Buying a Used Pachinko Machine Remotely: Questions to Ask and Photos to Request
Most collectors buy their machines without ever touching them. That makes the conversation with the seller the inspection. The right questions, and the right photos and video, will tell you far more than a listing title. This guide gives you a ready-made script.
Quick answer
- Ask for a video of the machine powered on and playing, including a payout, with the date visible or a note with your name in frame.
- Request photos of the back, the power label, the keys, the trays, and the glass.
- Confirm exactly what’s included: keys, balls or tokens, transformer, manual, stand.
- Ask how it will ship and how it will be packed.
- Walk away from vague answers, stock photos, refusals to show it working, and pressure to pay outside the marketplace.
Why remote inspection matters
A pachinko or pachislo machine is part mechanical, part electrical, and often decades old. Problems that are obvious in person, like a sticky launcher, a jammed hopper, a cracked glass or a dead display, can be invisible in a few still photos. Shipping is costly and returns of a heavy, fragile cabinet are difficult, so it pays to do your due diligence up front.
The site’s buying checklist and guides cover what a good machine looks like in general. This article focuses on the specific questions and evidence to get from a seller.
Questions about condition
- Does it power on? When did you last run it?
- Does it play through: launch balls or spin reels, register hits, and pay out?
- Are there any error codes, warning lights, or functions that don’t work?
- Does the display or screen work fully, with no dead areas or flicker? Does the sound work?
- Is the glass intact, with no cracks or chips? Is it original?
- Are the trays original, intact and fitted?
- Has it been repaired, restored, converted or modified? By whom?
- Any smoke, water, pest or storage history?
For pachinko
- Is the launcher consistent, or does it jam or fire weakly?
- Are any pins bent or missing? Are decorative pieces and windmills intact?
- What ball size has it been running? Can you include a sample?
For pachislo
- Do all three reels spin and stop properly with the stop buttons?
- Does the hopper pay out without jamming? Does the token selector accept tokens reliably?
- Are both the door key and reset key included and working?
Photos and video to request
| Ask for | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Video of power-on and play, including a payout | That it works now, not “last time I checked” |
| A note with your name or today’s date in frame | That the seller has the machine in hand |
| Full back of the machine | Wiring condition, completeness, signs of modification |
| Power label close-up | Voltage, frequency, consumption, maker details |
| Keys in their locks | That the keys exist and fit |
| Glass at an angle in good light | Cracks, chips and scratches that hide in straight-on photos |
| Close-ups of the playfield art and labels | Fading, peeling, water damage, replaced parts |
| Trays, top and underside | Cracks, missing clips, wrong replacements |
| Any accessories laid out together | Exactly what is included |
Once you have the back photos, compare what you see with our guide to visual electrical inspection. Brittle or taped wiring, scorch marks, or a clearly non-original power supply are worth asking about.
A friendly, specific request (“Could you send a short video of it paying out, and a close-up of the power label?”) gets better responses than a long interrogation. Good sellers are used to these questions.
Questions about what’s included
“Complete” means different things to different sellers. Get a list:
- Door key and, for pachislo, reset key
- Balls or tokens, and roughly how many
- Step-down transformer, if any, and its rating
- Stand or mounting hardware
- Manual, setting sheet or English instructions
- Spare parts or the original box
Our posts on original vs replacement trays and identifying lock styles help you judge the answers.
Questions about shipping
- How will it ship: parcel carrier or freight? Who arranges it?
- How will it be packed? Is the glass removed or protected? Are balls and loose parts removed?
- Is it insured for its full purchase value, and who files any claim?
- Will you ship to my state? (Some sellers restrict shipping where ownership rules are strict.)
Our post on shipping preparation describes what good packing looks like, which helps you judge the seller’s answer.
Researching value yourself
We don’t publish prices. To judge whether an asking price is reasonable, look at completed sales of comparable machines: same type, era, theme, working status and completeness. Use sold working pachinko machines and sold working pachislo machines as a starting point, then narrow by maker or theme. Our guide to sold comps explains how to compare like for like.
Don’t forget total cost: shipping, a transformer, a stand, and balls or tokens can add a lot. The site’s total-cost calculator on the homepage helps you add it up.
Red flags
- Stock or catalog photos instead of the actual machine
- Refusal to show the machine powered on, with no clear “untested” disclosure
- “Worked when last used” with no date or detail
- Vague answers about keys, or “keys available separately”
- Pressure to pay outside the marketplace, or by wire transfer, gift card or crypto
- Prices that seem far below comparable sold listings
- No answer about how it will be packed and shipped
- Claims that the machine is “legal in every state”
Paying through the marketplace’s own checkout keeps buyer protections in place. Read the protection terms for heavy and freight items before you buy.
Where to start looking
When the machine arrives, an inspection light helps you check the back and the playfield properly: LED inspection flashlights on Amazon.
A message template you can copy
Sending a clear, friendly message up front saves back-and-forth. Adapt this to your machine:
“Hi, I’m interested in this machine. Before I buy, could you please send: (1) a short video of it powered on and playing, including a payout, with a note showing today’s date in frame; (2) photos of the full back, the power label, and the keys in their locks; (3) a list of exactly what’s included (keys, balls or tokens, transformer, manual, stand). Could you also tell me how it will be packed and shipped, and whether it can ship to [your state]? Thanks very much.”
A seller who replies fully to that message is giving you most of what an in-person inspection would. A seller who replies with “it works, buy it” is telling you something too.
Reading the answers
Look for consistency. The video should match the photos, the power label should match the seller’s description of how they run it, and the included items should match the listing. Small inconsistencies are often innocent, but ask about them before paying. Keep the messages: if there is a dispute later, a clear written record of what the seller told you is useful.
Frequently asked questions
Is “untested” a bad sign?
Not always, but treat an untested machine as a project and research comparable sold listings for non-working machines, not working ones.
How do I know the video is of the actual machine?
Ask for a note with your name or today’s date visible in the video frame. It is a common, reasonable request.
Should I buy a machine with no keys?
Only if the price reflects it and you are prepared to source keys or a locksmith. For pachislo, a missing reset key is a significant gap.
Can I ask for the machine to be tested on a transformer?
Yes. Ask how the seller powers it. A seller who runs it through a proper step-down transformer is giving you a more realistic picture of how it will behave at home.
Bottom line
Our advice
Treat the seller conversation as your inspection. Get a dated video of the machine playing and paying out, clear photos of the back, label, keys, trays and glass, and a written list of what’s included and how it will ship. Compare against sold listings, not asking prices, and keep the transaction on the marketplace. A seller who answers clearly is usually a seller worth buying from.