SOLD Container Pinballs *list received*

[jooky]

I think the prices are too high and with the cad dollar not as high as it used to be... it's not worth it. The best deals are still to deal with your local canuck. I would think all these things would have to be in your favor for a nice outcome:
- High CAD dollar
- A-list pin priced low enough with room to recoup costs
- pin that is rare enough and doesn't come up for sale often to make it worthwhile
- luck, in that our European operator friends did not totally abuse the pin and hacked together repairs.

I got lucky with one of the early containers and got a really nice TZ (goes to show how well TZ does on route!), which gave me the confidence to go for a second one - a Road Show. That one involved a lot more work than I anticipated. I recall around that time I bought mine 2 people who getting rid of their container pins as soon as they got it since it was way more work than they anticipated. I think I read about a CV on the other board and a fellow RS buyer who did not want theirs and listed them as they were total basketcases or too much work.

I'll try to revive my old thread which I never updated!

 

[g-man]

Don't forget that if it ever comes to deciding between buying a pooched machine locally or one from Europe, at least when taking the initiative to bring one in from overseas, you are adding a machine to the Canadian stockpile, rather than simply recycling one that is already here.

I know that I feel pretty good for having brought most of my pins over from the U.S. There are a couple dozen pins floating around north of the border that didn't used to be here and that's gotta be worth something.

 

[ALJO]

Don't forget that if it ever comes to deciding between buying a pooched machine locally or one from Europe, at least when taking the initiative to bring one in from overseas, you are adding a machine to the Canadian stockpile, rather than simply recycling one that is already here.

I know that I feel pretty good for having brought most of my pins over from the U.S. There are a couple dozen pins floating around north of the border that didn't used to be here and that's gotta be worth something.

I totally agree with you, I feel good when I buy pins from the U.S. and feel quite bad when I have to sell a game to the U.S. just because I can't sell it here in Canada.

 

[Luckydogg420]

I'd be in for another container pin, if the title was right.

 

[Hammerhead]

I'd be in for another container pin, if the title was right.

+1

 

[Williampinball]

I might be in if the price and game is right

 

[Uberhare]

Prices here are all too high for a container pin considering you still have to pay freight.

 

[rsss]

I saw several pinball container and restored some pinball. Now, I prefer to buy a pinball in excellent condition, huo or restored rather than buying a container or big project to restore that cost to me at the same price. Besides the machine is ready to play. I prefer play with that play in.

In my opinion, apart from having the satisfaction of having completed restoration, there is no money to be saved if the restoration has it been professionally made. Not just quick reshop and go on the market with big asking price...

Like many in this forum mentioned the exchange rate is killing the import pinball. Already the parts cost more. And I prefer don't speak all the risk involved in this type of purchase. Much more to lose than gain... It's gambling to me or perhaps the chance of getting a treasure. But could not find a treasure when a geek has already put his hand over ...

But, It's my humble opinion.

 

[Hammerhead]

I get more enjoyment buying a $2K game and dropping $2K into it, doing the work and getting it into shape than paying $4K for the same machine complete.

The lack of play time is a definite downfall though.

 

[DRANO]

I get more enjoyment buying a $2K game and dropping $2K into it, doing the work and getting it into shape than paying $4K for the same machine complete.

The lack of play time is a definite downfall though.

I'll agree with this... but everyone is different and not everyone enjoys fixing stuff.
There are quite a few different facets to the hobby and reasons why people enjoy it.

 

[mwong168]

I get more enjoyment buying a $2K game and dropping $2K into it, doing the work and getting it into shape than paying $4K for the same machine complete.

This would only work for me if I was buying a $2K game and dropping up to $1K into it resulting in paying less then the $4K market price. If you can get the same outcome for the exact same money, save yourself a ton of time and grief why wouldn't you?

I've spoken to many people to get their feedback in the past regarding their container experience for and most said they wouldn't do it again. These were for non "A" list games like World Cup Soccer '94, Demolition Man, Doctor Who and Roadshow. When it was all said and done they were pretty close to what it would have cost them had they waiting for a local example to pop up.

Another thing I would also worry about is if there are multiples of the same game you are interested in and they ship you the wrong one. This happened to Drano's Fishtales but worked to his advantage since he got a nicer example. I don't recall if there were multiples but I know what he got wasn't the same one he was expecting from the pictures he had been looking at.

If you are looking for particular titles it doesn't hurt to keep a WTB thread open here as there are many eyes and ears on the board here. There are plenty of games exchanging hands then you see in the Classifieds and lots of deals going on behind the scenes via PMs, txts and emails.

 

[Menace]

I got in on 3 games from the last container, and the only reason I did was because they were Zaccaria's (2 of them at least) which are impossible to find in North America, and if you do find them they usually are not cheap. Anyway, both of the Zacc's I picked up are not perfect but I'm very happy with what I received. Only reason I would buy from a container in the future is to obtain a game I cannot get locally, or if the pricing was too attractive to ignore. (and I only say this because I am able to repair whatever I end up with)

If anyone considering a container game does not posses the technical skills require to repair the game, I would highly recommend not purchasing one unless you factor in spending some good coin on a tech to repair it for you. (and yes, I was hired to repair a couple of these container pins for others)

D

 

[DRANO]

I get more enjoyment buying a $2K game and dropping $2K into it, doing the work and getting it into shape than paying $4K for the same machine complete.

This would only work for me if I was buying a $2K game and dropping up to $1K into it resulting in paying less then the $4K market price. If you can get the same outcome for the exact same money, save yourself a ton of time and grief why wouldn't you?

That's because, what you call 'grief' others call 'fun'
Restoration is as much a hobby as playing... maybe moreso.

The outcome is that you did it yourself and enjoyed it. Also, you know everything that went into that game and you can do it to your standards.
I'd rather have a $4K game that I did myself than the same $4K game that some other guy supposedly 'restored'.

 

[REVOLUTION]

Doug, don't forget WWF

 

[Menace]

Doug, don't forget WWF

Oh I didn't forget! It was the 3rd game I ended up with out of that container.

D

 

[prock]

I got a TZ on the last container... I put enough money into it that I could have found a local example at the same or similar price, the difference is mine ended up being nicer than anything local by far because of all the new parts I put into it. Overall I was very happy.

 

[WARLOCK]

I got a TZ on the last container... I put enough money into it that I could have found a local example at the same or similar price, the difference is mine ended up being nicer than anything local by far because of all the new parts I put into it. Overall I was very happy.

And there it is. There you have it exactly.
That sums up what the import pin is all about.
It is about doing it yourself for the desired result.
Hopefully the "finances" makes sense when you do it.

 

[mwong168]

Oh I didn't forget! It was the 3rd game I ended up with out of that container.

D

Doug, you should probably ask someone who is going down to Allendown to keep an eye out for a new or used DE widebody lockdown bar for your WWF. You could always order it from PBL and have it shipped to a US address and have it picked up on the way back.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3279

 

[Menace]

Oh I didn't forget! It was the 3rd game I ended up with out of that container.

D

Doug, you should probably ask someone who is going down to Allendown to keep an eye out for a new or used DE widebody lockdown bar for your WWF. You could always order it from PBL and have it shipped to a US address and have it picked up on the way back.

http://www.pinballlife.com/index.php?p=product&id=3279

Already way ahead of you. Got a brand spankin' new lockdown bar from Terry sometime last year, and then a sheet of glass from Scott so I'm good to go. (although I am still waiting for $$$ reimbursement from Gerard for the cost of the lockbar, as he said he would cover the cost)

D

 

[superjackpot]

This was my first container pin, a Dr. Who back in Dec 2012.

The underside was a mess. Corrosion was bad. Every screw pulled from the PF was black. Gerry first offered me some cash to buy new parts. But I was not up for stripping and sanding the underside of the PF - which was required here. He then allowed me to add some cash and trade up to a container WPT (same shipment, my choices were limited). Gerry was also kind enough to arrange and cover the YUL to YYZ shipping to see this swap through. The WPT under PF was clean.

I know others who had better experiences, and I'll agree it's best to do this for unobtanium type games. If the supplied pictures gave detail on the inside of the game I may think about it.

This was my last container pin.