Are pinballs harder to get?

[Toads]

No I'm talking apples for apples here.

So I'm talking about the big red writing down the bottom "after rebuild"of the bargain basement price of 14k

[pinnies4me]

WW = Whirlwind

WH2O  = Whitewater

We are fortunate to have several high quality restorers who do this professionally, and some very talented amateurs too. Our pros do seem to aim for a "better than factory" result, but I suspect hand lacing wiring looms might not be up there with the most requested customer mods ......

Anyway, good luck with your restoration.

[Retropin]

I don't see any lacing.

There used to be rows of women that did this work in the factories of the time.. hand lacing wire looms. You start at one end with one continuous piece of waxed lace. By the end of loom, the lace is still in one piece and can be unravelled along the loom to go back to one continuous length. Anyone with an EM can see this handywork inside their machines.

I see a lot of black spot ties.. no lacing.

I wish you all the best with the sale and I applaud you for aiming high and having the self belief that what you have done equals a major $$ value. But I do question your "lacing" and I do question the value of the original PF being worth $500 if the new owner of the $14K machine wants it.

Please do come back in 15 years with the sale price  

[buzz66]

I agree with everything you guys are saying in principle.
You are dead correct It's not technically laced its individually tied.
Lacing is the lazy way and a pain in the Butt when work needs to be carried.

Hand lacing is actually heaps quicker to do, but not preferred in this case.
So if you can show me a better wiring loom on any pinball machine I will be very impressed to be sure

We are starting to get a bit off topic now

[4_amusement_only]

Can't go past a Sys 3 - connectors are even labelled from factory too.

But yes Bally/Williams looms are much messier and use thinner gauge wiring than this manufacturer

[salsicha]

I can't speak to the nuance of wiring looms as I prefer to avoid looking under the playfield, as you never know what surprises you will find there, but with regards to the original topic living in Perth the reality is pinballs have always been difficult to find especially if you have a penchant for A list titles.

The change I have noticed here in Perth is that B and C titles have definitely gone up in Price.

On the subject of professional restorers, I wish we had a few operating here as I am always envious of seeing those for sale in the eastern states which I would gladly buy if they were here.

[joele]

Will post in here as kind of on topic and no need for a new thread..

So, what is a dr who really worth these days? Nice playfield, clean pin, re-decalled and colorDMD..

[McKie1]

Will post in here as kind of on topic and no need for a new thread..

So, what is a dr who really worth these days? Nice playfield, clean pin, re-decalled and colorDMD..

My humble opinion would be $6k+
Avg one prob $4.5k?

[Strangeways]

Will post in here as kind of on topic and no need for a new thread..

So, what is a dr who really worth these days? Nice playfield, clean pin, re-decalled and colorDMD..

Depends on the definition of "nice" and "clean" .. 

If it is at a high standard, you would be looking at over $7K at least with a colorDMD.

[joele]

Wow, that's insane..

[Strangeways]

Wow, that's insane..

Dr Who - Reconditioned to dealer standards is worth $3500 - $4000.

When you add a full cabinet restore - add $1000-$1200 labour and materials plus Next Gen artwork = $1250-$1450.
ColorDMD landed is going to cost $900.
Playfield is the unknown, but you want it to match the cabinet. Add plastics and ramps. It is now adding up very quickly.

If your base was good - $3500 + $2150/$2350 = $5700 Average NOT including playfield work / ramps / plastics etc etc. Add $1000.. Just shy of $6000.

If you wanted a restored cleared playfield.. There's your easy $7,000 Dr Who.

But you should be able to obtain dealer quality for far less. If you set the bar high, be prepared to pay for the work. I do High End Restos every day, and if I was to charge an hourly rate for the work, no one would be willing to pay for it. You have to really love what you do and be honest and realistic with the owner. There's so much "behind the scenes" work done.

You can buy a $4,000 Dr Who - If you look hard enough. Will it even resemble what you are asking for - I highly doubt it.

[joele]

Thanks for all the info..

I didn't explain myself well, I have one and was pondering selling it (not decided yet), but wanted an idea what it is worth.. It seems to have gone up a lot, but not so surprising as even the colordmds cost a lot more now than when I bought them, let alone pinball prices creeping up..