To be honest, every game has a price. But, barring stupid amounts of money, Scared Stiff is bolted down. It's the game that started me in this hobby, and I've never gotten over it. I chased it for 20 years. I'm not inclined to let it go.
Everything else, though, will come and go.

3 examples of games I can’t or won’t sell:

My R&M is game #1 and very special to me because of what some amazing people did to help me get the game.. it will never leave my collection, I will die with it (hopefully a while from now)

My TBL i am a huge fan of the movie/theme, I love the game and if I sold it i would be afraid I may never get another.

My recently restored HEP IJ, the game is absolutely stunning! Chris pulled out all the stops on the restoration. Anyways I promised the very good pinhead I bought it from that i would give him first right of refusal if I ever decided to sell it.

Even if I could double/triple or even quadruple my money selling my pins, the wife would put the kibosh on that idea in a heartbeat.

A good problem to have I guess....

Didn’t you have a TBL and let it go? You must’ve got another one. They’re certainly a challenge to come by!

Nothing is bolted over here. If you’re doing it right and playing the shit out of your games they all eventually get stale. 12-24 months is the usual cycle over here. I turn on 3 games every night to play and if I pass by a game for a couple weeks it’s usually time to go. Selling games can be exhausting at times with all the tire kickers/mouth breathers out there but the swapping out of games with minimal cost is so unique and fun. New pin day is the best!

Edit: R&M will be the ultimate test for me though. I can’t imagine a game checking more boxes.

Yes this is my third and last TBL, I was an EA that actually got my game years ago I had to sell it and the one I got to replace it (it’s a long story) this one is staying.

Every thing is for sale
I have admitted defeat, 41 games is too many, getting them cleaned up and will halve my collection by the end of the year

My LOTR is my only NIB game. I bought it when it was first announced. I've put most mods on it. It's still minty fresh and I love playing it so it's never leaving. My IJ is probably never leaving either.

Yeah I can see this. TBL is the best movie ever and I traded away one of the games I thought may have been bolted (DP LE) to get it. But the early achievers finally getting a game always makes me happy.

Not really, these days I know what I like and what I don't like
I like older, simpler games. I don't like "deep" games
45 minutes to reach the end, no thanks

Not for sale, even despite the potential for making some money.

The same game would have to be ready and waiting for me, but that just doesn't happen for most of what I own.

I like what I have and don't want to have to search again for it.

I decided to go all out on my CP. I restored the game including installing a new (NOS) playfield. The game looks and plays like a new machine. I included gold armor, mirror blades and special topper that I designed. This game is one of a kind now. If I were to sell this, it would just be a distant memory. All the hours spent gone.

Everything has a price. Sometimes I buy a game and say "bolted to the floor!" and then 9 months later the game is out the door. I usually have games between 6-24 months. I love turnover. I love seeing games come in, but I also love the look on a buyers face when they pick up a game they are really interested in. I once sold a game (Monster Bash SE) to a guy who bought it for his partner as a surprise gift who learned about it right there in my house. That was the best moment.

I'm going to repeat a lot of what's been said, but I walk around playing games, and if I find myself avoiding hitting the start button, then it's time to go. I had a Dialed In that I LOVED to death. It was modded to hell and had pinstadiums, but every time I walked up to it, I couldn't bring myself to hit that start button. I just didn't want to play it, and that's when it's gotta go.

I also had a Rick & Morty. I love most things about it, but nobody else really did, and I had the glass off a ton which was really annoying. It went to a great couple only 8 months after I got it. That's a game that I thought "there's no way I'm getting rid of this", but I don't miss it. Pinball is at its best when it's played by my wife and all my friends, so if I'm the only one playing it, I can't really get into it.

My longest owned game currently is Road Show. That modded chip by soren is one of the greatest things in Pinball and anybody who doesn't know about it is missing out. This easy-to-install MUST HAVE chip changes the game entirely. Road Show was going for 3,000 not too long ago, but this chip turns it into a 5,000 or 5,500 game easily. This should have won "best mod of the year" or at least got more fan fare than it received. Soren killed it, and not enough people out there know about it. If you have Road Show, buying this chip literally turns your game into a brand new game. You're missing out if you don't have it. Go here: https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/new-road-show-software-mod

I'm getting a TBL. It's my favorite movie of all time, almost the only movie I've owned for 20 years. I used to watch it and have it on repeat in the background during my days in college. I can recite the whole thing word for word. I imagine it would be very hard for me to give this game up when it finally arrives. If there's any game I'll keep long term, it'll be this one.

........ but I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't.

Where do you live?...... just uhhh........ curious.

Also, I agree with you. I'm sick of games that could keep me on my feet for 30-45 minutes. Games that are described as a "grind" are not fun. I'm super into the older stuff. Games like Black Knight and Joker Poker are some of my favorites.

I’ve got EA30. Which one did you have? Any idea where it is now?

3/5 of my games would be very tough to sell for various reasons.

MMR LE- Was a gift from my ex wife (we are still actually good friends). I played MM quite a bit in college but never really thought about owning one until 10 or 12 years later. By that time the prices were 7k and rising, which I thought was too much. Once they hit 10-12k I wrote the game off as a grail and something that I never really would break down and purchase. Super long story, she purchased one for me Xmas 3 years before it was actually delivered (everyone here knows the pre order drama with PPS) After 3 years of waiting, and a decade of lusting, I would have a really hard time letting that one go...even though it does get the least amount of play in the collection at the moment.

MET Pre- Perfect theme, integration, art, and gameplay for me. Unlikely I would sell unless I could get a roadcase or MOPLE without too much of a cash outlay

IMDN Pre- Simply one of the best games I have played, bought NIB and can't imagine selling

AIQ Pre- Great game and art, the rules confuse me and the callouts and animations are MEH. It could be sold, but it would need to be a great theme and playing game.

TMNT Pre- Surprisingly fun game. The kids absolute favorite so it gets the most play by ALOT in the lineup. They don't want me to sell, so if I did it would likely need to be approved by the little ones.

Really wish I had more room! 5 fit comfortably in the game room...not sure If I want to start invading other rooms just yet, or ever.

A few of these apply to me. Probably in the following order. They are all just stuff. Some happen to be stuff that I really like.

Monetary Value - I value this game more than the market does
Sentimental - There is a sentimental value on this particular machine
Nothing is Sacred - If you have enough cash, they're all ready to go

Depends on the game, I’ve done swaps on several games and the increased value has allowed me to trade “up” over the years. I hold onto my games longer than most people I know and I only sell or trade a game if there is something I really want to replace it, just did that with a GB for an AIQ.

I’m not buying at the prices asked for, I see a lot of overpriced stuff and all the up-bidding will result in new buyers regretting down the road.

That said, to your question, I can’t replace what I have.

Yeah it is a labor of love with huge self satisfaction. Fortunately for me CP is an easier game to do that to. All the coils just unplug so you can just leave the harness lay in the bottom of the cabinet. It took me 20 hours to do it.

I haven't sold anything. Half my games are projects meant for when I have more time in retirement. The other half I play and tinker. I am out of room and need to sell something but I would rather just make more room for now. Garage/shop addition is being built now. Small house addition might be next

garage (resized).jpg

I don't need the money but I do need the pinball.

Clearly topic posted by a " Investor " not a " collector " . Investor fine if that's your thing .

Collector searches for title he/she desires . Drives long distances . Stays up long nights paying for and loading games from amusement auctions. Networks other hobbiest , route operators , arcade and bar owners for title of he/she dreams . Buys broken game and fixes not to flip but to save the game .

This is a discussion not a solely collectors site . More inclusive poll would have .

Why sell games , it's only money !

Shane

Money comes and goes but my pins are here to stay.

P.s. the two sold in my profile were my sons.

Gravity. Easier to get the machines into the basement than out.

Then you won’t have any games. Most of us bought these to play, enjoy, and share them. Yeah prices are high now, but if you sell everything, you’ll have to pay crazy high prices to get any back. Unless you’re getting out of the hobby or downsizing, this isn’t a better time to sell than any other.

For me the issue with selling any pin (I only own 3) to maximize returns is multi-fold:

- The 3 pins I have are my favorites for different reasons, and there aren't other pins I want to replace them with right now
- If I sold them now I would want to replace them and not go without, so I would end up spending as much money or more in the end and probably have less desirable / lower quality pins
- I may never find a pin with the mods I want at as good of a price and quality I have now to replace a title
- If I did sell and go without, how long would it be before I could get back into the pinball game at a desirable price point?

Bottom line for me is that pinball machines are not an investment that I'm looking to turn for profit. Rather, they are an expense. Yes, they are expensive toys that have an emotional attachment to them, but if/when the day comes that I sell them I'll either make money, break even, or lose money and simply view that loss as the price of entertainment.

The phrase “bolted to the floor” needs to die. I see so many people say it for games they’ve owned less than a year and just chuckle. Kudos to those in this thread who admitted they used it and then sold.

I suspect one of the reasons many people haven’t sold is they don’t need the money. The socioeconomic backgrounds of this forum are not in line with greater society in the least.

Anything is for sale at the right price. Of course all of the other factors combine to make the right price on a couple of games astoundingly high.

I don't want to sell out my collection. If that happened I would have to buy other games to replace them at these inflated prices. I only really list games now to make space for new games. I own pinball for fun, and to tinker a bit.

I’d add even more options:

1. I put too much work into it
2. Family would be upset
3. Too flaky/broken to sell
4. It’s pinball perfection!

Most of my games fit in multiple categories. For example...
Lightning: I did a 30-hour cosmetic restoration on it, but I haven’t even gotten to play it because it’s blowing fuses.
Time Fantasy: my son wants it, the sound is out and I can’t figure it out, and it’s pretty rare and fun.
Space Station and WW: I did playfield swaps, and they’re pinball perfection

I sold my 40th pin recently (over 22 years of collecting). I’ve re-acquired 3 of those: OXO, WW and Abra Ca Dabra. The only DMD I sold that I’d love to have back is CSI. The code sucks, but it’s so damned fun to lock balls in the Skull.

I can already tell you made it too small. Should had been twice that size.

Another option (doesn't apply to me): Why would I sell my pins when I light my cigars with $100 bills?

Who says prices have peaked?

No not at all. Just saying high prices are no reason to sell because they may go higher or even a lot higher and then you would be stuck with no pins.

Well.. it finally happened. I "think" I'm out of room. 5 pins and my cyberball 2072 is all I reasonably have room for. I totally understand about trading/swapping titles. We swapped an Oktoberfest and a little cash for NIB STh premium. We love STh. Next up was selling a tastefully modded GOTG that was our first NIB and what started all is this. Got a full price offer, but when it was time to pull the trigger, the rest of the family got cold feet. Part of the reason is that it was headed to a barcade, and getting beat up on route was a concern. I know, sounds ridiculous, but it was part of the decision. I do feel that the right trade for GOTG to the right home will happen someday. Until then, the family agrees that we have to go one for one, can't add more. It will always be tough swapping them though. But if one is not getting played much, really need to keep it fresh.

Its not always about the money, like the OP said, sometimes the Journey. Being a distributor, its very easy for me to "come across" just about any title i want. Although i have had some of the rarest games, its actually always been about the hunt for me. Once i get something unique, take it to a show, then move it along.

But my prized game is my Data East GnR, And not because of its value, its actually probably one of the middle of the road games pricewise. But the damn sentimental value makes it priceless. I went through a nasty divorce 20 years ago, and lost my entire collection. Lawyer fees ate it all up. The one game that i missed was the GnR, so 5 years later, I was in the town of the people that bought it from me. I just randomly stopped and knocked on their door. I asked if there was any chance that i could buy my game back (they knew the reason i sold it years earlier) They agreed to sell it back to me, of course at a higher price, lol. So i have the same game that i had twenty years ago, and I bought the game back.

I agree

It has a second story (pin overflow - I told my wife storage), meant to look like a barn. Ordered the trusses for the second floor and the gothic arch roof before wood prices went out of control. They are sitting on the slab now, waiting for prices to get more reasonable, though they still keep going up...

garage addition (resized).jpg

I care more about the games that I have than money.

If I want more money I’ll put in more hours or get a second job. I have several rare titles I’ll probably never find again in my lifetime.