Topic: Coin-Op Found (Frosty or Jay)

[John M]

Frosty and Jay,

I have casually been looking for coin ops for you guys in my search for vintage tables...Well I found a gem but it is up to you guys whether the drive is worth it...about equa-distant from ATL and Greenville.

The table is a Blond Coin-Op located in Chattanooga...I have already negotiated the price down from 400.00 to 350.00 for you so it is a pretty freakin good deal!!!

I dont know the guy or the table so i cant vouch for it but it looks pretty good...it has a bag of extra parts that might be worth a bundle...the guy kinda had the table passed to him from another friend...that is all I know.

Good Luck! 

[jay3712]

Thanks for the tip John! Chattanooga is a bit too far for me to make the drive though. Estimated at 8 hours round trip is more than I can make with my work schedule. Unfortunately no "work" trips are made to Chattanooga. In the interest of matching my pool table and other furniture, am I limiting myself too much by wanting something to match the rest of my black living room (grey marble)?

Thanks again!
Jason

[jinhopark]

Wow $350 for a coin-op is an awesome deal, and I would jump all over that!  10 hours each way from Chicago is a little too far from me though...but 4 hours each way isn't all that bad, you should think about it.

[John M]

Jinho...it is a pretty good deal isnt it!

I almost went to get it myself but I literally have no more room for a table unless it is something super rare.

Hopefully someone will hop on this one though.

Jay....I saw a grey marble in Charlotte for 500 about a month ago...it sold in one day though....seems in bigger city you have more people looking...I think that is why people in ATL seem to have trouble finding coin-ops locally compared to the ones that pop up in smaller cities that require the drive.

[frosty]

Missed out on a nice deal for a Fireball table...dang!  Wish I could find another one. 

Meanwhile on the fence about making a weekend drive up to Chattanooga.

[jinhopark]

Meanwhile on the fence about making a weekend drive up to Chattanooga.

frosty:

Atlanta to Chattanooga is like 2 hours each way...which is an absolute NO BRAINER in my mind.  I've driven much further and paid double that for my first Tornado coin-op...heck I paid a lot more than $350 for my home model Tornado back in the early 90's!  If the table is still available you need to jump all over that deal.  Worst case senario you decide you no longer want it...it sounds like you can recoupe all your money and then some in the Atlanta area, just from your research it sounds like if everyone else is listing for $700-$750 and you listed yours for $600 then someone will scoop it up.

[frosty]

Ok Jinhopark...thanks for the push(or kick) off the fence   

John, any idea if that table is still available?

[John M]

Frosty....I sent the info that I know to your e-mail last night.

Good Luck!

[frosty]

Update!!!  Coin-Op Purchased.

Finally made the trip up to TN yesterday and picked up the blonde coin-op for $350.  I guess I was half expecting to be disappointed and worried about it being jacked up with some other issues, but I couldn't really be happier.  Straight rods, flat surface, and no chips on the goals.  A key lock was drilled out, but that's nothing to fix.

The guy I bought it from said it was in his friends bar for years before he bought it from him.  Found a cig butt inside that I guess gives credence to that story (lol).

All it really needs is some TLC and a good clean up.  I'll post some before and after pics, but probably won't get time to do much with it until after the new year.

After seeing it up close and personal (and having to move it) it's easy to understand why these have such a solid reputation.  Nice to see something built like a tank for a change.  I have no worries that it will withstand my son/friends giving this table a good workout.

Big thanks to those that put up with my pm's and emails seeking guidance. 

[John M]

Great!...I am glad this worked out for you...I look foward to seeing some pics.

Curious...what was in the bag of extra parts and goodies?

[frosty]

What was in the bag?  Not much...just 12 balls, some hardware for the coin mech, a bearing wrench, and and old Tornado Official Rules/Owners manual.

We've just wiped it down and knocked off a few games already.  Gonna take it apart and give it a proper cleanup sometime between Christmas and New Years.  Still impressed with it and haven't even made it shine yet. 

Thanks again!

[jinhopark]

Post up the before pics now before you put some elbow grease into it...

[frosty]

Hey Jay...here's a recent listing in Douglasville (just west of Atlanta).  Don't know anything about it but might be worth the drive for you if you're still looking:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/spo/2145179855.html