Sometimes getting parts can be frustrating and time consuming. Is there a source for the best parts and service with the best prices? Or does it depend upon what type of parts you need? I decided to do a short study on parts and prices. These prices cover a span of several months or longer as I put together this article, but the pricing and availability for any specific part were all checked on the exact same day.
NOTE: These results have been tabulated over a long period of time. I first started comparing prices more than a year ago, and realized how tedious it was, and I created a draft and didn’t finish. But every once in awhile when I’m looking for a part, I research it and post the details here. So these prices may not reflect current prices but they do reflect prices offered at the same time from various suppliers over a period of a year or more. (On newer comparisons I will list the date I looked things up)
The results are quite interesting. In some cases we found price differences on the same part by more than 250%! It pays to shop around.
Comparing online pinball suppliers: 5647-12133-12 Microswitch - A common switch used in outholes/troughs (8/7/2013) - This was the result of looking for a trough switch assembly A-10417 which was not found anywhere - this switch would be part of it I believe. Pinball Life 3.25 Mad Amusements 3.25 Marco Specialties 5.95 Competitive products N/A Planetary Pinball nothing - their microswitch page was completely empty Bay Area Amusements N/A (had some other switches but not this one and no info on comparables) 1" White rubber ring: PinballLife: 0.27 (10+ .243) Mad Amusements 0.29 (5+ .27) Bay Area Amusements 0.29 (no qty discount) Competitive products 0.41 (100+ .38) Marcos: 0.49 (10+ .45) 555 incandescent bulbs (clear 1 box of 10) (6/29/13) Marcos: 3.00 (qty 1), (10+ $1.50) eBay: (10+ $1.25 - $1.50 some with free shipping) Bay Area Amusements 3.00 (no qty discount) PinballLife N/A (closed) Competitive Products 1.50 (sold individually @ 0.15 ea) Game-specific Parts: Bally Black Rose back ball trough (Part #A-14825) 6/26/13 Marco 79.95 Bay Area Amusements 69.00 (out of stock) Pinball Life N/A (entire store closed until 7/6/13 for vacation) Mad Amusements N/A Bally Black Rose Cannon Body (Part #03-8566) (date not noted) Bay Area Amusements 69.00 (door for $12, no decal, actually upon contacting them, they had the decal out of stock $25 but not listed under parts for the game) Marcos: $89.00 (door for $19, no decal) Mad Amusements N/A PinballLife N/A Planetary Pinball N/A (door for $19, decal for $25 out of stock) Simpsons Pinball Party Couch Weld Fix (Part #535-9307-00 on 3/28/12) PinballLife $14.95 Bay Area Amusements 46.00 Marcos: 46.40 Mad Amusements N/A Planetary Pinball N/A (doesn't appear to sell Stern parts) Red & Ted's Road Show plunger link assembly, used for slingshots - common on many B/W games (#A-15847 9/9/12) Competitive Products $2.25 Planetary Pinball 2.75 Bay Area Amusements 3.00 Marcos: 3.99 Planetary Pinball N/A Mad Amusements N/A Attack from Mars - slingshot/kicker leaf switch - the assembly was unavailable but the individual switch could be found. (#SW-1a-420 9/4/13) Pinball Life has the entire assembly with the bracket for $6.95. Marcos did not. Marcos 4.50 Pinball Life 2.75 Bay Area Amusements 2.75