So the good news is that with increasing prices, more of these games are getting restored. Time invested to do so not quite worth it yet, but getting there. However, EMs still remain a labor of love and will do so for a long time to come.
Anyone who says there aren't deals to be found isn't looking hard enough. Yes, deals on fully restored, beautiful machines ARE hard to find. Deals on machines that need some TLC can be found and as long as you don't add the value of your time (which I don't because I love fixing pins) it all works out ok. For me I just make sure I'm not too picky on exact machine, tend to focus on the cheaper SS, and make sure when looking at pinside price I still have some room left if I ever need to sell. And I don't remain glued to craigslist and have still found plenty of deals. Employing that strategy sure I've been burned a few times, but overall if I ever liquidate I'll do ok even after having acquired most of my pins over the last 2 years.