1. To save money because they have low overhead.
2. You know where they live so you will not be likely to get screwed over. Businesses close up overnight and a locked door usually means no recourse.

Because the machines are a lot cheaper. We have plenty of people in the NE that basically work out of their garage. They are middle men just like someone with a shop, the only difference being they don't need to jack up their prices to pay the rent.

.....huh?

The only reason to buy from a distrib, IMO, is if you want a warranty or a NIB.

Why overpay for a game if you don't need either of those things is beyond me. This topic just seems like a troll thread designed to stir up crap, much like the original CL posting. Was the company trying to imply that someone is buying NIB games from some guy out of his garage?

I run my contracting business from my home, If I would have had to have a brick/mortar storefront, Id be bankrupt and no pinballs.

Because it is easier to load them when they are in the garage rather than the basement.

OP is not trying to stir crap. You can literally sell Stern machines as a dealer from your garage...

i would buy from a little guy in a garage for the fact he will give you a better deal on the game an also becomes a friend

^ Same here! If I had to have a showroom and receptionist for my fencing business, I would definitely be out of business. I can also pass the savings to my customers that way.

Great. Where do I sign up? I want to get distrib pricing on my next NIB pin.

Well, lets not get crazy now

LOL! Hey, it's a tough market out there these days. Gotta do what I can to get the work

This is a no-brainer.

I dont know the specifics but I'm going to assume you need to purchase a certain amount of machines upfront and get an approved application, which would include a TIN etc...

Because you don't have to carry it up any stairs.

Sterns biggest distributor is a farmer. Sells out of his barn. Wouldn't hesitate to buy from him again, great guy with great prices !!!

Haha! What a great idea!!!!

I saw that post. Lots of guys do great work on pins in their garage around here. And the guys that posted that know many personally and know they do.

They have less overhead and better prices...

Yeah I was gonna say....."because the basement is full of the keeper machines".

Why buy a Stern game when the codes are unfinished ??

John P. Dayhuff
Battle Creek, Mi.
269-979-3836

I buy from the garage men... as I hope he shares his beer!

I was thinking the same thing, because the keepers are in the house.

You can get a solid rebuilt game or a snaprag shopped polished turd out of a garage or a brick and mortar.
Condition is king, the game not the building.

When it comes to used machines, the basement dude is the way to go. Those dudes with shops have a 'retail tax'. Which reminds me, you will also be paying tax when you buy retail.

NIB games, thats where I say go retail instead of Dude In His Garage. More likely than not, if DIHG is selling a NIB game, DIHG is a speculator. LAME. Retail NIB games will most likely be a distributor and will come with things like a warranty.

I highly second motion this notion!

When I read the title I thought it was a bash against SkitB.

Skitbpinball looked like a basement, if they're in a garage, well, I'm out.
Basement=ok.
Garage=just plain creepy.

Oh, wait, backwards. Sorry. "Now, PUTS THE LOTION IN THE BASKET!"

Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

Curly Little shop of games in florida sells new and used games out of his garage i would buy from him again

That somebody is operating out of a garage has no bearing on their reliability

In my experience dealers of yesteryear rip me off, dudes in garages don't.

"It rubs the lotion on it".

Basement not ok. Garage ok. Microsoft and Apple

Because guys with garages have tournaments and beer..

IMG_9790.jpg

Good machine, good price, and if the guy has a good reputation I don't care. I just don't want to deal with a guy flipping junk.

I knew these two dudes in Cupertino who used to sell computers out of their garage. They seemed to do pretty well.

I sold and traded a LOT of pins out of my garage over the years. Met a lot
of great guys & gals in the process. Ended up buying many pins from them
too. I'd much rather buy from a hobbyist working out of his house than a
distributor for a couple of reasons: you know the hobbyist will back his
machines (unlike distributors) and you are promoting the hobby locally.
Not to mention you'll get a better deal.
Steve

I started my small business out of my folks garage while i lived in the basement. I have a shop now witg low overhead and have a home.
You have to start somewhere.

I had my share of brick and mortors bad mouth me when i first started up.
It comes with territory i guess

It may turn out one of these days the only place you'll be able to buy a game is out of someone's garage or basement. That's where ALL of my games come from.

Mike O.
Team-EM

Because I don't want to pay the 50% mark up.

Reputation and integrity are far more important than location.

And Mike, my friend, you have both in spades. How's your garage doin.?

One of the best men in pinball (and in general) I've ever had the pleasure of doing business (and socializing) with. He operates his distributorship from his garage, and all my future Stern purchases are with him. "Trust; Primary ingredient in any relationship"

Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

Honestly, most of us would do far greater job in shopping out a pin (more care involved) than a overpriced distributor. I always give a warranty when I sell a pin locally.

SkitB= Some Kids in the Basement. I guess if they move to the garage they'll have to change their name to SkitG.

"Or else she gets the hose again Blondetall!"

SkitG, funny.

Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

Someone operating a storefront benefits their business by having one. Some people don't want to deal with a guy in a garage. Some people like being able to drop in, get whatever they need, etc. Other people want the best deal. The world needs both.

way I look at is a lot like others have said above

a small shop has to sell/move games to pay rent etc etc
a hobbyist sells when he wants to not that he has to.

also when you think about it a small shop also buys from local hobbyist
who may have spent many hours or even a Winter working on a game
where a small shop couldn't afford paying $/hr to do the same with a game that's in a very bad state to begin with.....

In a way it's kind of a circle with a lot of ppl related one way or the other,
a stew of games crossing local borders and back again for 10-20 years

The guy in the garage has the games I want.

And Mike, my friend, you have both in spades. How's your garage doin.?
One of the best men in pinball (and in general) I've ever had the pleasure of doing business (and socializing) with. He operates his distributorship from his garage, and all my future Stern purchases are with him. "Trust; Primary ingredient in any relationship"
Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

Thanks very much, Rick. I appreciate that. For the record Stern requires dealers to have a storefront, mine is here:
http://www.lanesandgamesarcade.com/
Also for the record, good things happen in my garage. A favorite restoration from my new garage:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike217/sets/72157626418651740/show/
And a picture of my old garage, it was fun garage:

garage2.JPG

Mike's games at LnG are always clean and working 100%. He also has tournaments there monthly. I have at least two friends that go there religiously.

Too far of a drive for me, but doesn't mean I don't want to visit.

Mike, is that a recent WW restore? I'm still fidgeting around with my TZ. :p

Rick. "I'm gonna have me some fun." #190

I bought my TZ, STTNG, IJ Williams and LOTRLE from a guy who works out of his garage just east of Calgary, Alberta. He is one of the most knowledgable pinheads I have ever met. I would buy from him again in a heartbeat. He is a huge asset to the pinball community here in Alberta.

Thanks Jay.

QSS

If I recall correctly - in the CL ad, there was mention that the technician(s) working on the games were factory trained (Williams? Stern?). Maybe that is the thrust of the message that the retailer was trying to convey...

So how did the post work for you?