Pinball Prices - What is going on ?

[Strangeways]

As most of you know, I've been in the industry for a long time, and what I'm seeing in today's marketplace is truly unbelievable. Yesterday, a collector provided me with a link for a Tron VE on Gumtree for $40,000. Today, this machine appears to be sold. It is unclear if it fetched the asking price, but it is consistent with recent sales of machines that are being sold at inflated prices. Good luck to those that are selling these games, I'm not against sellers (commercial and private) selling games, but for the first time that I can recall, I'm actually telling potential customers NOT to buy machines in the current market cycle. I think it might be a windfall for sellers, but I think buyers are not doing their homework, or exercising some patience. A recent rumor is that a standard TAF changed hands for $25K - unsure of its condition.


I thought a world event such as a recession would change the market in a negative curve, but this pandemic has changed it in a different direction entirely.

[punkin]

Yeah mate. Great time to sell, bad time to buy.


My problem is i rarely sell a game. I have figured
Where i want my collection to head though, and as i am running out of dedicated pinball space i have to be more careful what i buy.


New or late model pro or premium machines are the best buy in pinball at the moment.


Great time to buy a new stern as you can get
A new turtles or avengers pro for 1500 bucks more than an Avatar.
Same goes for Spooky or JJP they still match up with a stern premium. If prices stay high you'll make money down the track.
If they drop all the way back till an Avatar is the 5 or 6 k it was late last year then you still won't loose if you pick the right title.


Swings and roundabouts.

[pinoffski]

Yep prices are crazy mate ...

I said the wrong thing on facebook about the price of a pinball that was for sale  ..
the next morning i sent a message to the seller and reported myself to admin
 .. and  I apologized  for my out burst ...
 
Funny off topic...
 I recently  upset some people saying that i would only have a pinball fully restored top and bottom from APR...


 

[ddstoys]

It’s rediculous it’s no longer a hobby for normal people anymore sadly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[punkin]

I'm pretty normal.

[oldskool1969]

Yep I am priced out, but I am happy to have what I have.
If I wanted to sell a pin I would never afford to get it back as everyone wants double the money, CRAZY

[pinnies4me]

I was wondering if this was a symptom of the Covid lock-in situation for some - working from and being at home, looking for distractions within the home, having time to sit on the PC (instead of actually working from home...) looking for hobby stuff??? A friend was saying the other day that car prices on Grays had gone nuts (he trades a little on the side), he thinks it is the stay at homes having more time to look and bid.

[onetaste]

I'm pretty normal.

I don’t know, most people couldn’t afford your line up. People coming to me wanting to get in and buy their first pin ask me how much, when i tell them $3k is the entry for a 40yo game they forget about it, they don’t have that kind of money available.

[onetaste]

Yes, i think it is lockdown people looking for a project or something to pass the time, but also new entrants into the market. There are plenty of new machines coming from Stern et al but a limited supply of SS or WPC

[pinoffski]

The unfortunate thing about the crazy prices are that new people think that they have scored a bargain and it is the normal price to pay
when they compare a game that sold at auction  or sold for x amount
Totally understand that Dealers that import a games have to charge a price to cover costs/ repairs ect
 and due to the au dollar being lower prices have increased 

[McKie1]

People keep saying that those that withdrew their superannuation $10k (x2) have spent it on cars, motorbikes and pinball.

Would be very sad if this was the case :(

[onetaste]

People keep saying that those that withdrew their superannuation $10k (x2) have spent it on cars, motorbikes and pinball.

Would be very sad if this was the case :(

Good point, there is a lot of that, too. Although withdrawing your money when the market is down 10-20pc bec of COVID is not a great idea.

[punkin]

I'm pretty normal.

I don’t know, most people couldn’t afford your line up. People coming to me wanting to get in and buy their first pin ask me how much, when i tell them $3k is the entry for a 40yo game they forget about it, they don’t have that kind of money available.

Yes, that's true that most couldn't have as many as me. Bu8t for people to have a jetski, a boat, a trail bike and a flash car is pretty normal if you are say a tradie. Most families could have a couple of pinball machines instead of one or two of those toys.

[AndrewGB]

Most folks are probably more cashed up than usual as they are saving alot just by working from home ... and got more time to look up hobbies etc.