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Saw this on the 'net this morning. A "fully restored" Popperette went for $14,950 at auction a couple of weeks ago. Interesting to see what some are willing to pay.

I got Two,, I'll let them go for a steal... $12,500 each... First in gets them.. :biggrin:

Boy that's pretty gaudy.  I wonder what mine would go for?  What auction house was it?

yes its way over restored for my taste...

For some reason however it looks alot like the one that Jeff Wolf had restored.. he always liked lots of graphics on his stuff as well.

Good for whoever sold it..

Agreed on the over-the-top graphics but I guess it's a "to each his own" scenario. I was just fascinated with the price. Even with a hefty auctioneers premium, that is still a huge take.

There is usually alot of folks with deep pockets who go to auctions like this, and when they see an item that they never seen before and more than one interested party, it's amazing what items can bring crazy money.. at that point it's more about Pride, than the money....

Don't tell anyone... But it's almost like these things might be worth money!! And not every buyer is a hardcore lowballing collector willing to wait 10 years for a steal!!! Keep it under you hat so the word doesn't get out!!  :tounge:

If you got the money to spend they why not get what you want... I would I have brought it for $15K .....if I had the money..... Just watch Barris Jackson if you want to see allot of collectors spending big bucks....Millions vs. thousands .......American Capitalism   made this country great!

It has absolutely nothing to due with being a "hardcore lowballer" or anything of the sort. It has everything to due with trend analysis and knowing what these machines have sold for in the past taking into account all scenarios. Was it an unrestored machine sold from a collector to another collector or was it fully restored machine sold at a prestigious auction?

All of these factors matter, like it or not.

So, based on my personal experience with these machines, I can with full confidence tell you that $14,950 for a Popperette  sold at auction as a "fully restored machine" is definitely not the norm. It falls into the "exception" category.

Yeah, I get the capitalism thing. If I had $14,950 to spend only on Popperette's I would be able to buy (2) "back-to-stock" full restorations or heck, I would be able to score an NOS Popperette still in it's original packing crate and still have close to $7000 left over for something else like a fully restored Minit-Pop!

I have watched Barrett-Jackson Auctions before and I have friends that have been and seen what some of the restored soda pop machines (39's, 44's, 56's, 72's, 96's & 81's) and they typically go for considerably higher prices due to the typical clientele at those shows and what they are willing to spend. Once again, is this the norm? No, it's the exception.

BTW: I never knocked the buyer or the price. I just mentioned the price and that It was "interesting" to see what others are willing to pay for a Popperette in that state. It actually makes me happy to see people purchasing more Popperettes seeing as how I reproduce a few parts for them!

The reality is that there is a "typical" price at a high end auction. It's a buttload more the the average person can pay. That doesn't make every price realized at auction the exception if its constantly much higher then you want to pay.

Three levels:

Barret J, Mechum etc... A rattle can special won't get in the door. A top notch restore can and will make strong money.
Folks with lot's of spare cash and are gonna buy something gosh-darnet. :-)

eBay. Anything can happen. Junk sells high, unrestored originals low. Sometimes. Only place to find the rare bit's.

Craigslist, Garage sales/ Auctions. Once you establish connections and pay attention to the listings, gonna be the best places to find a deal.

The best is when SMC folks part with extra stuff.

Creighton

   

I guess I'm that "guy".  :biggrin: I like the graphics. I want to do something similar to mine. My kids will love it. Then when they get bored I plan on selling it for 16,000. Any takers?