How much are you willing to pay for a game in todays climate?

Depends on the game, honestly. I've overpaid for games I really want and wouldn't find again for a long time and underpaid on stuff I ended up later selling for even less cause I never played it. In the current climate, I pretty much don't buy games. Too damn expensive. Traded for my major grail this year and shelled out to upgrade it and that's it for me for a while.
 
Nothing. I'm getting rid of all my old, bulky arcade games and building this...

6251bd47c47e22d3037b317a149b1808.jpg
 
I'd like to replace my Karate Champ. Ideally? $500. Probably not going to find one though.

I remember the "Good Old Days" when I could find a working but worn Karate Champ or similar for $200 on CL.

Not any more, it seems.

I used to spend $50 to $150 for a nonworking game that I was interested in. $250 to $500 for working ones.

Also, not any more.

I'm extremely thankful to know many friends that are good at fixing games to help me bring them back to life. Main/closest one being Arcadenut, and we're having a repair party this weekend at his house.

I think nonworking is the only way I'm going to be able to afford anything anymore.
 
You guys have the luxury of deciding how much you will pay for a game?

In my area, you'll pay whatever the seller is asking and like it....or someone else right behind you will. :)

That's "today's climate" in my area.

Sounds like the housing market here too. Ha

Remember when everyone was broke 5 years ago.....my how times have apparently changed....good thing it will never happen again. :p
 
that guy is on the defender FB group, or was.
Those cabinets caught the attention of pinball dev Joe Kaminkow who was going to order some.

Nothing. I'm getting rid of all my old, bulky arcade games and building this...

6251bd47c47e22d3037b317a149b1808.jpg
 
There a reason why I have repair parties over at the arcade expo in banning.

Hey that reminds me. I visited the first Banning event.
There were a lot of 60-1 pcbs in cabs which surprised me.
And there was a 60-1 in a plastic duramold cabinet. Hopefully that has been upgraded to an FPGA by now at least? :)

Oh, and Stunt Cycle didn't have a credit button along with the coin door being locked.

Cheers on your service to an awesome venue!
 
Like others have said, it depends on the game, condition, and how much I want it. I'm still willing to grab a non-working game as long as the cabinet is solid. I've no clue how my repair skills are at this point, but hopefully we'll find out in the coming months.

Still, given my financial circumstances..... you're not going to see me pick up a Star Wars cockpit anytime soon, even though I'd love to have one.
 
I'll admit. I've been overpaying a bit lately, here and there. Shipping stuff as well.

Supply is just drying up. I also hate going to live auctions, too much wasted time. I can scarcely get away to make a 4-8 hour road trip even these days.

It doesn't help that a lot of these titles can be parted out for more $. Most of these guys don't care about preserving games, or passing on their deals.



It does suck paying so much for titles that I would have passed up for more than a few hundred at live auction. In the future I'm probably going to have to cut pinball out of my diet, that shit is getting ridiculous.
 
It will be interesting to see what happens if prices get truly crazy like with pinball machines.

I honestly thought that pinball would slow down at some point but it really hasn't.

Glad I stopped collecting pins when I did, it wasnt really because I couldnt "afford" them I just thought the whole thing was stupid.
 
Glad I stopped collecting pins when I did, it wasnt really because I couldnt "afford" them I just thought the whole thing was stupid.

I am still amazed that middle to upper class working folks can afford to drop 5-10k a few times a year on the new releases. Plus the value of spending 10k petty cash on something that is almost identical to the last 10k spent a few months back.

I have tried most of the new Sterns going back the past handful of years.
Not many "feel" different from each other. Just different graphics and things you do with the rules. Metallica and Tron seem to stand out as noteworthy, though. That Guardians game felt about the same as the Star Wars beside it.
 
I am still amazed that middle to upper class working folks can afford to drop 5-10k a few times a year on the new releases. Plus the value of spending 10k petty cash on something that is almost identical to the last 10k spent a few months back.

I have tried most of the new Sterns going back the past handful of years.
Not many "feel" different from each other. Just different graphics and things you do with the rules. Metallica and Tron seem to stand out as noteworthy, though. That Guardians game felt about the same as the Star Wars beside it.

well some people cant really... I know one person who is up to their tits in credit card debt from buying NIB pins.

Its like crack to some people... some new shovelwear stern comes out and they have to it.
 
New Pinball prices are really out of reach for the "normal" guy at this point. To me, they feel like trying to be involved in the sports cars, or boating hobby. It's simply not attainable financially unless you are extremely wealthy.

I don't begrudge wealthy guys who can drop $10,000 on a new pinball table once or twice every year. I'd certainly do it if I could!

But alas, I have to be satisfied with a few older pins and my Virtual Pinball Machine at home, (which has over 1,000 titles on it).

There's always a buddy's house and pinball shows every year where I can play the real thing.

I guess that's why Auto and Boat shows are so busy? The normal guy can at least enjoy window-shopping. That's where we are with Pinball Machines (and classic Video Arcade Cabinets are not far behind).
 
New Pinball prices are really out of reach for the "normal" guy at this point. To me, they feel like trying to be involved in the sports cars, or boating hobby. It's simply not attainable financially unless you are extremely wealthy.

You don't have to be extremely wealthy, here's a few tips....

Don't blow $30,000-50,000 on a new vehicle and be happy driving a reliable cheaper car.

Don't buy NIB and look for second or third hand used pins

Don't get too attached to every pin you have because you will need to sell some to afford buying a different one.
 
Well, of course.

I'm talking about prices of New pinball machines each year being "out of reach" and only for the extremely wealthy.

Obviously if you want to buy older, used pinball machines, they are going to be cheaper. Obviously if you only buy 1 machine every 5 years it's going to be cheaper.

The point here is that New pinball machines are now retailing for $7,000, $10,000, even $12,000 each year. That's a VERY big ticket item .

My point was that the hobby has reached a new level. Or a new target buyer (if you want to say it that way). The new market is the very wealthy (same as high-end sports cars or boats). New pinball machines have always been expensive, I'm sure. They were designed and sold to operators looking to make a profit.

But today 70% of the business is targeted to wealthy, home use buyers (as opposed to operators). That is a HUGE shift. And prices are insanely high as a result. I would also point out that the pinball tables of today are incredible pieces of technology that are simply awesome. I don't blame the Pinball manufacturers for charging a huge dollar for their products.

Again, I'm not begrudging wealthy people for buying these amazingly cool toys. I wish I had the wealth to buy them too. Because if I did, I would have an awesome collection of pins, and buy a couple new ones every year too!

But you can't deny that prices have reached a new level that is clearly, out of reach to the average guy. It's simply the way it is. Saying that "just buy older, used, or less expensive pins" is missing the point of how the target market for the current pinball industry has changed.
 
Well, of course.

I'm talking about prices of New pinball machines each year being "out of reach" and only for the extremely wealthy.

Obviously if you want to buy older, used pinball machines, they are going to be cheaper. Obviously if you only buy 1 machine every 5 years it's going to be cheaper.

The point here is that New pinball machines are now retailing for $7,000, $10,000, even $12,000 each year. That's a VERY big ticket item .

My point was that the hobby has reached a new level. Or a new target buyer (if you want to say it that way). The new market is the very wealthy (same as high-end sports cars or boats). New pinball machines have always been expensive, I'm sure. They were designed and sold to operators looking to make a profit.

But today 70% of the business is targeted to wealthy, home use buyers (as opposed to operators). That is a HUGE shift. And prices are insanely high as a result. I would also point out that the pinball tables of today are incredible pieces of technology that are simply awesome. I don't blame the Pinball manufacturers for charging a huge dollar for their products.

Again, I'm not begrudging wealthy people for buying these amazingly cool toys. I wish I had the wealth to buy them too. Because if I did, I would have an awesome collection of pins, and buy a couple new ones every year too!

But you can't deny that prices have reached a new level that is clearly, out of reach to the average guy. It's simply the way it is. Saying that "just buy older, used, or less expensive pins" is missing the point of how the target market for the current pinball industry has changed.

You can get pins that just came out like Guardians of the Galaxy or Star Wars for $500-$1000 less than what NIB costs if you wait for the NIB chasers to unload them after they had their fun is more of what I was on about. The only way I can afford to drop $6500 on a slightly used pin that came out 6 months ago is because I drive a 2005 van that was paid off in 2009.
 
I have you beat. I have a 2002 van that was paid off in 2006! :)

So my $6,500 went to a 1999 Revenge from Mars, and Star Wars Episode 1, and I had enough left over for a Baby Pac-Man! :)

But what I'd really like is the Jersey Jack's Pirates of the Caribbean "Collectors Edition"!

I think they are $12,000 NIB. Maybe I can get it for $11,000 if I wait 6 months and someone gets sick of theirs? :)

If I sell my 2002 van and take the bus for a couple of years, I think I could save $5,000 and put that towards the newer pin.

Hmmmm
 
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