[ohwaitnvm]

I picked up my first two last year - they require a decent amount of maintenance -- more the older they are.

Home use only machines will be in better shape - my 2018 Stern pin (3rd owner, home use only) has only really needed replacements of the coil stops and sleeves for the the upper flippers.

On the other hand, my 2002 Stern machine (3rd owner, but first was on location in a Century theater where it saw thousands of plays) required in just two months of ownership:

- diagnosis and replacement of a bad bridge rectifier for the controlled lights,

- new plumb bob (machine info showed it had never reported a tilt before - looks like it had been removed before ever been played),

- clear mylar patch on the playfield near the plunger lane exit,

- replacement of the main power cable -- someone had ripped out the third/ground prong (which is apparently very common),

- redoing the connections inside the power box -- someone had decided all the connectors should just live in giant solder balls.....,

- replacement of the coin door lock mechanism,

- replacement of a flipper return spring

and it has a few cracked pieces of protective plastic that just aren't worth trying to find replacements for.

In total all together that's still less than $50 in parts, but figuring out the lights issue took weeks, and some of these required soldering. (And desoldering! I strongly recommend the Hakko FR301 desoldering tool instead of mucking about with copper braid.)

For the prices you listed, I would guess you're looking at older machines, which will probably have more issues sooner than new (but not brand-new!) pins. I suggest pinside.com for the classifieds and also the "_X_ Machine Owner" forum threads which might have game-specific info for you. Stern has very detailed manuals, and pinballlife/marcospecialties have just about every part you might need when you do have a problem.

Good luck, and have fun!

[Boogie_Man]

This is the best, most helpful message I've ever received in response to something I've typed on the Internet. I'll take it to heart, thanks boss.

Edit: to further take advantage of your kindness, let me ask you a question: it looks like an old bowling alley near me has several machines reported to be non functional, including an Elvira and the Party Monsters. In your humble restoration opinion, would it make sense for me to stop by and give them the old "eh it's busted? Maybe I can do something with it. Sell it to me for $400?" type spheel and see if I can dump ~$700 into it to get a functional machine for a good price? I wouldn't be looking to resell. https://pinside.com/pinball/machine/elvira-and-the-party-mon... https://www.afpinball.com/restorations/system-11b-mpu-batter...

[ohwaitnvm]

Aww I'm glad it helped! I wanted to illustrate the amount of upkeep it takes to even keep a machine that was already about 99% working from disrepair.

I think you could give the offer a shot, but it looks like the market is a good bit higher - the bigger the discount the more you're probably going to have to work to get it operational. It looks like you've already got a headstart on that, so if none of this is scaring you off, I say do it! My two machines are Whitestar and Spike2 systems, and are from Stern, which is still operating. My concern going for Party Monsters would be that System 11(B?!) boards and replacement parts may be in short supply, and I can't comment on the quality of documentation for it all.

Looking at pinside though, between the owner thread and system 11 thread, there are probably more than enough helpful folks who will have good advice for you if you take on the project. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/elvira-and-the-party... https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/system-11-club

Watch out though - I see posts about mods in the game thread. My newer machine came with 6-7 already installed by the first owner, which got me hooked. At this point I've added another 25 or so... I think I spend as much time working on these machines as I do playing them (but my goal is to make my own machine, so every piece of work comes with learnings and better understanding of what's in store for me.)

Post back here later and let me know what you end up doing!

[Boogie_Man]

You're making good sense about the pitfalls, and I think these might be great for me to bring up when negotiating price. It looks to me like the machine is in pretty good shape for its age and being a bowling alley machine. It also has a topper (that I didn't get in the photo) and seems stock. https://ibb.co/pZV1Vx5 When I arrived the lights in that area weren't even turned on in that section of the building because, as they said, most of the machines are broken. It can't be making him money if it's not even worth it to the run the lights. The out of order paper in the machine looks like it has been there for 5+ years (it could be used on different machines when they go out but I don't think so).

If I can swoop in and buy it for $500 or less I think I'm going to. I have to keep it low on the off chance I end up with a paperweight. My wife won't be thrilled about the booby lady pinball but at that price she can't get too mad. I'll home it at a buddy's house for now if it comes to it.

I'll keep you posted about any developments, thank you again for your help.

[bdash]

To get that game for $500 I think the owners would need to be at a point where they're sick of it and just want it gone.

A couple of thoughts:

1. Games on location are often not owned by the location, but instead owned by a third-party operator that is responsible for maintenance and splits coin drop with the location. 2. Since the game is on location it was probably playable at some point recently. It may be off because of something simple like a rubber ring breaking and the ball keeps getting stuck or an important switch not registering, but the operator hasn't had a chance to fix it. If it was recently and only needs minor work, its value is more likely to be $5,000 than $500. 3. Even if it has been broken and not working for years, its value would heavily depend on the cosmetic condition. A non-working machine with a great cabinet (artwork without fade, no dings) and no wear or damage to the playfield would still probably be worth closer to $2-3,000.

It never hurts to ask, though!

[Boogie_Man]

You're making good points. 1. I neglected to mention that I confirmed the owner owned the machines. The employee I spoke to said she was going to approach the owner about purchasing the pacman machine herself. 2. The location seems like it's being kept alive by bowling leagues. I wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't there in five years. They quite literally do not turn the lights on in this section of the building. 3. You're right that I'm off on the price, but I'm starting with 400. If he wants to try to sell it online and ship it or deal with the arcade two cities away he can, but it's a question of how much it's worth it to him. I bought a grandfather clock six months ago for $100. It never hurts to ask. I won't weep or be rude if it doesn't work out. I've found I can get great prices on low volume stuff.

I don't particularly think it will work out, I just need to try so I can throw my hands up in the air and answer my original question in this thread with "I don't own one... because they're too darn expensive".

But dag on I want it. Elvira is calling to me.

You've also given me great information in this thread, thank you.

[Boogie_Man]

Pinball machine isn't happening for reasons unrelated to the cost. Sorry to disappoint HN.

[0lll_-_lll0]

Idk, once fixed my machine the first time after buying it, I haven't had to fix a thing in 7yrs.

Star Race, 1980 Hired a tech to resolder some switches and then replace the main board with a maddog and I literally have done nothing to it since 2017ish and even then that was just putting new flipper rubbers on...