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Pinballs as investments


Guest gunigoogoo

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Guest gunigoogoo

Just wondering if you guys think pinballs are valuable as an investment and whether you're holding onto them because you think their value will go up over time?

 

I mean, can you honestly see an Addams or Twilight Zone being worth $10,000 - $12,000 in ten years time? Anything's possible I guess.

 

I kind of like the fact that I can offload my machines for what I paid for them more or less but never consider them an investment. I know some folks do though.

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Top shelf machines such as TAF, TZ, CV, IJ etc will always hold their value and probably increase in value on a long term trend. Most other machines will be open to the vagaries of the market (supply/demand, economic conditions).

 

Anyone who thinks that ALL pinballs will continue to be a great investment and see HUGE returns should put the KY away and get themselves a girlfriend.

 

 

Bumper Action have continued to promote these large returns on machines here:

 

http://www.bumper.com.au/media/pbfuninvest.asp

 

They need to update their page, this info is out of date and now irrelevant.

 

 

:lol

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Anyone who claims that they bought a pinny as an investment is a bullshit artist. They bought it to play it. My proof: How many people store their "investment" pinny in the vault at the bank? None, thats how many. Its in their gamesroom/bar/bedroom where the girlfriend should be/loungeroom/anywhere near a power point, so it can be played.
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Pins

 

I remember 20 years ago buying SS & EM pins some for $50 each and bought as many as i could knowing they will be worth more than $50 today.

 

Some have now sold for $5k each, so two things here.

 

1. Games i bought to keep i did not care what it cost as long as it was in good condition, some have gone up in value, some have dropped,

 

IE IJ for $1500

DM $4000

 

as you can see the DM has gone down the IJ has gone up, i wish we could all read the future.

 

2. Like the EMs i bought as an investment and they have been in storage for near 20 years, probably a retirement fund.

some are SS games like Kiss and Playboy etc that were new in a box i bought from overseas when pinballs were banned.

 

6 years ago was the best time to buy 90s games, so if you pay 7k for an addams now it has already gone up in value, sure it might increase but not as much as when i was selling them for $2500 back then.

 

So buy to enjoy first, price second.

 

just my 2c

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Investments. This a question that most collectors always ponder. The simple rule is to collect because you enjoy it, whatever it may be. As soon as you start looking at it as an investment, then everything changes.

 

Hobbyists, are just that. They do it because they enjoy it and aren't too worried about the monetary value of their particular hobby. Otherwise, it tends to take away the fun and pleasure that their chosen hobby brings, what originally brought them to do it in the first place.

 

Investments are speculative. You cannot, unless psychic, know what it will be worth in days, weeks or years to come. Or if it will indeed double, triple or even go up at all, just because of hype or trends. For example, in 10 years time, technology could also be that far advanced that pinballs could be considered obsolete due to newer more interesting items that are smaller and more robust, especially the way people are constantly wanting new hi-tech stuff at present. A better example is that in 10 or 20 years time you go to sell those pins and they are worthless due to being termite infested, etc from poor storage practises. Space is also a big factor as that can ultimately cost you as well - bigger house/shed/land. It all adds up in the scheme of things, whether it is indirectly.

 

If you want a good return for your money in years to come, then invest in real estate or on the stock exchange. Both of these, as long as you do your homework, have always proven to be the best and safest ways to increase your holdings over the long term. But like everything, there is still an element of risk.

 

Creech, you talk about that maybe "Addams or Twilight Zone being worth $10,000 - $12,000 in ten years time." With inflation taken into account it would probably be the equivalent of say $5000 - $6000 now. No gain and you would of been better off having that money tied up in blue chip stocks or something else that gives a better return. Not everything goes up that much, if at all, regardless of the novelty factor at the time.

 

Pinballs, are like most other things, so expect to lose some money due to depreciation, etc. That way if you do eventually sell you won't be too disappointed.

 

Like most have said already: buy to enjoy, because YOU want it - not what you think someone else may want in 10 years time.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan :cool:

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...

 

Im on my first pinny...the way I see it is if I spend $1000 on a pinny and play it for even as little as 3 months Ive got at least $500 worth of fun out of it..so If I can sell it for anything over $500 then Im in front...anyone else see it that way??

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Guest gunigoogoo
Im on my first pinny...the way I see it is if I spend $1000 on a pinny and play it for even as little as 3 months Ive got at least $500 worth of fun out of it..so If I can sell it for anything over $500 then Im in front...anyone else see it that way??

Good point, what value do you put on the entertainment factor?

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Whilst I don't have a pinnie yet, I do have a Cruzin USA arcade machine which cost me just under $500, and has had at least that many games played on it so far. So at $1 a game I think I'm in front, as do the kids my mates. (Not the wife though)...:lol

 

Most pinnies now days cost $2 per game so you could add a coin box and see how quickly your investment pays for itself....:D

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Well I suppose that it would be an investment if it was sited and actually making money. Otherwise, as MadMike said, people who keep them at home as "investments" are kidding themselves. I believe that price increases are often barely inline with the CPI.
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and don't forget upkeep of these machines..parts are not cheap and neither is the time it takes to repair.

If I bought a pinball today it would NOT be for an investment. Fun yes!

10 years ago + was the best time for prices it seems everyone has caught on. You may be lucky and find an older SS or EM cheap but anyone with a DMD screen pinball usually knows the value in this market. A feel the prices have been peaking if not slightly dropping lately.

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i love to play and tinker with them,i enjoy solving some of the problems that arise with these beasts

i would be happy to get my money back if i was to sell one,and that wont be in the near future,as i would love to have a full wall of them just like the arcades in the olden days (79 to mid 80's):cool:

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I use the term “investment” only when trying to justify my overspending to myself and the missus. Seems that many people that sell pinball machines also like to use it to help convince the buyer.

In reality I bought my machines for enjoyment not investment.

 

Dave

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if you want to play the "investment" card then you need to ascertain all the guff that goes with investing and that includes tax depreciation and all the other things that go with accounting for investments.

 

anyone can turn their self managed super into pinball machines but do you really want the hassle?

 

My machines were bought for me to play and enjoy - If I need or want to sell them in the future and i make a profit great - I doubt I could actually tell the profit i would make, if any, after you deduct time parts etc (which i never kept a running tally on) - but it was never my intention to make a buck - it has always been the learning experience and enjoyment for me.

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here is some facts 2 pinballs just closed on ebay

1. wwf closing price $2371.00 i purchased mine from same seller for (Better p.f) $2350 oct 06 diff $21.00

 

2, Frankenstein purchased sep 06 $1925.oo ebay closing price $2730.00

diff $805.oo

So some go up some go down & Its really Pot luck i think ending times are important to garner snipe interest and a bit of auction fever.

I bought my pinnies cause i love em but im not gonna sell them for less than i bought them

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