Quoted from goatdan:

I was just talking with someone yesterday and we were both talking about how 10 years ago, you could get TZs and TAFs (and MANY more) for $1500 or less. In particular, TZs you could get super cheaply everywhere because the game sucked on route - not just did it not earn, but it fell apart constantly and had tons of problems.

Quoted from StevenP:

Of course the typical price was more than $1500 or less. Unless it was exactly $1500.
Sub-$2k prices were the norm in the late 90's tho--at least for dogs like TZ.

Quoted from goatdan:

Funny, I was offered them both multiple times at that pricing around 2003 when I really started actively buying (I already had two machines before that). Having said that, the average game back then was a dirty fixer-upper, but I remember vividly an op that I know trying to convince me to take a TZ for $1k as part of another deal I was making with him.
The clock didn't work. There were no repro parts yet for it to fix it back up. And I don't like the game. Easy pass... But definitely not uncommon.
If you were buying the way most on Pinside do, however, yes... $2k would be more fair.

Quoted from Newsom:

Maybe if you knew an operator.

Quoted from goatdan:

In particular, TZs you could get super cheaply everywhere because the game sucked on route - not just did it not earn, but it fell apart constantly and had tons of problems.