Price Hike

[Tulsa]

As many of you know, Big Bear recently raised their prices with this disclaimer:

Due to the increase of cost of the cross-pacific transportation and quality maintenance, we cannot help raising our current prices. It will range from $20 to $70 and take effect on 5/20. We are truly sorry about this price revision, but please understand the situation.

Noticing that prices seem to be dipping on eBay. Do you feel this is justified? If you can get a like model on eBay cheaper, will you still buy here? Do you think the other importers will follow suit and raise their prices?

Side note, on the specials that Syscom is running with the auto-stop addition, is anyone purchased one of these specials and if so, does their mod include the auto-credit function?

[minnesotabrad]

I will buy on ebay to get the best price I can. I bought my DDK machine during Syscom's special on it but will not buy on with the auto-stop because they raised the price on their specials the amount they sell the auto-stop for. I do not have any desire to have the auto-stop and do not like that they are forcing it on people.

[Lazarus]

I buy ware it is cheapest unless the vendor can make the extra cost of a machine worth wile buy excellent customer service. Some times if specials and local pickup are good enough it will have to beat going to your favorite vender's and as far as big Bear the extra info is great! Syscoms specials with the auto stop stinks! They ruined a good thing. I have not bought one from them since and there auto stop does not have the credit mod on it. So it is worthless to me and they will not sell me a machine without it for the normal special price.

[Davis]

I know daca raised their prices for about a month as fuel charges rose, but he has now taken them bakc down. One of his containers costed him about 2K more in shipping when gas was really high. I dont think there is any reason they need to be raising their prices for any longer than the summer. Maybe its a way to make more money, maybe not, but it seems to me that maybe theny got in over their heads and now notice they need to make a bit more money. WHo knows, i dont buy from them or ebay anymore so it dont matter to me.

[slotter]

I see prices coming down overall, so am surprised to see Big Bear and Syscom pushing the envelope on their pricing.

[arbycoffee]

fuel is the key here, a friend sent a costum shop (everything $125,000 worth of vitage clothes) by pack containers (2) the cost each was $6,700 from here iowa to U.K.
That if no x-raying or unpacking to check load.

[doodude]

It still all boils down to fair market value.
Like baseball cards, its whatever "someone" will pay.
If we pay them, they will raise it.
If we dont pay them, they will lower it.
Gosh, Im so deep, I scare me!!!

[arbycoffee]

slot could be $45 each with free shipping and I would not bite, even top liners

[monaghj]

Pa****alk should come up with a blue book for each machine and publish it to the sellers. It would probably go over like a lead baloon but it might be fun...
- The auto insurance industry does this regarding what they will pay for certain repairs.
- Heath Care does this with fair and reasonable charges for health and dental.

[arbycoffee]

A lead balloon, would be light compaired to what the vendors would say

[doodude]

It would at least give newbie's ( me included ) an idea of what a price should be.
If you walk into a feeding frenzey you sort of have a hard time figuring out the true value.
But then again, as Tulsa said. There is a book like that but its kinda grey & called PachiTalk...

[monaghj]

I think it would be a good build to the Pachi Museum.

[luckydog]

it's very easy to do a price seach for closed auctions on ebay to find a fair price within 30 days.

[arbycoffee]

t would be hard, who or what would set the price ?
over how long or how many units ?

Like spin luck, it is high price here, but in Japan didn't even get a 1 yen bid in the two weeks it was up. you could have had it for one yen, less than a penny.

[Tulsa]

So the Japanese don't like English speaking slots. Go figure? Certainly there are two distinct markets, what we like and what they like. It stands to reason I suppose.

Obviously a lot of the Japanese titles here go for much less. I've never even purchased a Japanese title myself. Simply no interest, no matter how interesting the reviews have been on them.

I have to admit, I would love to be a fly on the wall at the vendors offices if we did come out with a pachi price guide..

[doodude]

Holy Vender Squawk Taterman,
That vision alone is reason enough to create just such a guide!
I love being evil,
Sorta makes me feel all scwewy inside!

[arbycoffee]

Would one price range for cleanness too and suff marks ?

[Tulsa]

Since they are all bound to have some type of scuffs or scratching, that would be difficult to judge. I think we all know a scratch and dent machine when we see one though. Milt is the only vendor who actively reduces his pricing for these models. Whether or not the others will label them as such and sell them is unknown, well except for VG. I have first hand knowledge they'll sell one without labeling it as such.

I've never received a machine from PP or DGI that I felt was a scratch and dent model. Now Slots will sell just about anything, and give you the scratch and dent deal on the backend if you complain.

[arbycoffee]

The one thing I like about these Japanese imports I been getting. They look one step from new. It might be the vendors there at the pick of the crop before they get sold for here.
Case in point, Charles Chaplin is a 2003 model. But it looks burn-newiey. It has the same case as the Robo Cop that black and purple. and we all know how black shows everything.

[Tulsa]

Which is another item we didn't know before you started bringing them in yourself. Just how new is new? From what we generally see, obvious use. How many of the units in great shape are making it across now?

That is one reason I'd pay extra for a machine I really want this way. The opportunity to get one that is in pristine shape would be worth it.