My advice is to look elsewhere. Every one of those titles is about a 1-1500 game except for TS which can creep into the low 2s.

You have to understand that most retailers make their living selling arcade and pinball machines. They have to charge a lot more than the "hobby market" because they have to make money. Expect to pay at least 1500-3000 more at a retail shop than if you buy something from another hobbyist.

Don't, they're ripoffs.

what he said. there are good retailers and bad ones. your best bet is to buy from other collectors.
network with others here and local to you. you will most likely find a good pin at a fair price.

Flush $500 down the toilet, do some research, and then buy from a hobbyist. You'll still come out way ahead.

Mccoy It all depends on your ability and what you expect when you buy a pinball.. If you expect a warranty, delivery, and so on then retail is the way to go.. you will pay about $500-$1000 more for a machine depending on all of that. Many of my customers would rather pay 25% more to know I'm there to support the machine, to have my guys come deliver it and set it up and so on.

Yes In retail we have over head, of paying people to shop pinballs vs some one doing it as a hobby in there basement or garage. We have store overhead and lastly we are here to make money.

Lets face it many of us like to work on the pinballs, if you do then retail my not be the right route for you.. Others hate doing that kind of stuff and want to buy one from a dealer rather then having to source it them selves, Deliver it and work on it them selves.

Good experiences both ways for me,Like GEX explained above for the retail perspective.

not necessarily true (depending on your definition of retailer). I just bought my lethal weapon (everything intact, nearly perfect playfield, minor dings on cabinet, no damage to light topper), $1100. Even though pinside rates it slightly lower, I see them on CL all the time for between $1100-$1600.

It's a guy that runs a business out of his home, buys/sells/fixes pins (it is a legitimate business, he charges tax). I guess he can sell a little more fair not having overhead of a store (everything is in his garage workshop), but still.

There are certainly two different types of sellers. Those that truly love the hobby (and don't pay themselves nearly enough for their time of acquiring them, fixing any issues), and deliver a great product. And if there are issues, they will be very explicit about them (even if they are minor).

Then there's the "flippers" (no pun intended) who will lowball sellers to get a deal, then turn around and sell a machine quickly that isn't working for top dollar to ignorant buyers. Fact is, you'll find those people in any industry (car salesman, realtors, etc).

Private seller prices:
Fish Tales: $2000-$2400
Bram Stoker's Dracula $2000-$2400
Pinbot $800-$1200
The Shadow $2000-$2400
Terminator 2 $1200-$1400

Game Exchange is a very good retail venue.... I purchased both Avatar and Transformers from them with above average trade in values for two of my retired pins...
It is not a crime to be in business to make money....

bought my games from the same seller. I know I am paying a premium , but have had very few problems over the last 7 years since I have come back to the hobby. Each time i"ve bought one he's delivered, toted into my basement ,and fixed minor problems on my other machines . I'd RATHER Have machines that I know will work, and be taken care of when a problem arrives at a more than fair price.

I would avoid it unless a title comes up that you just can't find in your area.
Hobbyists take better care of there stuff than those guys do.
It is a quick fix and flip it for as large of profit as possible.

I only use them for emergency parts that I don't have on hand.

As for prices look it up on pinside.com or bostonpinball.biz or mrpinball.com

This is usually average price if it is emaculate expect to pay a more than that.

I've found good deals at retailers.

I've never purchased from a retailer but, just from looking around, It looks like it just depends on the retailer. They will almost always be higher however, some are crazy high and others are reasonable.
I would think having it professionally delivered and setup is going to be worth something in itself.

Local to me, all the retailers appear to be smoking some really good stuff.

Can we just pretend to flush the $500?

The best is when you have a guy who "thinks" he's an arcade retail shop and wants to get top dollar for sub-par work and quality.

mccoy, you just have to careful...and that goes with collectors too. Everyone is not always what they seem. I would get to know the owner of the location you want to buy from and you will know soon enough if you should go some where else. Good luck and welcome.

Not for higher quality shopped machines. I would never be able to find any of those pins in my area for $1,000 that did not need some work.

From what I have seen in my area these are more accurate. Expect to pay more or less depending on the condition of the machine. Myself, I would prefer to pay an extra $500 and buy from a dealer with a warranty and home deliver. But that's just me. I have the extra cash and don't want to buy a machine I have to work on. Others like to buy "beaters" and shop them out. That being said, you still have to inspect the machine. Different dealers will have different levels of quality and what they are expecting for their work.

You can get a great education by making appointments with 2-3 dealers, talking with them, seeing what they are offering and what kind of $ they want.

Depends TOTALLY on what they are doing or have done to the machine as well. Some retailers patch up and sell like a bad used car. Some are restorers which is a whole different deal. Are you just buying a game, a game "as-is", a "shopped" game, a "restored" game or a "highly restored" game?
Troy
www.topscoregamerooms.com

I would say BSD from a decent retailer will probably run 1800-2000 in fully functioning, shopped, but not cosmetically perfect condition. In cosmetically restored, collector or near-collector condition, it would be around 2500-3000.

Yes, as others have said, if you're not into doing the tech or restoration work, or if you don't have a pin hauling vehicle, a retailer is often the way to go.

I also think that generally the buying experience is more pleasant with a retailer. No hauling ass two hours away with cash in hand only to find the game is not as described or the seller is a total jerk, and that sort of thing. And when people talk of hobby prices, they forget to mention the hundred bucks in gas they spent traveling to look at rusted piles until they found something worth buying, or the $200 in parts they bought immediately after acquiring a game that needs work.

No offense but these are prices on pins I have seen FS in the last couple of months. I've sold a TS in the last couple of months for the price that I stated. I bought a 1400 wh20 from md and most other pins were mid-Atlantic. Your experience may vary but my comment was not an opinion.