TUTORIAL: Buy a Working Diamond Lady for 921€

I was browsing Leboncoin as usual and I found this listing that seems very interesting to dissect. I am going to explain to you why this listing is worth a look.

Tutorial: Buying a Pinball Machine Without Going Broke - Diamond Lady at 500€

Step 1: Search for Interesting Listings on Leboncoin

I found this listing and here is what I like about it:

Important Points:

• Backbox paint needs work (this is not a priority).
• Stored in a garage with spider webs, it must have been there for a while.
• The plastics and the playfield are in very good condition.
• The seller mentions having repaired a board (but which one and why? Not very useful information).
• The cabinet looks generally clean, one can assume it has not been used much.
• There is a strong chance that with a renovation kit + a ground mod, this pinball machine will be like new.

Estimating Repair Costs

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 (consumption 6.4 l/100 km) would cost around 55€.
• CPU and Driver Renovation: Renovation pack at Pinballs.store at 289€ + 12€ shipping = 301€.
• Small Supplies: Rubber ring pack, balls, bulbs, fuse kit = 65€.
• Other: Glass cleaner, elbow grease, patience, soldering iron, etc.

The reasons not to buy even once on site:

Non-original or modified wiring, which can alter the original behaviour (e.g. rewiring the flippers directly onto 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 fault were "easy" to repair, he probably would not be selling it as is.

Total Estimate:

The seller is offering the pinball machine at 500€, you can probably negotiate, but you will have to be quick!

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 whether the ground mod has been done: https://www.papinball.com/tips/sys80b_Ground_mods.html. This will save you a huge number of random problems.

Step 2: Install the new boards by following this tutorial: Installation tutorial. Check the power supply voltage and start it up. In 80% of cases, everything works!

If that is not the case, follow this troubleshooting video. If the problem persists, contact me for free video-call assistance.

For your information, the listing stayed on Leboncoin for only 2 hours. I am convinced that the person who bought it contacted the seller as soon as the listing appeared, quickly arranged a meeting and took their car!

Conclusion

With a little patience, you can get a pinball machine at a reasonable price and bring it back into working order. Once repaired, you will be able to enjoy great games without any problems! If something does not work the way you want, use your pinball machine's test mode to diagnose and solve problems easily. Good luck in your quest for the perfect pinball machine!