Feedback on Value of Machines

[thepachinkoman]

Hi folks. I've updated the info on my site on the value of pachinko machines. I've received feedback that the values I listed for machines might be too high. I'd appreciate any feedback you can provide on the value or anything else for that matter.

How much is my pachinko machine worth? | Vintage Pachinko Information

[Moparformances]

i think that is fair...

but i also think a "reigon" section could be added games ouside of the us seem hard to find.. in some cases flat out Rare..

and posable a section for "large town"... citys at or near ports seem to have lots of vintage pachi and that will bring the price down...

[OneBigTuna]

Thanks Bill,

This answers a question that I raised this week about over priced machines. I have seen several listed within the state that are asking $200-$350 for an unrestored machine with little to no balls that they are unsure if it works or not.

What I assume is happening is that people just assign a value without doing any research. I have no problem paying a fair and reasonable price for a machine, but if someone assigns a value that is too high, they just get insulted when someone makes a "low" offer. They think they are just getting low balled.

As far as your guide on the site goes, it seem fair. If only sellers could take a look at that before listing a machine on Craigslist, they may find they will have more offers rather than 1 or 2 per month. The prices are reasonable for a working machine, but the overall out the door price should be dependent upon condition, completeness, cleanliness, common-ness.

Wow, there you have it, the 4 C's of Pachinko Buying!! I know the 4th is a stretch, but c'mon guys it's all in fun!

I hope this will pop up when a seller is interested in listing their pachinko for sale. It may bring the prices into an affordable range.

--Stephen
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P.S. I will be using the 4 C's on my next pachi purchase! I also need to include a shout out to Mopar, he has a great point about Location. That also has an effect on the price, as you have mentioned on your site.

[emmadog]

I'd also mention that since vintage pachinko collectors are a very small group, the prices fluctuate quite a bit, and pachinko machines in general are basically unknown in this country. This means it can be harder to establish value.
The other end of the spectrum in amusement machines would be things like vintage pinballs and slot machines. These items are well known, have large followings, and it's pretty easy to look up values for a certain machine.

[Habious]

I've had a couple of folks who've seen mine tell me "Wow, it must be worth a lot of money...considering how old it is and what good condition it's in."

Just because it's old, doesn't mean it's valuable.

Supply & Demand. If there are tons of old machines floating around out there, and not a lot of interested buyers, they're just not going to be worth a ton of cashola.

[JACKSJE4]

Supply & Demand. If there are tons of old machines floating around out there, and not a lot of interested buyers, they're just not going to be worth a ton of cashola.

After reading your website and the comments here, it seems to me that you should add a caveat about supply and demand. Over in the U.K. and down under, vintage machines go for bigger money since they are harder to find and there are collectors in those areas who want them. Since there are more available in the U.S., prices are cheaper overall.

That being said, I have seen the prices for vintage Pachinkos fluctuate across the U.S. because some regions have more available where others do not. I think the larger cities tend to have more available and more collectors, where the smaller towns might have a smaller market. Supply and Demand is a HUGE factor, along with the four C's that Tuna mentioned. Anyone planning to sell a Pachinko should do a little research first and see what the competition is like before listing it. I always do that before listing a machine for sale on Craigslist. (if there are a lot of low priced machines listed, then I will wait a few weeks for them to sell before I list mine so that I can fetch a higher sales price ).

One other factor that we have talked about numerous times on this site is that a machine is worth whatever a buyer is willing to pay. A good example was a Power Flash machine on ebay that members here were bidding on last year. Several really wanted to add one to their collection and each made their bids. I personally would only pay up to $150 for it at the time, but the machine ended up selling for nearly $1,200!! The point is if someone really wants a particular machine, then they may be willing to pay more than market value for it, whereas others would not.

Overall, I think you are on the right track and your guide will provide a great service to those who are not collectors. Perhaps we can make this thread a "Sticky" when you are done so that future members here will be able to find your guide and benefit from the collective information.

Jeff

[cardwwi]

I do think you starting price by year is a little high, maybe start with a lower year price as a base and use the other factors to build on it. The way I read it is if I have a late 70's working machine it is worth a lest $50 no matter how much rust, dirt, water stains and so on as long as it is working. Other factors are time of year, eBay sold price of vintage pachinko’s average is $95.40 ranging from $24.99 to $305.00 and last June the average was $62.21. I fill a machine is only worth what someone will pay for it. My problem is how I get them to understand that they haven’t touch it in 20 years and won't touch again for another 20 and it will just keep rotting away in the barn because they think it is worth more then it is.

[Lt Teddy]

Well my two cents. I agree with values that you put on the machines but condition means alot to me. If it has already been rebuilt buy a person that knows what he is doing that should increase the value. Their are alot of people out their that cannot fix any part or make parts or find parts or even know what is wrong. If you have a 100% working machine it should always bring more. The ability to wrap and ship it right should factor in and of course what is wanted by the collector.

[thepachinkoman]

Really good feedback everyone! I'll work on some updates tomorrow and reply to this post when I'm done for a second look.