Tips on finding deals

gutsman004

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I've read many posts from KLOVers who scored some great deals,but it seems for every 1 post I read like that,I read 10 replies of "man,I wish I could find deals like that!" or some variation of that.

That being said,I figured I'd start this thread to see if the veteran KLOVers who have a habit of scoring said deals have any enlightening info on how many others can find deals themselves.

I know searching Craigslist you can find some good buys,and sometimes (but not often) you can get a good deal on ebay,plus you have the Super Auctions....but those are no-brainers.I'm talking about other ways of finding deals that many KLOVers many not have thought of.I have a few ideas,but I'm going to reserve those and let everyone else share their ideas instead.
 
well one place i can someimes find a good deal is:

find a arcade... call owner... ask about machines... most of the time they will sell older ones off cheap. or atleast the one in my area does..

also auctions are good places to
 
I would say, other than searching CL, ebay and other listings, networking with other KLOVers in your area and/or region is a good place to start.

You build friendships where you eventually learn about each other's collections, projects, and desired games/parts. It's nice to have a way to share your hobby with others as I'm assuming most guys here don't share their hobby with their spouse or significant other. I've sold/given away a good number of parts to guys around here and vice versa. I've given tips on a listing to others in the area who I think would be interested and vice versa. It's all fun.

It doesn't necessarily have to be local either. I found my last game with the help of a couple of KLOVers in WA. One of them knew I was looking for it and let me know that he would be willing to help me get it. I worked out a deal with the seller and got it shipped to my door. The deal took less than 3 days.

Now if you're talking other deals like warehouse raids and deserted barns or some other crazy story, I got nothing. I have no idea how those come up. Maybe if someone gets a hold of a retired op whose been stashing dozens of games for 30 years. I don't know. I'm assuming all the warehouses in CA have been raided.
 
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The best deals I've gotten have come from a wanted ad I placed in the local American Classified newspaper. Just a simple ad, something like "looking for old coin operated arcade games, working or not". If you're fast enough, sometimes you can score a good deal on craigslist too. I check the classifed section of my local newspaper every few days as well. Searching for and finding cabs is half the fun of this hobby.
 
keep the lid on deals you see, until the game's sitting in your game room. the less people that know about it, the better chance you have. also, regardless of your situation, always advise you can pick up right away, you have a truck and can move it yourself, and you have cash in hand.

money talks, bullshit walks.
 
keep the lid on deals you see, until the game's sitting in your game room. the less people that know about it, the better chance you have. also, regardless of your situation, always advise you can pick up right away, you have a truck and can move it yourself, and you have cash in hand.

money talks, bullshit walks.


Very true! He is 100percent right. Also, as much as I hate to say it, alot of it is luck, and/or being at the right place at the right time. Keeping your eyes peeled, almost to the point where it is unhealthy, haha! And as stated above, developing good contacts, and this is an amazing place to do that. I've met many a cool klover out in the real world, and have thus far, had great experiences doing so.
 
I'd let everyone know (within reason) that you collect games, you never know when you're standing right next to someone that has an old non-working game in their basement that they've never gotten around to getting rid of. I can think of a handful of machines I've come by this way.

Also, think of tradesmen that are in and out of houses all day; do you have a brother in law or neighbor that's a plumber, appliance, or HVAC repairman? Those guys can be a good source of leads sometimes.

Garage sale season- many times games won't be displayed in the driveway, but if you ask you'd be surprised how often they'll say, "you know, we do have a pinball in the basement that we don't play anymore". If I stop at a sale, I ALWAYS mention to the seller that I buy old coin operated machines. That's where this beauty I restored came from:

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Finally- persistance pays off. For every great find you'll run down dozens of dead ends. One of my friends can't believe how "lucky" I get finding machines all the time; he forgets how much time is spent on deals that go nowhere.
 
Part of me wants to offer some tips, and part of me wants to say figure it out for yourself, because that is part of the fun. I have come up with some pretty creative ways of finding games over the past 10+ years. You just have to get out there and make it happen. You can't expect deals to fall in to your lap. I will give you this one tip. Have some "business" cards made with your name and number on them stating that you collect coin op games and figure out where to hand it out. I will leave the "where" up to you and your imagination.
 
Its all about Craigslist . Pretty much all my games I got a crazy deal on because I was the first one to contact them and got there fast . Check craigslist like crazy and deals will pop up . Also buy non-working games , these are always deals but you gotta be able to fix them .
 
Network, make friends, do favors for friends, return favors, say please and thank you, let them know you have such-and-such, let them know you're looking for such-and-such.
 
Here's a CL/ebay tip: if there's a specific game you're looking for, spell it wrong on purpose and see if anything comes up. I landed my Addams Family pin waaaay cheaper than I should have by searching for "Adams Family." Common misspellings often turn up deals.
 
Check thrift stores in your area. I've gotten two arcade games and two pinballs that way.

Also, get a newspaper and check the classified ads. Older folks will still list there instead of online.

Picked up a couple of good deals on CL too, but in larger areas you have to find deals quickly or someone else will get to it before you.

If you have smaller towns nearby, check their classified ads and CL for games too. All of the deals I got were from small towns. Since there's not as much competition from other buyers deals might show up and no one notice them.

I'm in a small city north of Mobile and there are no collectors here. If I see something listed I can wait until I've got the money or time to pick it up. I waited 12 days to call on a Zoo Keeper on CL for $125, then waited several more days to pick it up.

-JM
 
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