Definition of "shopped"?

[tim.sanderson]

I see the description 'shopped' used when people are selling a machine. I would figure that it would mean a complete restoration, to make the pin look like it did the day it was manufactured. But now from other people's use I'm starting to think that it means less that that. (tune up vs restoration)
Is there an actual definition?

 

[slacker]

Hey Tim I think its a matter of opinion..
Tune up would be accurate if you asked me, new Rubber, Bulbs or lamps, PF cleaned and waxed, Broken parts replaced and repaired as needed
Switches adjusted stuff like that and dial it in so it plays as it should.
Restore would be returning as close to factory as possable and sometimes better like clear coating PF (again some like total stock) so clearcoat would be seen as a no no. A cab restored by repaint or new decals. new BG NEW NEW NEW...... for a restore, also one would go though all the boards re-pin any old plugs fix cold joints and so on and so on. Its endless depending on the guy doing the restore.
As I said before its a matter of opinion, beware of the quick flip shop job just bulbs and rubber. Flippers do this to make a machine look better but don't even look under the playfeild so boards could be hacked or you could have a fire waiting to happen.
my 2 cents

 

[Luckydogg420]

Yah I agree with slacker.

When I got into this hobby I thought it was a full look over, flippers rebuilt, everything working 100% ect... But I now think some sellers online just polish the turds and make it look good. Best to play a game and look under the hood before you buy

 

[frolic]

A rag and some novus 2.

"shopped" to me is worthless in a for sale ad.

 

[bstock]

I'm new to this, but from what I've seen the term is over used. In my opinion, "shopped" doesn't mean it's like new, but you certainly should have to do anything to it as soon as you get it home. It should be thoroughly cleaned, rubber and bulbs replaced, and the insides should be gone over to ensure everything in an unhacked condition. It doesn't need to be perfect, but a shopped machine should be something that you can set up and display right away.

Again, I'm new, and that's just my opinion.

From what I've seen, I'm pretty sure a lot of guys think that just because the machine was geographically IN their shop, it has been "shopped". If you're lucky, they quickly wipe down a machine and change a couple of rubbers and bulbs and say it's shopped. Some games aren't even thoroughly tested and there are functional issues.

I also agree with the post above. I completely ignore the word when I see it in an ad. Better to just look at the pictures and judge for yourself.

 

[WARLOCK]

Guys, a great question! +1 Slacker, and everone else has very valid points.

Wait until Menace chimes in for a true definition of real full shop job. (I am too new as well to define it properly)
A "TRUE" shop job, is what Doug does to a pin for you when you "hire" him, to do so for you.

Doug and I are friends, that is no secret. BUT, if I am really shopping a pin to sell it,
I have hired and paid Doug, (friendship aside) to fix and to shop a pin for me, far
beyond my abilities to pretend to do so. (even with my decent skill set)

Worth every penny to myself, and to the new buyer of the pin I just sold.

We can all "shop pins to various degrees" but it is a very relative term.

A restore is another thing entirely, the whole pin perhaps.
Cab, pf, mechanics, plastics, legs, bg or translite, everything.

 

[Menace]

Yep, the word "shopped" gets thrown around as much as the term "huo" these days and generally means squat because one persons definition of a shop job is nothing like someone else's definition of a shop job.

To me, a shop job is nothing but a tune up for a game. A complete tune up. What this means for me is stripping the topside down to the point I can clean every nook and cranny of the topside of the play field, then wax and/or polish as needed. I remove any lamp pcb's from the underside for cleaning, along with any subways or ball troughs, or anything else the ball comes into contact with. Pull all the bulbs, and clean the underside of the inserts before re-lamping the game. At this point I will inspect all the mechs on the underside and rebuild them as necessary. If needed I'll wipe the harness down slightly, and any other areas the play field might need it and then reassemble the underside. Shifting back to the top, I will do my best to clean the star posts but I don't go crazy on shop jobs, just try and make sure theres no wax/cleaner buildup. I'll clean / fix/ replace any targets, re-ring the game and then clean the plastics and begin reassembly of the topside. If the game has ramps I'll make sure they are cleaned very well and if needed I'll quickly hit them with a flame polish but nothing too crazy. Again, if I encounter any broken bits I will repair or replace along the way. Then at the end of the assembly I do the flipper rebuilds, and then play test and tweak the game to get the pops and slings dialed in just the way I like them, which is as sensative as I can get them without phantom activations, and this usually is the time I replace any bad or intermittant switches.

I'm sure I've missed things in this list but you get the idea. I can assure you that people flipping games, and even retail outlets are not shopping games to this extent, and I'd be willing to bet if you hired them to shop a game you wouldn't get anything close to it either.

Now, restorations on the other hand...

D

 

[DRANO]

Yup... restorations are like a shop job on crack.
If Doug's description wasn't enough... throw in full cabinet cleanup/sanding, possibly stripping and applying new decals or stenciled art. Then you have a full playfield strip (top and bottom) all parts get tumbled, cleaned, replaced as necessary, etc... Playfield can be touched up and clearcoated at this stage. add in a 6 month cure period before playing on it.

Every single part of the game right down to the smallest screw gets adressed.
I share Doug's enthusiasm for this kinda stuff... but it's definitley not for everyone.

But, being able to perform a good solid shop job should be the goal of any pin owner.

 

[thewebexpert]

I think everyone's definition of shop is correct, but on Kijiji the definition of shop means a few bulbs got replaced, and if you are lucky a wax. I think it is something those particular few who we see flipping pins on kijiji put on their ads to dupe their marks .... Used car salesman approach, use fancy words instead of "gave it a good clean" = "shopped" ..... Major wear on playfield = "Some wear in the usual spots" etc.

Derek

 

[mwong168]

If you want to get an idea of what a "shop" job entails you can have a look at my friend DavidC's Grand Prix thread from one of Gerry's container deal earlier this year.

http://www.maaca.org/viewtopic.php?f=25 ... grand+prix

The sellers on kijiji who market their games as "shopped" or "refurbished" basically are just wiping down the playfield with a rag and windex where ever they can reach by hand, changing burnt out bulbs and dirty rubbers if they don't have to remove too many other parts such as ramps or wire forms. If you ask Doug or anyone who has properly shopped a pin for anyone else it can take 20+ hours to do depending on the game. He also inspects all boards for previous hacks, cold solder joints, burnt connectors and pin headers, etc. The cost of something like this can start from $300-500 for labour not including the price of new parts if the old ones can't be cleaned or reused.

 

[TwilightZone]

Shop job gets thrown around alot like you point out. Always best to ask the seller what they have done and when it was done.

When I sell a game as shopped, I follow the same steps outlined by Doug. I strip everything off the playfield, polish, and wax the playfield (2 coats of wax with 20 mins between coats). I clean the star posts and all plastics. I replace all rubbers, install new balls, replace blubs, clean all lights, vacuum the cab, install new leg levelers, etc. Fix any issues that I discover. Only thing I don't do is flame the ramps. Too chicken for that

Cheers,
Duane

 

[mwong168]

Only thing I don't do is flame the ramps. Too chicken for that

Perhaps you need the right fire extinguisher, here is a thread that might help :lol:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=952