New website

[Rival]

Well, I finally did it. I have done so many teardowns and restorations that I figured it was time to build a website. I designed it up primarily as an ecommerce site to sell restored machines without having to pay ebay all of their ridiculous fees, but I have expanded it quite a bit. There is a bunch of good info there for newbies and experienced folks alike, as well as some backgrounds I have done and stuff. I also decided to offer restoration services, not sure how that will go yet.

The website design and implementation ate up literally hundreds of hours that I would rather have used for restoring machines, but why restore machines if you can't get them into the hands of the people who want them? I hope everyone stops by and takes a look, it is of course a work in progress, and I welcome any suggestions or ideas.

http://pachinkoplanet.com


I also linked it into a facebook site so people can see what projects I have going and check progress, poke fun at me, post comments etc. Come on over and "Like" me!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pac...19365068098399

If you have a website anywhere and would be kind enough to link me, I would be in your debt. I will be building my link page this week, with links to other pachinko restoration guys, resources, as well as a link to this wonderful pachitalk forum.

Wish me luck!

[WondersPachi]

Cool man! Site looks really good! I'm jealous! I would love to restore vinnys!!
Great job and great luck to you sir!

[emmadog]

Very professional and informative site. I'm impressed. But there's at least one more electromechanical machine. IMO, it rivals the powerflash in fun factor and that's a Nishijin Power Roulette. Ive owned both the lever action and electric shooter version. Here's something I've always wondered now that there's at least two restoration services. My query is how many people will pay upwards of 500 dollars for a machine when they're easy to find in decent condition? I agree with your pricing since I've done cleanups on many machines and total restorations on three arrange balls so I'm well aware of the time and expense involved. But having said that I don't see enthusiasts on here paying close to those prices. I'd have to sell those three arrangeballs for a few grand apiece at the very least. Luckily there's not much overhead so it's not like you have to move tons of machines to stay afloat. I'm not at all knocking your endeavor and am very glad to see a knowledgeable person offering his services and hope you succeed wildly. So to put it in a rhetorical question, how many machines do you and your competition really move at those prices? I know myself and prolly many others on here ponder that since we all hunt and buy them.

[Rival]

Emmadog, you pose a very good and basic question. Let me put it this way: There are no shortage of 1971 Mustangs. There are certainly hundreds of thousands of them. It takes little effort to find them, on ebay, the internet, everywhere. If I wanted one I could pick one up tomorrow. But most of them are not in that great of shape. Many don't even run and sit behind barns or in junkyards. Many are stripped. Lots of them are in garages as half-finished but never to be completed projects. I still see them driven occasionally on the streets, mostly beat-up and suped up by high school kids, full of bondo with stupid looking rims on them. I could buy them all day for $4000-$5000 until I filled a Wal-mart parking lot with them.

But suppose I want one that was restored. Now things change quickly. It can cost $50,000 or more for a ground-up restoration on an existing mustang. But suppose you just want to buy one, shop around, find the one with color you like, the engine you want, the level of perfection you want. Of course, not everyone is in the market for a fully restored 1971 mustang. Many are fine with a fairly clean one with 150,000 miles on it. But suppose you want the best you can get? Pretty much, you have to go through a broker or an auction. And you will pay. Lots.

There is absolutely no shortage of pachinko machines. They are everywhere, from rusted hulks to "average" machines. But like I say on my website, there is a big difference between a relic and an heirloom. Sure, you can buy a machine on ebay for a hundred bucks or less, and it will look neat and it might even work. Or, you can pay a couple of hundred for one someone has cleaned and polished, and made certain that it works. Thats great for people who want something for their kids and friends to play. But there are millions of people with beautiful gamerooms that are showplaces. $15,000 for a custom pooltable? No problem. A couple of mint vintage pinball agmes for $5000.00 each? It is impressive decoration. How about a vintage standup Asteroids or pacman? Thousands if they are mint and meant for display. Vintage component stereo system? Fully restored Jukebox? Vintage neon? Restored coke machines? thousands and thoudsands and thousands. You won't see this stuff on ebay, these people build their own museums and the last thing they want is a beat-up pachinko machine from ebay to cheapen the whole room. But they would be thrilled to add one that was fully restored. But they can't get them. They don't even know about them. There is nowhere to buy one. Nowhere to shop for one ready to be delivered.

I want to give them a place to shop. I want to give them a choice of dozens of machines, with brilliant replaced backgrounds, give them the highest level of restoration available. I want to give them something for their gameroom that other gamerooms lack. And when you consider how much people will pay for the other restored items listed above, I would consider my prices to be really really really low.

Anyway, thats the way I see it. Time will tell if I am right or if I am wrong.

[Rival]

I am also considering adding a service to pachitalk members who want to "virtually consign" machines for for sale. I just wonder if there would be any interest in such a service.

[emmadog]

Well put and I understand your logic. My thought process raised the question in part because pachinkos are a very small market as opposed to Mustangs, pinballs, etc. As for selling on consignment, I think it's a good thing to offer but I practice I don't know. You'd have to deduct the shipping price unless you deal only locally. But as I said best of luck and I'd definitely be a customer if I still was interested in those types of machines.

[Rival]

Well, I have the process down pretty good, and can generally change an average playable machine into a fully restored machine in around three weeks, and that is three weeks of spare time, I work 40 hours per week at my normal career. So you figure I probably can produce somewhere around 15-20 machines per year. If I was retired I could probably increase that to around 30-35 per year. Its not going to make me rich, its not even going to be able to support me. But the business should be able to support itself. I imagine sales will be fairly slow, but thats okay, I will spend the next 15 years building an inventory of restored machines, and filling my website with them. I don't really care if a machine takes five years before someone buys it. My long term goal is a wide selection of the best machines available. It will take years, and I am just starting out. No hurry. The only reason none are for sale at the moment (I have 4 ready to go) is that my wife has not yet found the optimal way to photograph the machines. She is working on glare issues and we do not have a full studio setup with reflective umberellas and diffusers, etc, so we are still experimenting. Obviously we want the pics to highlight the exceptional quality of the machines, and as such, the pics must be of the highest quality as well. We are both perfectionists.

[emmadog]

Sounds like you've got a good understanding of your business and rational expectations.I don't know how to get around the issue of glare either in photos. The best pics I've taken and I'm far from competent, were always outside with glass/plexi removed.

[Card Shark]

The site looks good and I wish you the best with it. I just acquired my first Pachislo machine which I am either going to restore or mod. I am seriously considering adding a Pachinko to the game room as well. I just need to do some research to decide if I were to have only one machine, what would be my best choice. I saved the link to your site and will certainly be checking in to see if something catches my eye.

[CarlW]

I am also considering adding a service to pachitalk members who want to "virtually consign" machines for for sale. I just wonder if there would be any interest in such a service.

Count me in ! Will cherry pick the best examples I can find !

[WondersPachi]

Vintage pachinko has the same setup and most machines are awaiting restoration. 600-1,200 price ranges...
______________________________________________________
Hmmm... well at least they used to... ???