TUTORIAL: Buy a working Diamond Lady for €921

I was browsing Leboncoin as usual and I found this ad which seems very interesting to me to dissect. I will explain to you why this ad is worth a look.

Tutorial: Buying a Pinball Machine Without Breaking the Bank Diamond Lady for €500

Step 1: Search for Interesting Ads on Leboncoin

I found this ad and here's what I like about it:

Important Points:

• Painting of the pediment needs to be reviewed (this is not a priority).
• Stored in a garage with cobwebs, it must have been there for a while.
• The plastics and tray are in very good condition.
• The seller mentions having repaired a card (but which one and why? Not very useful information).
• The body seems generally clean, we can assume that it has not been used much.
• Chances are that with a refurbishment kit + ground mod, this pinball machine will be like new.

Repair Cost Estimate

Potential Cost of Repairs:

• Transport: Depends on your location. Pinball machines fit easily into a diesel estate car. For example, a 500 km transport in a BMW 320d E46 estate car (consumption 6.4 l/100 km) would cost around €55.
• CPU and Driver Renovation: Renovation pack at Pinballs.store for €289 + €12 delivery = €301.
• Small Supplies: Pack of elastic bands, balls, bulbs, fuse kit = €65.
• Others: Window cleaner, elbow grease, patience, soldering iron, etc.

Reasons not to buy even once you are there:

Non-original or modified wiring, which may divert the original behavior (eg: rewiring the beaters directly to the main power supply).

If the seller has several similar pinball machines that he is selling broken and at a low price, be wary. If the breakage was "easy" to fix, he probably wouldn't sell it as is.

Total Estimate:

The seller is offering the pinball machine for €500, you can probably negotiate, but you'll have to act quickly!

Total cost:

• Purchase: €500
• Supplies: €65
• Renovation pack: €301
• Transport: €55
• Total: €921

Installation and Repair

Once the pinball machine is in your living room:

Step 1: Check if the ground mod has been done: https://www.papinball.com/tips/sys80b_Ground_mods.html . This will save you a lot of random problems.

Step 2: Install the new cards by following this tutorial: Installation Tutorial . Check the power supply voltage and boot. In 80% of cases, everything works!

If not, follow this troubleshooting video . If the problem persists, contact me for free video support.

FYI, the ad was only on Leboncoin for 2 hours. I'm sure the person who bought it contacted the seller as soon as the ad appeared, made an appointment quickly and took his car!

Conclusion

With a little patience, you can get a pinball machine for a reasonable price and get it back in working order. Once repaired, you can enjoy great games without any problems! If something isn't working the way you want, use your pinball machine's test mode to diagnose and fix problems easily. Good luck in your quest for the perfect pinball machine!