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Has current pricing affected you?


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I know there have been lots of threads relating to current pricing. My question is has it affected you.

Are you still buying NIB (for those that do)

Do you only buy secondhand which can be more expensive aka JP EHOH to name 2 recents  

Are you going old school as it’s a bit cheaper (not much though)

Have you downsized?

Ive had people offering big money on pins and have sold a few to the point for the first time since 1987 I have no pins in the house (it wasn’t supposed to happen like that but shipping delays have mucked up my 2 coming from US. Ship just left yesterday for purchases back in March.) I can’t justify the current new pinball pricing  So yes I have downsized and yes I have looked at older quality pins that don’t have the million dollar price tags. Harder to find but worth it if you do we all like bang for buck!

NGG, HulkLE and I did bite the bullet on a Fathom Mermaid. On the Haggis remake I didn’t think it was that expensive when you consider a fully restored Fathom is going to set me back at least $10K. For the xtra $1500 it was easy to justify with everything brand new plus updated code and features were a bonus. 

Curious to hear others thoughts. 

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It's driven me out of the market and I just have to be happy with what I have.

I was never in the market to buy NIB to begin with, but I was happy spending 5k on a decent pin. Now a decent pin will cost me a minimum of 7k, if not more. My NGG cost me $4800 about 2-3 years ago. Likely wouldn't find the same pin under $7500 these days.

I don't sell pins and buy new ones now, which is what I used to do. I just hang onto what I have end enjoy those.

Sadly, the pinball price increase is happening in the arcade world also. What used to be cheap is now stupidly expensive, so it's not just pinball 😞

My other love, candy cabs have also increased three fold in price in the last few years.

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I hear you mate. I’ve had to buy and sell to keep pace with the hobby but it’s beyond me now. I just don’t have that sort of disposable income. Good luck to those that do though. Here is some pix of the NGG coming. It could well be HUO, I’ve never seen a cleaner game. 2 previous owners were golf nuts not pinball enthusiasts which is great for me. Hardly played.  My mate in Texas that helped me with wrapping said it’s the nicest original 90s pin he’s ever seen. 

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Hey Scott did I read that right you have no pins? Amazing how things change hey I have my Creech still and would like the new Stern Pro Mandalorian but the price is more than I paid NIB for my Back in Black hard pill to swallow. Glad your well  

Edited by GORGAR 1
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Yeah I haven't been in the market of late, just observing it. Technically I'm in a position where I certainly could make money off this ridiculous 'pinflation' of late, but in a way I don't really want to add to it after being so critical of it's artificiality (at least here in Aus). Even thinking when I offload a title to cover cost (and space for) of Godzilla LE, I'll be asking for what it owes me plus whatever add-ons (topper, shooter, factory pf upgrades) it has. This is in the case of probably one of two more recent Stern LE's I'm tossing up between offloading.

On the other side the pricing thing has taken me right back to importing again, like yourself, for second hand titles. I'm still building up to getting a BIBLE and I'll definitely be importing one. I've also tossed up whether I want another TOTAN in my life after having the mintiest example back in the early 2000's that I should have held on to.

Fortunately I guess though, right now we're probably going to start seeing a roll on of pretty cool new titles too. With Fathom coming locally, Stern Godzilla, plus talk of Stern doing Bond, and the CGC rumoured Pulp Fiction. That's skipping the rumoured JJP Toy Story, which honestly has me bemused as such an kindergarten title - my wife would truly infantilise me over it if it turned up and she already says I'm a big baby with my collection as it is👶😆, and also CC which I really don't think I've got the desire to revisit after having one for so long and not losing any sleep after selling it.

I guess my final thought is that I definitely get the feeling that these extended lockdowns may well pretty quickly begin to let the heat out of the market. I can see a lot of these people who have come in with spare funds from unrealised holidays etc., to buy toys(to mitigate their covid boredom), such as pinballs (plus many other categories), may start to feel the pinch sooner rather than later. I've been astounded by the number of people just asking to buy pinballs willy-nilly, not even knowing what they want and just posting a vague budget. I responded to a guy in the Gong doing that on FB the other day saying I could sell him my RFM that's sitting around but no way would I recommend a quirky Pin 2K machine to someone just coming into pinball(if they don't even know it) and also pointed out the obvious that older pins require regular maintenance and often have minor issues (this is not arcade machine plug and forget stuff as we all know).

Edited by OurManinOz
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I've been in this 'hobby' for over 25 years now. I've just enjoyed the activity and the tinkering of bringing back to life some of these gems over the years. The 'heat' in the marketplace is just a massive downside right now --- didn't see it coming and don't know if it will end. I was never one to buy and speculate and profit. I was one to buy, enjoy, fix and maintain. For me it does change the occasional project purchase as those 'projects' are priced so high that it just isn't worth it -- so I will enjoy what I have for as long as I can.

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9 hours ago, GORGAR 1 said:

Hey Scott did I read that right you have no pins? Amazing how things change hey I have my Creech still and would like the new Stern Pro Mandalorian but the price is more than I paid NIB for my Back in Black hard pill to swallow. Glad your well  

Sad I know. I have 2 (another HulkLE lol) at sea so hopefully soon mate. Love your creech👍

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Great to thread Scott.

 

Joanne and I hit our ceiling a few years ago at $10k.

 

Will have to wait for the future glut if and when that happens 🤣

 

we have pondered selling some of our pins that have doubled in value but would miss them too much 😱

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3 hours ago, mckie1 said:

Great to thread Scott.

 

Joanne and I hit our ceiling a few years ago at $10k.

 

Will have to wait for the future glut if and when that happens 🤣

 

we have pondered selling some of our pins that have doubled in value but would miss them too much 😱

Yes you would miss them. I know I do! You still got my old ToM, it’s funny as when I bought that it was my ceiling. I thought I’ll never get my money back on it but I just had to have it. My mate in Texas has a HEP restored ToM. It’s incredible 😎

Hope you and Joanne are well mate. Can’t wait to get my hands on that NGG. I keep looking at the sea tracking. It moves so slow Dave 😩

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GNR,s  has hit our shores  , this container anyway   ,   i got in at 15.5k  ,  and on the carrot of delivery along time ago  , water under the bridge  ,   but thats it for me as in new games  ,  ive got concerns of the quality and  warranty  associated with this game  especially with the price tag ,,  2nd hand games have lost all logical pricing  and if you are selling why not get the best you can  and the amount of times ive heard the bubble will burst  ,,, yeah  ok ,,    when ?

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18 minutes ago, john17a said:

GNR,s  has hit our shores  , this container anyway   ,   i got in at 15.5k  ,  and on the carrot of delivery along time ago  , water under the bridge  ,   but thats it for me as in new games  ,  ive got concerns of the quality and  warranty  associated with this game  especially with the price tag ,,  2nd hand games have lost all logical pricing  and if you are selling why not get the best you can  and the amount of times ive heard the bubble will burst  ,,, yeah  ok ,,    when ?

it is not the quality control that make me hesitate, it is the immature software that these games ship with
you need to wait 3 years until the final software update

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18 hours ago, Jaybee said:

If you have had machines for a few years and want buy a new pro it’s Great , can sell a b grade 90s wpc for 7 to 8k and get a new stern for for an extra 2k 

I do better than that. Sell an a lister and buy a premium and have cash in your pocket. Do you miss the a lister? Check your audits and see how many games you've played in the last year. That's what tips me over the edge to sell one

Edited by pinball god
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11 hours ago, Pop Bumper Pete said:

it is not the quality control that make me hesitate, it is the immature software that these games ship with
you need to wait 3 years until the final software update

Some better than others straight out of the box and some don’t get completed code at all. 

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I've had an amazing 2 years acquiring used machines but not the way you'd think. I've discovered swapping & it's been great. All it's cost is Bill's transport fee one way! In the last two years I've moved out Top Score, Wild Life, Indiana Jones, Pin-Bot & a 20" upright video arcade but taken in Wild Fyre, Cue ball wizard, Stargate, Demolition Man,  Wizard of OZ & Moon Flight. It's worked out very well for me & swapping is the way I go now.

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59 minutes ago, GORGAR 1 said:

Hey @Gemini2544 Do you swap for a period of time or permanent swap? Sounds like a good idea 👍

For keeps, No problems yet. Everyone is happy. Sometimes you just get sick of a game and want a change.  It's so easy & no money to hand over other than transport costs.

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3 hours ago, Gemini2544 said:

I've had an amazing 2 years acquiring used machines but not the way you'd think. I've discovered swapping & it's been great. All it's cost is Bill's transport fee one way! In the last two years I've moved out Top Score, Wild Life, Indiana Jones, Pin-Bot & a 20" upright video arcade but taken in Wild Fyre, Cue ball wizard, Stargate, Demolition Man,  Wizard of OZ & Moon Flight. It's worked out very well for me & swapping is the way I go now.

Great way to do it if you. Only catch is if want a new release and also need to offload a title for space, which is coming up soon for me by the looks of it.

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1 hour ago, Gemini2544 said:

 Sometimes you just get sick of a game and want a change. 

Funny, not found a pinball yet I didn't get sick of. Seems I'm happy with them but once the machine is fixed, about 50 games of testing and glad to see them out of here.

I think my savour would be a home brew I can continue to change and them maybe, just maybe, not get sick of it. Problem there though is cost of parts to make a homebrew is what a working machine would cost and little to no chance of recouping the original outlay because it is a one off.

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3 hours ago, Gemini2544 said:

For keeps, No problems yet. Everyone is happy. Sometimes you just get sick of a game and want a change.  It's so easy & no money to hand over other than transport costs.

I’ve noticed a lot more trading like you are talking about. Good way to at least get like for like “real” value and great way to get a new pin. 

1 hour ago, 63wizz said:

Im out, it was fun while it lasted but it is to bloody expensive for me, ill just stick with what i have, due to the price hike i have lost interest in pinball

I’ve been feeling like that a bit of late. Hopefully the couple I have coming will reinvigorate me👍 

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I’m out almost completely. Still have a few left. Can’t buy unless it’s a complete basket case and cheap enough to do the work on 

But basically I’ll only buy something that someone else is chasing/wanting if price is right, then repair ready for them. 

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1 hour ago, Dedrok said:

I’m out almost completely. Still have a few left. Can’t buy unless it’s a complete basket case and cheap enough to do the work on 

But basically I’ll only buy something that someone else is chasing/wanting if price is right, then repair ready for them. 

Do what you do mate. Best of both worlds without the expense. We are all only baby sitters of pinballs when you think about it unless you destroy them in your posession. You get to work on them, play them and get paid for it. Like I said, best of both worlds. Who else gets to play them and get paid for it other than the technician?.

Had around 40 different machines come through here this year and made around what some pay for 1/2 a NIB. Good deal if you ask me.

Edited by Autosteve
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