In response to "falling off my chair"..... Pinball has always had stories ... fancifal stories like "I know a guy who's got a 'such and such' and he's only asking 'XYZ' for it".
The truth is much more ordinary... In regard to the machine I listed on ebay...It cost me several thousand dollars about 15 years ago....This was before it was resprayed, before the repro backglass, before the roto target wheel worked, before the flippers, bumpers etc etc etc were done. It was in fact just about unplayable when I bought it. When I commented to the seller that the roto target was 'frozen' and didn't turn at all, he said "Oh I don't worry about that part of the game???"
Even 15 -20 years ago, the asking price for FAIR to GOOD (not GREAT) condition 60's wedgeheads was between 2-4 thousand dollars. ... Anyone who bought from Michael Shalhoub around this time can confirm this.
Some pinball machines are not very collectable, and some are very collectable. The best machines tend to be great games, with great artwork, and were very popular when they were produced .... ie: they were popular right from their release time BECAUSE they proved themselves to be great games. Time only makes this moreso.
Some people still think that they can get a game for next to nothing. This is almost always a nonsense, and when games are cheap it usually because they are wrecked and/or not very good games to begin with.
The 'World Fair' I put on Ebay is a #1 collectable game. It is widely regarded as one of the very best machines of its time (or any time). It has been completely (and I mean completely) restored and plays like new. It has a 100% repro backglass and is right to go for 10 to 20 years of home use. Any problems that may arise will only be small things as everything has been done properly and thoroughly. All this restoration takes an enormous amount of time, money and effort.
The reason I have been able to sell the few games I've sold over the years for top dollar is because they are in fact worth it. I get a little tired of the "I nearly fell off my chair" attitude. I know my machines cost more than some but the reasons for this are simple. They are great machines to begin with, no expense has been spared to bring them back to as good as I can get them cosmetically, and they work as close to 'new' as I can make them. On top of this, I always offer service and assistance to the buyer for as many years as they keep the machine!
So at the end of all that, if you don't want it, or can't afford it then don't buy it. But to carry on about it seems to me like the tail wagging the dog. It's the machines that are in rubbish condition that you have to worry about - not one that is in a condition that you will probably NEVER see or find - short of buying it. In short Pinball is a lot like life itself - you only get what you pay for! ....but don't tell me ... you know a guy with a "such and such" and he's only asking XYZ ... go get it!
