Look what I pulled out of a garage today...

quses

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That's right.... brand freakin' new... virtually zero wear, HUO, never put on location, probably only a handful of games on it... not a single flake or scratch on the backglass....

Let's just say after I got this loaded up I finally breathed.... I am stoked!
 
I have never seen a Mata Hari in this kind of condition. I'm wondering how rare it is to find one like this? Considering how many were made (over 13,000) is it not that outside the realm of possibility of finding a HUO unit like this? Or is this really something special?
 
HUO means fuck all...plenty of beat to hell, neglected HUO machines out there. Highly laughable and over-used term.

That said, any machine that is 33 years old and in excellent condition is a rarity. Just sitting there if the conditions are not right can lead to rot if it's too damp etc
 
I have never seen a Mata Hari in this kind of condition. I'm wondering how rare it is to find one like this? Considering how many were made (over 13,000) is it not that outside the realm of possibility of finding a HUO unit like this? Or is this really something special?

Sour grapes.
 
Wow. Really that's just awesome. I love to see/hear stories about minty pins being found.

There's a small niche/crowd for that game, and if it's as minty as you say it is and you're not absolutely in love with it I'd consider selling it. I'd go out on a limb and say you could walk away with a couple grand.
 
HUO means fuck all...plenty of beat to hell, neglected HUO machines out there. Highly laughable and over-used term.

That said, any machine that is 33 years old and in excellent condition is a rarity. Just sitting there if the conditions are not right can lead to rot if it's too damp etc

Sour grapes.

I have to agree with IJTFCinder on this. HUO, which in this case is likely correct, is a widely overused term that people seem to think automatically commands top dollar. This is not always the case. I have a HUO Revenge from Mars that has all kinds of chips in the siderails from switching the games in it. Yes, it is HUO, but it isn't perfect.

I am almost numb when people say something is HUO, until you see a photo like Quses posted. THAT looks like it was never used, and well stored.

Fantastic find on that Mat Hari!

Chris
 
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Wow. Really that's just awesome. I love to see/hear stories about minty pins being found.

There's a small niche/crowd for that game, and if it's as minty as you say it is and you're not absolutely in love with it I'd consider selling it. I'd go out on a limb and say you could walk away with a couple grand.



Now if it was only the em version in that shape... cha ching!!
 
Now if it was only the em version in that shape... cha ching!!

I was thinking the same thing.. with the inscribed dagger... that would be a grand slam.

Edit: stay tuned for more pictures.. I finally got it unloaded - will put the head on and wipe it down.

I have a question.... I usually triple-thick backglasses of this age to preserve/secure them, but I've never come across a BG in such good shape... do I spray it with triple thick or not?
 
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I was thinking the same thing.. with the inscribed dagger... that would be a grand slam.

Edit: stay tuned for more pictures.. I finally got it unloaded - will put the head on and wipe it down.

I have a question.... I usually triple-thick backglasses of this age to preserve/secure them, but I've never come across a BG in such good shape... do I spray it with triple thick or not?

Don't mess with it. The playfield is amazing!
 
I have a question.... I usually triple-thick backglasses of this age to preserve/secure them, but I've never come across a BG in such good shape... do I spray it with triple thick or not?

My opinion would be definitely not. Nice pickup, BTW.
 
What's weird about this machine is everything is "like new" except for the MPU board. When I looked at it, it appeared to have battery acid damage on it. But when I pulled it and took a closer look, it had been repaired. It had a new battery on it and the acid damage had been cleaned up and some kind of clear coating had been sprayed over the circuit board (almost like clear nail polish) to seal it. I ended up clipping the battery off anyway and installing a remote battery pack.

After checking out the machine and the voltage regulator and coils I fired it up and got one quick blink, followed by one flash on the MPU LED, and about half the GI lit up with a dead machine. This same thing happened when the owner plugged the machine in before I bought it (even though I asked him not to plug it in).

According to Clay's guides, this means the MPU self-test stopped at the first ram chip.... does that sound right? Looks like there's something wrong with the MPU board?
 
What's weird about this machine is everything is "like new" except for the MPU board. When I looked at it, it appeared to have battery acid damage on it. But when I pulled it and took a closer look, it had been repaired. It had a new battery on it and the acid damage had been cleaned up and some kind of clear coating had been sprayed over the circuit board (almost like clear nail polish) to seal it. I ended up clipping the battery off anyway and installing a remote battery pack.

After checking out the machine and the voltage regulator and coils I fired it up and got one quick blink, followed by one flash on the MPU LED, and about half the GI lit up with a dead machine. This same thing happened when the owner plugged the machine in before I bought it (even though I asked him not to plug it in).

According to Clay's guides, this means the MPU self-test stopped at the first ram chip.... does that sound right? Looks like there's something wrong with the MPU board?

The second flash indicates that the 6810 RAM test has passed. You probably have a problem with the 6810 RAM (U7) or it's socket. Try re-seating it first.
 
Awesome pickup. Most of us will only be able to dream of a find like that. I don't even want to know how little you paid for it - I'm jealous enough.

I put very little stock in the term HUO - you can beat up a machine at home as well as on location. The real tell is when you open the machine for inspection.

This definitely is a candidate for full restoration including clear coating the playfield to preserve it if you intend to keep it. If not, you owe it the hobby to sell it to a collector who will do the preservation work as this certainly merits it. If you want to sell it, it should command a good premium as the restoration work will be a dream as well to do. If I was a fan of that pin I'd be pm'ing you hourly to pry it away from you. It would be a grail among grails for a fan of that pin. If it were a Firepower or other Williams pin that I like, in that condition I'd already be halfway to your house with a lot of cash in hand and my first born. :D Ok, that was over the top, but cash in hand indeed.

I would not mess with the backglass unless it is showing signs of flaking. My backglass motto is if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Bill
 
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