I personally travelled the entire country buying machines from container importers.
I saw the cost prices paid by the importers who were and became mostly good friends.
Games like Star Wars Data East were C grade titles and honestly were being offered for retail $1400 to $1800 in QLd espescially. Lower for nice but needing attention, higher at 1800 for plug n play n needing absolutely nothing. If I didnt see at least 50 of these and almost every title you can imagine come out of containers, I would be underestimating the numbers easily. These games were on offer by overseas container exporters for $400 to $600 max.
I remember sitting with many importers and suggesting what titles to pick and why wtc.
A Data East Star Wats is not worth more than $4 K even if it was owned by the President of the USA.
I was buying brand new Sterns like ACDC Pro or X Men Pro or Star Trek Pro etc etc and so on for close to 6 grand and mid to just over mid 6 grand in BNIB - brand spanking new.
So why in hell would a game that is early 1990,s be worth the same as a mint HUO 2nd hand Stern Pro ?
It wouldn't be unless the person was on drugs or dellusional.
I believe I know the realistic prices of almost every DMD game and game afterwards cause I study the market thoroughly. It's of benefit to me cause I never want to pay a silly price that might embarrass me or cause me a loss on a pin at a later date.
The person selling can justify crazy prices to the emotionally invested buyer, but when you are not emotionally invested in the purchase and are standing on the sidelines, it's easy to see the mass inflation of pinball pricing.
