Price Check - MAACA ARCHIVES - JOIN THE NEW FORUM AT HTTP://WWW.MAACA.ORG

I think in Canada you can get them from here: http://www.pinwest.net/ you may have to call. But I got mine (old version) with other supplies from Marco or PBR.

Wayne, feel free to call me any time you want to check a price (I have 2007 version though) or want to go check a machine together (though you're pretty qualified in assessing machines as far as I can tell).

I agree with the others, check the guide for reference since you will generally eventually come across a machine in that ball park.  Good quality machines IN CANADA, are almost always priced higher than guide listing.  If not, then usually it's either a collector to collector sale, a machine with issues, or an unknown "get it out of my basement" seller.  Higher than guide, there are a few sellers, like myself, that expect to sell to gameroom builders / non-collectors whio want machiens that come with a warranty/fixer attached. Or there are others that are patient enough to wait until the right price comes along.

Trading up or laterally among collectors usually gets you the best deal all around.  However I've learned it pays to pay a bit more for a machine in good quality, or to shop the US and pay for the shipping/customs arrangements as they sometimes sell good machines below guide price. But you have to be aware of who you are buying from.

I've stopped (for the most part) worrying about losing some value on a purchase I turn over.  Sure I'd like to profit, but if I don't I look at the loss as "rental" for the time I had the machine.

It's very difficult to obtain "B" and "A" list machines with even a smidgen of room for profit unless you're willing to put it back into "as new" condition. And as you already know, that costs in time sweat and new parts.