Trailer Pinball Hunting

[greatwichjohn]

Spent the day with a friend hunting out what's left of anything pinball from an old operator. Here are some pictures & I will post what we actually bought later. Let you guess what we found. http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/greatwichjohn/Trailer%20Hunting%20For%20Pinball/

[swinks]

Sad to think what gets thrown in to a hole in the ground.

[greatwichjohn]

Peter got a decent Dr. Pepper Bottle pop machine for $200. I bought 5
pin bodies & 1 head, for $260 which got me what ever crap playfields
were also there. I left the Six Million Dollar Man playfield outside,
since I thoght it was a good oddity! Cabinets I bought were Bally
Eight Ball (was moldy so off into the pile), Mr. & Mrs. Pacman (no
glass in head & gutted except for Squalk & Talk, aux. lamp driver, 3
displays. Left it in trailer legs on). Flash Gordon, Elecktra, & Xenon
came home. Only Xenon cab & head will be kept. All the picture glass
was trash & only saw Xenon there on a shelf. Forgot to show bare
Strikes & Spares playfield in fair condition. The guy was going to
throw out the 2 box's of boards, which have decent batteries.

Cost of the trip for each of us $100, $85 gas, $5 toll, & $10 food. 3
hours each way & 3 hours sorting & moving junk! Peter's photo's first
4 show slots, he is pictured in the trailer shots, & I'm outside with
my trailer by the lake.

Overall it was a decent trip, & a worth while gamble. I can always use
parts to keep other pins going. You can see the new pictures of what I got above.

[Strangeways]

Sounds like a heap of fun and something I'd like to do one year - drive around the USA in a big truck looking for neglected machines sitting in barns etc..

John - is it common to find old operators stashes ?

[greatwichjohn]

There are a number of old operators, that the longer you stay in the hobby the more you come accross. Unfortunately most are getting out or already have. Also my biggest operator doesn't want any more personal buying trips for older pins it seems after I started my own company which can sell new pins this summer.
This operator (with trailers) told me he took a few trailer loads to the USA for auction years ago. Also said he junked over 80 pins, mostly em's & bingo's years ago that he stored in a barn. He said he didn't realise how birds can shit over everything. He salvaged a KISS pin after throwing out the playfield glass for $1k. The rest either got burned or landfilled.

Most operators made major bucks in the early days of illegal gambling. Some became millionairs 20 years ago before the Government got involved & legalised government run gambling in Canada. Most arcades died 20 years back, & what's left is usually not maintained. Many guys that were employees of the business were either let go or quit over this period of time.