How much does total game plays effect your machines value

[pinball god]

Is there a rule of thumb when taking into consideration total gameplay when buying a huo pinball.

 

people don't really mention number of games on old 90s games for obvious reasons, but what's the impact on a nib/huo one?

 

does 0-50 games have no impact, and 1000 devalue your game but say $500?

 

what's your gameplay breakdown if any?

[Pop Bumper Pete]

the opposite for me

if I see a 5 yo game advertised with only 100 plays, it seems fishy

[pinball god]

the opposite for me

if I see a 5 yo game advertised with only 100 plays, it seems fishy

 

True. I suppose the impact of game count is different for more desirable games too. Me personally 1k-2k games is not much in the scheme of things but I think many buyers now want sub 300. That's why I've asked the question

[Brk_oth]

People quoting a game with only 20 plays sounds to me like they're hiding something.

 

At the end of the day, the condition of the game is in is the main thing to consider.

A low play game could be in much worse condition if it hasn't been properly looked after.

 

For most games, probably anything under 5000 games will look basically brand new still.

 

[Arcade King]

Numbers of games played is a pretty superficial thing on a commercial machine that's supposed to be played.

I agree with the above.

[1.21 Gigawatts]

I would say the first recommended change of flipper kits or pop bumper kits was of interest to cluey buyers. Sterns can last thousands of plays as far as I know. I’ve sold several machines under 1000 plays which is like a few weekends in a busy location.

[Good Times]

When selling I’ve found it to be almost the first value decider for prospective buyers. When buying it’s lower on my list. I’ve seen embarrassingly shoddy condition low play machines, and completely mint high play machines. I know which one I’d prefer.

[MrMaloo]

I agree that general overall condition is more important . Total number of plays can also vary considerably ... I mean a really good player could have say 50 games that last say 30 minutes each game whereas a novice could have 50 games that lasted only 1 - 2 minutes each . A better indicator in the audits if it had it would be total minutes or hours played .

[Pie Chucker]

Low play count suggests garbage gameplay to me. It's the kind of thing you'd get on games like Wrestlemania. Buying a new game and then having it just sit there is a pretty good indication it's not fun to play, so probably not worth the money. Edited April 26, 2021 by Pie Chucker

[Rich]

Never considered total game plays, a visual inspection has always been okay with me.......ahhh but reading further you specify HUO/NIB, never bought one, so irrelevant reply :blink:

But...if NIB it wouldn't apply.

[pinball god]

Never considered total game plays, a visual inspection has always been okay with me.......ahhh but reading further you specify HUO/NIB, never bought one, so irrelevant reply :blink:

But...if NIB it wouldn't apply.

 

I should have said huo/one owner not nib. Sorry

[nich2pat]

I often start a new game if a have a bad first ball or second ball. Will build up the play count pretty quick :)

 

[pinball god]

I don't care re game count unless it's in the 10ks and low counts like 100 odd I just don't believe. If the low is real so be it but I am always suspicious.

 

I never would list game count on a for sale and hope condition and how the game plays does the talking.

 

but I was interested on whether it does play a role as so many people mention this on the sales ads.

[fatbeer]

Game count means nothing as the game counter can be reset on most machines. Visual inspection is king.

In general for me: Playfield > Backglass (if not a translite) > Cabinet quality, then the rest (most of which is then replaceable).

[Wizard Mod]

The value should reset when you restore the machine? If so, then it is the same as a car: more miles less worth, restore the engine/car and it's good as new..

[Pie Chucker]

I often start a new game if a have a bad first ball or second ball.

 

If I did that I'd never finish a game.

[Glenn70]

 

Unless it came from me mate!

 

[spaceballs]

The main problem with this argument is that until recently, all Sterns reset the plays when doing a code update...so this argument is null and void.

 

Newer machines that now incorporate total plays in the code won't fall into this argument because they are newer.

[Brk_oth]

The main problem with this argument is that until recently, all Sterns reset the plays when doing a code update...so this argument is null and void.

 

Newer machines that now incorporate total plays in the code won't fall into this argument because they are newer.

 

If the number of games played matters, the earnings audits dont reset on the older Sterns - So you get a very good idea of the total played games from sited machines, where the home use ones from that era can be completely wiped as home users dont put coins in their machines.

But of course the original question was home use only, but that is a good thing to know about if buying a game and the number of plays matters.

[Wizard Mod]

all Sterns reset the plays when doing a code update...

 

Then the only option to check the "mileage" of the pinball is to check the wear on the shooter lane. :unsure

This means you never know how much games a new Stern has played.

 

 

[peely]

Yes I don’t get the how many games question. Seems to be the no 1 question I get asked on selling a game by the noobies like a game a year old sitting at home is going to have 000’s of games, and even then does it matter? Flipper rebuild, new coil stops from those shit stern ones, fresh rubber a good clean and wax. Good as new.

Loving the old gottliebs as I do, and seeing the counter at the bottom on 60000’s would give these punters a heart failure. I guess 3minute games on an old one and a 3b game on stranger things that goes for an hour is a little different too

A lot of these punters like to look at the flashing lights, I’m sure of it but they value that number and like a low kilometer car, the low play games will bring more money as this interest becomes more of a collectors thing.

[pinball god]

Yes I don’t get the how many games question. Seems to be the no 1 question I get asked on selling a game by the noobies like a game a year old sitting at home is going to have 000’s of games, and even then does it matter? Flipper rebuild, new coil stops from those shit stern ones, fresh rubber a good clean and wax. Good as new.

Loving the old gottliebs as I do, and seeing the counter at the bottom on 60000’s would give these punters a heart failure. I guess 3minute games on an old one and a 3b game on stranger things that goes for an hour is a little different too

A lot of these punters like to look at the flashing lights, I’m sure of it but they value that number and like a low kilometer car, the low play games will bring more money as this interest becomes more of a collectors thing.

 

But as you know with cars under 50000kms doesn't mean the car is on it's way out. New guys think 1k games and the game must be shagged. I'd rather machine with 10k games and being maintained regularly more valuable than a 5k game and the guy hasn't even cleaned it once.

[danloads]

Could it be that machines have jumped up in price that much, that in most cases you are paying new or more than new for a 2nd hand machine?

 

So most buyers want close to new as possible due to the high out lay?

[Gemini2544]

Doesn't bother me if it was 10,000 or 54,678 games, as It's part of the machines history. I'd worry wondering why the machine wasn't played, was it boring..

[hotty]

The only thing that deters me from buying a game these days is the price. Never have I ever bothered to take any interest in historgrams, only condition and price that’s it. These days you need to drop your pants to participate in any pinball discussions about what you own, buy and sell.