If you come along to this hobby like i did a year ago, and you contact every dealer in Australia and get the pricing for a range of pins, u get a perspective of what the industry is selling machines for and the level of quality you can expect.
Then, just like buying a car, thru a dealer, or thru a private sale, you get the feel for the difference in pricing. But heres the catch, a top class machine in top condition, whether thru a dealer or thru a private sale, will only vary about 10 to 20 percent maximum.
I feel pin prices are climbing and will continue to do so. In all respect, I think alot of forum members cant let go of the past, and compare the prices they paid 4 or 5 years ago. Example, someone bought a fishtales for $900 4 years ago, and feels it is worth today only 2200. Wrong !
When u see a local professional dealer (with proper commercial premises) up here in QLD, sell 4 or 5 fishtales amonth at $4200, and because the machines are redecalled, new ramps n bits n pieces etc and the machine look as good as u can possibly get a fishtales, u realise that pinball collectors, are more and more competing against new home gamesroom buyers. Mums n dads who know nothing about pinballs or the history etc, just a purchaser who was put onto a new idea, a new big show off type toy for their home gamesroom. These people have money, want a plug n play machine, and dont want to touch a dam thing, except the start button.
These are the people we will be competing with more and more as machines hit peoples gamesrooms. Europe is drying up. Take a trip over and u will see what is left. At the rate, the machines are being imported and sold, its only a matter of time. Anyone who feels pin prices will plummet, to where they were 5 years ago, is going to wish he had of grabbed that machine a year or two ago. Look at monsterbash, medi-evil madness, attack from mars, cactus canyon, totan etc etc, all gone way up. when these machines become like hens teeth to acquire, the next batch of b machines will climb too.
time will tell. importers are buying machines at a high rate cause they sell at a high rate, and for more and more money each year.
just keep buying them, after all, its only money. lol
