Although I agree with your points made, there needs to be a line drawn somewhere. I am all for paying a premium for quality aka my doctor which went through a thorough and documented restoration :) but there seems to be no logic with some of the prices getting thrown around. Makes things hard all round. P.s nino when are you coming over to look at my operation Thunderbolt :)
P.s I still want that playboy :)
Your Dr Who is a typical example of the price differences. There's no way a Dealer can allow their staff to work those hours on a single machine. They would go broke. It is just not good economics. In the time that it took to restore that machine, a dealer could have completed 3 games. So in a way, IF a dealer went to that level, then the Dr Who is a $4000-$5000 pinball. I would say a dealer would put it "front and centre" in their showroom with a $5000 price tag. "someone" would buy it - but investing that time might not be worth the profit of three shopped games. The "problem" with this is the precedent - once the restored Dr Who sells for $5000, then it will be a case of "we sell Dr who's for $5000 every day of the week"...
Guys like Tim and I that do this type of work for a living are good at what we do, because we love what we do. It is not just putting food on the table, it is ensuring that the customer is happy with their purchase, and he/she will return again in the future for another game. There are forum guys i know that you don't hear much about, and their standard is right up there as well. Again, you have to love what you do. A good pinball dealer salesman should be a good salesman for any product. It is their method - how well they can present and sell the product. They mostly don't know the product, but they know how to sell. From my experience, I can't sell games the same way a dealer can. Using the car analogy, I see myself as a racing car driver selling a car, not a salesperson. I know the tech stuff, but not the sales blurg.
Dealers are a very important cog in the industry. Without them, the hobby would not be thriving. The price differences and the quality differences can be extreme, but it is up to forums, meets and word of mouth to document experiences. I've seen some really bad stuff over the years, but every so often you see a really nice game that deserves the pricetag.
George - Happy to have a look at the Operation Thunderbolt - and I'll get around to the Playboy - thanks for reminding me !
