I bought my LE used so I don't have a dog in this fight, but I can see where LE owners could be just a little chapped.
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There was/is a $1500.00 price difference for 600 units. For the extra $1500.00 you got,
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As far as the autograph goes, it looks like some scribbles; Yeah, I know, I can't read my signature, either. This would be some new hire's idea to squeeze some extra zero-cost items that might sound good to a new buyer. It is a waste of ink and bandwidth.
The sequentially numbered plaque might add some extra value, but only as a sales tool.
1) So, what did you get for $1500.00 extra?
You got an invisible play field glass...................................................................................PDI glass costs $300.00, plus you will pay for shipping. I don't know how much shipping play field glass costs, but along with Spot, Herman, and Lily being boosted, the USPS has doing a good job of boosting its rates. I'll say $50.00.
So, $350.00 for a nice play field glass. Retail pricing.
2) A Shaker motor. I turned mine off. If it would not destroy originality, I'd remove it and sell it along with a couple of boat anchors I need to unload. Stern RETAIL pricing for a shaker motor you install yourself is priced at $99.00.
3) And you can buy LE style blades for $79.00 retail. Granted, they are B/W to match the Premium, but it is the same pattern as the LE.
So, grand total of the above is $350.00 + 99.00 +79.00 = $528.00
Take the $1500.00 LE price differential
$1500 - $528= $972.00
For the extra $972.00
1) you got a mirrored back glass.
2) An exclusive cabinet motif
3) And a colored play field.
So, now, with the Premium colored play field, the only exclusive item left for the LE owner is the back glass. So, for $972.00 extra, the LE gets an exclusive cabinet design, mirrored back glass, an LE plaque #?? of 600.
I figure the plaque is worth the money it took screw it onto the back box.
The LE is finished and we are left with three colored cabinets. If the colored Premium sells for the same price as the B/W units, then I would not assign very much value to the LE cab design. I'll be generous and say the LE cab design is worth $100.00.
Unless I have missed something, that mirrored back glass is costing $872.00 extra.
That is a fairly expensive back glass just for trumpeting exclusivity.
If Stern does decide to sell LE style colored blades for $79.00, then a colored Premium will be pretty much an LE with a little different colored cabinet and a little bit different back glass and no PDI style glass and no shaker motor
Put them all side by side, and for the cost savings I would have taken a colored Premium for $1400.00 less and let the LE slide. And then I would go buy a PDI glass for $350.00. So, a colored 2-level play field unit will cost $7600.00 + PDI glass @$350.00 for $7950.00 total.
It is in the neighborhood of $1000.00 less for a colored Premium. I don't need a mirrored back glass for an extra $1000.00
I can see why some LE owners are just a little disenchanted with Stern with the colored Premium slide.
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