Oh, boy. This won't end well.

Oh, I don't know about that.

Don't you remember the epic PinballBulbs.com announcement thread here on Pinside a while back?

Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly...

When more people are producing stuff for the hobby at ever-increasing and exorbitant prices, it's only good for pinball. (e.g., Stern, JJP and boutique pins)

When more people are producing stuff for the hobby at ever-decreasing and reasonable prices, it's only bad for pinball. (e.g., glare guards, LEDs)

Is that right?

Huh?

Mmmm....ice cream.

gump.jpg

I've always known about PinZero glare guards and thought they were a good idea, but never felt quite motivated enough to buy them for what they cost.

Just checked BentPlastic out, and at $40 total for five glare guards (shipping included)...ehh, I'm in.

Purchased.

I get what you're saying pinball_customs, but I would imagine that many of us would never think to play the "price haggle game", either because A.) we don't like to...or B.) we fear it would be insulting and douchey.

Both of those apply to me, and I just can't imagine ever contacting a parts supplier and saying "Look, I know you sell your widget for $50 plus shipping on your website, but this other dude started selling that same widget for $20 less. If you can match or beat that price, I'll buy from you."

Now, I'm sure that could be worded differently -- with excessive pleasantries and whatnot -- but I'd still feel like a tool contacting someone that way.

Now, if a supplier is selling something in a far less formal fashion, like directly on a message forum (instead of through an eCommerce website), then yeah, haggling doesn't seem too out-of-line.

I understand that, but it's trickier in this particular case, as Wrong Crowd and BentPlastic are selling their own products, not someone else's. Or at least, that's what I thought was happening.

The conversation is getting pretty deep with points about innovation and research & development...and I can respect that...but I'd just like to remind everyone that the thread started off discussing a piece of plastic with a bend in it.

I'm tapping out of the discussion, 'cause it has started to feel like buyer "morality" has come into play, and I think that's 100% horseshit when we're talking about a rather simple and patent-free product in a Capitalist society.

This is a product that was developed by Wrong Crowd to also "make a buck", as it was never being sold at cost merely for the betterment of the hobby. All parties involved want to make money from the big-spending modern pinball crowd, and if there was no money to be made, the product wouldn't exist. I can find no saints in this particular free enterprise arena for which I am "morally" bound.

I guess someone needs to compile an official list of which specific vendors we are to exclusively use when buying certain products. Right now, I have no idea who I'm supposed to be "rewarding" when I'm buying pinballs, rubbers, translites, bulbs, mirror blades, toppers, playfield glass, coils, coin doors, switches, etc., etc., etc., etc.

I guess we also need such a list for non-pinball items, like TVs, cars, bicycles, and so on and so forth.

Purchased five guards three days ago and the (insured) package arrived this morning.

The ordering process, shipping, packaging and product are all pro.