Williams Indiana Jones

drjones

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Sometime in the relatively near future I hope to pick up my first pin - and I'd like it to be a '93 Williams Indiana Jones. Being as that I'm a total novice when it comes to purchasing machines, does anyone have any specific advice related to Indiana Jones? Anything to be wary of? Also - does the pinball realm tend to behave like the video realm where eBay/retail prices are much higher when compared to collector prices? I've seen prices ranging from 3,500-5,000. Are those prices out of the ballpark or should I expect to pay ~4,000 for a machine in good condition? Thanks in advance.
 
Yes, ebay pin prices are usually like vid prices - totally different than the hobbyist/collector market. IJ is on my short list, too. I would expect to pay in the upper 3k's for a decent working one in my neck of the woods. It's a very popular game among collectors, and I've noticed people tend to hang on to them once they've found one.

Something I've found more in the pin world than the vid world is the premium people will pay for "CQ" (collector quality) or "HUO", home-use only. Those terms seem to be much more prevalent and common with pins. Those qualifiers can sometimes add thousands to the price of a game. Some pin guys want their games to be absolutely pristine, as for me, I just want a solid working game. If I shelled out the cash for a CQ, I would freak anytime the game bumped another or the ball hit the glass during a game.

As for specific IJ issues, like a lot of Wms titles of that era, the optos and ball troughs can be problematic, but once you've got them sorted out, they're pretty solid.

Check out Clay's WPC repair guide: http://www.pinrepair.com/wpc/
 
Williams made a lot of IJ's (over 12,000 games) so the price is usually less than some of the other hot Bally/Williams 'A' list games (MM, MB, CC, CV, AFM, SS) that had less of a production run. It's getting hard to find a decent IJ for less than $2500 now. The going price for an average good one tends to be $2800-$3500. The restored ones with new cabinet sideart and clear coated playfields usually go for $5000+.

The average non-restored IJ's will have a faded cabinet and some playfield wear.
 
Also - does the pinball realm tend to behave like the video realm where eBay/retail prices are much higher when compared to collector prices?

my rough rule of thumb is to divide ebay by 2 to find a reasonable price.

you can also find pricing information at boston pinball (go to http://www.bostonpinball.biz/ and click on the "eBay Sales Summary" button at the top, and find your machine) and pinside (go to http://pinside.com/pinball/top-100 and find your machine, click on it, then scroll down and you'll find a "PRICE INDICATION" section). boston pinball lists $3170 as an average for that machine, while pinside lists $3400.
 
I was in the same boat as you, and I had decided on an IJ for my first pin as well, here's the lessons I learned pretty quick:

1) Cabinet fade is almost a definite, if you find one with no cabinet fade, it's either been in a basement its entire life or it has been redecal'ed, either way a good sign.
2) If it's been routed you'll get some bad wear in front of both drop target banks, these are easily covered up with Cliffy Protectors.
3) There's a little 'gate' that holds balls into the idol until multiball starts. Sometimes this is broken off and is a *fairly* easy fix, if you dont mind working under the hood.
4) The PoA and idol motors are the two most expensive parts in the game, make sure those work correctly, you can run them in the services menu.
5) There's a normal Trough Opto problem, you can look it up here or on RGP
6) Ed Cheung and Aeneas's websites are awesome for fixing up an IJ once you get it:

http://www.edcheung.com/album/album06/Pinball/pinball.htm
http://www.flippers.be/

Also, I considered mine to be in pretty good shape, despite some cabinet fade and trough wear, I paid <3500 for mine and I plan on keeping it basically forever... Great game... That said, after getting into it and playing it a lot, I want more pins... It won't end with IJ...
 
I would guess that you're looking a minimum of $3k, and probably $3200+ most likely for a decent one. I know someone who sold one a few months ago at $3200 and he had multiple calls to buy it sight unseen within the first 24 hours (and it had fade and playfield wear, not as nice as mine). I think if I were to sell mine I would think that I could get at least $3600 with the cabinet fade and playfield wear...people are just going nuts right now for classic williams right now, like almost a $500 jump across the board on all A list games within the past 6 months.
 
Sometime in the relatively near future I hope to pick up my first pin - and I'd like it to be a '93 Williams Indiana Jones.

How much time have you logged in actually playing an IJ?

I have owned all the Williams WPC/WPC95 'A' games (IJ, TAF, TZ, CV, SC, SS, MM, AFM, TOTAN, MB, CFTBL, STTNG, CC, etc) and IJ was the only 'A' Williams game that I totally hated. I sold the IJ a long time ago. I do not miss it. I am not a fan of widebody games anyways but I do like to play a good game of TZ or STTNG.

For the price you will pay for an IJ you can have a few nice Bally/Williams 'B' games, like Shadow, Whitewater, Getaway, FT, etc.
 
Thanks all for the replies - I haven't belonged to this community very long but I have to say I can't get over how incredibly nice and helpful people are around here.

How much time have you logged in actually playing an IJ?

Quite a bit - I'm certainly no pro, though. The purchase is more nostalgic than anything else. Not to date myself but I used to burn through my allowance playing IJ at the local Alladin's Castle. Indiana Jones (the character) was a huge part of my childhood, and I loved the game. That said - I haven't played a large variety of pinball. I've played most of the William's titles you listed except for MM and STTNG I think. Outside of those titles, I really haven't played much. Space Shuttle. F-14 Tomcat. The Simpsons. A few others here and there. I'm leaning towards IJ for a few reasons - 1. the nostalgia (pretty big) 2. cost - I only see this going up, maybe I'm wrong 3. Space - I've got room for 2-3 vids and 1-2 pins tops, and I certainly want one of those to be IJ. We'll see, though. I'm going to an arcade auction in a few weeks and I might bite the bullet on a pin there. Thanks again for all the input.
 
Not to date myself but I used to burn through my allowance playing IJ at the local Alladin's Castle. Outside of those titles, I really haven't played much

Your not too old if you were a kid in the mid 1990's. I was using my allowance to play Space Invaders, Black Knight, etc and these were brand new games just coming into the arcade. I was one of the lucky teenagers during the golden age of video/pinball machines. Early 1980's.

Where are you in IN?
 
Your not too old if you were a kid in the mid 1990's.

Ha - not too old, too YOUNG. The closest I came to the golden age was probably Chuck E Cheese birthday parties in gradeschool. We had a couple of places that had good classic stuff (played a lot of Star Wars, Centipede, Donkey Kong, etc) but the arcades (the few that existed) in my teenage years were dominated by fighters, really crappy conversions, and giant sit-down monstrosities.

Where are you in IN?

I live in southern Indiana, about 30 minutes north of Louisville,KY.
 
I doubt you will find a decent IJ for less than $3000.

I have some info about my IJ at my web site if you want to see some pictures, restore or other misc stuff.

www.aaarpinball.com

... Altan
 
I guess your too far for a road trip to my place.

Yeah a little too far for a day trip unfortunately. Fortunately I've only been doing this in earnest for a few months now and have already met some really great local collectors. This hobby seems to be full of just all around good people - hopefully they can point me in the direction of someone who has an IJ to try out or some other good pins.

Altan - thanks for the link. Your site is incredible. Your pins look amazing. I think you mentioned you sold your DE Star Wars. What did you think of that machine? It's another one I've played quite a bit, and enjoy, but the music drives me a little nuts. Also, your Star Wars upright is unreal. The side art looks factory fresh. And with the ESB card, too cool.
 
Altan - thanks for the link. Your site is incredible. Your pins look amazing. I think you mentioned you sold your DE Star Wars. What did you think of that machine? It's another one I've played quite a bit, and enjoy, but the music drives me a little nuts. Also, your Star Wars upright is unreal. The side art looks factory fresh. And with the ESB card, too cool.

Thanks for the very kind words!

Yes, I sold my DE Star Wars. I always liked the game. I just found that I didn't play it much. Then, when I played it, I said "this is fun! why am I not playing it." Alas, the cycle repeated. For the record, some of my favorite pins are ones that do _not_ have deep rules (T2, FunHouse) --- DESW falls into that category of rules. But I'll bet it has a few more rules/modes than most people know. The music! Ha! It's bizarre Disco Star Wars. Honestly, I'm not sure if authentic SW music would be appropriate for a pin.

Regarding Atari SW, I've found many of them have great shape artwork. Seems people respected them in the arcades. I effectively swapped my DSW to an Atari SW in my lineup.

... Altan
 
I just made it to Eternal Life last night...TWICE in the same game. Never made it there before, and somehow I got on such a roll that I made it there 2 times in the same game and almost made it there a third. Didn't beat it though, bummer. Got there again today, still couldn't beat it.
 
How much time have you logged in actually playing an IJ?

I have owned all the Williams WPC/WPC95 'A' games (IJ, TAF, TZ, CV, SC, SS, MM, AFM, TOTAN, MB, CFTBL, STTNG, CC, etc) and IJ was the only 'A' Williams game that I totally hated. I sold the IJ a long time ago. I do not miss it. I am not a fan of widebody games anyways but I do like to play a good game of TZ or STTNG.

For the price you will pay for an IJ you can have a few nice Bally/Williams 'B' games, like Shadow, Whitewater, Getaway, FT, etc.

I could see someone totally hating IJ. Especially if it's not setup right (but yours was I'm sure). Most I've played have:

mode start bounceouts
weak flippers that can't make the ramps consistently

Those two things can make this game totally suck. As if you can't start modes and can't make the POA, the game has nothing left to offer.

The problem I had for the first 300 games is I would get a ton of center drains from the captive target/ball. So I stopped shooting it entirely, no matter what. And that's how I made the Eternal Life twice in the same game after never making it there before.
 
Thanks for the very kind words!

The music! Ha! It's bizarre Disco Star Wars. Honestly, I'm not sure if authentic SW music would be appropriate for a pin.

... Altan

Exactly. I feel like I need to be wearing polyester when I play. You're right, though; authentic SW music would probably feel weird on a pin. It seems like the going price on a good condition SW is < 2000, this might be a better entry point for me. I keep envisioning the conversation I'm going to have with my wife about a 3k + pin. It's not pretty.

I just made it to Eternal Life last night...TWICE in the same game. Never made it there before, and somehow I got on such a roll that I made it there 2 times in the same game and almost made it there a third. Didn't beat it though, bummer. Got there again today, still couldn't beat it.

I've never made it to Eternal Life. Ever. I checked out your kc pinball site - excellent job on that Shadow back box!
 
totally hated...
not a fan of widebody games anyways
I do like to play a good game of TZ or STTNG.

not as nice as mine...
people are just going nuts right now...
like almost a $500 jump across the board...

plan on keeping it basically forever...
That said
want more pins...
It won't end...

road trip

Eternal Life...TWICE in the same game
got on such a roll...
still couldn't beat it...

wearing polyester...
envisioning the conversation I'm going to have with my wife
never made it to Eternal Life. Ever...
excellent job on that Shadow back box!

by the time i edited all your quotes, i've forgotton what i was going to type !
 
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