A
abaxas
Seams lots for sale on here and ebay is full to the rafters.
What's going on?
What's going on?
Pinball info
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It's crazy. I'm gobsmacked at the amount for sale lately. Maybe more people are capable of buying NIB?
A lot of brand new games arriving now or in the near future.
Nothing unusual.Summer is drawing to a close. The lull is over. Peoples thoughts are turning to the dark months ahead. Pins need to be moved to make space/funds for new toys. And so the cycle continues. Don't see it as a glut myself. Everyone I know has more pins than space so something has to give.
OP
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abaxas
I guess the market is only so big, hence all the recent ebay bargains.
I've got a NIB coming and that does put the brakes on purchases. A NIB stops the sale of 2 or 3 pins which I may have jumped on (if I had the space which I don't) also, I think if you are buying a NIB you may have to sell one or two to either make space or fund it so it does look like more pins than takers.
It's an expensive hobby and I for one have not got spare thousands sitting around, the people who have are throwing it at buildings to house it all so yes there are pins for sale where you think god that should have sold instantly.
Well that is my situation anyway.
It's an expensive hobby and I for one have not got spare thousands sitting around, the people who have are throwing it at buildings to house it all so yes there are pins for sale where you think god that should have sold instantly.
Well that is my situation anyway.
There may be plenty for sale but it's the prices I'm finding hard to believe. Many, if not most, pins are way beyond my means (which is one of the reasons I'm into old projects) but the level of unobtainium seems to have hit new levels. Sure, there have been some surprises like the recent uber-mint MM going for £4.4k when a year or two ago it might have fetched £6k, but there don't seem to be many DMD-era games starting under a grand on eBay now. From my perspective it's the "entry level" first step on the pinball ladder that's getting higher. Like houses, it's the sought-after "first timer" properties that are disproportionally more expensive whilst luxury 6-bedroom executive homes are fairly flat? So, games that might have gone for £600-800 are now going for £1,000-£1,200 whereas £2-3k machines are pretty much still that.
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abaxas
I think you are confusing asking and sale price
If you look at what things actually sell for, it's much lower than the usual 'hope and pray' prices of most.
Could be @abaxas, could be. And looking at final prices on eBay means bugger all. I know of pins that seemingly sold for X but eventually changed owners for X minus Y plus a bit of this and half of that, as real people strike real world deals when they finally meet face to face. We all know sales fall through, re-list and then sell again for a different figure.
It's hard for me to be objective as I've only been into pinball for 18 months, but in that short time even I sensed the general rise of the public profile of pinball, e.g., SCS making regional TV news. And with that comes the inevitable rise in demand and the opportunists. A google search tells them a Nip-It can fetch £3.5k so on go the rotten wedge heads stored for years in the back of a barn with an opening price of £1,000. I watched it happen to arcade video games 10 years ago as people my age hit their 30th birthdays and decided they wanted a bit of their 80s childhood back. Space Invaders, Pac-Man, etc., hitting £10k. Ruddy madness!
It's hard for me to be objective as I've only been into pinball for 18 months, but in that short time even I sensed the general rise of the public profile of pinball, e.g., SCS making regional TV news. And with that comes the inevitable rise in demand and the opportunists. A google search tells them a Nip-It can fetch £3.5k so on go the rotten wedge heads stored for years in the back of a barn with an opening price of £1,000. I watched it happen to arcade video games 10 years ago as people my age hit their 30th birthdays and decided they wanted a bit of their 80s childhood back. Space Invaders, Pac-Man, etc., hitting £10k. Ruddy madness!
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abaxas
The regional news used to always cover the POA events, even back in the 90s. (my god have I been loving pinball that long!)
As I always say, a nice dip of 20-30% would kill off all the flippers and leave the hobby for people for actually do it for the love of the game.
As I always say, a nice dip of 20-30% would kill off all the flippers and leave the hobby for people for actually do it for the love of the game.
And a few years back when they were 20%-30% less , people were still moaning 
Its the way of the world. Just best not to stress about it and put yr energy into pinball .... playing/restoring/buying/selling/loaning/swapping/shows....its all just a big game, so have fun.
Its the way of the world. Just best not to stress about it and put yr energy into pinball .... playing/restoring/buying/selling/loaning/swapping/shows....its all just a big game, so have fun.
OP
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abaxas
I guess my only gripe is the ego element of it all. It used to be about the pinball, but the money brought in more people who were only interested in the money.
What is good is that people are starting to realize that you often dont get back the money you put in. Maybe, pinball is finally becoming a hobby.
It still can't be as bad as the mid/late 90s where it was rock hard to buy tables. (mind tries to remember that name of that amusement paper where everything was advertised... aghgh what was it called)
What is good is that people are starting to realize that you often dont get back the money you put in. Maybe, pinball is finally becoming a hobby.
It still can't be as bad as the mid/late 90s where it was rock hard to buy tables. (mind tries to remember that name of that amusement paper where everything was advertised... aghgh what was it called)
coinslot?
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abaxas
I think so!.... used to be full of adverts for used waltzers
There are many noobs coming into the hobby all the time. On my estate alone there are now 5 more pinheads who have all in the last year or so come into the light of pinball. The desire level is so strong with these people they are prepared to pay way more than a seasoned pin buyer to get what they want.
I look at it this way; This is a hobby in which you can pay a large amount of money for something that you can play to death for as long as you want. Then, once you've had enough in nine times out of ten you can get back what you paid for it and go buy another. Rinse and repeat until finally you decide you had enough a few years later and cash out to reclaim your initial outlay if you so wish.
I look at it this way; This is a hobby in which you can pay a large amount of money for something that you can play to death for as long as you want. Then, once you've had enough in nine times out of ten you can get back what you paid for it and go buy another. Rinse and repeat until finally you decide you had enough a few years later and cash out to reclaim your initial outlay if you so wish.
Yeah, esp when you can play them on your PC for nothing, mental