Why won't you ship old games on your website?

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Old games, jukeboxes, and pinball machines are difficult to ship because they are difficult to insure through the freight carrier.  If we, Alamo Game Shop, call for the truck and pay the freight bill we are on the hook if the game gets damaged in transit.  We would have to pay to bring the damaged machine back to us and we have to file a claim with the shipper.  The maximum amount the shipper has to pay is only the amount of the sale.  Many times an antique machine cannot be repaired for the sale price.  This is due to the nature of antique machines.  It can take a long time to find the correct parts, if ever.  We have to refund the customer and eat all the loss. 

If the customer ordered the truck and pays the freight bill then they are on the hook for the shipping damage claim.  If a customer sends the truck it would be the same as if they picked up the machine personally.  We would have no financial interest in the transport.

This is why many shops have "Pickup Only" for old valuable machines.