Well
I had worked in the game veding industry as a tech for a long time amd to answer your question....There is no reason that they should be so expensive except:
1.) Vendors buy these games from the distributors for a lot of money. Average is $2500-$7000 depending on the model and popularity.
2. The resale from vendors on the retired games is really high, especially for somthing not to old or really popular, basically they try to get almost what they payed for it because they can. They look at it as an investment wich an arcade game really is....You buy it to make money...Most of these games make more that 50x what they are worth in their general life... Vendors know this and reflect it in the resale price. From their point of view they can put it out someplace and make $2500 in a month or two or sell it for that. That is the way you have to look at it. It isnt right but thats the way it is.
3. Even at 15 plus years old a game can still make tons of money if placed in the right spot and vedors selling their old games take this into concideration when selling.
4. Some games such as pinball are very limited production and become highly collectable...Some going for over what they paid originally.
5. Local game vendors are the scum of the earth and are very cut throat. They dont care if they have to sit on the game forever before they sell it because there is always somone that will buy it. They are the worst of buisness men because they have the attitude that somone else is always out to get them even the people buying used games from them.
6. Vendors selling games almost always assume no matter what you tell them that you are going to go stick this game in a bar or other similar place and make a fortune. Even if your true intention if for home use.
I tell people not to buy used arcade games for 1 fact. They are very high cost to repair, unless you are an electronis expert and even if you are the parts are very high also ESPECIALLY PINBALLS. And if you are buying a used game more than likley there is a reason they are getting ride of it in the first place.
