Is our beloved pachinko game losing favor with buyers?

[Bilko44]

A quick scan of ebay's pachinko listings worries me. There were 70 listings for "pachinko" but only 21 offered a pachinko machine. Of that number over half were older non-transformer games.

A year ago there were usually 45+ pachinko games (mostly newer models) listed at any time.

I believe several factors have contributed to the decline in listings. In no particular order I have listed reasons which may may have contributed to this decline.

1. Fewer pachinko games are being imported by fewer dealers because increased shipping costs, lower dollar/yen exchange rates and higher listing fees have cut profit margins to next to nothing.

2. Stateside freight charges are adding up to $100 to the final purchase price of a pachinko game.

3. Increasingly technically sophisticated games make troubleshooting difficult to owners who do not know about Pachitalk.

4. The world and national economy is drying up a lot of disposable income. Gas and energy costs, in particular, are the villains. At $3.00+ per gallon people are cutting corners everywhere just to be able to get to work.

5. X boxes and WII's are continuing to to make games with moving parts less desirable to younger generation players: they want interactive video games.

Are all of these factors combining to depress the growth of the hobby?

What are your thoughts?

[hanabi]

Over here in the UK, we have never had the amount of Pachinko Suppliers that
our US friends have been able to source from...

A reliable Vendor and just a couple of Ebay Sellers and maybe a
couple of drop shippers at most...

The modern World is indeed draining most people's disposable income,
and Pachinko's seem more expensive due to high costs associated with
bringing them over to England

But I do believe that there is a large untapped market in the UK, I have yet to find anyone in my day to day life
that even knows what a Pachinko is!!

My enthusiasm is still as strong as the day I first played the Star Wars,
I will continue to be excited and amazed by these machines...

and I will continue to add them to my collection...

I hope the hobby continues to grow


Long Live Pachinko!!

[luckymoey]

The main listings are at the lowest level I've seen them in 4-years but there are a number of good machines for sale in the ebay stores. Seems you can pretty much get any of the popular models for around $300 delivered which is not much more than a few years ago. Not having Samari around anymore is also making a big difference.

[luckydog]

most pachinkos are now being shipped to China to be stripped for parts, its a quick way to dispose of them for the Japanese.

Pachinkos here are not well known and dealers on Ebay are not making enough profit to justify selling them.

[arbycoffee]

The down fall I think started with C.F.I. and their real cheap prices.

It killed the market for people importing machines

When people don't even want to spend a $100 for a machine.

Sadly I don't import anymore.

I am setting on a few good titles and will wait to see if the prices go up in the future.

Star Trek, Julie the pinball, Evangelion II second impact, Evangelion III Value of Miracles, 007, Loonie Toons BIA, Star War in both RN1 and ZF, spiderman II NEO, Lupan the III, Project Minerva, Rambo, Rocky, Top Gun STX, Kagetsu Gaiden, Lassen World MJ,
Fireworks.

[JohnD0406]

Not having Samari around anymore is also making a big difference.

Samurai Slot said they pulled out of eBay because they couldn't make any profit, but they're still around. I'll be visiting them at their Industry CA location this weekend in fact. They have the nicest cabinets I've seen from any dealer, and much lower prices for machines (plus no shipping charges as they allow local pickup). Contact Hiroshi "Hiro" Itoh [gameplanett@yahoo.com] for an inventory list.

[Sid]

they are to blame for that as well as their packaging wasn't the greatest and that just lead to various issues..
then the non tested machines being sent out with burned out bulbs etc..

its all here in the forum .

lots of painful stories

[fronzdan]

All legitimate reasons, but I really think Arby has hit the nail squarely on its head. I got interested in modern pachinkos just before CFI came around. And even then, prices were lower with lower shipping, mainly due to competition. But when CFI arrived they drove the prices WAY down by flooding the market with great new titles at rock bottom prices. They killed off nearly all the competition and even those who stuck around, went into pachinko hibernation while CFI dominated. It was a great time for buyers...bad time for sellers. It was a feeding frenzy. There were people (some on here) who were buying at least one pachinko a week, seriously. This lasted for quite a while but had to slow down at some point...and it did. Then in an effort to boost profits CFI tried cutting corners on shipping, shill bidding and we know where that ended up. When they came back it looked like they tried to control the market better. They priced them a little higher and didn't have 20 auctions going at once. But it was too late. They killed off the competition and then they died themselves at least on ebay, where they serviced the whole country. It left a vacuum which hasn't been filled...and may not be filled for a long time if ever.

A whole 'generation' of US buyers got spoiled with the low prices (myself included). I think I paid an average of $100 each, for what are considered high end machines. At this point I simply cannot bring myself to buy a title for >$250 plus shipping, when I've historically spent much less than half that price before. Plus it's not like I have the room since I already acquired so many low priced machines. What's left is a very small buying market, mostly those new to the hobby who weren't around in the CFI days and hardly any sellers. Less sellers, less buyers = higher prices and not a lot of new stuff coming in. It's sad really. There are many new machines I want, but they are either unavailable or I've been trained to be too cheap to buy them at current prices. But it's certainly not for a lack of interest.

[arbycoffee]

fronzdan, A good read on "How To kill The Pachinko Market"

[birdbrain]

Star Trek, Julie the pinball, Evangelion II second impact, Evangelion III Value of Miracles, 007, Loonie Toons BIA, Star War in both RN1 and ZF, spiderman II NEO, Lupan the III, Project Minerva, Rambo, Rocky, Top Gun STX, Kagetsu Gaiden, Lassen World MJ,
Fireworks.[/quote]

nice list, nice plug

[compirate]

The pachinko market is a very small market in the US. Pachinko's have always been a fringe thing, needing extra support equipment/modification to get the full effect of play. A slot is free standing, needs nothing else to get it's full play. I don't think there isn't anyone from 1 to 100 that doesn't know what a slot machine is, although the Pachislo is somewhat different.

Of all the people in this country that have more than 5 pachinko's, I'd say 99% are on this board, sad to say, that's not much of a market. Those willing to pay whatever it takes to get their hearts desire...about 5.

Of course, isn't it the American/business way to drive out your competitors with lower prices? If a foreign country came over here and started to sell gas for $2.00 a gallon, we'd flock to it (no sheep joke intended). Yes, you get what you pay for, but they'd still make a bundle in the meantime.

And yes Arby, for something as permanent as a Tat, I'd still go to you, no matter the cost!

[arbycoffee]

Not really a plug, just a few set bad and wanting for a higher market.

[portercbl]

It is true that there are really slim pickins out there for a pachinko machine.
But I still found my 22nd machine at Slot-Pachinko the other day.
I am now the proud owner of a UltraMan pachinko!
It arrives next Wednesday. Wish me luck. This is my first purchase from Slot-Pachinko.
So, It goes to show that no matter how bad your addiction is, you will find your fix!

Jerry

[birdbrain]

Heres your chance to expand!!
! ! THUNDERZONE ! ! (Auction ID: 1906, End Time : Mar. 20, 2008 2046) - PachiTalk.com

[Eddie]

Looking for a machine that you cant seem to find anymore? Try the Japan Auctions with the price of machines here the cost is not that much higher and in some cases it may be cheaper. Pachinko machines go for a lot less in some of their auctions as they do here. Most likely because they have so many machines and the sellers have many of the same models just out of the parlors. Of course you would have to add your own transformer but they arent that expensive. You would also be amazed at the fantastic machines for sale that never make it here.
My take on the lack of machines has been mentioned by Luckydog. Its simply easier to throw the machines into a truck to be shipped for recycling then to have to go through all of the trouble involved preparing them for resale. Not to mention the ad costs and Store front, Warehousing ,packing costs, Returns etc. Quick money for less work and stress.

[birdbrain]

just remember to add $350-450 for broker and shipping fees

[JohnD0406]

Wish me luck. This is my first purchase from Slot-Pachinko.

I just received a machine from them last week, also my first from them. It was unbelievably well packed - no shortage of foam... Their support is also outstanding. Highly recommended (sounds like an eBay feedback)

[fronzdan]

Do you guys think it'll ever get cheaper to buy from YJA...maybe if the supposed ebay/YJA thing ever goes anywhere? (Meaning the broker fees go away) You'd think with all the importing and business we do with Japan it wouldn't be so darn expensive to ship items.

[arbycoffee]

YJA is cheaper it is the shipping here that is the killer

[new in town]

I wish I was still in the NAVY and still stationed over there. USPS from the Base would be allot cheaper.