Seems they are selling 'tickets' for $1 on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Toronto-Pi.....ZphotoQQcmdZViewItem Not sure what to think of that. Perhaps spending the buck even if it's just to 'beat the line' might be a good idea.... And after re-reading it seems it's not even an auction, just a first come/first serve......get there early!
Currently ~~ The Addams Family ~~ Monster Bash Wanted ~~ MORE! Once there is enough room! 2 pins in a 2 bed apt is enough
I dunno... the empty cabs at 100$ makes me question what kind of deals are there to be made. Arcade games starting at 250$? Anyone remember Amusement911's 99$ specials? I believe that is what you will get here at 250$... I hope I am wrong though... could be all hype, no hope. Pinballs starting at 500$? Certainly not a recent one... no dealer in their right mind would sell a 1500$ pin for 500$.
Seems they are selling 'tickets' for $1 on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Toronto-Pi.....ZphotoQQcmdZViewItem Not sure what to think of that. Perhaps spending the buck even if it's just to 'beat the line' might be a good idea.... And after re-reading it seems it's not even an auction, just a first come/first serve......get there early!
I think they are just getting some cheap marketing. You don't actually seem to get anything for your $1.50 and it's refundable when you show up. Pretty clever actually.
I agree w/ Sparky. I'm not so convinced of the deals. $100 for a bare cab? We can get that type of "deal" any day for less. Pins starting at $500? Non-working EM? Who knows.
If they provided more information, rather than marketing hype "deal of a life time", "games in the street", they would get a better turn out I think.
i`ll do a really Nice Jacks To Open 1984(electronic) with new rubbers and completly working for 500$ for fast pick-up game is waiting ready for pick-up !
Games I am looking for Spiderman red TDK TSPP WCS Tales of the Arabians Nights MM POTC IM Scared Stiff
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I really dont think it will be insane prices myself. He wants the people there to suck them in and then deal with them. Personally if it was a sale would that was outstanding prices for all would be out.
Life is like Pinball!! You never know where you will bounce or where your going but sometimes you have that one amazing shot But on the other hand you have those darn gutter ball where you just get frustrated.
I dunno... the empty cabs at 100$ makes me question what kind of deals are there to be made. Arcade games starting at 250$? Anyone remember Amusement911's 99$ specials? I believe that is what you will get here at 250$... I hope I am wrong though... could be all hype, no hope. Pinballs starting at 500$? Certainly not a recent one... no dealer in their right mind would sell a 1500$ pin for 500$.
Comet $1,499 Demolition Man $2,499 Monopoly $3,499 ......these are posted prices on their site.....I think I'm too cheap!!!
He offered me that comet a few auction ago at starburst..1075 plus taxes... I told him I would totally give him a 1000 no tax...but the tax wwas the deal breaker sheez whats he think I am new home user?
i went to the last one and was VERY dissapointed....those pics of the wall of pins is DEFINATELY a pic from somewhere else...checked ALL the prices as labelled on machines and noticed some were the same machines (or so seemed) to be from starburst auction but higher $$.....
however i do beleive there was lots of artwork to be had!
would not make the trip from hamilton there again...HOWEVER left there and had some excitement at the new starburst/playdium store
He offered me that comet a few auction ago at starburst..1075 plus taxes... I told him I would totally give him a 1000 no tax...but the tax wwas the deal breaker sheez whats he think I am new home user?
If you are in the market for a Comet, Jim has one at $800. Seems a fair price and that's a cash price, no tax
Yaya, thanks thats kinda how all my debating started this AM He has a couple that I would like to pick-up that being one of them,,,hence my selling Monte Carlo to raise funds; and my offer to MarkToo to bring stuff back IF i can sell and go up... Thanks for the link
Yaya, thanks thats kinda how all my debating started this AM He has a couple that I would like to pick-up that being one of them,,,hence my selling Monte Carlo to raise funds; and my offer to MarkToo to bring stuff back IF i can sell and go up... Thanks for the link
Opportunity knocks, man! Decent Comets don't come around every day. Drop your price on the Monte Carlo to move it. Personally I'd list it at $800 and describe all you have done. I'd also offer delivery within the city. That might just seal the deal. Good luck!
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I haven't been, but the last time I traded correspondence with the guy thinking that I would go, the prices for pins were way over the top for collectors, Toronto Pinball Exchange style. Hype for sure, but those who go, it will be interesting (and good for you) to prove us wrong.
Didn't the Monte Carlo have a simple fix? Shame I wasn't able to pay it more attention, it was in great condition; I liked the theme, but not the sound effects.
Thanks for the thoughts and past experience stories. I'm in the city anyway so I'm planning to go, but at least I have an idea of what to expect...maybe I'll get lucky!
Currently ~~ The Addams Family ~~ Monster Bash Wanted ~~ MORE! Once there is enough room! 2 pins in a 2 bed apt is enough
You guys are being a little hard on Steve. He's running a retail business and needs to market himself any way he can. So what if it's hype? It obviously got everyone's attention, didn't it. Maybe his sale will attract some new people to the hobby as well. Isn't that a good thing?
FWIW, I have dealt with him in the past and have been very satisfied with our transactions. I have found him to be VERY negotiable on price but he'll only wheel & deal in person. Don't expect to get a good price over the phone or by email. Yes, tax is a factor but if he has something you're looking for that you can't find anywhere else locally, look at it this way...the tax costs less than what you'd pay in shipping charges.
Oh, and those prices on his website? Meaningless unless you're the type of person that pays full price for a car too
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No one said he was a bad guy, only that his sales pitch wasn't attractive enough to make it worthwhile for some to make the trip. Others mileage may vary and good on them and him for being in the biz. A lot of collectors here like the "hunt" for a bargain and "tween" collector trades, so retailers don't get as much attention. Always worth checking out a seller, you never know what you might find. My 2.5 cents.
You guys are being a little hard on Steve. He's running a retail business and needs to market himself any way he can. So what if it's hype? It obviously got everyone's attention, didn't it. Maybe his sale will attract some new people to the hobby as well. Isn't that a good thing?
Blah!! I run a business myself and I find honesty wins new clients and repeat business. I'm not against his marketing hype. I even said it was clever.
What I disagree with is not providing prices. Ever seen Brick ads? Notice they have prices on the super specials of a given sale? "Doors open at xxx, arrive early as these specials are limited". With that info, a consumer can make an informed decision to get up early and drive or in my case, make the 4 hour commute (one way) to look at a White Water I might be interested in. Anyone in marketing knows, the more you tell the more you sell. Consumers like to be informed.
I also think his normal prices are robbery. Sure someone might get into the hobby as a result of his marketing, but then they might be turned off to the hobby once they realized they were ripped off....badly. I've seen his games and, at the time, I was very unimpressed. Condition was terrible given the price.
So in the end, I don't think we or I are being hard on him. Quite the opposite, I think we are being pretty easy on him. I haven't even bothered to mention how completely unimpressed I was with their operation at the Toronto pinball show...oh wait I guess I just did At a pinball show, did they bring any pinballs? No! They brought boat loads of crappy photo copied pinball promo material they had mounted on partical board. Real impressive. I then made the trip to their store front to see if it got any better. It didn't.
Distributors have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for a long time. Unlike collectors, they have to take in account the hours they spend on fixing and cleaning a machine when selling.
And as for prices VS volume, yes, sell high = sell less, and sell low = sell more. That is a choice a dealer makes. And let's not forget that collectors are a very discriminate group of buyers. Most dealers/distributors don't like dealing with them. They rather sell to someone who is just willing to pay the amount advertized. Less hassle. It doesn't make them bad or anything... just less interesting to collectors.
It's like I have been saying for years over here in our own classifieds... if someone is selling something at what you consider to be a high price, that doesn't necessarily give people an opportunity to bash them. Don't like the price? Move on... A high price doesn't make it a fraud. Value is an interpretation.
Unlike collectors, they have to take in account the hours they spend on fixing and cleaning a machine when selling.
The guy at Mira was telling how much they pax in taxes every year for their building and i now understand a little bit more. Its an astronomical amount.
Showrooms + warehouses are costing money. Having an inventory isnt free either.
Currently owning: - Solar Fire, Medusa, Flash Gordon, (Centaur), No Fear ------------------
Most dealers/distributors don't like dealing with them. They rather sell to someone who is just willing to pay the amount advertized. Less hassle. It doesn't make them bad or anything... just less interesting to collectors.
There is a flipside to this. If you sell to a collector, you are not going to be getting calls about trivial little issues. Collectors buy the game and then (usually) service it themselves. The dealer will probably never hear back from a collector after a purchase. It is just assumed that if you would buy it as-is. Now if I was being charged $500-$1000 more, then I would be more inclined to use their warranty and services that are covered.
There is a flipside to this. If you sell to a collector, you are not going to be getting calls about trivial little issues. Collectors buy the game and then (usually) service it themselves. The dealer will probably never hear back from a collector after a purchase. It is just assumed that if you would buy it as-is. Now if I was being charged $500-$1000 more, then I would be more inclined to use their warranty and services that are covered.
Good point, plus the collector is more likely to buy more which means repeat business. It costs money to earn a first time purchase. It is much more profitable to sell to the same customer again. You earn that by providing good service at a fair price. I'd hardly call their posted prices fair. And their current tactics just piss me off, but that's me.
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This is an aside, nothing personal about anyone present or being discussed. I have yet to meet a retail or wholesale coin-op distributor that wasn't a tad more shady than a used car salesman (and I'm talking about people I've known over the past 30+ years, including my own family).
Incase anyone is interested in that Whitewater, I went by to see it in person.(I live 5 mins from them) Im no expert or anything, I just bought my first machine last week, (not from them) but here is what I saw: 1 side of the cabinet faded(the cabinet as a whole maybe a 6.5/10) Lock bar holes missing boulder on pop bumpers missing a couple of signs couple of minor cracks/chips in some plastics and boulders Wrong standup targets There is some minor wear on the playfield, but I can't remember where exactly. (I think in the middle) Hacked/burnt Gi connector Might be some more stuff, I didn't notice. Anyways he wanted $2000 cash no tax unshopped $2500 shopped, this was about a month ago.
The other couple of games he had at the shop were Starship Troopers, Striker Extreme, World Cup Soccer and a system 11 game, I think it was Police Force. Might have had an X-Files machine as well, but Im not sure.
Back from Pinball outlet, pinballs they had the following games:
Striker Extreme Star Ship Troppers World Cup Soccer White Water Bad Girls Alien Poker Baby Pac
Prices wern't horrible, I wasn't paying attention to all of them but they wanted $1750 for the Wh20. Not a terrible price but the machine was a bit rough. Baby Pac was priced nice $650 for it.
Bunch of videos I didn't pay attention to.
I picked up an original ST:TNG manual for $25 so that was good.
I wouldn't bother with the sale again personally while they did drop prices to be more in line with regualr market prices after you add tax on top of that there were really no good deals to be had.
Not too exciting. There was an original MM manual downstairs...I think that's the best thing I saw. (I was trying to find an MB manual...anyone ?) Asked for a couple fuses, some novus1 and balls and was told 'too busy today with the big sale'. Also seemed there were a couple football players (argos maybe?) there that had to go get a bigger truck cause there were buying 9 'pieces' (of what I don't know...)
meh
Currently ~~ The Addams Family ~~ Monster Bash Wanted ~~ MORE! Once there is enough room! 2 pins in a 2 bed apt is enough
Nothing special, I think it was like $1800 or something like that. The soccer ball was trashed, usual wear in the scoops, flippers were so weak ramp shots were impossible, then they blew a fuse in the show room so I couldn't play test anymore
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