What Form Of Payment Do You Use Most At Shows

With the Pintastic pinball show coming up this weekend in Sturbridge and the possibility of buying a machine or two while there. I am curious what form of payment folks here usually use. I had a family member inquire recently and wanted to provide him with an answer that wasn't necessarily just my own. I have purchased primarily with paypal but after thinking about it most of these transactions were with friends or good acquaintance on forums so maybe that's not the norm. I know cash is king but I would think many folks have had similar experiences as I and have solidified deals with no cash in hand and figured out the details for payment after.

- Cash
- Paypal
- CC
- other

Thanks
Blake

#2 4 years ago

JPD

Dayhuff

Pinside member

Battle Creek, MI

11y 126K 6,349 79 11

Your right, cash is king.

John

#3 4 years ago

TRY

Tilt

Tilt Amusements

Mt Zion, IL

12y 106K 2,098 92 15

cash is the only way to go with strangers at a show

#4 4 years ago

AXE

YeOldPinPlayer

Inactive member

Unknown

8y 111K 6,454 4 12

My good looks and sparkling personality. But the best thing about me is my humility.

#5 4 years ago

MRC

Capinball

Pinside member

8y 79,550 489 15

DFoIYexU0AALvZs (resized).jpg

#6 4 years ago

YZF

yzfguy

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 146K 11,174 7

Cash

#7 4 years ago

/M\

starfighter

Inactive member

12y 112K 3,308

5K in your shoes works well ... trust me I know.

#8 4 years ago

CME

athenspin

Pinside member

Athens, OH

11y 94,400 939 11

Hundred dollar bills!

#9 4 years ago

MDS

Wmsfan-GAP

Pinside+ Frequent

14y 122K 1,702 1

Most people at shows are walking with rolls, so don't feel too bothered about it. Cash is king at every show.

#10 4 years ago

???

sbmania

Pinside member

Pottstown, PA

11y 46,550 1,016

No need to continue this thread. There is only one way to pay when buying a game at a show - cash. Not checks, credit cards, Paypal, escrow accounts, promises, pinky swears, or anything else. If you want to buy a game from someone, bring CASH! The only exception might be a national level dealer who might take credit cards. But don't expect to negotiate the price any if you're not paying CASH.

#11 4 years ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

Quoted from sbmania:
No need to continue this thread. There is only one way to pay when buying a game at a show - cash. Not checks, credit cards, Paypal, escrow accounts, promises, pinky swears, or anything else. If you want to buy a game from someone, bring CASH! The only exception might be a national level dealer who might take credit cards. But don't expect to negotiate the price any if you're not paying CASH.

That makes sense with strangers and will most likely be the case. But I have made way to many deals with acquaintances through Paypal to call it as cut and dry as you have. And these are folks in different states. We usually know each other from a forum and may occasionally see each other at a show or while picking up a machine from one another.

Thanks
Blake

#12 4 years ago

LEV

CrazyLevi

Crazy Levi's Pinball

New York, NY

10y 148K 33,525

Cash if you want to be sure you don't miss out on a deal.

I've bought several games through paypal or IOU at shows though. Guess it depends on if the seller likes your face.

#13 4 years ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

Quoted from CrazyLevi:
Cash if you want to be sure you don't miss our on a deal.
I've bought several games through paypal or IOU at shows though. Guess it depends on if the seller likes your face.

Spot on. This has been my experience precisely.

Thanks
Blake

#14 4 years ago

TEE

Grandnational007

Pinside member

In all seriousness, why wouldn't Venmo work?

It's instant. It's un-reversible. It's free.

(not sure if there is a maximum amount to be sent/received, but I haven't hit that threshold yet buying and selling some bigger ticket items when cash was inconvenient.)

#15 4 years ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

Quoted from Grandnational007:
In all seriousness, why wouldn't Venmo work?
It's instant. It's un-reversible. It's free.
(not sure if there is a maximum amount to be sent/received, but I haven't hit that threshold yet buying and selling some bigger ticket items when cash was inconvenient.)

I have never looked into it but I will be! Probably depends on how familiar with it people are unless you can send direct to a routing number.

Thanks
Blake

#16 4 years ago

JAY

Phat_Jay

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 111K 2,309

Glass beads, blankets, trinkets

#17 4 years ago

TEE

Grandnational007

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from Blake:
I have never looked into it but I will be! Probably depends on how familiar with it people are unless you can send direct to a routing number.
Thanks
Blake

You can't send direct to a routing number; rather, you send/receive to/from a verified venmo account, that MUST be linked to a bank account. Thusly, venmo is the in-between, and I'm imagining, makes money from people who don't immediately transfer their venmo balance to their bank account. (It takes 1 business day to transfer from your venmo account to your bank account for free (otherwise, its like a 3% fee to transfer instantly, hence my previous thought...)

I usually leave about $500 in my venmo account (even though transferring from your bank account to your venmo account is instant) just so I can snap up good deals when I see them in another hobby I'm into (where venmo is the preferred payment method). I'm guessing, aggregated over all the other venmo users who have money in their accounts, adds up to real interest money for them.

#18 4 years ago

HRG

poppapin

Pinside member

Counterfeit hundreds and twenties!

#19 4 years ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

Quoted from Grandnational007:
You can't send direct to a routing number; rather, you send/receive to/from a verified venmo account, that MUST be linked to a bank account. Thusly, venmo is the in-between, and I'm imagining, makes money from people who don't immediately transfer their venmo balance to their bank account. (It takes 1 business day to transfer from your venmo account to your bank account for free (otherwise, its like a 3% fee to transfer instantly, hence my previous thought...)
I usually leave about $500 in my venmo account (even though transferring from your bank account to your venmo account is instant) just so I can snap up good deals when I see them in another hobby I'm into (where venmo is the preferred payment method). I'm guessing, aggregated over all the other venmo users who have money in their accounts, adds up to real interest money for them.

Very cool. So its very similar to Paypal but just for money transfers. I will probably be setting up one.

Thanks
Blake

#20 4 years ago

DAD

Azmodeus

Pinside+ Addict

Fullerton, CA

12y 97,400 5,088 1

Cash is king in every type of show I personally attend. Paying in advance credit card but at the show cash.

Has cash always been King? Something tells me yes.

#21 4 years ago

TEE

Grandnational007

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from Blake:
Very cool. So its very similar to Paypal but just for money transfers. I will probably be setting up one.
Thanks
Blake

Paypal is the parent company, yes, just for transfers. I've used it a bunch with no problems...

And I just looked: The weekly limit is $2999.99. So really only useful/best used for blown out Earthshakers (haha).

#22 4 years ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

LOL! Well thanks for the info. That $ amount is right in my wheel house so it works for me.

Thanks
Blake

#23 4 years ago

TEE

Grandnational007

Pinside member

OP
Quoted from Blake:
LOL! Well thanks for the info. That $ amount is right in my wheel house so it works for me.
Thanks
Blake

'tis my sweet spot as well. B/C B/W, C Stern, and A- DE/Sega price range, babay!

#24 4 years ago

???

sbmania

Pinside member

Pottstown, PA

11y 46,550 1,016

If you go to a show expecting to buy something with venmo, you better hope the guy that has the game you want either has a venmo account or has interest in setting one up. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not interested. It's too complicated and just seems ripe for some kind of scam.
As far as Paypal, maybe from a personal friend, or someone extremely well respected in the pinball community, but aside from that, not for me. Too many scams. Also, every time in the past I have taken Paypal, there are daily limits on how much money you can take out at an ATM, and Paypal charges a couple of bucks each time you use the ATM. It's a pain in the butt as far as I'm concerned. When I sell a game, I want the cash then and there because I am most likely gonna spend it 10 minutes later on another game!

#25 4 years ago

PBP

PopBumperPete

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 99,300 4,035 8

bottle caps

#26 4 years ago

BAC

Blake

Pinside member

Quoted from sbmania:
If you go to a show expecting to buy something with venmo, you better hope the guy that has the game you want either has a venmo account or has interest in setting one up. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not interested. It's too complicated and just seems ripe for some kind of scam.
As far as Paypal, maybe from a personal friend, or someone extremely well respected in the pinball community, but aside from that, not for me. Too many scams. Also, every time in the past I have taken Paypal, there are daily limits on how much money you can take out at an ATM, and Paypal charges a couple of bucks each time you use the ATM. It's a pain in the butt as far as I'm concerned. When I sell a game, I want the cash then and there because I am most likely gonna spend it 10 minutes later on another game!

Nothing wrong with old fashion. And if your leery of scams then theres nothing better then cash. In a craigslist/FB market place setting that has always been a must. I appreciate your feedback.

Thanks
Blake

#27 4 years ago

PBP

PopBumperPete

Pinside+ Frequent

12y 99,300 4,035 8

it is the old KISS principal
keep it simple stupid

cash is quick and easy, paypal and other internet based payments come across as complicated

#28 4 years ago

JJF

wolverinetuner

Pinside+ Frequent

Dearborn, MI

7y 94,800 2,960 18

Cash on the glass.

#29 4 years ago

CMA

calsheimer

Kineticist

5y 54,550 137

It's dawning on me that getting into pinball means I'm going to have to join a local bank branch. Taking out large sums of cash is too difficult otherwise.

1 week later

#30 4 years ago

???

Budman

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 74,550 1,850

S&H Green Stamps

#31 4 years ago

???

Ockeyhead

Pinside member

Dover, PA

10y 52,900 651 3 14

I have traded several times to finalize a deal. I have left money on the table both times just so we could acquire the title that was desired.

I have also set up deals where the seller would drop off a machine at my house. Of coarse, cash was paid on my end & this was agreed upon several weeks in advance. I live four miles north of the York Show, so this is a win-win for everyone. The seller walks away w/ cash in hand, machine free & a wad of hundreds to spend at the show.

#32 4 years ago

HRG

poppapin

Pinside member

Quoted from Budman:
S&H Green Stamps

I bet most pinsiders don't even know what you're talking about!

2 weeks later

#33 4 years ago

HRG

poppapin

Pinside member

Worthless trivia question: What does S & H stand for?

#34 4 years ago

JMR

Only_Pinball

Pinside+ Frequent

9y 141K 3,617 6

Quoted from poppapin:
Worthless trivia question: What does S & H stand for?

Sperry & Hutchinson

#35 4 years ago

MSL

SantaEatsCheese

Pinside+ Pro!

Crofton, MD

5y 209K 9,621 6 85 1

Quoted from calsheimer:
It's dawning on me that getting into pinball means I'm going to have to join a local bank branch. Taking out large sums of cash is too difficult otherwise.

I don't have a local bank, but the local Casino has a ridiculously high withdraw limit... $2,000. If there is an Indian Casino near you, that is a good alternative.

Just used PayPal friends and family for the first time... as a down payment with a commercial facility. Non-commercial, it's all cash.

#36 4 years ago

HRG

poppapin

Pinside member