Calling HEP and Kruzman...
Im curious to hear what some of the experts opinions are on these issues.

Thanks Odin !

Pretty sad if someone plans on keeping a new machine for a long time that they should probably buy an additional playfied and have chris or another expert touch up and reclear it to have on hand when/if the original peels,chips and bubbles.

I feel the same way!
I’d love to complete the Elvira Trilogy and have all 3 next to each other but
plan on watching from the sidelines until fall of next year to see if anything changes....
if not I’ll probably have to wait a couple/few years and buy one used from someone who was willing to gamble.

It seems most of us here agree that dimpling of some degree is inevitable and acceptable but cratering is NOT.

Every year prices increase.
Why can’t mfg’s add $75-100 to the retail price of each machine and use a higher quality plywood and clear coat?
I don’t want a free playfield if the mfg actually admits a particular machine is below their specification.
Who knows if the playfield provided is any different than the original.

Can someone please take one of the cratered stern playfield pics, blow it up and get some T-shirt’s printed up with large print stating “Boycott Stern Pinball” ?
I’d buy one and wear it to pinball shows and events.

Because they are greedy bastards.
Every year prices go up and quality goes down.
Every new machine that gets released we hear about features/toys that got deleted .... due to cost/budget.

In my opinion:

Dimples are noticeable on close inspection and No big deal....
Cratering can be seen from 6 ft away

Im sure stern wouldn’t care but I’m sure their distributors might and most importantly you have to call MFG’s out on problems with their products.
In the last 3 years Ive added several new machines to my collection.
Spooky got my only NIB $.
Others were classic BAlly/Williams machines with little or no dimpling.
I want an Elvira HOH to complete my collection.
Just waiting to buy a premium after someone else rolls the dice and plays it for 150-1000 plays.

My girlfriend and I visited someone last week who had a really nice collection of modern machines. She played a few games of Stranger Things while the guys and I were talking. After we left she said she loved the game and would like to add one to our collection but asked WTF was up with the playfield. I asked he what she meant and she said it was beat to shit and looked cratered like the moon! In my opinion, casual players noticing playfield issues on HUO machines that are under a year old= A serious manufacturing problem. I told her it does have the ramp which causes lots of air balls. Her response was for what they are charging That’s BS !