Question: "Why is my game listed for more on ebay or sites like pinballcompany.com? You are offering me $7500 for my Addams Family while ebay and other sites are selling for $10,000-$12,000?"
Answer: Unfortunately, the answer isn't straightforward. To begin, companies that are selling games online and via ebay are typically retail operations. If they are selling a game for $10,000, assume they marked it up 100%. Why would they markup 100% - simple, they are out to make a profit. In order to make a profit, they need to sell games that are reliable otherwise, they will get technical service requests. In order to assure reliability, these games are refurbished. This process involves a deep cleaning of the machine, upgrades to electronics, new LED lighting, new rubber components and anything else which makes the game more reliable. This costs money. What costs the most is time. The time to refurbish a game is generally 20-30 hours. This cost is added into the price of the machine. Further, these companies also need to make a profit, cover overhead, employees, insurance, etc. Many offer free shipping ($600-$1000) and provide warranty support. As you know, nothing in life is free. So unless you are going to refurbish a game, upgrade it, ship it and warranty it, then we cannot offer you the same price as pinballcompanystore.com
What I like to tell sellers is that selling a pinball is like selling a car. There is a retail price (all shined up and serviced by the dealer), a private party price, and a trade-in price. I think you know what these are so I won't elaborate. However, what we try to pay is somewhere between trade-in and private party price.
Not all pinball machines are the same. Yes, I know you see a Twilight Zone on ebay for $9500 yet pinballvalue is only offering me $7000. Why? Well, the Twilight Zone on ebay has a color display ($450), LED lighting ($300), various modifications ($100 - $1000). The machine also has a full color cabinet while yours is faded from the sun. These factors all influence value.
What we try to do is provide a price and support it with a reason. If we are offering less, we will tell you why.
I hope this helps explain the evaluation of pinball machines and our process. We look forward to hearing from you. To sell your game, please visit pinballvalue.com. You can also call 610-615-1110.