what are your pins worth now,nobody has cash?

[johnwartjr]

You're basically in the same situation that we were at in the US a few years back. At least, based on what I'm reading.

There were a number of people importing containers and selling the pins for profit. Most of those folks are either out of business, or don't do containers anymore. When comparing the quality of the pins in containers to the quality of pins in containers of previous years, the quality of the pins were much lower.

Yes, in the 'golden age' of containers, it was possible to request a container with 15 TAFs, 10 TZs, 12 IJs, 5 MM, 5 AFM etc and no Last Action Hero, No LW3, no Popeye, no Gottliebs etc. And the prices were still great!

Then, things started to dry up, and instead of getting a container full of 'gold', your container was mostly filler and a little gold, and the profit margins sank.

Pins are a luxury item. A lot of the collectors who have them are not effected by recessions. It's not a question of, do I buy this Addams, or do I eat this month? It's not a situation where they must sell anything in a fire sale to eat, because they lost their job. If they sell something, it's because they are tired of it, or out of space, and either taking the hit on value doesn't matter to them, or more likely, they just don't part with it.

Yes, there are hard working people who buy pins out there, who aren't wealthy, and I'm sure that if you're in that situation, selling a game can be quite painful. I've been there, lost a job, had to sell a bunch of pins to survive. But, a good quality machine is still worth a fair price.

[ddstoys]

It is like a yo yo.   At the moment I can't rebuild them quick enough for the guys nagging me but that's now next year I might not sell one machine  who knows

[mildflame]

You're basically in the same situation that we were at in the US a few years back. At least, based on what I'm reading.

There were a number of people importing containers and selling the pins for profit. Most of those folks are either out of business, or don't do containers anymore. When comparing the quality of the pins in containers to the quality of pins in containers of previous years, the quality of the pins were much lower.

Yes, in the 'golden age' of containers, it was possible to request a container with 15 TAFs, 10 TZs, 12 IJs, 5 MM, 5 AFM etc and no Last Action Hero, No LW3, no Popeye, no Gottliebs etc. And the prices were still great!

Then, things started to dry up, and instead of getting a container full of 'gold', your container was mostly filler and a little gold, and the profit margins sank.

Pins are a luxury item. A lot of the collectors who have them are not effected by recessions. It's not a question of, do I buy this Addams, or do I eat this month? It's not a situation where they must sell anything in a fire sale to eat, because they lost their job. If they sell something, it's because they are tired of it, or out of space, and either taking the hit on value doesn't matter to them, or more likely, they just don't part with it.

Yes, there are hard working people who buy pins out there, who aren't wealthy, and I'm sure that if you're in that situation, selling a game can be quite painful. I've been there, lost a job, had to sell a bunch of pins to survive. But, a good quality machine is still worth a fair price.

With the popular machines being imported... it wouldn't lower the price of normal or not so popular machines because its only popular ones and the demand will still be overkill. its when people import cheap machines or not so wanted ones that the people that already have them lose value like LW3 popeye ect...

[infinite1977]

Wow, ask a question and don't like the answer.....

Pretty sure I can have an opionion on a thread that was started because YOU can't sell any pins. May be your pins are a wooden box, mine are works of art  

That they are :)

[pinball god]

Pins are like cars. Spend lots of cash for no gain in general, but that's the fun of it.

I buy to enjoy and not make money. I buy houses to make money on occasions but my current home cost heaps and I'll never get the returns I have had on other properties. I built it for enjoyment not profit, same like my games.

So don't buy pinball for the fast buck as wins aren't that often unless you're real savvy. I'm not.

Btw I think those really pissed about prices are people that maybe got a little over excited and over committed and now need to convert them back to cash in a hurry. If you have the time and patience I believe you could probably find that one person who'll pay your dollars. But that could take some time.

[Boots]

Pins are like cars. Spend lots of cash for no gain in general, but that's the fun of it.

I buy to enjoy and not make money. I buy houses to make money on occasions but my current home cost heaps and I'll never get the returns I have had on other properties. I built it for enjoyment not profit, same like my games.

So don't buy pinball for the fast buck as wins aren't that often unless you're real savvy. I'm not.

Btw I think those really pissed about prices are people that maybe got a little over excited and over committed and now need to convert them back to cash in a hurry. If you have the time and patience I believe you could probably find that one person who'll pay your dollars. But that could take some time.

+1

[The pinballist formally known as Dean Morgan]

_{pins will ultimately fall in price as we get older.  There are very very few younger collectors, heaps of pins in aus.  Soon the baby boomers will need to downside, my kids have already told me they are not interested...next 10years massive price drop}

[Retropin]

In all honesty.. its all relative. Yes the TOTAL $$ value of a machine in general has dropped, but  its the main stream titles that have fallen... top end will always be top end and the price seldom varies. Even our friend with the KISS machines must have realised by now that he aint gonna squeeze more than $6800 out of this title.. each that sells floats around this price give or take a couple of hundred.
Problem... and yes it was a problem a year or two back was that general population lost the value of the $.. many loaned against their house equity to buy plasma TVs.. surround sound theatres and even pinballs... gee you couldnt pick up a dogs breakfast for less than a grand.
Thats all gone.. silly money lending is a thing of the past and so general float cash dries up.... now Joe Bloggs realises that his $1 cost him $1.10 to buy... not the 50c it was and so as the money dries up, so does the general flow of the $$.
Your $1 is now pretty precious.. before it was Monopoly money.
Percentage wise of general cash.. id say pins still cost the same... actual number of $$.... yep, its down

[pinball god]

_{pins will ultimately fall in price as we get older.  There are very very few younger collectors, heaps of pins in aus.  Soon the baby boomers will need to downside, my kids have already told me they are not interested...next 10years massive price drop}

I agree with the downsize scenario to a point. At the moment I'm considering to downsize but I haven't figured how to get rid of the wife. Is there a kinda eBay for wives or something 

[beaky]

I must be doing all right then, I just sold a working project WMS FIRE! for $1000 
I bought it 3 years ago for the exact same price.

[Caveoftreasures]

quote -
I must be doing all right then, I just sold a working project WMS FIRE! for $1000 
I bought it 3 years ago for the exact same price.
...
you forgot to mention the guy is blind, is also deaf, has no hands or legs, and has been dead for ten years. Only the person i described would pay $1,000 for that machine Andy.    At $1,000, your Xmas has come very early indeed.  What are u going to buy with the $1,000 ? Plenty nice projects getting around mate.  

[Timelord]

I agree with the downsize scenario to a point. At the moment I'm considering to downsize but I haven't figured how to get rid of the wife. Is there a kinda eBay for wives or something 
[/quote]
Not as far as I am aware, could be an interesting business proposition, I would like to see some of the buy it now prices LOL, separate categories for children and pets could be incorporated

[johnny]

Working pinballs (dmd's) like arcade games will always be worth as much money as they can make onsite when operated. They are a cheap thrill especially when money is tight. IMO $1400 for a working dmd is a good buy regardless of title & from experience I found some of the gottlieb the most reliable. 

[Cow Corner]

Good pins priced fairly will always sell and in my experience they sell pretty quickly too. Tides and trends in pricing will change for sure but a keen buyer will always respond to the aforementioned.
Only the people who are asking too much for games are not getting the results they think they deserve.

[studley67]

Working pinballs (dmd's) like arcade games will always be worth as much money as they can make onsite when operated. They are a cheap thrill especially when money is tight. IMO $1400 for a working dmd is a good buy regardless of title & from experience I found some of the gottlieb the most reliable. 

show me a gottieb dmd for $1400,i would but it every day of the week.