Phantom of the Opera Value

cjp2401

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Talking to a guy this morning regarding his Phantom that's sitting in his family room not getting used. He may be ready to sell it so I offer him $1200.00. A friend of mine said the machine is in good shape, needs flippers rebuilt, some bulbs and rubber all around. No big deal, but some added cost on my part......

He says that the offer does not thrill him too much he paid over $2000.00 from a retailer 10 years ago for the machine and he sees them on Ebay for over $2000.00. He is willing to sell since it's not played any longer and just sits, but he wants to get the value from the machine (quote - "for 1200 I'll probably just let it sit there")

Realizing that you can ask anything for anything, where can I point him to see a more realistic view of this pins value?

The phantom has been eluding me too long.......they're starting to appear (there's one on ebay now for $1000, but it's rough, really rough......).

Links would be helpful so I can forward to him so he knows I'm not making it up
 
I never use Ebay for a price reference, those things sit on there in lousy shape for months on end and keep getting relisted constantly. One of these just sold here in Dallas in Excellent condition for $1200, the guy was originally asking $1850 I believe. I emailed him my offer and he declined but ended up selling several weeks later for a couple hundred more than I offered. I think it is worth what you are willing to pay for it, it depends on location and condition as well. I know there is a pinball price guide that you can by but there may be some free online sites to go to to check, there was one that gave a average price that pins sold for on ebay but i cant remember the name, perhaps another member will have it and let you know.

Good luck
 
I recently saw a solid collector quality (perfect) one sell for $2K about 4-5 months ago if that helps you out. Although I think it would be extremely rare to find one in this condition.
 
Well, the guy called me back and said he would not look at anything less than $3,000 for the POTO. Stupid Ebay.

I supplied him all kinds of data with sales info (thanks to KLOV members for supplying me with that) but he wanted nothing to do with it if I couldn't go over $3K. I told him for $3K I could get a lot of pinball.

The quest continues for a Phantom of the Opera, it's elusive. Keep your eyes open for me!
 
He will NEVER get 3k for it. POTO is one of my all time favorite pins. $1200-$1400 is reasonable. I passed one up for my first pin because I wanted something with more depth but after a short search I was able to find 2 nice examples priced reasonably. Its not the easiest pin to find but they are out there. I would give that guy your offer and your phone number, then move on. I wouldn't go above $1400 for it though especially since it needs to be shopped. Either way, good luck.
 
Phantom is one of my all time favorite pins. The artwork and music is really really awesome, I let mine go from my collection once and it drove me crazy. It's back again and will probably never leave.

That said, 3k is way out of the park for even a mint one. The main thing to look for with POTO is the play field. They are really very prone to play field damage in a few places, the main driver of value beyond the obvious cabinet condition is the amount of damage to the play field. Look close at the ball drain area.
 
I passed on a mint one last year for $1700 a few years back. Even had Nos plastics applied. Still regret that one...

I know for me the buying point was not only the condition of the playfield but the backglass as well.

I've seen some w/ shitty backglasses so make sure to take that into consideration - good luck in finding a nice backglass one out there....
 
I have to imagine this is a pretty rare pin. I only remember seeing one ever when I was a kid and hitting all the arcades here in St. Louis. Very distinct look and sound. Over the years, I often find myself wanting one, but never ever seeing it which sounds just like your experience.
 
There is a guy here in richmond with one for sale. He is asking 1200. He says its in good shape, but I havent checked it out yet. Dont think he has listed it anywhere yet.
 
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