Yes, some people cashed in immediately, for about $9000-10,000, which represented pretty much a 100 percent profit. I don't think they were really hard to find at that time, as that was a pretty healthy profit.

This is correct. They started a bit lower, but by the time they were all delivered that was the price they had settled in at. I remember talking to someone who had opened theirs who was willing to sell theirs around $6000 and me thinking yeah right, I am going to pay you $1000 more than NIB price for a game you opened?!

Lots of people did that.

Now, rising NIB pin prices are not that uncommon. Back then, a new Stern would be worth about $500-$1000 the instant it was opened, so the whole more than retail price was quite surprising.

Yes, I paid $12K (Canadian, so $10K US) for one off a friend of mine that bought two at $6K, about a week after delivery.

At the time they said I was crazy.

This is entirely accurate. Then, NIB games lost money right off the lot.

Now, people pile in the cheesy mods and ask $1,000 more than new. Times have changed!

Of course I regret passing on BBB. I had the scratch at the time to at least order one of them. But it seemed like an insane gamble. I'm still kind of shocked they pulled it off.

In a similar scenario, I'd make the same choice. It's just too risky. I think we've seen how it's played out a couple times as of late.

Still got it?

No, but I visit it regularly.

Hope you made a few bucks on it too!

Interesting aside to this one...when it was REALLY first released, in 1996, I've heard that people were buying those dozen or so prototypes off the floor at Expo for around $5000. Those games are probably worth $25,000 or more today.

BBB's NIB were up to about $24K (that's the multiple offers I had on mine) ... then they fluctuate down from there based on various speculations ...

Yeah! I have a NIB Tron that I fully intended to open when I got a larger gameroom. I got that larger gameroom now (well, am in the process of making it), and I know that I could sell it for so much more than what I paid for it as is, it makes it hard for me to justify doing anything with it. When the gameroom is done, it's going to be a tough decision on if I open it or sell it off.

As for getting in on BBB, I was there in 2004 when I believe the game was announced - most "history of..." things on BBB say he announced it in October, but I was in his presentation at the Midwest Gaming Classic that year when he announced the same thing there, as I remember discussing it with him afterward and really trying to figure out if I could have swung it. The story of BBB seemed SO COOL, and to be able to help make a lost historical piece of pinball history happen again? Seemed like it was worth doing.

Unfortunately, the MGC that year lost thousands and thousands of dollars, and I was in no place to put any money down. Besides, spending money on a pinball machine and not being sure when or if it would be made seemed a little crazy.

I didn't think it was a completely insane gamble though, as Gene had all of the assets and much of the parts already to make the games. I'm ultimately completely happy with the fact that I didn't end up with one - although I have played one at Lloyd's multiple times. I'm glad that particular story turned out the way that it did

IPB BBBs began to exchange hands within 6 months of actually receiving the game in 2006-2007.
People did not all decide to "flip" their game, UNLESS they bought multiples, which did occur in a select few cases.
You never saw the stupidity of "pre-order resale resales" equivalency either (2004-2006), because the concept did not exist, and people were generally smarter.

The overseas orders shipped first due enactment of the RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) law in July 2006.
Those went out in June 2006, and their were only around a dozen or so.
Late 2007 were the last of IPR reproduction games delivered to domestic consumers in the United States.
If I remember correctly the last game finally was delivered around November 2007, but I would have check my records.

The average price in early 2008 jumped from 1.5-2X the actual purchase pre-order price of $4500.
New potential owners were initially paying an average of between $6000-7500 in 2008.
Some were still lower, however, in the $5000-5500 range initially, as they moved from one collector friend to another.

Highest paid price was well over $24K in the 2000s, but that was for an original prototype.
NIB IPBs were offered at much higher costs for those that squirreled them, but I never tracked those sales, as ultimately were private deals with purchase agreements not disclosed.
The HUO prices have continued to grow until average flatline in 2012 for the present time of around $16K.
There were several periods where they spiked to nearly $19-20K.
Variances in the market and actual additional parts included in the sales vary the price at the modern time.

A fair number IPB remakes of the ultimate 191 total are still in the hands of the original purchased owners.
Of the original 14 true prototypes, 11 are confirmed in collector's hands, and one was lost in a fire, the two others are still MIA.

The direct pricing opportunities I have had to buy the machine personally over the years:

1996 - $8K (prototype, after Capcom closed their doors from a fellow collector who bought the game direct)
1998 - $12K (prototype)
2002 - $16K (prototype)
2004 - $4.5K (IPB intent)
2006 - $5.5K (IPB, the "weird" period due to price speculation, negative pinball "terrorists", and goofballs)
2007 - $6.5K (IPB)
2008 - $7.5K (IPB)
2010 - $9.5K (IPB)
2012 - $11.5K (IPB)
2012 - $22K (prototype)
2014 - $24K (prototype)
2015 - $16.5K (IPB)
2015 - $18K (special edition IPB reproduction)
2016 - $15.5K (IPB, potential fourth owner, passed between three other local friends)

There can be no "average" in this pricing with these listed costs above due to the dependency of regional market location, type, and condition just the offered values for reference in my case.
All pricing was based on USD, regardless of location.
You can only see market trends.
The continued average pricing is $16K for a "multiple HUO game" as many of the specific IPB reproductions have changed hands quite a few times now.

What HE^ said! I was the guy who announced the Official Release Date and then TOG followed it up. I sold mine a few years ago for $15K and I saw it was sold again for about $16K. I really liked looking at it and it was fun to play but I took the money and paid off both of our cars and bought some other machines. It was a really fun ride though. Scary at times, but fun.

Cool pictures at: http://www.bbbpictures.com if you're interested in the history (my web site).

Untrue, I have run into two collectors now who bought their's and never opened it. First one went halfsies with a friend. It sat in his game room boxed up for 6-8 months and then they sold it and split the profit. Second guy bought it outright and it sat boxed up and was sold a year later. Neither of these people had multiples. By the time they received it the value was too much to justify keeping.

I never stated the market of sales was "absolute", especially after 20 years.
Nor did say "everybody" sold their game.
There certainly were several that "split the cost" on the reproduction for game, actually that was quite smart, considering the initial circumstances.

I know of 5 people that bought two machines, and ALL sold their second game within a year.
As you stated, it did not make financial sense to keep the games, as the values had DOUBLED.

Those that chose to speculate and keep it boxed, it was their choice.
Most did not, after waiting over 2 1/2 years for their game, and support of Gene.
There are still a handful boxed that have changed hands and keep being speculated.

What people should realize right now is as soon as they open up that $30K NIB IPB reproduction they decide to buy, it is going to lose $15K of value, which it never really had in the first place.
If that does not matter, fantastic, enjoy the game.
I really hope it works properly after sitting in the box for nearly 20 years, and if it does not, they know how to fix it or find someone that knows Capcom board and game systems.
Skilled technicians continue to decrease at the same rate as new owners are joining the NIB game rat race fray.

One of my biggest regrets in pinball was passing on BBB. I had the opportunity, I had the money, I just didn't have the confidence it would get done and I didn't want to tie up the majority of my pinball fund in a future promise. Ah, well. I'm still watching for Kingpin to happen. I think it's the better of the two games, but both are great.

I bought my first BBB July 4th 2007 on eBay for $9500. The original owner only had it for a couple months.

xTheBlackKnightx, thanks for your insight once again. I love the history lessons. Keep it up.

After the time on the KP whitewood I think this might be true, much as I love my BBB, I think KP might just pip it as the better game.

Funny reading stuff from people claiming to have been there and know all.......