Custom Coke and Harley Machines

[biigdaddy]

Here are 2 customs on ebay that may or may not be decent. It 's amusing that the Harley machine is only listed under Ebay Motors - Parts and Accessories for Motorcycles! Great place to list for Pachi players!

http://cgi.ebay.com/COCA-COLA-SODA-N...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CUSTO...spagenameZWDVW

[ZCore13]

They aren't looking to sell to a Pachi collector. Pachi collectors know the machines value (next to nothing). A Harley enthusiast will see it and probably not be able to find any others, becuase they won't know where to look and pay some big bucks, or at least bigger than what others would, for it.

Another rip of seller taking advantage of people. Just watch as the price gets criminally high...

[azlew]

Yep look at your bidders (0 feedback and 50 feedback).

You have to hand it to the customizers they are a clever bunch

[ZCore13]

OH MY GOD! The coke one is up to $499 with 4 days left. Does anyone know how to look at closed auctions to see he sellls them contantly and if you don't get this one, you can get the next??

[AkaReaper]

If there's a market for them ya can't blame the customizers for making some dough. I don't care for those customs, the color pop is not quite right, but agian, thats due to being backlit film, and not screen printed graphics like the originals.

[slotter]

Here's a Harley custom he sold for $511. He claimed its retail price to be $5000 in the auction. It was also listed in Motorcycle Parts > Accessories.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=35557

[proffesorpeter]

bloddy rip off they are both butchered hanabi machines

[azlew]

If there's a market for them ya can't blame the customizers for making some dough......

hmmm....

I guess everyone needs to make some dough no matter what.

[ZCore13]

If he told the truth about what they are, I would have no problem with it. It's when someone says something is a collectors item, limited edition, rare, etc, when it's a piece of crap machine they have unlimited supply to, that's different.

He lies/doesn't tell the whole truth to make a higher profit. That is wrong.

[azlew]

If he told the truth about what they are, I would have no problem with it. .....He lies/doesn't tell the whole truth to make a higher profit. That is wrong.

Yes but they also should state whether or not if they have a license from the Coca Cola and Harley people to copy their trademarked/copyright images. These "conversion artists" are clever tho

The lies and not telling the whole truth has been around for a long time on Ebay.

Ebay could care less and that is wrong.

[slotter]

EBay is a big flea market and let the buyer beware.

[azlew]

Fleamarkets here are busting people everyday for trademark/copyright infringements. (IE fake nonauthorized copies of watches,graphic prints, t shirts etc)

It is incredible what a trademark holder has go thru before a trademark/copyright violating product gets pulled off Ebay. Why Ebay doesn't require sellers to at least give credit to the trademark/copyright holders for their artwork etc , is really the mystery here. I would think that an "honorable" conversion artist would at least give credit to the people that did the artwork that they copied.

[Tulsa]

No honor among thieves Lew..

[azlew]

No honor among thieves Lew..

hehehe

[dapperdan]

It is very easy for copyright holders to have items removed.

Ebay has a very simple program called "Vero" that allows copyright holders to do this.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidenc...hts-owner.html

After they send there first one via FAX they can then send them via email in the future and since they have already established that they are who they say they are, the auctions get pulled very fast.

I have tried to get a license and pay royalties to many companies but I have been rejected by all of them. Coca Cola will not allow their trademark on any type of gambling device no matter what (I would be more than happy to give them $100 a machine). There are also many other trademarks that have an exclusive with another slot machine maker so only they can use their trademarks on slot machines. There was another that only allowed their trademark to be used on brand new items, you could not "Refurbish" something and convert it. They require the product to be brand new and manufactured. Others require a large license where you would have to pay for a few thousand licenses (cost depending on what the retail price would be of the item).

So pretty much it is impossible to be a little guy and get proper licensing.

Recently I started buying either the DVD or another product that was licensed and including it with the custom slot. It may not be much but at least something is going back to the owner of the copyright. Legally though they could tell you to stop.

So are people getting "ripped off" when buying a custom machine?

I will be the first one to admit that the game play on customs is very boring compared to a lot of other pachislo models out there that you could buy for 1/4 the cost.

Most the people that buy custom machines are not the type that hang out here at Pachitalk. The thing that is usually the most important to the people buying these machines is how that machine is going to look just sitting there in their game room. Almost like an art piece.

I do believe though in letting the market decide the price. I always start mine at $1 with no reserve.

[Lddrizzt]

I would think that an "honorable" conversion artist would at least give credit to the people that did the artwork that they copied.

Hey that would be me on my Looney Slot!

[azlew]

Hey that would be me on my Looney Slot!

Yep that should be the minimum that a "honorable" conversion artist does unless the trademark/copyright holder wants the auction pulled. I would think the seller would sell more converted pachislos that way (at least the seller is trying to give credit where credit is due).

There is some really great work out there being done.

Dapper I feel your's is the best of the conversions (of course ).