I consider myself as having benefitted from "friendly pricing" on here, ESPECIALLY when I was new to the hobby, so clearly it is not only available to existing collectors. I have bought pins at a sensible price on here and then been able to sell them back on here quickly with no fuss. Anyone can buy the machines advertised on here as long as they don't expect special treatment when it comes to viewing, etc.
Not everyone is agreeing with this - I have never even picked up a pin in person, let alone had to hire a van.
See the machine you want, agree to pay the price, contact Martin to pick up machine, pay the money .... simple. Most sellers are happy with this arrangement. I can see that this requires a bit of trust on the part of the buyer (I was nervous when I sent £2k+ to a guy on here for my first pin), but once you have got over that mental hurdle, it is fairly painless.
I really don't see why you feel the need to complain about the way people trade machines on here. There is a place called eBay that facilitates the trade of pinball machines in exactly the way that you suggest.
^^^^
This.
Apologies for the long post.
TL DR -
- You can buy pins without travelling
- Pins sell quicker the lower the price
- It's quite easy and fun to get to know people in the hobby
- You don't NEED to buy a pin to enjoy the hobby
Long version -
I don't have kids, but when I bought my first pin through here a couple of years ago, I had considerable work commitments so the idea of touring round the country in a van with no notice was a complete non-starter. I'd imagine that would be similar for many people on here, so effectively claiming that one is at a disadvantage because of having kids doesn't really stack up.
From a personal point of view, I knew very little about the process and was fortunate to come across this place rather than ending up buying from HLD.
I did a fair bit of research on a few pins, but was fairly flexible on the exact title, so when an ad came up for a TNA, which looked to be in good condition, I talked to a couple of people who said the seller had a good reputation on here, contacted the seller (initially with too low an offer), and we ultimately agreed a price. He gave me Martin's contact details and we arranged a pick up date. I then sent in excess of £5500 to what was pretty much a complete stranger I'd never met, for a pinball I'd not seen, and actually had never even played another example of.
Was I a little nervous about it? Well of course I was, but the pinball duly arrived and it was indeed in great condition. Also turned out to be a brilliant game too.
The second purchase (BKSoR) was somewhat easier to deal with mentally, as it was co-incidentally from the same guy, although an even more expensive purchase. Again, I didn't see the machine in person and also had never played one before buying it.
Neither purchase necessitated me leaving the house though. Just a few messages through the forum, a couple of phone calls and an online bank transfer.
Regarding the availability of pinballs for newbies, I guess I'm not helping as 2 years later, I'm not even considering moving either of these games on regardless of what they may be worth. I only have space for 2 pins, and will keep these as long as I continue to enjoy playing them which is likely to be a long time (I've put over 5000 plays on TNA so far and still play it pretty much every day).
From a newbie perspective, fortunately there are also places around like Pinball Republic, The Pinball Office, Chief Coffee etc.. so even if one doesn't buy a pin initially (as Nick mentioned earlier in this thread), pinball is still pretty accessible (and at a very low cost). In fact going to events regularly and meeting people is for me what keeps the hobby fresh and interesting.
Finally, regarding prices, a pinball is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Some people are happy to sell on here for very reasonable prices. Those machines go very quickly. If you're in the market for a machine, it's easy to have your phone ping you when an ad is placed, and it only takes a few seconds to message the seller.
Some people put higher prices on their machines, and these don't sell as quickly.
Some people sell machines to their friends, possibly at more favourable prices, or even just loan machines. It's not really a closed club or secret society though. I think you just have to get to know people by talking to them. I've certainly found the community very welcoming at all the places I've been so far - Pinball Republic, Pinball Office, London/SE league meets, Special When Lit (Salisbury), Pinfest etc..
In fact, thinking about it, if/when I do decide to sell TNA, it will first be offered to a specific person who has expressed a strong interest in it, before even being advertised on here. So I guess a newbie may not get a chance to buy it.
Is that fair on the newbie? Maybe not.
Should I be allowed to sell something I own to a friend without offering it to the world? Definitely.
There’s a reason I don’t work as a broadcast journalist!!!
), or because they were being flamed about pricing.
The chap with the skill posts was especially upset, apparently 
