Valid question. In my case, it is because there are no machines around to purchase! Even if you gave me top dollar for a machine, it would take me weeks/months to find another, then I probably end up buying sight unseen, paying shipping/taxes/duty to get it here.

The last straight cash deal I did (MB), I had the cash sitting for about 4 months before I found the machine I wanted to buy, and it was two provinces away.

I'll bite. If I have depreciated my machine I cannot just sell it or I will owe taxes on the sale. With a trade, not so. If we agree on an even trade no penalty for the transfer.

Also, if you get tired of a machine it is nice to trade one with another collector who has machines of CQ. Don't need the hassle of selling, shopping, then buying again? - just trade.

Hey,

I'll toss this out there. As mentioned, there's the hassle of selling, shopping, buying, and so on. Also, it makes it a bit easier money-wise for people who already have the ball rolling. Say I have a machine going for $2,500 in my basement. If you've got some machine that's worth $3,000 that I want, and that $2,500 machine is a game you want, I only have to come up with $500, not the full $3,000.

Luke

Well said. Numero uno horse swaps don't suffer the tax man.

Taxes?

You guys are paying taxes on used pinball machines you buy from private individuals? HUH?

Cmon… Guys route them and take a depreciation schedule. Business.

This is the reason I always say I'll trade. So far I've never said trade only, but with a couple of my machines that is probably the way I'd go. It can be hard to turn up machines, even if you have cash in hand. And if you are looking for a specific title, trade bait can help.

Take BBB , you could get some serious trades out of it while a lot of people would not have the cash to buy it outright.

I don't think Rommy has his machines on route....but if anybody is trying to take a depreciation write off for pins in the home....call me when you need a tax lawyer, and if you are reporting the gain on sale of a personal pin then

Wondered that myself but I figure it isn't worth trying to understand. If they only want to trade I don't bother. (unless it is the only machine I want...)

If you sell the machine and it may be a while before you find the one you want, it can be tempting to use the money for something else.

The worst is when the wife finds out you've got the cash.

Bryan (CARGPB 14)
http://usergallery.myhomegameroom.com/gallery/bspins

Lol!
I used to sell high end AV for a local company and one day I said to a customer " Just use your secret money" He flipped out. How did I know about that!! : )

Lordnorth I think the main reason people trade is because if I have a pin that im not crazy about I would look to trade it up for something I do want. So i dont have to come out of pocket much for the upgrade or vice versa. You get the pin you want when you loose the pin you dont want. Not having to wait, look, email and follow up on prospects for that new pin. Its all 1 nice smooth transaction. A trade is better than money. I have my newly purchased T2 that my daughter is scared of so im looking to trade for a different machine. Yes I would sell it outright but if I trade it I have a new pin when it leaves and not have to go shopping. Also a pin might hold more value with a buyer/seller then the actual cash you would get for it.

I have machines, I don't always have cash.

The biggest reason I don't want to buy from a dealer is the tax. I figure this hobby is expensive enough.

I did not say that. I may have a RBION that I dont like but someone else loves. Its worth more in a trade.

"Its worth more in a trade."

Really? I find the opposite to be true. Every time I try to do a trade I get lowballed worse than if I just do a cash sale.

Sounds like some bad trades were made.

Im just giving some reason's to why I think people rather trade then sell. Me personally I will trade or sell. If I have a pin that I didnt want I would put it up for trade or sale. Cash is king. I have a guy tho that has a HUO BDK and he is using it as trade bait to get a big $$$ title. I guess this is like fishing for a shark. You cant use money bc they dont eat money. LOL

I'd sell my TZ any day of the week for $4500. Too bad you aren't closer.

Don't get too discouraged, you will find one.

To answer your question, however, some people have more money than time and tradebait is more valuable to them.

I love trading, it increases the pool of available pins. Once you throw one out for trade people start evaluating their collections (i.e. what could I give up to get that pin?). Pins that were not on the market yesterday suddenly are today. Plus it's a great way to meet fellow hobbyists.

I don't know why it would be surprising in a hobby of $5k toys to find that many people don't value your $ the same way you do (they have easier access to more $ than to more pins).

Tracy

or he turned them down and took good cash offers.

anyhow, i had my tz up for trade with no luck, so i can see where gonefishin is coming from. maybe it's just that title?

Dave> you should not be selling that TZ for anything less than $5000.

period. It is WAY too nice to let go for any less than that!

Trade bait = trying to lure a highly sought after pin out of the hands of a collector who was not intending to sell by offering a pin that they want even more than what they have (that you want).

Also, I try to trade because I don't want to be left without a pin for who knows how long...until a decent one comes up for sale.

Usually if I sell a pin outright it is because I already bought another pin for cash.

Bingo...

This is especially bad where I live. There are no machines. If I sell a pin that I need to replace for just cash, it has to be enough to bring in one and cover the cost of shopping it out. That means $500-$1000 extra. Taxes, shipping/travel expenses, time and parts. It all adds up....quickly.

Pretty good incentive to find trades in the pin wasteland.

6S3NC3, I have never actually traded a pin, but once I get one sold I start looking for a replacement immediately and it usually doesn't take too long.

^Haha, you east-siders have it too easy when it comes to pins

Seems like every time I see a pin FS, and it's one I want, it's on the east coast

Well thats great! I guess we do have it good on the east coast.

The only reason I see that trading is that much better is because you can get the other guy to do half the driving. I had my Blackout up for sale with no takers. I put it up for trade and u got a cash buyer in less than a week. Go figure. Works for me, I put the cash in the safe until something comes along that I want.

So Im thinking about trading my Judge Dredd. Iv had a few people ask me to sell it out right, but Im not really interested. For one reason, I have a very small collection and it may be months before I find a fairly priced pin to replace it in my collection.

The other reason is to reduce the hassle of picking up a new pin. It reduces the amount of time I'll need to borrows a friend's car to pick one up and bribing my friends to help me move it.

I'm thinking of possibly trading my Ngg down the road I sold my Baywatch and olny have one pin so I will want to replace it ASAP but then again I might sell outright and buy something else's I think It really just depends on the situation

I guess it depends on individual circumstances, but to get it out of the loading dock the machine needs to be lifted above our heads, or we have to bring it in the long way to get to the freight elevator.

I find trading to just be more satisfying. When selling a game, you often have to deal with tire kickers, flakes who don't show up, lowballers, etc. And then once you actually sell the game, you have to cross your fingers and hope that "life" doesn't come along and force you to spend that money elsewhere before you have the opportunity to grab the game you're hunting.

Trades are cool because you don't have to save up cash. It's a fun way to change up the game room without the stress that can sometimes come along with it.

I'm at the point now where I only add a game (I have mostly vids, not pins) if another one leaves. I usually wind up selling once I've got my eye on something, but trading has been more fun.

That being said, anyone have a TSPP or SS that they'd like to trade for several arcade games and some cash?

I like to trade because it keeps me from being down a pin. If I sell I have to be a pin short till I find a deal I like. It I trade I still have a full line up. Well, full for me.

I have a couple machines I'm considering offering for trade. Why, well its interesting to see what gets offered and gives me a chance to try other machines.

oh yeah...see anything you like in my little pile? still digging that TFLE I got to play of yours here in Louisville...you can pick any 2 of mine and maybe 3 for it

My Shadow is for trade right now. If you live semicolose to me, make me an offer

Tom

When you offer to buy do you make an actual cash offer? I've often found that people who reply to "for trade" ads asking to buy don't make offers. Then after exchanging several emails you discover that 90% of them are really just looking for a cheap machine.

My suggestion would be to open with a strong cash offer. That way the potential seller knows you are serious about working out a deal.

PS: Johnny Mnemonic (FT)

I need to downsize, not upsize... If you had a MM I'd throw the TFLE and an Addams or FH ...

Hey,

I didn't make any sense, did I? Let's try this again. If someone has a machine I want and is willing to trade, whether up, down, or across, there's no coordination involved. If I have a less valuable game you want, ALL I have to do is come up with the extra money for you, and I don't have to do the sale. If I have the more valuable machine and I want your less valuable machine, I don't have to do a sale, and just wait for you to come up with the difference in price. On paper, dollar for dollar, there's absolutely no difference; you're right there. But as 30FathomDave said, with a trade, there's no tire kicking, lowballing, nothing. It's a one step process. Hopefully that makes it a bit more clear.

Luke