New -looking for advice on buying first machine in DAllas area

[Rickyearl]

Hi there,

Just found and joined the forum today. Partly out of desperation. My wife grew up playing a vintage pachinko machine that her neighbor brought back from some Navy sojourn in the 70s, and has recently hinted hard that it might be fun to have one.

Did a quick Craigslist search and found three. One "needs work" for $75. I don't know enough to know what work it needs, so I decided it might be for someone more experienced:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tag/5375255672.html

Another looked very nice for $90, but had sold by the time I contacted the seller.

Last one is a 70s machine with a football theme:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/clt/5377742354.html

I drove up to see it and it looks nice, but I went to look at it and the tulip parts don't always jackpot, nor does the bell ring every time. Plus the seller wants $280 plus tax - that seemed like a lot to me. Then I saw that fully restored versions go for $600 plus and that eBay wants $300 plus for "working" condition (some with $100 or more for shipping!) and I started to wonder if I just underestimated cost on these.

So, I guess I'm wondering where to go from here. I'm OK with it not being cosmetically "fully restored," but I'd perfer it not be obviously damaged and that it be in full working order mechanically. Is the price of admission for something like that really $300 plus?

Thanks!

[MrGneiss]

WELCOME!!!


I'm sure one of the vintage people will have more advice for you, but I will say that the last one is overpriced by at least $200+!!

[mxp01]

I would not pay more that $100.

Often, if it says "needs repair" or it isn't shooting/paying jackpots that means the top ball tray is empty and needs to be refilled. These machines are pretty simple and can be difficult to break.

MXP

[Hakbert]

You should be able to negotiate based on the inconsistent operation. Ask when the machine came in. With a little TLC you can usually bring these around so they play well. If you look, there's a big difference in complexity between the two machines. The last one is the same manufacturer (Nishijin) and vintage as mine and is my preference. If you don't see anything else at the moment, ask yourself how long do you want to wait?

[Rickyearl]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I can negotiate on the last one, but I will be pretty surprised if they go down below $220. That one is in a pawn shop and I think they overpaid for it. I got the impression from talking with them that they thought it was some weird and extremely rare Japanese object and that they felt the right Japanophile might walk in and throw money at it.

As for the $75 one, I might take flyer on it. It needs glass, which I understand from reading here is reasonably cheap.

Otherwise I'll see how lomg I can wait.

[Spyder138]

I would not buy either of those machines. The first one is missing the front tray that holds the balls that feed to the shooter mechanism. It wouldn't be impossible to find, but would take time and probably cost as much as the machine did by the time you add shipping. You'll likely find another working machine cheaper before you were able to repair this one and I'd hate to see your first pachinko experience leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

The second machine is way over priced. Im not sure about Dallas, because demand does drive price, but here in the SF Bay Area, I don't think I've ever paid more than $60 for a standard 70's vintage machine. Usually it's less than $50. A little time and patience will go a long way in making sure you find a good machine. If you keep posting ads to this thread I am sure people will keep commenting and help you make a decision.

[Rickyearl]

Yes. Decided to pass on both of them. The $75 also has all the wires and connectors removed. There's a lot of work to do there.

[Moparformances]

Hi there,

Just found and joined the forum today. Partly out of desperation. My wife grew up playing a vintage pachinko machine that her neighbor brought back from some Navy sojourn in the 70s, and has recently hinted hard that it might be fun to have one.

Did a quick Craigslist search and found three. One "needs work" for $75. I don't know enough to know what work it needs, so I decided it might be for someone more experienced:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/tag/5375255672.html

Another looked very nice for $90, but had sold by the time I contacted the seller.

Last one is a 70s machine with a football theme:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/clt/5377742354.html

I drove up to see it and it looks nice, but I went to look at it and the tulip parts don't always jackpot, nor does the bell ring every time. Plus the seller wants $280 plus tax - that seemed like a lot to me. Then I saw that fully restored versions go for $600 plus and that eBay wants $300 plus for "working" condition (some with $100 or more for shipping!) and I started to wonder if I just underestimated cost on these.

So, I guess I'm wondering where to go from here. I'm OK with it not being cosmetically "fully restored," but I'd perfer it not be obviously damaged and that it be in full working order mechanically. Is the price of admission for something like that really $300 plus?

Thanks!

im late to the party looks like ya passed there are better machines for less..

and of course

Welcome to Pachitalk

You should be able to negotiate based on the inconsistent operation. Ask when the machine came in. With a little TLC you can usually bring these around so they play well. If you look, there's a big difference in complexity between the two machines. The last one is the same manufacturer (Nishijin) and vintage as mine and is my preference. If you don't see anything else at the moment, ask yourself how long do you want to wait?

Welcome to Pachitalk

[Mr_Smeggers2]

Well, I started with ebay. Here are the things to looks for in the photos -- Heavy waterstaining around the pins. Not a deal killer, but kind of unattractive once you get the rest shined up. Rust on the frame/chrome -- avoid these machines. Mostly good only for parts. Broken trays front or rear-- once again, parts machines.

Go for one in the $75 -150 range, preferably a Nishijin. They are great starter machines. Second choice would be a Sanyo, also good for finding parts. Third would be Mizuho, as they had Formica playfields from 1976-onwards, so no danger of waterstaining. Take any vintage balls that come with it and put them in a jar for curiosity, and order a fresh set online.

[Rickyearl]

Here we go again...

Guy wants $100 for this. I can see it's missing a fuse, but I can't figure out how it gets power. The seller is saying the "found in a garage, no idea how it works" thing:

01111_SDRJGpbfPF_600x450.jpg00s0s_5IWUAOCUFWW_600x450.jpg00V0V_7OFgZ0e36jK_600x450.jpg00808_iP8MFaUps6x_600x450.jpg00505_2x2rq91WB0t_600x450.jpg01717_dXlH3hFgpwb_600x450.jpg00x0x_6nWznGTJYbW_600x450.jpg00202_7JitgQ5G0Ep_600x450.jpg

[CarlW]

Water stained pretty bad. Missing lower feed ramp cover? (Really needed on the model B)

That's a $25 machine to me.

[lotsoballs]

$100 seems high for the playfield condition, and the nails are completely corroded with tarnish and in need of good polishing before playing it which can be tedious. It's a Nishijin "Shark diver", cool theme....it could potentially clean up into a very nice machine like this one: http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/vint...r-machine.html

[Rickyearl]

Water stained pretty bad. Missing lower feed ramp cover? (Really needed on the model B)

That's a $25 machine to me.

Definitely missing the cover. The spinners look rusted to me, too.

$100 seems high for the playfield condition, and the nails are completely corroded with tarnish and in need of good polishing before playing it which can be tedious. It's a Nishijin "Shark diver", cool theme....it could potentially clean up into a very nice machine like this one: http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/vint...r-machine.html

Wow, that doesn't even look like the same machine. That makes it a lot easier to pass. Thanks!

[Moparformances]

those nails are totally black... i dont think i have ever seen them that black before...

25 30 max for that one