One was sold on this very forum late last year. I believe an ultra rare "Spectrum" as well. One sold in Queensland last June/July, and at least 2 projects (Junk, but would be restored by a competent person) in the last 12 months. They are around, and since I bought my Fathom 15 years ago, there has been at least a dozen go up for sale since (4 since Covid alone). I've imported 5 Fathoms, and they have all been sold except one..
Very easily to source parts for a mass produced game that is 40 years old. Other than consumables or parts required for a restoration, that original charm and gameplay will be good for another 40 years.
"Restored" VS "Wank NIB" is an interesting comparison. My $ will always be on the original (restored). But I'd rather a game that surpasses Fathom. Obviously the tech is available.
The Fathom and the Spectrum were advertised here as well, but i bought them both through facebook, but the result is the same. I have them both.
That's how come i know that i want a new shiny Fathom (that is an improvement as it will be switchable to new code), because i play the old one a lot and love it. Fathom is why i sold my Centaur and will soon sell my Flash.
Now pick this apart if you will;
The one that you are talking about was advertised at $9,000. The cab has lots of marks and nicks, the backglass is quite nice and the playfield is good for it's age with no real wear as it has a playfield protector fitted. I probably didn't pay nine as i made an offer for both machines together (and later bought his Black Hole too)
So do the sum's in your head what it would cost me to send to any of you guys ($500 for Bill both ways for a start) to gut the machine, restencill the cab, replate all the mechs, new drops ect, send the playfield to Tim and reinstall, new chrome trim, new coindoor etc.
There's only 2.5k difference between the asking price for a nice original unrestored Fathom, and the new Haggis Mermaid (LE) edition (delivered).
If you are not all hooked up on the iffy judgments of the abilities of the builders being able to imagine something new, then the maths is simple. I'd have over $14k in it if i went full top end resto. And the machine will be available again to someone who may actually want to spend that kind of coin to have an original resto.
To me it's a no brainer, i'm not taking a chance on a new machine that i may not like to play or be able to figure out the rules (looking at you GnR), and i'm getting a new machine with improvements and warranty (for what that's worth). The old machine still exists and is available for someone to love as it is and play for the next forty years or restore and there are 4-500 new machines out there in the world for countless others to enjoy.
What's not to like about that?
I bought my Fathom for AUS$1500 + AUS$700 airfreight from Germany. That was expensive in 2004. I would need to check my records, but the Fathoms I brought in containers from Germany were around the $1000 Euros and I bought a Fathom from the USA for AUS$1750 when the AUS was at parity. Fathoms in collections in Australia were rare, but the only one offered to me was $3500, circa 2003. It was restored. You are referring to post 2016 prices and THEN Covid prices which are in some cases 300% what they were when Fathoms were around. I sold arguably the best restored Fathom in the country in 2012 ish for $7500. It was repainted, cleared playfield - absolutely perfect. That was considered "expensive" back then, and remains in pristine condition.
To your point of restorers working on games in Today's climate - MUCH different to what it was 10-15 years ago, as no-one was restoring games as a business, moreso a hobby (like I was).
I restore machines for a living and I've been around them, literally, all my life. I've NEVER seen the industry this good for sellers. The prices are outright ridiculous across the board. The standard of the workmanship has deteriorated UNLESS you buy from established businesses with competent restorers. So I understand your point, but the idea that reproducing a NEW game at that price point is better than the prices and availability of the original game demonstrates that the person making that claim is either new to the hobby, or has not done any homework.
Now this has gone a fair bit "off topic", but I want to state I wish all the best for anyone producing new games, or buying these new games for their collections. For the record, I would in all cases, choose the original restored, than a copy of the original. That's just the "purist" in me and nothing would change that.
