Expert: Rodger Knutson - 5/2/2008

Question
My neighbor has a 1950 Gotleib - Mayfair - pinball machine game. It is in really good working order. It has been in this family since it was new. I saw that a 1966 - same game - sold for $3,700. I would assume that a game that is 16 years older/great shape would be worth considerablly more ? Your thoughts ?"

Answer
Hi Gary,
How are you this morning? I would agree with you, a game that has never seen commercial use should be a very fine game, much nicer then one that has been on location grabbing coins from anyone and everyone. Some who like to slam machines against the wall when the ball goes down just before a free game win! But if it was stored for all these years in a cold damp shed then maybe not, but this is not the case here, as we have a well care for machine. Are you sure about the year? I only list a Gottlieb Mayfair as being made in 1966? It's a 2 player game, elector/mechanical, moving target, symmetrical play field. Does this sound like yours? Then it's a 1966 game if it does. The 2007 value of this game in average condition is $500.00 and they made 2,120 units. So I would say that if you seen one sell for $3,700.00, then someone made a whole lot of money on a 500.00 game! This is why there are guides for values, but they are just that, "Guides", there is no dye in the wool blue book. But, in this case I think the guide would of saved someone from dumping 3,000.00 more then they needed to get a Mayfair! Knowledge is power, but the true value in antiques is; what the seller is willing to sell an item for, and what the buyer is willing to pay for that item. Tell me, how do you know that this is a 1950 game?, Does it have a date on it or in it? Or, is this just a typing mistake in your question.
Thank You
Sincerely
Rodger Knutson