Dont get me wrong, I love Costco. But there is a buyer beware on the Pins.

Don't you have to pay sales tax at Costco? So it could be up to an additional $180 depending where you lived. Wish I knew someone that worked there to pick one up when they dump them for cheap because I doubt people will buy them for $2500. Rich people with tons of money will want the real deal and people who are smart with their money would buy a used older game for much less, so not really sure what market this will appeal to unless most kids are used to getting $2650 Christmas gifts every year.

give me a system 11 for less than that instead. transformers is horrible, even the LE we sold was just not that great of a pin. sorry if i offended anyone, but its just not a good pin for me . wouldnt want that for 20 bucks, my trash can fills the space better

If I could fit "the pin" where my trash can goes could someone sell me a mod with a foot pedal to raise the playfield so it's still functional as a trash can? I mean since were throwing money away and all...

ditto. would like to pick one up in a year for 500.

Don't you have to pay sales tax at Costco? So it could be up to an additional $180 depending where you lived...

Yes, and my local sales tax is 9.25%. Ugh. (Not that I am running out to buy it or anything.)

Yeah right!
I had an Ant Farm when I was a kid, no need to buy an even BIGGER one!
Our local Argentine ants would devour that baby in the summertime faster than the Siafu devouring Russian cronies in IJ4... No thanks!

I'll take "sugar free" pinball please... FTW!

I'm wondering if this is a regional test close to home. To stock three in every Costco in the US & PR you'd have to make 1,344 of these (assuming both boxes are full in the pic.)

viperrwk

I go to Costco like 2-3 times a week, love it. Can't wait to see if this is at mine.

Everyone should buy their "The Pin" at Costco. Great return policy also a solid investment (Costco btw, not the Pin, lol). Always busy, good dividend, lots of overseas growth potential .

I wouldn't take it for free. Its ugly and would take up a spot in my gameroom that could be used for a better game. Sorry Stern, you blew it this time.

I've thought about buying one of thoese so I could convert it into a mini virtual multi pin.

I keep reading about the other Costco pins IM and Batman, how were they different from the pro versions?

would like to see a game play video

I think it will sell very well

If this was a sub-$1000 machine, I would probably buy it. My kids would enjoy it, we would have a reliable NIB game, and I could probably turn it over for a small loss. Much of the hate seems directed at the price (valid) and build quality (remains to be seen).

Waiting on video for further judgement.

This pin would look great strapped to a pallet in my basement too.

TFhome.jpg

I like the numeric displays.

I don't recall seeing the Costco versions of IM come up for resale? How much if seen?

Haha, I actually have one of these on location. The funny part is that it out-earns most of my arcade games, and occasionally even one or two of the real pins.

The code was made for free play only how did you work around that?

He's talking about that gumball/pinball machine....

I have a friend who works at CostCo. I'll see if his store's got them in stock. Maybe he can get us picks of the playfield, the guts, etc...

I hope someone buys me this for Christmas!

If they came in at around $1800 to $2,000.00 all in tax included I think it would sell much better. I guess the question is can Stern make enough profit at that price point to make producing them worth it? I am all for new ideas to bring pinball to a wider audience so I do want to support the project and wouldn't mind giving one some play. I do however think it is priced too high.

It is probably a local Chicago market item. Costco would spend more to ship these across the country than they are likely to take in.

Navajas- ask your friend when they will go on Clearance. They will likely get rebates from Stern and they will likely be had at 2k.

Tell you what though...I got the floor version of Fonzie for $75 when I was 10...so you may want to ask the store owner how much for the floor pin.

Don't forget, "The Pin" was (most likely) not designed and is not being marketed for us Pinheads. It's for the general public that doesn't know jack about pinball machines, nor wants to deal with the hassle of maintaining or fixing a real pinball.

Two years ago, I never knew such a following existed for pinball machines. Most people don't. When I tell people I own four of them, it usually blows there mind. And the next question is, "Where'd you get them?"

Chris

Well, I don't think people do. Do they??

I didn't, but I'm glad I found it.

That ought to be a big seller.....!

I was actually wondering aboot it; I've always been on the side of owners & collectors so it's hard for me too judge.

Appropriate that it's surrounded by other toys, and has "Hasbro" on the back-glass to.

It's been true in my experience.

I've been into video games for a long time, which is a hobby that's about as closely related to pins as you can get, and I didn't know that collecting them was a thing until about five years ago. I didn't know that there were pin conventions, either.

Most people who come to my house aren't into pins and had no idea that you can even buy them.

I think it's pretty cool that people are exposed to it as a potential home hobby at a huge retailer like Costco.

Exactly. I hope they sell a ton of them, but even if they don't, it's great for lots of people to see a Stern product in a place with tons more traffic than the corner of the lonely basement bar that represents one of the two primary local pin locations where I am.

I hope tons of people see this thing in a local Costco, demo it a bit, laugh at the price, and then go start hassling the management at their favorite public locations to get a pin in there.

Actually thats my problem with this whole product ... its not aimed at pinheads, but the general public that fondly remembers something called a pinball machine from their childhood. The problem is their re-introduction to pinball is a freaky looking non-DMD game that they can buy for their homes and tell their friends they have a pinball machine. They will think that pinball has evolved into this form and this is the current state of pinball. Yikes!

...or find Pinside, and finding out that they can buy a gently used, real B-list pin for the same price.

Why on earth would a non pinhead want a dirty, used b lister - with something like Mel Gibson on the back glass - when they can own The Pin?!

Let's be honest, at least 25% of us here would say $800.00 was too high a price had they been offered at that price initially. Personally, $1999.99 would be a good price IMO.

LOL. Well, I think there's going to be many disappointed buyers of this thing next year. Lots of returns. $600 by next Christmas.

How does the game feel, regarding gameplay, and quality? I'm not looking to start any debate, I've never owned a Stern, so I don't know how it compares to other brands, or other Sterns'...

Not to mention the fact that if you're not technically-inclined pinball machines can be SCARY to work on, especially some routed 20-year-old B-lister with issues.

Also, there's the spending hours and hours surfing Craigslist to eventually find deals, then being out-worked and losing deals to pinheads, then eventually (hopefully) handing over $1,500 in cash to some guy you don't know for a machine with a crap theme that's been god knows where?

All of that versus spending a thousand bucks more and getting something new with a 90-day return policy, plus a 1-year warranty?

It's easy to see why someone who just wants to play a game would get one of these.

Only because

1) (the major 1) as a stand alone product, this isn't a very good idea

and

2) At 800 people can still point out legit pinball machines worth picking up

P.S. "The Pin" not going to eventually require repair and maintenance of some kind? Okie dokie! Stern has created the first unbreakable pin...wait...that's fucking AMAZING!

maybe the old 'keep up with the Jones' type of thing will sweep through suburbia ?
like all those trampolines you see in backyards

The Avengers Pin plays nicely (according to JPOP) and has real pinball parts and action. Anything that gets people into playing real pinball is a good thing. It kinda reminds me of a couple of home games I had as a kid, but those had plastic legs and pretty basic scoring. TFTP looks to be more of a real pinball experience, at an entry level. Definitely suitable for people transitioning from console/smartphone pinball to the real thing, from which they may discover the real pin market.

The funny thing abou this Transformers pin is that it actually - playfield-wise - looks like more fun than their premium Transformers pin. It actually just watched the YouTube video and it actually looks pretty fun. Has anyone played this...? It really does look more compelling to me than the other with it's useless mini playfields. Unfortunately the cabinet is just laughable.... Bad idea....

Any chance to get the stock number so we could call around our local costco locations and see if they have one in stock?

An important statement. The Pin has a 60 day labor, 6 mo. parts warranty from Stern. Buying from Costco would inflate the warranty, which is probably worth the increase in taxes. What's the warranty on a NIB full size pin?

my costco does not have these. I wouldn't buy one though either.

I agree some sort of maintenance will be required. At the LEAST a good cleaning depending on the use. But, with that being said, I own two NIB Stern pins, and one used and have yet to make any repairs on them. And, before it is said, I know some people have had the opposite experience with a Stern. So, take that as you will.

Maintenance will be another story. But, being this is marketed to the "typical" consumer, hopefully it has a users manual with a PM schedule. I know, that's asking a lot.

Hell, maybe this could bring new business to the Pinball Repairman market.

Chris

_{Post edited by SideTrackTap : Added "Stern" to type of NIB.}

No love for Houston. Darn it, I really wanted to play this... for free.