Quoted from Slate:This is sad. Just kills the whole pinball hobby.
...I think it will level out and NOT continue to go up.
...People said the housing market will not stop and it did. Well you say "they do not make these machines anymore". Same with beach front property, etc. And that went down.
I completely and totally agree with you in every sense of the words quoted.
AFM has quickly become a "crude oil" pin. Back in 2009, I saw it on ePay REGULARLY for $2500-$3500. For it to be hitting $8000+ unshopped is nuts. AFM is fastly becoming the "Skyline" of pins - one everyone wants that few can afford. Shame. It will go back down someday when everyone riding the wave of "MM and AFM are the games to have if you want to be a serious collector" has had their fun.
I'll flat out say this - I think there are some people that have AFM just as a conversation piece. They don't play it, they don't know much about it except that it's "always in the top 5 at Pinside" and it's "one of the most expen$ive pins EVAH." They write a check to buy one from a retailer and put it next to their other pins or make it their solitary pin in their mancave. Obviously, there are some people that buy and cherish it who remember playing it back in 1995-1996, but I really think it has become a "crude oil/status" pin now, and some people that REALLY remember the game from their childhood get shafted.
Oh well, AFM at $8k or 3 "middle of the road" pins for half the price. I think I'll take option #2 .