- Mar 14, 2012
- 7,334
- 0
Look at what is now sitting in my garage...
This was completely out of the blue for me. So I was given a "gift" of $500 from my in-laws. We get these time to time, and they come with rules. Rule #1, money can't be used to pay bills. Rule #2, it has to be spent on something fun. So immediately, I'm thinking what big ticket item can I buy. I want a new bike, but I don't really need one. I want a new TV, but what I want costs waaaaaay more than five hundred. Then I thought, I wonder what type of pinball machine on craigslist I could find for that?
As I'm looking, the only things even close to that range were EMs, and I'm not a fan of those at all. I mean, I've always wanted a pinball machine, but not and EM. Then I see the ad for this Firepower. Just got posted that day, and for exactly what I have. Hmmmm, coincidence?
I am so not an impulse shopper. If I want something, I research the hell out of it. I have been so far removed from the possibility of buying a table, I haven't even begun seeing what's what. The only thing I do know, is the tables I want, they cost a bunch. Seeing Firepower for that price seemed like a good entry point for me.
I have no history with the machine. I'd played it in VP and PHOF, but that's it. On the plus side, it's got multiball, I like the sound, it's well known, and Steve Ritchie designed it. On the negative, no ramps, no wizard type goals.
It was ultimately driving me crazy trying to decide if I should even consider this, so I called to check availability. It hadn't sold yet. 13 other people had already called. Someone was driving out that night if it hadn't sold already. The seller had just gotten served divorce papers and was selling off ALL his toys before the soon to be ex could claim half.
In other words, time was of the essence.
An hour later, I knocked on his door. Dude was totally frazzled. He'd already sold off his pool table. Motorcycle was selling in a half hour. I turned on the machine to make sure it worked, and everything lit up. He gets a phone call..."the pinball table? It might be sold, hold on...Hey, you gonna buy it?" Umm, I don't know yet? I ask if I can remove the glass, he's like nope, take it or leave it, others want it, I got things to do. Oh man, this is really going against my better judgement now!
Play field has wear, some plastics are mildly warped, and one of the pop bumpers has broken plastic where it meets the table. I fire a ball into action, it rolls well. Pop bumpers all work fine, flippers seem fine. I ask if he's got the manual or anything. He just looks at me. "I've had the table for 15 years, and that's where it's sat the entire time. I can't believe I have to sell it. F**kin' b**ch, she's gonna love that."
Oh what the hell, let's roll the dice. I don't even bother negotiating since he's been getting even more phone calls about it this entire time. "I had no idea this machine was so popular. Maybe I should have gone online to see how much I should be asking." I told him no, it's just tables move quickly in Los Angeles.
I give him the money, we take the machine outside, and now I really see it in all it's glory in the daylight. What the hell did I just buy? Now I notice the dirt. Now I notice the cracking rubber. The scrapes on the cabinet. Did I just make a huge mistake? I can't believe I did, since I feel I could flip this real easily considering how many calls he's gotten. For a complete noob, this seems like a good starter table. If I put in the basic TLC, with minimal money spent, I figure I can come out ahead. Maybe trade up to something better.
Get the table home, the wife points to the garage and says that's where it's gonna live. Meanwhile, my 7 year old boy is going nuts, yelling at the top of his lungs for all the neighbor kids to hear, that we have a pinball table! I plugged it in, called him over, and this is the result...
That pretty much makes the entire thing worth it right there, even if I did make a boneheaded purchase. Isn't that the rule for your first table anyways? I pulled the glass, checked every target, and they all worked. Key to the coin door worked, but it doesn't appear to be the correct key to the back box. Looks like I'll be needing to pick that lock somehow. I have no idea if ownership is the hobby for me or not, but it looks like I'm about to dive right in and see. I'll take a butt load of pics tomorrow and find out from you guys just how much trouble I've gotten myself into.
Fingers crossed!
This was completely out of the blue for me. So I was given a "gift" of $500 from my in-laws. We get these time to time, and they come with rules. Rule #1, money can't be used to pay bills. Rule #2, it has to be spent on something fun. So immediately, I'm thinking what big ticket item can I buy. I want a new bike, but I don't really need one. I want a new TV, but what I want costs waaaaaay more than five hundred. Then I thought, I wonder what type of pinball machine on craigslist I could find for that?
As I'm looking, the only things even close to that range were EMs, and I'm not a fan of those at all. I mean, I've always wanted a pinball machine, but not and EM. Then I see the ad for this Firepower. Just got posted that day, and for exactly what I have. Hmmmm, coincidence?
I am so not an impulse shopper. If I want something, I research the hell out of it. I have been so far removed from the possibility of buying a table, I haven't even begun seeing what's what. The only thing I do know, is the tables I want, they cost a bunch. Seeing Firepower for that price seemed like a good entry point for me.
I have no history with the machine. I'd played it in VP and PHOF, but that's it. On the plus side, it's got multiball, I like the sound, it's well known, and Steve Ritchie designed it. On the negative, no ramps, no wizard type goals.
It was ultimately driving me crazy trying to decide if I should even consider this, so I called to check availability. It hadn't sold yet. 13 other people had already called. Someone was driving out that night if it hadn't sold already. The seller had just gotten served divorce papers and was selling off ALL his toys before the soon to be ex could claim half.
In other words, time was of the essence.
An hour later, I knocked on his door. Dude was totally frazzled. He'd already sold off his pool table. Motorcycle was selling in a half hour. I turned on the machine to make sure it worked, and everything lit up. He gets a phone call..."the pinball table? It might be sold, hold on...Hey, you gonna buy it?" Umm, I don't know yet? I ask if I can remove the glass, he's like nope, take it or leave it, others want it, I got things to do. Oh man, this is really going against my better judgement now!
Play field has wear, some plastics are mildly warped, and one of the pop bumpers has broken plastic where it meets the table. I fire a ball into action, it rolls well. Pop bumpers all work fine, flippers seem fine. I ask if he's got the manual or anything. He just looks at me. "I've had the table for 15 years, and that's where it's sat the entire time. I can't believe I have to sell it. F**kin' b**ch, she's gonna love that."
Oh what the hell, let's roll the dice. I don't even bother negotiating since he's been getting even more phone calls about it this entire time. "I had no idea this machine was so popular. Maybe I should have gone online to see how much I should be asking." I told him no, it's just tables move quickly in Los Angeles.
I give him the money, we take the machine outside, and now I really see it in all it's glory in the daylight. What the hell did I just buy? Now I notice the dirt. Now I notice the cracking rubber. The scrapes on the cabinet. Did I just make a huge mistake? I can't believe I did, since I feel I could flip this real easily considering how many calls he's gotten. For a complete noob, this seems like a good starter table. If I put in the basic TLC, with minimal money spent, I figure I can come out ahead. Maybe trade up to something better.
Get the table home, the wife points to the garage and says that's where it's gonna live. Meanwhile, my 7 year old boy is going nuts, yelling at the top of his lungs for all the neighbor kids to hear, that we have a pinball table! I plugged it in, called him over, and this is the result...
That pretty much makes the entire thing worth it right there, even if I did make a boneheaded purchase. Isn't that the rule for your first table anyways? I pulled the glass, checked every target, and they all worked. Key to the coin door worked, but it doesn't appear to be the correct key to the back box. Looks like I'll be needing to pick that lock somehow. I have no idea if ownership is the hobby for me or not, but it looks like I'm about to dive right in and see. I'll take a butt load of pics tomorrow and find out from you guys just how much trouble I've gotten myself into.
Fingers crossed!
