If the guys already importing are open to the idea, perhaps next time they bring in a shipment, rather than investing time to repair etc, they could offer some machines on an 'as is' basis, potentially saving them money in time, labour and parts, and hopefully pass on some savings to the "DIY"er...

That only works IF they want too.
I guess it depends on how much someone is willing to pay for "as is" ultimately if enough cash is thrown at the importer then they would be a fool not to release machines "as is".

Example:

Machine landed cost = $2000
Restore cost = $2000
Sale price of restored machine = $6000
Profit = $2000

If the importer was offered $4000 for the machine "as is" why would they bother with the restore?
They would still be getting the same profit for a lot less work and effort.