I bought a pin from a pinsider that lived in a high rise building. Very interesting to move a pin into an elevator. I had a pinsider fly in and rent a van to pickup a pin. Both were very cool experiences.

Once I had to help a couple of guys carry a granite counter top from their truck into the house as part of our agreed upon price. After we did that, we checked out the machine which they thought was non-working. I put some credits on it and got it to start a game. They started to get a little weird thinking they could have gotten more for it. But, they stuck to their word luckily. The game did start but did have some problems to work out.

If a game is advertised as non-working for a cheap price, grab it and run without powering it up. I've head of plenty of stories where either the owner then changed his mind about selling, or increased the asking price after it was working again.

I recently picked up a project with a beehive in it. I had to make sure there wasn't any live ones before loading...

I bought a pin on a January evening when it looked like rain. Guy lived in a trailer on a horse ranch. To make things worse we had to move the pin across the yard that had been torn up by the dog and was muddy and covered with piles of dog crap.

We call that guy the turd rancher and the machine I picked up has forever been known as the Vecturd.

I've told this story before, but I'll post it here again as it was definitely an experience. Unfortunately, it was a "go home empty handed" experience, but an experience none-the-less.

I was trying to buy a Guns and Roses from a guy about 4 hours one way from me. I kept asking for specific pictures of the high wear areas and he would always be just on the edge of what I wanted or just blurry enough that you couldn't see details. He assured me it was in good shape and that the game worked. We agreed on a general price subject to me being able to inspect it. So, I get there and as expected, the game had some pretty significant wear areas and the game doesn't work. So I tell him, based on what I'm seeing we need to adjust the price. His son (probably 13 or 14 years old) is in the room with us and he turns to his son and says "son, watch as your Dad shows you how to negotiate" He then proceeds to tell me that he knows I've driven 4 hours and he's sure that I won't go home empty handed and he's not adjusting the price as he knows it's worth more than what he's asking. I ask him if he's sure he won't considering bringing the price down a bit to account for what we've discovered. He says "nope, you're going to have 8 hours of driving time, tolls and gas into this trip so I'm sure you'll pay my asking price" I look at his son and say "you're Dad isn't going to be selling this game today as he's not willing to negotiate"

I left and drove home empty handed. I got a call from his wife about 4 hours later (I was almost home) asking me if I'd come back as her husband had "reconsidered" (I'd have loved to see how that conversation went between this guy and his wife). I didn't go back as the price wasn't all that great to start with and there was still no guarantee that we'd be able to work out a deal.

Drove 60 miles to pick up a machine. Wasn’t told it was on the second floor until I got there. Asked for help getting it down (because I was alone and did not anticipate having to move it down stairs). He refused said it was my problem. I told him I can’t do it on my own so I can’t buy it. He became belligerent. Told me I wasted his time (as if he was the one that had to travel for the deal) and he should have asked me for a deposit before I came into his house. Jerk.

After being burned like this myself, you learn to ask where the machine is located. I usually get games on my own too.

I have not had a bad experience when purchasing a a game. I don't leave myself open for failure or getting screwed.

Best experience was buying Spin Out. Drove my van to Superelectric (50 minute trip). Gave them the money, Nate loaded it onto a dolly and we got it in my van. Afterward we went back inside and I was given a bunch of tokens to play whatever I wanted. Nice guy. Cool machine.

Not really a bad experience so much as nerve-racking was buying Boomerang. Had to move it out of the basement of an absolutely BEAUTIFUL home! Everything was freshly remodeled. Was so worried about bumping or scufffing something. Thankfully it went off without a hitch.

Worst times are when you realize you could die....like honestly getting scared.

Best times are when you thought you were going to die and are driving home safe.

TheLaw- don't leave us hanging, give us more details...please.

For anyone who hasn't seen this classic thread before:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/into-the-maw-of-dispair-true-account-of-my-latest-craigslist-nightmare

Classic thread!

I went to Detroit once, like the Detroit you see on ruin porn internet, to meet a man and his wife at their home aboot a Sinbad machine. We met this nice couple in the middle of a ruined street in a squatters home with a caved in roof and all that shit. Next door house sagging into this house driveway....like structurally leaning aboot to fall, all the shingles from roof scattered.
Sinbad was "back in the garage behind the house." *gulp* Had no lock down bar, couldn't get the glass out, the head lock was opened with a stick; Yes a stick from a tree. I um...didn't buy it. I could have given him a $20 for it but I had to leave that joint.

I went to Detroit once...

once (resized).jpg

No. I bought it a little over a year ago out of Broadview Heights.