Most collectors here wouldn't need a distributor. But think about new people to pinball. They don't have the knowledge base to even remove the playfield glass, let alone setup and move an entire machine by themselves. I don't see Stern sending out their version of the Geek Squad to get these games setup in homes.
Also, I don't see Stern ever passing savings onto customers. It sounds great, but I just don't see it happening. They used to let you pick up games to save on shipping, they don't even do that anymore.