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HUO or not?

paddythegreek

paddythegreek

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10 Years
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
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Location
Leicester
Just had a conversation with a mate who’s not on here but comes on to read posts and he’s just asked me a question I’m not sure of the correct answer.
If a machine for sale on here is advertised as HUO but it’s been loaned out to one or two events/shows then technically it’s not HUO or is it. Answers on a postcard to the usual address.
First one picked out wins nothing🤔
 
HUO means Home USE Only, so technically it's not.

The fact that people say HUO and expect a premium is the real problem. The condition of the machine is the only thing that's relevant. HUO is complete and utter BS as a descriptor of a machine.
 
Agreed, it's so vague you should take it as nothing more than it's in "nice condition"

For me, it means it was purchased privately and never operated. So none of your usual transport scrapes, fag smoke, chewing gum, beer and dirty fingerprints underneath.

You would also assume that the playcount is therefore low.

Tim
 
Hmm not sure I agree - HUO useful to know the game hasn’t been in a pub and stinks of cider and black. ESP if paying at the top end. I’d always ask a buyer has this game been on location anywhere.

A 6 month old game on location will have been hammered compared to one that wasn’t. Not that it would put me off buying but at least you know what you get.

Neil.
 
Marvello said:
I'm not sure why there is confusion around it as the name says it all, Home Use Only, as in only played in the home and not in a public place. I wouldn't consider a Pin taken to a show to be HUO.
Click to expand...

I agree, should be as black & white as that, simples.
Or.... HUO - one of the homes happened to belong to a land lord, the other was a seafront arcade home to a few rats and pigeons but none the less, as stated - HUO


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Home Use, ie never commercial. Shows are fine in my mind. It's an exhibit, you're exhibiting your machine.

Best just not use the term. I wouldn't bother and i dont read much into it other than a statement of the machine's "life".
 
If then a machine has had home use only then taken to a show to exhibit with on one playing it then it’s HUO but if people can play it, it can’t be HUO is how I see it imho.
 
Yeah i see your argument, but what's has the statement HUO been created for?
It has to be a useful and meaningful expression of describing the pedegree/life of the machine.

I mean, how far do you go? One player only? Never used in house parties? Never had beers near it?

Silly examples, but no worse than "never been to a show" in my mind. It's just too specific a detail to mean anything.

It's far more useful to use it to describe the fact that it's never been operated commercially.

If you get too specific or take the term too literally, you just invite people to lie about a pins history, or you end up with the term becoming extinct because eventuly they'd all become non-existent.

What's more useful to the buyer by saying something is "HUO"? That it's never been in a pub, or that its also never been to a show (honestly, so what)?

It's not a statement of condition - that's what photos are for. It's a statement of origin.

Interesting debate btw..

Tim
 
Whilst home use only sounds great it really doesn't tell you anything. If a smoker buys a new game and plays it constantly whilst it lives in the lounge where they smoke, is that better than a public space where people can't? Also, it doesn't mean that balls are changed or services are done in timely fashion either. I have put games on site that have been hardly played at all.

As Wayne says, condition is everything. There are some tell tale signs of use (such as the amount of wear in the shooter lane). Ultimately home use only means nothing, buy a machine based on how it is presented now!
 
I have bought and will continue to buy operated machines. Do I care about HUO. Yep. It's a trust marker, but it isn't the be all and end all. Should you call it HUO if it has been to any shows? Yeah, come on, it doesn't really matter.

Let's be honest, how I keep my games, is different to how others keep theres. It's the same for one operator to another. Judge on what you see.
 
My mate who asked the question originally and only has a RS has just said that if two machines same game came up both selling as HUO and the same price but one has been to X shows, one hasn’t he’d buy the one that’s only had HUO.
Me personally I’m inclined to agree
 
paddythegreek said:
My mate who asked the question originally and only has a RS has just said that if two machines same game came up both selling as HUO and the same price but one has been to X shows, one hasn’t he’d buy the one that’s only had HUO.
Me personally I’m inclined to agree
Click to expand...

But what if the game that hasn't been to a show has twice as many games played on it?

Going to a show would only be an issue if it was damaged during transport. That can happen whilst moving house (or if your children are as careless as mine!)
 
paddythegreek said:
My mate who asked the question originally and only has a RS has just said that if two machines same game came up both selling as HUO and the same price but one has been to X shows, one hasn’t he’d buy the one that’s only had HUO.
Me personally I’m inclined to agree
Click to expand...

What if the one had never been to a show but the guy had moved house 5 times and the other one has only been to 4 shows?
 
Matt Vince said:
But what if the game that hasn't been to a show has twice as many games played on it?

Going to a show would only be an issue if it was damaged during transport. That can happen whilst moving house (or if your children are as careless as mine!)
Click to expand...
I suppose at the end of the day it’s down to the buyer and whether certain things bother him or not
 
Doesn't really matter what tag you put on it
You buy a machine on the merits of that particular game you are looking to buy plus the merits who you are buying from
So HUO And other tags mean nothing in my eyes
You buy what you see or not it's still secondhand
Telboy


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Plus the amount of games is not necessarily an indicator of use in a home environment as quite often on free play if we have a ****e first ball we wait for ball 2 and press start for a new game.
This potentially racks up the amount of games shown to have been played.
 
The wording is the key clue here. Home Use Only. Think about it. It's like asking your wife if she ever did it for money. Once is too much.
 
Toxteth O'Grady said:
Plus the amount of games is not necessarily an indicator of use in a home environment as quite often on free play if we have a ****e first ball we wait for ball 2 and press start for a new game.
This potentially racks up the amount of games shown to have been played.
Click to expand...
Why do this ? The remaining balls could give you the best game ever. It's totally beyond me why people do this. :hmm:
 
Huo really means nothing best ask how many games and even that’s not a real indicator as if your a poor player may have loads of games on them if your an amazing player not so many games but they may have been several times longer also some huo owner take care of games others dont
 
IMHO-
If something is advertised as HUO...
There’s nothing cryptic going on, it means to me Home Use Only.
If it turns out to be anything other than this then it’s been falsely advertised.
Knowing pinheads / home collector’s generally look after their pins vs average Joe Smoke in a commercial environment, I would always 100% personally be more attracted to the home use only pin.
I guess there are exceptions, but would hazard a guess these are few and far between.
 
Can’t tar all commercial pins with same brush but this put me off a bit when discussing a potential purchase:
Seller says......
“It was in a commercial setting but was never used just sat doing nothing, better than HUO, was in a Bingo hall all its life”.
So I drove hundreds of miles....turned up to view it, piece of sh^t!, split cab, hammered 😬
So..... people have their different opinions of Mint, Immaculate, Excellent, amazing, etc......
All open to interpretation.
 
Sako-TRG said:
Can’t tar all commercial pins with same brush but this put me off a bit when discussing a potential purchase:
Seller says......
“It was in a commercial setting but was never used just sat doing nothing, better than HUO, was in a Bingo hall all its life”.
So I drove hundreds of miles....turned up to view it, piece of sh^t!, split cab, hammered 😬
So..... people have their different opinions of Mint, Immaculate, Excellent, amazing, etc......
All open to interpretation.
Click to expand...
If only there was a way to send pictures or videos.... ;)
 
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