Maybe Stern is going to enforce territories like WMS did with there machines. I was able to get a better deal from companies like Monroe in Cincinnati Oh for pins like Pool Sharks or Party Zone, then they lost the line, could not even get the video games like Smash TV or even T2 gun anymore. Was it worth it for them to let me the customer purchase from them and allow me to save money. I was happy but then when I register my serial numbers for warranty the maker of the machines now knows which distributor I bought them from as they know who they were also sold to. Maybe they should not have taken the line away but more like we are going to bill you 200 more dollars for each one you sell in the future this way. WMS did this to protect there dealers and geographical areas and force someone like me to buy from Brady Dist instead of Monroe or later Atlas Dist, when Williams left pin I could no longer gets pins from Operators Dist in Highpoint NC as Brady was now the bigger dealer with better pricing but nowhere close to what Jack at pinball sales had or even Green coin could sell for. Green coin was at my local auctions so I got most from them. I been told on super deals not to turn in serial numbers on certain redemption makers for probably this reason. If you buy a Tron pro and you should, its a great pin Stern can still find out and maybe there gonna charge the distributor more if its not in a protected area or maybe sold for a protected price. Not sure if this is what is happening but who knows. I bet JJ knows as they were Bally Williams dist I think or maybe it was Mountain Coin in that area.
Buddy