Creature from the Black Lagoon- what to look for?

[Flipball]

Hi,

It's been 18 years since I last owned a pin and I'd like to purchase a Creature as it was my favourite from the 90's.

Would welcome any advice on what to look for. Ie what is always broken (if anything), what is hard to replace if broken, faults etc.

What a fair price for one in good condition would be?, doesn't have to be mint- just in good or excellent playable condition.

Do you think it's a good title for the family? It's been at least 10 years since I played one.

Any other advice in this title would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time!

Ben

[swinks]

I have one and really enjoy it, fun but challenging game

- price can vary greatly based on the hologram, if it has one and is green it is a good find, if it is going blue or turned blue, it's gone but check out the mods section under Bally for 2 lcd options and repro holograms will be released very soon.

- if you want to fit a holo and it doesn't have one make sure the motors are there and work and that the cowling and brackets are all there otherwise some of these parts will be hard and expensive to find.

- ramps are available and some decals still around which were from a run done last year so these could dry up for a little while, most plastics can be found as well as various speaker grill options.

- make sure it has all the wireform ramps as these will be extremely hard to locate if at all.

- most plastics and apron decals are available from a European pinball company.

- playfields current not available and NOS and Reruns very hard to find - wear is around the subway holes and around the film inserts near the flippers


good condition with a few mods and no holo will be between $2700 to $3000
good to very nice condition with a decent holo will be between $3000 to $3500

[swinks]

Forgot to answer your question about a family pin, each to there own.

I didn't think my wife and 2yr old daughter would like it at the time with the creature on the cab and translite, but my daughter who just turned 4 says that I am not allowed to sell it, ever....

[Flipball]

Forgot to answer your question about a family pin, each to there own.

I didn't think my wife and 2yr old daughter would like it at the time with the creature on the cab and translite, but my daughter who just turned 4 says that I am not allowed to sell it, ever....

Thanks very much Swinks, great info and much appreciated. The LCD mod is amazing!

It will be mostly my 8 year old son and 6 year old daughter playing it with my wife and I. I think our 3 year old might not be quite ready for it yet Although she was the only one of the kids who liked a macabre short film I made earlier this year so who knows!

[Cow Corner]

Don't pay more than 3k for one unless it is in immaculate condition.
 

[Strangeways]

This title can vary in price depending on the Hologram. Rare to find Green, most are fading from Green to Blue. Some don't work at all. There are developments on replacing the Holo that are more than acceptable. When looking for a CFTBL, ask the seller to demonstrate the Holo for you. If they "can't", then assume it is not working, or not present. You need to ensure that the motors and the lamp assemblies are in the machine.

Plastics are difficult to find - so make sure they are not broken or missing.
Check the Snack Bar hole - usually an indication of the "life" the machine has had. They all have some degree of wear
Look for wear around the flippers - "flipper drag".
Ramps are commonly broken around the mounting points - All ramps are available from RTBB
Look for cabinet fade - one side might be more faded than the other.

Reconditioned game with Green Holo working - $3500.

Reconditioned game with faulty missing Holo or several issues mentioned above - $2800 - $3000

"Reconditioned" is a loose term, so the game would have to be done correctly - this is where you need to look around and compare the standards.

[Flipball]

Don't pay more than 3k for one unless it is in immaculate condition.
 

Thank you :)

[Flipball]

This title can vary in price depending on the Hologram. Rare to find Green, most are fading from Green to Blue. Some don't work at all. There are developments on replacing the Holo that are more than acceptable. When looking for a CFTBL, ask the seller to demonstrate the Holo for you. If they "can't", then assume it is not working, or not present. You need to ensure that the motors and the lamp assemblies are in the machine.

Plastics are difficult to find - so make sure they are not broken or missing.
Check the Snack Bar hole - usually an indication of the "life" the machine has had. They all have some degree of wear
Look for wear around the flippers - "flipper drag".
Ramps are commonly broken around the mounting points - All ramps are available from RTBB
Look for cabinet fade - one side might be more faded than the other.

Reconditioned game with Green Holo working - $3500.

Reconditioned game with faulty missing Holo or several issues mentioned above - $2800 - $3000

"Reconditioned" is a loose term, so the game would have to be done correctly - this is where you need to look around and compare the standards.

Thank you- this is brilliant info, really appreciate you being so generous with your time.