hobby who has received a favor from you, you have a well-deserved reputation as a really nice guy. Your friend is really far over the line in this case. I hope this all works out for you.

HUO is all about condition, and that one is not what I would call a typical HUO condition.

Still looks like it will clean up and be a nice game.

Fully working, fresh rubber, and all done up I would put it at 3k obo and go from there if looking to sell.

They are both rare and in high demand (that continues to go up further).

I still vote to keep it and sell something else. Better to add some diversity to your collection. You dont currently have a single 80B and that is something you need to fix!

To edcianci:
It would seem sir that you went above and beyond to land this machine for your buddy.
You are a good friend. Your pal? Not so much.
Good news is you now have a very desirable(to some) machine. Keep it!

I want it.

Ed, if you want to move it along as intended just PM me what the price was and I'll either take it myself or ask some others I know who are looking for one.

assuming he got a deal on it, only seems right in this case that he actually put it up at market and sell it on his own.

Should make some money for getting screwed by his 'buddy'

Obviously lots of people want it and I amsure he has already gotten quite a few PMs.

I don't understand how he would be getting screwed if someone (myself or another) takes it just as his "buddy" would have.

It's not like he bought a trashed Popeye for $5k for someone.

Disagree, given its *age* i am not surprised. I agree it will clean up, but the notion that huo means perfect is bull which is why its such a meaningless term.

I've never seen an HUO game that looks that rough. I don't see how it can possibly be HUO with that cabinet.

HOU has no relation to actual game condition, although it is usually implied to be very good or mint condition. A game can be Home-Use-Only, but still be in terrible condition if it is neglected and not maintained properly.

People say that all the time, but that's not true in my experience. I've seen dozens of HUO games of various vintage (dating back to EMs) and I've NEVER seen an HUO game with a cabinet that rough. I'm trying to imagine the circumstances in home use that would result in that kind of cabinet wear.

You wanna field that one? They just dragged it around the backyard for fun? Had kids parties where they chalked up the cabinet? A family dog that liked to climb up on a shelf next to the game and rub his ass on the side of the head for 10 years?

Not seeing it dude. We aren't talking about a dirty playfield or cracked plastics. Exactly how would one "properly maintain" a cabinet in Home Use so it doesn't look like it was location for 10 years? Because that's exactly what that cabinet looks like. Probably because it was on location for 10 years.

cabs get dinged pretty easy. I have seen HUP games with chunks missing form cabs, very faded, and scratches.

They were moved around multiple times, dropped once, and sat next to a window for years.

HUO means very little. Condition is what matters.

If it means very little, why are we arguing about it?

As I said, I've seen plenty of HUO games, and not just late model Sterns. You can say whatever you want but this game is not HUO, and anybody who isn't just trying to blow our minds with "HUO means nothing!" would admit that. This is clearly a location game, unless the "home" it lived in was a barn, or a bar. The lockdown part of the cabinet looks like every location game I've ever seen - where's that HUO shine? Beyond that there is rust everywhere. Under the glass, even the APRON has a scuff, and the instruction cards are filthy (come on, HUO games owned by the GP never even get their glass removed, ever).

I think I've made my case plain. Might be interesting to know why - looking at those pictures - somebody might think the game IS actually HUO? It has a nice playfield, and there doesn't appear to be wear at the coin slots. You can say that for most of the 15 games I own though, and none of them are HUO.

The point was that even tough it may live in someone's home for most or all of it's life, doesn't mean it will be in mint condition.

Some games that I've pulled out of homes have rusty balls that were never changed, which would absolutely easily tear up a playfield.

If a game was not stored in an air conditioned area or in a damp basement, everything will get surface rust.

If it becomes a piece of furniture to store stuff on, the cabinet will easily get banged up, especially if things start getting leaned up against it.

If it was in a room that was repainted, it will sometimes get paint splashed on it.

The problem is that neglect will do a number on a HUO game.

More importantly, are you still rabid (rapid)?

This will clean up nice. Fix it, shop it and it will be worth what Whysnow says. North or right on 3,000.

Because people who have preconceived notions that huo means pristine are not seeing the whole picture?

Its an almost 30 year old piece of furniture to non-pinheads. They shuffled it around, they threw it in basements and garages. After the newness wore off it was neglected, ignored, and as such its beat. This one will clean up with love, but even newer ones suffer similar problems. Its really awkward to be in a collector's house with a newer stern where the inserts have started to raise and its getting edge wear. The game is huo, but its not mint and the problem is only getting worse. Just gotta smile, nod and tell them what a nice collection they have.

So you believe this game to be HUO, based solely on the foggy memories of a general public non-hobbyist seller who claims they bought it "new" 30 years ago for $1800? I'm pretty sure that's not even the right price for a NIB game in 1988. Doesn't that sound like $1,000 too low? If this story is even true they probably bought it from a distributor who told them it was "new" when it had been on route for several years at least.

I agree with you guys that "HUO doesn't mean pristine." This is not exactly an earth-shattering statement.

But beyond that, why are you all convinced this game is HUO? It looks like shit, and the seller's story doesn't really add up. $1800?!

So what do you guys say? THIS PARTICULAR GAME. You really think it's HUO?

Here is a possible theory. The original buyer bought it for $1,800 from a Billiards place or similar brick and mortar store. So the buyer believes he is the first and only owner without realizing that the game was not new in box from the manufacturer, but rather a boxed route game from the brick and mortar store.

So the original buyer truly believes it is a Home Use Only game, but in reality he is most likely the first home owner.

That's my guess anyway.

Marcus

Yep this happens alot......

Ed - keep the game, lose the friend

This game is fun to play in small bursts, and the music is cool 8-bit retro, but I am surprised the shallow gameplay supports a 3K price tag. If you can get that for it I'd definitely unload it.

Yea its ok but definitely not something that wld keep my interest in home use

You will find lots of haters that have likely never been able to play a nice example and are also anti GTB games (some of the B/W crew or A listers get their balls all twisted when they see that some games go for more than they think is reasonable).

Same guys freak out when they see a collectible EM selling for over 3k.

Reality is that TX is not just some flavor of the week, month, year. It has risen in popularity and supply is small. It continues to rise in popularity and there is good reason for it. The market has clearly spoken on the title despite what a couple of haters may project.

You definitely should keep the game and lose the friend.

Heaven forbid someone has a different opinion on a game u like/own whysnow ...... lol. I just said it wldnt keep my interest in home use.....thats it. Nothing about price or anything else

yea that's hilton for you, always the extreme. Raise an eyebrow over a game's price and suddenly you're a "hater" and "anti GTB" and your "balls are twisted" LOL Passion is one thing, but blind ignorant passion is just stupid. You go, Hilton, defender of the forums

HUO is crap, what if the guy's home is a shit hole? What if hes a slob? I'll take a nice routed game over an idiots HUO game any day of the week.

I totally agree and hope this works out in your favor somehow. You deserve a break for being a good guy. I'm surprised you didn't name the pinsider... so he doesn't do this to someone else.

you guys are so predictable sometimes

This is probably exactly what happened.

And hey in case anybody is interested, here's is what an ACTUAL 30+ year old HUO game looks like. You'll note that it looks like it was only kept in a private home (look at the shiny lockdown bar receiver).

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/whats-a-1-owner-huo-bally-space-invaders-worth

Yeah, because slobs in shitholes buy a lot of NIB pinball machines.

For all of this nonsense about "HUO being meaningless!" I've never seen an ugly HUO game. I've never seen pictures of an ugly HUO game.

All we got to go on in basing this theory is a bunch of pinside anecdotes, and I think we know what those are worth.

LOL @ "HUO is crap."

Fake HUO maybe. But an actual home use vintage game is a thing of beauty.

Never have seen or played this game before, looks very interesting, hope it works out

Where did this come from? I'm Not big on Tx but here is a funny one for you. I got my Diner from Ed. Sure it was probably a dozen years ago but if he was selling another Diner I would take it also

Thanks for the extra info, edcianci. Interesting to hear some background details.

A question, just out of curiosity: how do you know already that you'll sell the game? Is it the price tag? Don't you like the looks of it? The fact that it's a Sys80b? Or maybe something else? It's of course your game, so your choice. It just seems like such a quick decision if you haven't even played the game yet.

Well there could be a reason for that Levi.

OK.

I have a much more important question...

What other games do you want to sell Ed? I am a hoarder (not really as most of my games are playable) and looking to get up to 100 games

If your pinside collection is accurate, you have a few games I would like to buy. Hell, I would be happy working out a package purchase, coming to RI to pick them up, and spend a weekend helping you to get your other games in order and working so you can play them more often.

PM me if you are interested.

look out, ed.. hilton's after your black hole..