Made a preliminary list today for a PBR order and it came to a bit over $200 US. At first I thought that sounded like a lot, then I realized that there is art in there (plastics, drops, etc.) and that stuff is always pricey. So all in all it doesn't look too bad so far. I guess I don't have to hassle with the MO issue like you Aussies do, so I'm getting off cheap.
That issue kind of sucks. You'd think you could compensate by more careful ordering and planning, but no matter what a guy does there are always a couple things you forget to order, so automatically multiply the fee by 2 or 3 by the time you're done. So much for impulse buying. I know paypal sucks and in this day and age it seems odd somebody doesn't step up and create a non-gouging, fair business kind of alternative, but if Paypal is all there is then it seems like a guy could work it out somehow. It also seems to me that PBR is surely missing out on occasional sales which would make up for some of the costs associated and then some. Then again I'm not there and he is, and I'm sure he's sorted through it a ton more than the five minutes of thought that I've given it. To each his own.
I also wish he could get help to make his site easier to navigate. I think most of it is there, but it sure would be nice to be able to search for stuff. Years ago that site would be fine, but these days they've refined web pages and they can be very easy to use and find what you need quickly. I find his site a little awkward and have trouble finding things. That could also just be me of course.
My list so far consists only of playfield and cabinet parts other than coil sleeves & flipper tidbits. I don't have the $200 anyway so I'll have plenty of time to sweep through the machine and discover whatever else it needs. I wish I had access to a schematic so I could do this phase thoroughly before placing the order (which would include the schematic, but by then it's a little late). There ought to be a site where a guy could buy a PDF schematic for instant download. Maybe a local pinhead has one I can borrow for a bit.
Well it's time to get out and go get some sun. I'm painting my house so I'll get a decent dose today. I should have time to start work on the Pioneer in a few weeks.
V
