Price Check: Funhouse

[MonsterBash]

It seems the value of FHs has gone up quite a bit in the last 1.5 years or so.

I saw a REAL nice one at the Buffalo show a couple years ago for $1800..it eventually sold but I'm not sure for what. It had cab decals and at least a cleared..possibly new (repo?) PF.

Fast fwd a year or so later when I started looking for mine and beater are being offered (and sold) for not much less than the one I passed on.

I finally found a decent one 'fully working' for $1600 and bought it. The playfield does have some slightly raised inserts and some wear..the cab is almost perfect. No lock bar drilled...no fad.

It's a great players machine for the guys at work to beat on.

 

[jonathan1138]

Deadly,

Thanks. If i end up missing this FH i am in trouble! Tough to find games in this shape.

I agree with you on alot of what you post - this is less FH theory - it applies to any game.
The time + money that goes into fixing these machines up is considerable - A full restore adds up quick and is very costly.

What i also see is that a sold restored game ls is used as a measuring device for that pin in general. Someone else with a FH will see the big bucks a restored version goes for and try to get some of the same action, regardless of their condition!

That is my theory for a run up in Pin prices over the years. Using an example - TZs were easily had for close to 3k two years ago. At the same time, restored / shopped examples were selling at 4k.

Average buyers dont appreciate the differences as much as those in the know, in effect demand is there at any level. Sellers see the high end of 4k and start to inch their prices up there in their listings. The next time a restored game comes along, the seller prices according to whats fair, taking into consideration the increase of the "base games". This naturally inflates Pins.

Look at every A list game - they have moved up considerably over that last three years.

I am convinced this is 'part' of the Pin walk up, of course its just a theory. Today, try finding a TZ for 3k - 3500. Yes, they are there (i sold a TZ for 2950 last month), but getting harder to find. Average games at 3500 + seems to be the norm now.

 

[WadeLanham]

I'm not too surprised that your fully restored one sold for $3800, but I still think that's an extreme example, and not one to base average prices on. $2k is what I'd expect to pay for nice a Funhouse. I'll admit that $1500 for a nice one is lowball, I haven't seen many nice ones for that price.

Wade

 

[jonathan1138]

It funny - in the last two days, i've seen some nice FH out there in the 16 - 1800 range. Where were these when i was looking!