Hi All,

As a newbie I could use your help. I have a decision to make and I am not sure which avenue to take.

1. A fully shopped machine with a good playfield and new Back Glass from Mayfair. Asking $1900
or
2. A BK that needs a lot of work. $700
It would require
a) New playfield, it appears classic playfield has some left at $495 US, seconds, w/ insert color changes
b) New Back Glass
c) a new Sound Board
d) Plus plastics and everytihng else.

Thx

Drew

Newbie take route 1. me thinks.  Seems like a fairish price with items in List 2.  But I would check around for potential other purchases first, Black Knights come up every so often in the $900 - 1500 range in various degrees of quality.

BK isn't worth $2K Cdn to me and it would look like your going to spend that much at the options your looking at now.

The game in reasonably good condition can be found for $1500USD. Perfection is going to cost you considerably more than most are willing to pay for this title.

Clay was selling one with new playfield's installed for $1K US a few weeks ago down in Detroit that still needed some work. Just to give you an idea.

If you love the game it might be worth it to you. If your looking to see if it's worth that to everyone else I would have to personally say no.

Quoted from websherpa

Newbie take route 1. me thinks.  Seems like a fairish price with items in List 2.  But I would check around for potential other purchases first, Black Knights come up every so often in the $900 - 1500 range in various degrees of quality.

Good advice ! Don ' t rush into it to fast , unless you ' re hooked on a specific pin from your youth that you want no matter what . Also , check on MAACA ' s pinball for sale classifieds . There ' re always decent and trust worthy deals . Don ' t know much about Ontario geography and how far you ' re from Hamilton , but check them pins and you ' ll find it hard to get something that well restored ...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/35491845@N02/sets/72157620319938673/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/35491845@N02/sets/72157620319325823/

if the first one has a new playfield, go for it. else ...well find another machine

I have experience with playfield swap. I swap an original Xenon playfield and a CPR Centaur playfield. I can confirm you that a BK for 700$ + new playfield + new backglass $$$ + fixing and adjustment will cost you lot more than 1900$ + all the problems possible and the time ( lot of time, maybe more than 80 hours ) it will take you to make all those works and if you have no experience it is better to start with a complete and working pin, eventually you will have problems with it and you will take experience to fix them one by one ( they are 30 years old and it is frequent that a diode, caps, connector or transistor broke). If you can grab this BK for 1900$ it is a nice deal, go for it !  

A BK from USA for 1200US$ + 500$ shipping + 15% taxes and almost certain not in good shape like that you will understand that this one for 1900$ is a good deal. Personnaly i would sell mine more than that.

At the high end make absolutely certain you LOVE the game. You will find it very hard to sell it for that kind of cash. Personally, for the older games I buy nice examples that I know I can sell for the same money. I don't buy at the high end as it is impossible to sell them easily. For modern games, I go the opposite route. I buy the best possible as I know they are a keeper -- also for modern games I find people generally want a nice and are willing to spend the bucks.

At the end of the day, I would seriously recommend you buy a newer game for the money mentioned with option 1. If you are set on an oldie buy the rough example -- assuming 100% working  to make sure you love BK by playing it for quite some time. If you love it, buy a better example and sell the other.

Duane

Quoted from TwilightZone

make absolutely certain you LOVE the game.

Do you really LOVE the game or are living off nostalgia?  I bought WW and T2, pins I loved as a kid and they lasted for a very short time in my collection. Your taste change as you mature and many others have similar stories. Unless you have played it recently, I would reccomend playing it again and making sure it is what you still want to own.

My two cents.........

Quoted from TwilightZone

At the high end make absolutely certain you LOVE the game. You will find it very hard to sell it for that kind of cash. Personally, for the older games I buy nice examples that I know I can sell for the same money. I don't buy at the high end as it is impossible to sell them easily. For modern games, I go the opposite route. I buy the best possible as I know they are a keeper -- also for modern games I find people generally want a nice and are willing to spend the bucks.

At the end of the day, I would seriously recommend you buy a newer game for the money mentioned with option 1. If you are set on an oldie buy the rough example -- assuming 100% working  to make sure you love BK by playing it for quite some time. If you love it, buy a better example and sell the other.

Duane

Imo buying a rough game to apreciate it is not a good way to know if you can like it. Pinballs have to be 100% in nice working condition to apreciate them. Flippers have to be strong and responsive (usually it is necessary to rebuilt them), same for the pop bumpers, drop targets, spinners and all switches well ajusted and etc, it have to be nice physically and attractive. It is not possible to apreciate a rough game for his real value and especially for a newbie.

In my opinion, if some kind of persons who like pins like TZ TAF CV and etc are willing to pay 3000$ or 3500 and more $, i cannot see any reason why another kind of person who really like BK, why not pay 2000$ if it is in nice condition too.

I remark that people who are not willing to pay 2000$ for a really nice BK, are people who prefer modern pins. Personnaly i play lots of newer pins and i would not pay half of the market value for them because i simply prefer early 80's pins. Modern pins are also fun to play but simply not as catchy as early 80's for my personal taste.

Advise from everyone are good to read but you only know what kind of pin you prefer, if you already know that BK is a keeper go for it.

I remember this seller put an Haunted House in the same condition for sale a few months ago for 2000$ and he sell it in one or two week. I think he keep his game very nice and fonctionnal. I have nothing to do with him, really don't know him personnally but it is my feeling that this BK is a nice deal and it is in Canada.