I wanna be cool like Nino!

[Pop Bumper Pete]

I see Mark C has a Stern ‘Flight 2000’ on E-bay (project)
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Stern-Flight-2000-pinball-machine-/360360554457?pt=AU_CoinOp&hash=item53e729afd9
A couple of broken plastics, where the cabinet and back box join seems to have come away, nothing unfixable

I have bought working games from Mark and been pleased with the game

I have bought ‘projects’ from other sellers that were more ‘project’ than expected


How do Marks ‘project’ game stack up?
Are they simply not worth his time to get running again, or are they basket cases value for only a few parts?

Pete


volcano looks an interesting game too

[ddstoys]

So far the couple of machines I've got from this load have been pretty easy fixes but this one is to far gone to be fixed (or maybe I want to win it lol).   They literally are untested.

[Caveoftreasures]

Pete, I have purchased 5 different project games from Mark C and all were in excellent condition. All projects straight from the container. All purchased at different times.

I only had to clean, rerubber, reglobe all of them. I had only 1 x I.C on one board to fix on Jurrasic Park. Very minor. Apart from that, all machines were very tidy indeed.
I didnt even really need to even do flipper kits on any of them. Mark tends to be very picky as to what he takes and doesnt take in the containers he purchases.
I have never met the man personally, but he has always looked after me. It doesnt get better than that.

If he has something that is very rough, he will tell you straight up and adjust the price accordingly.It doesnt matter what seller you approach, always ask for photos.
I live in QLD so i can only decide after seeing photos. The good thing with Mark, is u can ask him to get you a certain title in if he doesnt have it in stock.
5 machines so far have all been winners at good prices.

Ddstoys(Daniel) is always a good judge of any machine floating around Melbourne. He has a good relationship with Mark and can always offer a independant and fair opinion. 

[Strangeways]

Project pinballs (irrespective of who sells them) need to be evaluated "case by case". Always have plenty of pictures to make your decision. If pictures are not supplied, or it is "too hard", then something is intentionally hidden.

Flight 2000 is a RIPPER of a machine. The hardest part to locate is the VS-100 board, and that seems to be present. CPR have plastics, playfields (check out the bargain basement) and they will have new backglasses available soon.

A "project pin" is exactly that. Don't expect a working game that you can play straight away.

Of most importance - you will need MORE than just a Flight 2000 to be cool like me 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Ddstoys(Daniel) is always a good judge of any machine floating around Melbourne. He has a good relationship with Mark and can always offer a independant and fair opinion. 

Yeh, I had forgotten that Daniel spends some time there, I will pester him next time something interesting pops up

[Steevsee]

Of most importance - you will need MORE than just a Flight 2000 to be cool like me 

 

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Of most importance - you will need MORE than just a Flight 2000 to be cool like me 

I do not think I will ever share your taste in music :(

[pinnies4me]

Project pinballs (irrespective of who sells them) need to be evaluated "case by case".

+1. You might be lucky like Cave and fluke five good games, or you might get one dud. I always wonder why you would bother selling a project if it was an easy fix? Surely there's way more cash in it for a dealer to sell a working game - at least that's what they told us a few years ago when we were begging for projects and being told "That'll clean up well, sell for $X,XXX on the floor". But maybe business is way too slow to justify spending on doing them up only to have them sit, and cash-flow is needed so cheap projects helps? If so, grab a bargain! But always look in person, private or dealer if possible, or have a member check it out before you commit.

[Strangeways]

Of most importance - you will need MORE than just a Flight 2000 to be cool like me 

I do not think I will ever share your taste in music :(

That's ok mate, I'm often misunderstood !

BTW - I will soon be starting my Flight 2000 restoration - playfield, plastics and backglass. Welcome to come over and have a game when done. But you have to listen to my music blaring in the garage

[GORGAR 1]

Of most importance - you will need MORE than just a Flight 2000 to be cool like me 

I do not think I will ever share your taste in music :(

That's ok mate, I'm often misunderstood !

BTW - I will soon be starting my Flight 2000 restoration - playfield, plastics and backglass. Welcome to come over and have a game when done. But you have to listen to my music blaring in the garage

Really looking forward to this restoPeter

[ktm450]

As long as you check it out in the flesh so you can evaluate the parts missing or needed, so you have an idea of how much extra $$$ you are up for or if you can even get the missing parts you cant really go wrong.  All the boards and electronics can be repaired, just can sometimes be a pain in the arse.

[Caveoftreasures]

The name of the game for these container importers is turnover. It makes no sense to trade dollars for dollars with the seller spending $600 on a machine with parts and labour, to only get an extra $600 back. If the sellers did this on every machine, there would be a backlog for months, and everyone would be waiting for their machine to be ready. Plus the fact that most people want their machines prepared a certain way. Its hard enough for these sellers to cashflow so many machines to strat with, let alone adding an extra $600 per machine to have sitting on the floor. That would add up to alot of money for the amount of games they are holding.

Also, most buyers dont want to pay someone a minimum of 25 hrs labour @$25 per hour ($600 plus) to clean a machine, rerubber n reglobe when we can do it ourselves.
Mark C for example, always provides a honest report card for every machine. All machines are plugged in, powered up, fault tested via the games own menu on start up, a realistic deskription of the playfield with photos is provided etc, and within 5 minutes u can tell if its a real good machine or not. I ask for real good examples to add to my collection as keepers. Therefore, I know exactly what I am getting before it even arrives. No luck involved, its just good management by both seller n buyer.

Most sellers are happy to move them out the door without even having to touch a bulb. The hardest thing for them to do is to plug it in, do a report card, and determine a fair price for the machine "as is".  Its really the best deal for both seller and buyer. Its worked for me alot.  

[Damien]

Hello

sometimes as a comercial trader, it isnt worth it doing some games up..

some games would get broken up and sold as bits.. id prefer them sold where someone can breath new life into them..

if we actually tried to do all the games, run the centre, run the showroom and do all the parts, id never get to sleep..

actually have finished before ten pm this year..

plus guys like daniel, just are so happy when they get a game going.!!

well back to work..

damien

[Caveoftreasures]

Hi damien. Good to hear from u.  We need more psp - damien - mark news on the forum.   

[Strangeways]

The name of the game for these container importers is turnover. It makes no sense to trade dollars for dollars with the seller spending $600 on a machine with parts and labour, to only get an extra $600 back. If the sellers did this on every machine, there would be a backlog for months, and everyone would be waiting for their machine to be ready. Plus the fact that most people want their machines prepared a certain way. Its hard enough for these sellers to cashflow so many machines to strat with, let alone adding an extra $600 per machine to have sitting on the floor. That would add up to alot of money for the amount of games they are holding.

Also, most buyers dont want to pay someone a minimum of 25 hrs labour @$25 per hour ($600 plus) to clean a machine, rerubber n reglobe when we can do it ourselves.
Mark C for example, always provides a honest report card for every machine. All machines are plugged in, powered up, fault tested via the games own menu on start up, a realistic deskription of the playfield with photos is provided etc, and within 5 minutes u can tell if its a real good machine or not. I ask for real good examples to add to my collection as keepers. Therefore, I know exactly what I am getting before it even arrives. No luck involved, its just good management by both seller n buyer.

Most sellers are happy to move them out the door without even having to touch a bulb. The hardest thing for them to do is to plug it in, do a report card, and determine a fair price for the machine "as is".  Its really the best deal for both seller and buyer. Its worked for me alot.  

Very rare to see DMD project pins, so my comments are relevent to SS machines.

Project pins are usually "sweetners" in any container. They are often used to literally "fill" the container. They can also be a requirement of any given deal. If you want 5 Medievel Madness', 5 CV's and 5 AFM's, you HAVE to take the project pins. It ensures the SUPPLIER moves on their stock. Sometimes an importer can buy an ENTIRE container of project pins - for peanuts. The overhead is a MASSIVE amount of labour and parts lays ahead. It makes sense for importers to "move on" the projects for numerous reasons - labour cost (already covered in the thread), too many parts or "hard to find parts" that the imported would find hard to replace and the fact that importers don't have the technical skillset to recondition the machines and they often don't know the value of the older games. Just take a look on eBay and you will see the same machines relisted week after week. They don't sell and they won't sell.

Hobbyists should be VERY grateful for the numerous importers of project games, there are plenty out there and "backyarders" like us will always benefit from buying them. They will also be restored to original condition, or be used for a newbie to learn the craft.  Better to be in our "backyard shed" than a mouldy rat infested warehouse in France.