From my experience, it is very difficult to sell machines at or higher than book values,
unless you are an established commercial seller in a big market (e.g. Toronto for instance).
Or unless the machines are mint, or found NOS in-box in a hidden warehouse !

It seems your potential projects will be intensive in parts, time, repairs and restoration
(plus getting boards fixed). Plus maybe after-sale service/repair down the road, if the
machine is sold at a premium to a newbee.

Unless you have a custom request from a motivated buyer (or a machine owner who wants
a particular machine to be restored), you probably will end-up selling at loss in the end.
Time is money...

But might be a good exercise for playfield restorations for you, if this is what you want.

Bonne chance !
- Sylvain @ Ottawa.

Sylvain has a good point.  IT seems that other than dealers or those who can buy low and sell at book value (or wait it out for a non-informed buyer), selling services and parts to people in the hobby seems to be the more lucrative approach, particularly if you provide exemplary or economical service.

Quoted from websherpa

Sylvain has a good point.  IT seems that other than dealers or those who can buy low and sell at book value (or wait it out for a non-informed buyer), selling services and parts to people in the hobby seems to be the more lucrative approach, particularly if you provide exemplary or economical service.

Like I have said before, I am thinking of restoring playfields, but I am in no way as qualified as people like Bill Davis or NWOJedi or Playfield Renovations. Clearcoat is easy, but my touch-up techniques are so-so. I would need to get an airbrush and some other equipment (details are easy... it is large full-color areas that are difficult to do with a brush... best with an airbrush). I might just follow this avenue if there is a local demand. I just don't want to deal with people that will come back to me stating that the work is sub-par and want a refund even when I would charge almost half of what others do...

Thanks for your opinions.

In my opinion, you might have more success with the PF restoration (retouch/clearcoat) alone,
as opposed to full machine purchase/repair/restoration/sale, since quite a few of us can find
affordable projects, repair and shop our own machines (including boards)...
But very few of us can do quality/professional touch-up and clear-coat to playfields.

Plus, there are so many machines available out there for non-collectors
(eBay, Kijiji, Craigslist, Mr.Pinball, rec.games.pinball, MAACA, UsedOttawa, etc.)
that non-collectors will often not care for pristine/premium machines...

I sincerely wish you success with PF restoration - as I indicated before, I would like
to use your services in the future, for a few PFs.

Cheers,
- Sylvain.

I think you said it yourself, Ian, get them for yourself and fix them up to a level that is acceptable to you. If you keep them for yourself, it's a labour of love, then it's all good.

I've been there MANY times. I don't know HOW many games I've planned on keeping, done the ALL work, and then ended up selling....

I personally think that there is a small market out there for early SS games ( especially Bally ), restored to like new condition, but when you add it all up ( labour hours, parts, etc. ) you probably would just break even on the price you sell them for. On the bright side at least you get to enjoy them for awhile! There are a few guys that I've met in the last little while, they want collector quality pins from this era, and are willing to pay for them! Theme definately has alot to do with it... but it really depends on the buyer. Good condition games are getting harder to find, the market seems to be drying up a bit, especially when it comes to "like new" condition games. I don't think your idea of fixing them up to new is so wrong. I personally don't mind paying a bit more to get a better quality game ( within reason of course! ) and I'm sure some experienced buyers would tell you the same.

As long as you're doing it for yourself, you'll never lose, IMHO.

Quoted from Tuborg

I'll buy a fully restored seawitch from you at book value   if its anything like your past projects.

Me first.

Quoted from cooke

Me first.

ALL my pins will get done. Seawitch as well as Big Game. And hopefully one day, another Stern if the money from the playfields comes in... I intend to finance my collecting with the playfield rework.

Last year I sold a JOKER POKER FOR $1350 and nobody argued with the price,New CPU,POWER SUPPLY,NO CAB WORK,NEW BACK GLASS,CLEANED AND SHOPPED.I played it for a year and sold it working perfect with a year waranty.You can restore them and enjoy them till you want to get something new.
My 2 cents

I think you will make more money with PF restoration because you won't have to find client, people will come to you and will be ready to pay your price... even if you found cheap pins, restoring them, you still have to sell them after... more risk. Just don't flood the market