How much do you charge to shop out?

Raiden_2112

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How much do you guys charge to shop out a pinball? Cleaning, waxing, rubbers.
Just want to get a basic price I have a gentleman that wants me to do his Williams high speed.
 
Are tearing down the entire playfield so that you can clean/polish it? Lights at the same time?
 
A friend of mine back in the Boston area used to charge a minimum of $250.00. Of course the price was higher for more advanced play fields. He would completely tear down and replace all lights & rubbers regardless of condition.

This would be done at his shop and not at a persons home.
 
Always quote a full 8 hour day and if it only takes you 3-4 hours who cares because your time is worth something too.

@ $250 a job that's $31 and some change an hour.
Tell them the cost includes rubbers and bulbs (I typically expect a minimum of 15 bulbs) but regardless rubbers and bulbs are dirt cheap.
But some titles are a severe pain in the ass and do require a full day "World Cup Soccer 94 comes to mind" and for those jobs quote $300.
 
$250 seems like a good charge. And like someone else said you might want to charge more for those pain in the ass games.

Ive seen people charge $250 and not tear down the playfield. They just cleaned it the best they could and changed out the rubbers and bulbs.
 
I don't know, my WCS wasn't anymore difficult than any other game I have done. Same for Whitewater people always say how hard that one is to do as well.
 
'Shopped out' means differently to some people. So the price really can vary. I have bought some pins that were 'shopped out' and they only cleaned the center of the playfield. No new rubbers, did not change the bad bulbs, etc.
 
On a modern pinball (ramps, etc)., full teardown and rerubber with new bulbs, flippers mechanically rebuilt, and minor technical issues resolved, I charge $350 if the game is brought to me. That is a solid day's worth of work if the job is done right, and you want the game to play well when you're done. More charged for more sophisticated games (IE, STTNG, TZ, WCS Corvette come to mind) because they take longer!

-Mike
 
I feel the prices quoted so far are too high for a clean/shop.

Let's face it, the majority of part time, cassual players/owners, will not want to pay that much for a clean, wax, relamp, new rubber and flipper rebuild.

I would say $100 plus parts. That's one day at $10 an hour. Possibly $150 plus parts.

Of course this price reflects no board repairs, game brought to you in working condition and nothing else but what you are asking for in your post.
 
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I would say $100 plus parts. That's one day at $10 an hour.

Toolguy - not picking on you, but are you a mechanic per chance?

Willing to work on my car for $10/hour? Or basically come to my house and provide any type of "skilled" service for $10/hour?

Heck, I'd pay $10/hr to anybody who is willing to do all of my life chores - laundry, cleaning, shopping, errand running, etc. Problem is, nobody is willing to do even unskilled things for $10/hr.

I've never fixed a machine for $, so makes no difference to me. I just don't think that is realistic.
 
Toolguy - not picking on you, but are you a mechanic per chance?

Willing to work on my car for $10/hour? Or basically come to my house and provide any type of "skilled" service for $10/hour?

Heck, I'd pay $10/hr to anybody who is willing to do all of my life chores - laundry, cleaning, shopping, errand running, etc. Problem is, nobody is willing to do even unskilled things for $10/hr.

I've never fixed a machine for $, so makes no difference to me. I just don't think that is realistic.

your exactly right on the skilled service. nobody does anything cheap anymore. everytime somebody calls me for a game that needs fixed in their home or something like that i tell them it may be something easy but if someone comes out and provides a skilled service they arent going to DRIVE that far and charge only $20!!!!!
but i also doubt most homeowners will want to pay $250 just to "clean" their game up......
 
Thanks for the quotes guys I will let you know more fiday.So far they bought it brand new when it first came out.It does not work Comes on but nothing on the play field works except the lights.My guess is a fuse or they left the original batterys in the board and its a heavy case of battery acid.
 
Heck, I'd pay $10/hr to anybody who is willing to do all of my life chores - laundry, cleaning, shopping, errand running, etc. Problem is, nobody is willing to do even unskilled things for $10/hr.

really? really? you'd pay somebody $10/hr to do your laundry? really?
 
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I feel the prices quoted so far are too high for a clean/shop.

Let's face it, the majority of part time, cassual players/owners, will not want to pay that much for a clean, wax, relamp, new rubber and flipper rebuild.

I would say $100 plus parts. That's one day at $10 an hour. Possibly $150 plus parts.

Of course this price reflects no board repairs, game brought to you in working condition and nothing else but what you are asking for in your post.

$150.00 for a 8 hour day is 18.75 an hour and most older / non multi level Games can be cleaned up in a day most of the time.

Have you checked parts prices lately? if that game has 4 flippers http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/pinball/a135248.htm you will have $70 plus shipping just in flippers rebuild, the last rubbers I ordered previous cost was .21 each this order for the same size was .68 in about 8 months time...(that a big jump when you order 200 at a time ...42.00 versus 136.00)

You now have 100.00 + cost in parts alone so you are at the 250.00 quoted.

I have yet had anybody bring in a working Game just to be cleaned, they come in because they don't work and then need that time spent on them for fixing.

I agree the "cassual players/owners" don't like spending that kind of money, but for a Pinball's skilled labor to work on there machine and get it right that is cheap.

Unlike your Car repairs (my mechanic charges 60.00 hour), water heater replacement (my sister just paid 650.00 labor to have hers changed on a Tuesday afternoon) or Health care industry (my brothers cancer treatments 20 min time 1500.00 hosp only fee per visit) they have you buy the silver balls and you must have it, and have it taken care of now, and that hourly rate is 4 to 20 times as much.
 
I feel the prices quoted so far are too high for a clean/shop.

Let's face it, the majority of part time, cassual players/owners, will not want to pay that much for a clean, wax, relamp, new rubber and flipper rebuild.

I would say $100 plus parts. That's one day at $10 an hour. Possibly $150 plus parts.

Of course this price reflects no board repairs, game brought to you in working condition and nothing else but what you are asking for in your post.

I wouldn't even get out of bed for that! I wouldn't do it for less than $350, but I'm very thorough. I completely strip the playfield down bare. Clean and wax the playfield with 2 coats, replace all lamps, polish metal parts, replace all rubbers, clean/polish all plastics. Polish legs and side rails. If the cabinet or playfield paint needs touch up then I can do that too, but that would cost extra.
 
Toolguy - not picking on you, but are you a mechanic per chance?

Willing to work on my car for $10/hour? Or basically come to my house and provide any type of "skilled" service for $10/hour?

Heck, I'd pay $10/hr to anybody who is willing to do all of my life chores - laundry, cleaning, shopping, errand running, etc. Problem is, nobody is willing to do even unskilled things for $10/hr.

I've never fixed a machine for $, so makes no difference to me. I just don't think that is realistic.


I realize you are not picking on me, and I'm not here either, but we need to be realistic here. I did not want to go into this much details as I thought others would also quote what's asked and not what local people quote, but here goes. You are comparing real world jobs to a side job, that's not the members only source of income, such as your examples. The labor rate you are listing and yes I understand larbor rates, and pay rates now a days, are for people that support families and pay insurance from their one job and $10 an hour will not do that for someone. We agree there. I also quoted an hourly rate, that does not mean I do all jobs hourly, there is a job price too when needed.

This member does not have a store front to support, no employees, pays no benefits to employees, is not bonded, insured to this kind of work if needed, no credit card line to pay for, no advertising to pay for and this is not his full time job. This clean/shop job is fun money and an extension of the/his hobby.

There is practically no certification, schooling, or degree needed for shopping pinball machines. So any "professional" out there charging $300 to clean a machine, is doing this from what quailifications??? There are none really, so you can't say I'm a professionally trained cleaner/shopper of pinballs thus I charge more. Sure if you worked at Bally, or Stern, or in a repair shop for 30 years, that gives you more qualification over me, but I can do that same and do the same as a self proclaimed "profesional" or a self proclaimed pinball shops "technician".

The question from Raiden_2112 and service was basic clean up and from a person I take it the member knows, or somewhat knows. People want to charge $300-$350 plus parts for that? Really? Charge that and see how many people you get. You would charge a friend $300 to clean their machine?

So yes, $100 maybe $150 PLUS PARTS as I've said before and parts are shopped at the cheapest supplier, not Happ, but somewhere like PBL, is plenty. And cash too!
(Ring kits $20 or under, box of bulbs $2.00 replacing only the ones needed burned or burnt out, flipper rebuild $20-$25 a flipper, $4 leg levers, $1 each pinballs, prices quoted from PBL).

BTW, I've restored 12 machines so far, some mine some not and I always make money when I do one that's not mine.

If no one here can clean, rerubber, relamp, rebuild 2-3 flippers, install new pinballs, and new leg levelers in 8-10 hours, then there's something wrong and they should not be working on machines for others. If the customer wants more done like polishing, touch ups, repairs, soldering, coin door refinishing and so on, then of course more will be charged, I'm not saying that. I answered the members original posted question.

And lets face it, some of work in shopping a pin, is done to get to a light bulb or remove a plastic or rubber ring to clean, you are already there working in the area of the machine.

Raiden_2112 is proving my points too. The game was brought to him, he did not go and get it so no charge there. The game is/was HUO, not routed. If routed it probably would be dirtier, thus more money there. The game does not work, so if he can fix it, more money there.

Both parties will have to agree on what the game will have done to it, obviously Raiden_2112 did not know the game did not work in his first post, now he does, thus more charges and so on.

I paid my way through college by starting my own car detailing business. I did this for five years and I also worked at a Country Club. I charged less then the competition becuase I knew if I charged that much, I would not get that many customers. I charged a comfortable rate cash or check, for me and my customers and it worked. I got customers that normally would not go to "professional" detailers because of price, but they would go to me because I was affordable. This was not my livelihood, I had no store rent, no employees, no insurnace to pay and so on. I could do two cars a day, if in the same area, and charged $100 a car. You don't think $200 a day cash, just for me was enough??? This post is the same example...

And yes I also fix cars, not by trade but by hobby. At least in that work, people can get ASE or state certified which can make them qualified to fix vehciles and you can state that. You can also by special tools to do jobs, unlike shopping pinballs, thus you can also state that. The proper auto tools to do the job correctly and in the most efficient time, and prevent come backs. And service information to research and possibly diagnostics research that must be done first, all that's factored into a job. But really, fixing cars is not the same as this, so it's not a apples to apples comparison.

So in the end, bring me your cars to be detailed and pinball machines, I will charge you a cash rate I can live with and so can you, unlike self proclaimed professionals or places that have stores and employees to support, and we will all be happy and I will make loads of money!

Lastly, Raiden_2112 please post what was done and charged. I'm curious to see what you and the person agreed on and what was comfortable for all.
 
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I feel the prices quoted so far are too high for a clean/shop.

Let's face it, the majority of part time, cassual players/owners, will not want to pay that much for a clean, wax, relamp, new rubber and flipper rebuild.

I would say $100 plus parts. That's one day at $10 an hour. Possibly $150 plus parts.

Of course this price reflects no board repairs, game brought to you in working condition and nothing else but what you are asking for in your post.

Dude, I wish you lived in my city. I'd just pay you to do my shop jobs!:D

Edward
 
Dude, I wish you lived in my city. I'd just pay you to do my shop jobs!:D

Edward

Sure! And if you did, my work would blow you away, if it was your car being detailed by me, it would win awards like mine did and if I repaired your car, it would be fixed right the first time. All at rates or charges you and I can live with by someone that understands what the general public and market will bare. :)
 
Toolguy-

I do see your points, all valid. But I guess my belief is - whether "professional" or "hobbyist" - folks should get paid an appropriate amount for their work. And just because it's pinball and we might think it's "fun" doesn't mean it's worth less per hour. You may find it fun to work on cars - but that shouldn't diminish your worth or value.

Just a fun conversation, nothing more. I agree that undercutting your competition on price is a valid business strategy, and ultimately we all decide what we value an hour of our own time at.

Elfyhead - you betcha I would. Laundromats charge by the pound - $10/hr would be a heck of a lot cheaper!
 
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