I've been reading through the posts from the Allentown show this weekend, and it seems like a lot of people are complaining about the prices for the games that were for sale.

From what I have been reading the past several months, the general consensus is that prices have been going up, partly because there is a lot of new interest in pinball games. So I'm curious about how things work at a show like the one at Allentown. Do the people selling their personal machines have to pay a percentage to the show, or do they have to pay to bring the machine? And how about the vendors, same thing? I know you get free admission if you bring a machine to the free play area, but beyond that, I haven't researched anything else that goes with it.

I'm in golf retail. I sell clubs on eBay, as well as in my pro shop. In general, it seems like people always think your prices are too high and that you're making a killing when you sell a set of golf clubs for $399. They don't take into account the eBay fees, the PayPal fees, the shipping fees, your time to take pictures of the clubs and the time it takes to actually list those clubs. And on top of that, to stay in business, you have to make a profit.

So moving that over to pinball, why all the negative comments about the prices this year? I'm not being at all critical of someone selling a machine. I understand they have to make some money. I'm also not being critical of a consumer looking for a deal. Just curious why people felt the prices were too high.

Is a show like this the best place to buy a pinball table?

Why do you think there has been a shift?