(Topic ID: 233519)

What's with all these B List pins selling for A List prices lately?

By IdahoRealtor

5 years ago


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  • 81 posts
  • 63 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by drsfmd
  • Topic is favorited by 3 Pinsiders

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    There are 81 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
    #51 5 years ago
    Quoted from chubtoad13:

    “B list” games are just as fun as a lot of “A list” games.

    Mostly.

    #52 5 years ago
    Quoted from IdahoRealtor:

    I feel extra bad for any new blood of average means entering the hobby today. With the B List now out of reach their choices are very limited. Want ads for Waterworld, Shaq Attack, and Raven are not far off.

    As a young, new collector,
    (early 20’s) I enjoy some of the seemly despised themes. I’d love Shaq Attaq and I’ve always got an eye out for Space Jam. For me, I don’t mind buying and owning something to mock and laugh about. Those titles are hilarious and gameplay really isn’t that bad imo. Tbh I think most Segas/Capcoms play pretty well.

    I’ve also found I’m way more attracted to games based on oddity of them. Even if it plays like garbage, I really enjoy rare and unusual novelty games. That adds to the allure of them to me. I’ve still found really great deals on almost every game I own. You just have to try harder, hit the pavement more often, and really expand your reach. When you cast a wide net you’re bound to catch something.

    People new in the hobby now seem to be afraid of working on their pins, or at least shy away from it. Unless it’s adding blinding LEDs and tacky figures, they don’t wanna do it. Now we have an economy that’s all but forgotten the recession and they feel more than comfortable throwing down big bills to get what they want.

    #53 5 years ago

    Because the entry point for a NIB pinball machine down here is 8550 and most first time buyers aren't prepared to make that kind of expenditure. They don't care about A, B or C categorisations they only want a fully working machine that plays like new for the just built mancave

    and

    because most container import used machines are needing more outlay in labour and parts to get them to a presentable state for resale to someone who is assumed to have no prior pinball technical repair experience.

    #54 5 years ago

    Sadly, “10k by Christmas” has gone from sarcastic remark to expected norm.

    #55 5 years ago
    Quoted from Isochronic_Frost:

    As a young, new collector,
    (early 20’s) I enjoy some of the seemly despised themes. I’d love Shaq Attaq and I’ve always got an eye out for Space Jam. For me, I don’t mind buying and owning something to mock and laugh about. Those titles are hilarious and gameplay really isn’t that bad imo. Tbh I think most Segas/Capcoms play pretty well.
    I

    The funny thing is pretty much the entirety of the Sega/DE output was laughed at for years.

    Then people started getting desperate as everything got pricey and suddenly a Last Action Hero is worth 2500 bucks.

    I've always thought there's no way in hell we'd see a similar thing happen to the Gottliebs - some of the worst games ever made. And I still don't think we'll be seeing Mario Andrettis going for $2500.

    If we do, god help us all.

    #56 5 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    The funny thing is pretty much the entirety of the Sega/DE output was laughed at for years.
    Then people started getting desperate as everything got pricey and suddenly a Last Action Hero is worth 2500 bucks.
    I've always thought there's no way in hell we'd see a similar thing happen to the Gottliebs - some of the worst games ever made. And I still don't think we'll be seeing Mario Andrettis going for $2500.
    If we do, god help us all.

    I haven’t played a lot of late Gottliebs but I don’t hate them either. I really haven’t understood the hate. Their premier games were solid, they just constantly experimented. The main thing I noticed was that Gottlieb started having flow problems. The games got clunky. They are really fun, but comparatively, they play slow and it’s stop-and-go at times. That seems to be why they are so hated. Also that long period of System 80s that had grounding problems forever

    #57 5 years ago

    If you think things is getting bad over at yer place, imagine how it is over here, where prices are doubling compared tot he US market, even on EM's (although i think woodrails are still regarded as junk...with a big, unsure "i think" though). Pins around here have been kinda high priced since the start of the "resurrection" of the hobby around 2003, due to smaller market, unforgiving gambling laws (that killed arcades around 1995 and thus a majority of the people forgot about pinballs) and less games to go around, but now only in the last year or so atleast an extra 150 USD have been added to every pricetag.

    For example: since last month there have been a nice condition Centaur that went for 4500 USD, or a Gorgar (with startup error and in "used condition") for 1200 USD, Dolly Parton with dead powerboard and cracked backglass for 1100 USD, and other crazy stuff.

    I have already heard alot of fellow collectors here talking about "holding on to the pins i have until the prices go down again, if i sell now i will not be able to afford a new game".

    #58 5 years ago

    I think its the fault of Stern;
    They miscalculated the fact that people don't give a **** about the age of a pin.

    Let's be honest, why the hell you would pay 5k for a hit or miss stripped down pro, while you can have a wms full of ramps and toys with a great gameplay that equals sterns LE's.

    Stern isn't going to lower there prices, so the rest is catching up to there's.

    #59 5 years ago

    It’s not recent. It’s just all relative.

    Quick turnover + wanting a small profit = quick escalation in prices.

    #60 5 years ago

    As a prospective new guy looking for his first pin, theme is more important to me than game quality. So I don't mind looking at 90s themes I'd like, stuff like DE Simpsons, Ninja Turtles, Mario Gottlieb, Space Jam, 90s movies, etc. Sure, I know the post 2000 and more modern stuff is light years ahead in terms of technology and fun... but that's for dedicated and experienced players. I see a 90s machine as a good entry level one that will be fine for some nostalgia and a pinball novice. Then down the road I can worry about upgrading to a game with more features if it's getting played enough.

    Also, from the money side, you may have crossover collectors. I've been collecting console video games for a decade and got into arcades about a year ago. $2k-$2.5k isn't too bad, nice arcades get into that range and you can sell other collectibles to fund that fairly easily. But in the $4k-$5k range you're out of impulse spending and you really assess if you need / want it. At least that's my line of thinking anyway.

    #61 5 years ago
    Quoted from jonebone:

    As a prospective new guy looking for his first pin, theme is more important to me than game quality. So I don't mind looking at 90s themes I'd like, stuff like DE Simpsons, Ninja Turtles, Mario Gottlieb, Space Jam, 90s movies, etc. Sure, I know the post 2000 and more modern stuff is light years ahead in terms of technology and fun... but that's for dedicated and experienced players. I see a 90s machine as a good entry level one that will be fine for some nostalgia and a pinball novice. Then down the road I can worry about upgrading to a game with more features if it's getting played enough.
    Also, from the money side, you may have crossover collectors. I've been collecting console video games for a decade and got into arcades about a year ago. $2k-$2.5k isn't too bad, nice arcades get into that range and you can sell other collectibles to fund that fairly easily. But in the $4k-$5k range you're out of impulse spending and you really assess if you need / want it. At least that's my line of thinking anyway.

    Personally, i think 80's machines (or even 70's machines) are better entry level machines, with those people wont get spoiled with ramps, toys and tunnels and stuff right away + they are (usually) cheaper then 90's machines and therefore mor accessible for unsure newbies.

    #62 5 years ago

    It’d be nice if all things remained the same price forever.

    -1
    #63 5 years ago

    I think a large part of what historically made an "A" game was self-full-filling and snobbery.

    There were good route games in the 90s and that translated to more exposure for those games in the 90s since they were being operated heavily.
    Then when people started buying them up for home, those are the games they wanted because it is what they knew.
    Of course since they were routed hard, many were in poor shape so the ones that were nicer cost more and they cost more than the B list that was not still being routed and just taking up storage space.

    Fast forward and as prices on the traditional "A" games increased then people started looking for other options.

    In many cases people are finally waking up to the fact that games they previous thought were "B" or "C" are really awesome and many in fact are even better than the "A" they bought.

    It brings alot of defensive posturing and likely a little hurt to ones pride to know you bought TOTAN for a premium and now finally got exposure to a Congo and have seen that it is a much better game, but sadly now will cost you 4500. If you have been in the collecting hobby for 5, 10, 15 years then it makes it hard to stomach that you now want a Congo (Bsd, Shadow, FT, insert any traditional B title) and it costs more than you originally paid for that TOTAN 8 years ago.

    Then you come on pinside and start threads complaining that B list pins cost too much

    TLDR > B list and C list (and "oh gosh" Gottliebs) are often amazing games and people have just gotten more exposure to them and realized how great many are. Prices now reflect how good many are. It isn't merely that NIB is more expensive. It is that made came in eyes wide open the past few years and decided for themselves what they like rather than build the same boring "A" list collection you see in so many homes of the collector from 5-10 years back.

    #64 5 years ago

    Wait until the C listers are hitting $5k...

    #65 5 years ago

    Can't folks just be happy pinball is thriving? More arcades popping up, more home collectors, inflation effecting everything we buy, etc.

    Good for the hobby. Plenty of fair deals...focusing on the outliers is pointless.

    Glass is half full Debbie Downers!

    4 weeks later
    #66 5 years ago

    I am a collector that doesn't have unlimited funds. My approach has always been "why but a new stern when I could get any two bw pins that fall under the 'good game, crappy theme' category.
    I have only been in the hobby for 3-4 years, so I have a T2, DM, and JM that Were all in the low to mid 2k range. Lately it seems as though people are listing stuff like JD, BSD and JM at around $3500 and 3k on the low end.
    As prices for this type of game approach 4k, my mentality is changing to "just save a little more and buy a 1-2 year old Stern for 5k"
    All that being said I have seen some stuff sit on craigslist here in STL for a LONG time, so its not like everyone is biting on these prices.

    #67 5 years ago

    I've always thought there's no way in hell we'd see a similar thing happen to the Gottliebs - some of the worst games ever made. And I still don't think we'll be seeing Mario Andrettis going for $2500.
    If we do, god help us all.

    IMG_1797 (resized).PNGIMG_1797 (resized).PNG
    #68 5 years ago

    Well Levi it's not $2500. The apocalypse is close.

    #69 5 years ago

    Still no takers on my 3.5k Firepower or 7K DW...

    #70 5 years ago

    "A" list is what "I" like...I have my own "A" list, there are a couple of "B" on that list.
    Some supposed "A" I don't like..which makes them "B" on my list.

    Still never overpaid on a used pin...now if we are talking NIB games...yes I think I overpay

    -1
    #71 5 years ago

    Sometimes people associate A titles with value or popularity when in fact, A titles seem to be the titles in the pinball world with the highest demand that has what is considered "complete game code".

    Is Tron LE an "A" title? Is Spirit or Fathom an "A" title? Certainly Addams Family is an "A" title? Right? What about Iron Maiden LE?

    So, the original question asked is flawed.

    There is no such thing as an A title "price" because they all sell for different prices that vary greatly. If the intention was to determine the cheapest "A title", then the answer is probably somewhere around Spiderman or TSPP? But are those games really "A" titles?

    Truth is that A titles may not exist at all. It could just be that people automatically consider a 5K+ toy to be an "A title" so that they can put a definition on a purchase and also feel better about buying a 5K toy, as an adult.

    It's not really so cut and dry is it?

    Perfect examples of all machines have been selling for big money for years. A very nice HUO EBD is hard to find and valuable. If it sells for 5K, does it all of the sudden answer your question or have games always sold for a lot in the past and you just didn't pay close enough attention because you were not "in the know" or "would never spend that kind of $ on a "toy" 5-10 years ago but now it's ok?

    Is ANY game that sells for over a Stern pro price automatically an "A title"?

    #72 5 years ago

    What's with all these houses selling for more than in 2008?

    #73 5 years ago
    Quoted from jp1985:

    What's with all these houses selling for more than in 2008?

    Great post.

    #74 5 years ago

    I don't have much to add other than I find it frustrating to see 2 of the exact same game in the exact same region in the exact same condition, but the one is priced over $1000 more than the other, but NEITHER of them sell for months.

    #75 5 years ago
    Quoted from jp1985:

    What's with all these houses selling for more than in 2008?

    I know right? Everything should stay the same price from a certain time period forever. How else will I be able to afford everything I planned to buy 10 yrs ago? It's just not fair.

    #76 5 years ago

    I have had three people contact me within the last month looking for their first pin. I think it's just a seller's market right now. Like many of you have said, people want certain games and are coughing up the cash to get them. The "bubble" sure hasn't burst yet, has it?

    #77 5 years ago

    Which indie label is signing up Gearhead Mancave Unicorn then?

    #78 5 years ago

    I don't know, but apparently it's hard to find.

    #79 5 years ago

    Oh you’re talking about old games I thought you were talking about new Sterns.

    #80 5 years ago

    This is exactly why I'm buying up Zizzle machines right now before everyone figures out how amazing they are.
    Top tier themes that give you a lift in the jeans.

    2 weeks later
    #81 5 years ago
    Quoted from Crile1:

    My only issue with this is when the seller puts up a huge price with the words "firm" next to it. I am okay with someone asking above normal price. I mean if someone wants to pay it, who is to stop them? But they get so offended when you offer or suggest the "actual" price range. In my opinion, no offer on a used game should be firm...but that's just me.

    I haven't sold a lot of games, but those that I have sold were priced pretty aggressively, and were all "firm". I don't want to deal with dreamers or tire kickers. You know the condition of the machine, you know the price... at that point it's a yes or no and if it's a yes, put cash on the glass, load it in your truck and go.

    There are 81 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.

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