Take a look at someone already selling a machine sight unseen for 16K. Do you blame the distributors? I mean this is pretty messed up. I would prefer the distributors making the money so at least the warranty goes with the buyer.

"I have a Mandalorian LE paid in full from a local dealer. shipping to the lower 48 included, PM me with any questions."

Why are you buying the machine? Why are you selling the machine?
Oh, that is right!! Your family decided it was not for them, You need the money to fund another project, You bought another machine and out of space, You are getting divorced.

The speculating has forced some of us to get in early just have a shot at getting an LE. They can sell out so quickly that if you wait you are out.

I put deposits down on rumors of dream themes. I’d rather wait and see, but don’t feel like I can with the way the market is. I was offered money for my spots a couple times and turned them down.

I can appreciate almost every machine I’ve ever played to a certain extent. It doesn’t have to be top 10 to be fun or enjoyable. Therefore, I’m willing to buy early.

For some of us it’s not about the money.

Well that's part of it too, sure that's cheap by todays standards..but it wasn't exactly cheap for old routed games back then. I think that is where it hurts the most. Many of us haven't been buying NIB pins since the 80's/90's. They were all heavily used and abused and maybe you could get parts, maybe you couldn't. I didn't pay over $1k for any of my games and I can say my 2003 self (when I stopped buying because they were getting too expensive/priorities) would think you are insane if you told me I'd actually pay 7-9k for a new pinball machine.

I know those that only want the LE to have it increase in value will disagree with this. It's about time Stern takes on the JJP approach of making a larger number of LE games. I know, I know they tried to up the number years ago but that was years ago. Pinball is at an all time high right now. No reason for Stern not to up their LE#'s to 1000 or 1200.

JJP does the CE thing which is really the same as Stern's LE. JJP's LE on GnR was limited to 5000 which is basically unlimited as they won't sell that many.

But yes, I agree the current model is somewhat broken - I'm not sure what the right solution is for Stern - raise prices, sell directly, more LEs, no LEs. I wish there was a way to get rid of the speculators.

Poppycock.. I bet all 5k limited edition gnrs are all sold. All of them... Hope all speculation buyers get burned.. Glad stern continues to make more games but wish they would stop being so fkn petty and start doing better with design features.like more of them in a single game. A pro game even.

You think there are 5000 people in this hobby who have shelled out $10,000+ for it? Plus 500 more people who bought the CEs. No chance.

They aren't sold out yet - and even if JJP sold every LE (which would be a great accomplishment), they would just create a different LE edition (you know, RRWoZ, YBRWoZ, Hobbit Limited/Smaug/Black Arrow). They will always have a "limited" edition that's comparable to Stern's Premium.

But I'm 100% with you that I'd like to see all the speculation buyers get burned.

In 2021, all pinball buyers are speculators.

No - some of us actually just enjoy playing pinball and don't buy games thinking about future profits. (but maybe we are the minority now)

That's a nice sentiment and all but nobody is spending this kind of money on games without "speculating" what it's going to be worth in two years.

Even you, ma Theresa!

I say yes to 5000 people with disposable income. Yes.
I am a gnrce owner. And all 500 gone. Probably 250 more that wanted a ce. The standard is stripped like a stern pro. So only leaves le to get. And after people seen the gnr more want it. 5k of people. I think it very possible.

Or do you suggest it is only 500 to one thousand speculation buyers of each possible hit we are contending with each new release?

If so it now means people who want the pin to own have to give a list of le wishes to distributors for games not yet revealed!

Hey distro. I want a Jaws le i want a judas priest Ce .le . i want big trouble in little china le.. ...lol yeah. See it happinin

Do I think JJP could have sold 5500 G and R in 2021? Maybe. Could they sell 5500 in 2021-2024... no way. Remember that JJP is only pushing out 50 pins per week. There are still people who ordered a G&R last year that have not gotten them. 5500/50=110 weeks=26ish months. If they sell all 5500 they will be making them nonstop until 2024. People are impatient and its not like their competition is doing nothing right now. Stern will release 6 games in that time and at the rate things are going Spooky will reveal 2, CGC 1, American Pinball 1, Haggis 2, and Deeproot 0. Some of these folks will elect for what they can get now instead of what they can get in 6 months when JJP catches up.

Haha - I’m not mother Theresa for sure, but I can assure you I’m not thinking about future value of the games that I buy. I buy games I like and keep them for many years. Every game I own I could sell and make a profit on, but what’s the point? The joy for me is collecting, playing and restoring - not flipping.

I've noticed that none of the Mando LE's in marketplace have had the comments turned on yet come on somebody, grow a pair of balls and allow forum comments

Someone supposedly sold their place in the pre-order line for $4k. Never have to take delivery, just speculate and re-sell before shipment. This seems isolated to a few here in the pinball world but that's precisely the general problem, I think, with the commodities market like with oil. If oil speculators were required to take delivery of the oil barrels before re-selling, would that curb the practice?

Truth - I’d rather pay $10.5k for a used GnR LE that I can have now vs $10.5k and waiting 9 months for a NIB.

Ugh. These are the ones to blame.

Slash said no to additional versions

Don't know aboot the mask, but check-cutters are the issue

Maybe the top end of this hobby is bigger than I think it is, but I find it hard to believe there are 5000+ people willing to shell out $10k for this machine. Especially with all the other machines available.

It's a space western theme, good, bad or ugly as that might be.

Do any distributors still have Mando LEs left, even at a premium markup? I'd still like to get one, and I'd rather the profit go to the distro than a scalper. Please contact me directly if you have one for sale. Thanks!

Based on the current lead time I suspect you may be wrong soon. Often I think people look at pinball sales as Pinside or how we rate a title. The World is a big place. 5000 let alone 500LE is NOT a big number when you are talking global sales. No pinball company needs 40 million units like Apple to be successful.

The reasons keep coming, what a joke. Are we that dumb!?!?

Mandalorian Limited Edition up for sale. I was one that paid over sticker because this was a must have. Situation has changed and my fiancé’s parents are backing out of financing our wedding and I have no choice but to let this go.

link here: https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/114731

And this one
https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/114667
said he has "the machine reserved that I may not be able to use". I wonder what happened since yesterday that he may not able to buy? Oh, $4000 obo happened

We’ll just keep the short sellers in mind for later. Good luck with your ‘must have’ Groku doll and toy helmet pin for 16 grand. Dumbasses....

You all know that MSRP is the Manufacture SUGGESTED Retail Price. If demand is higher than the supply, the retailer should have every option to make the money off of the product they are selling. They are the ones that take all the risks when buying titles that don't sell out the day that they are released. This is done in just about every business I can think of. Take cars for example. When a Dodge dealership gets in a new Demon, it does not sell for the sticker price, it goes way above that.

Most of these distributors took care of their loyal customers that wanted an LE for the MSRP. I know, I called many of them because I am new to the pinball market. Did I throw out a few high offers to see if one would stick, yeah I did. Why, because my wife really wants the LE and I have the cash to buy it. Did I get an LE? Only time will tell, but I would rather pay someone that is trying to run a business that can often times be thankless than someone that is just trying to flip it for a quick buck.

They increased the LE’s to 750. Shouldn’t distributors get a better allocation?

How many Stern distributors are there?

I got on the LE list a few weeks ago

My website quoted me $14,999 on Tuesday morning.

I passed.

I passed on my spot for $11,500. After seeing the reveal, I was actually on the fence if I was going to be in at $9,200, so that just made it easy for me.

feels like 750 these days.

He’s unable to use it and yet he has a GnR LE want ad but only at a “fair price”

Anyone else care to share what they paid for a fully-paid mando LE? I got MSRP plus shipping.

I love all the man babies crying that can't afford their dream theme toy. It's so delicious watching it. It's Metallica LE all over again.

I think it's funny all these guys who have no relationship with a distro saying things like "We'll remember this when the next title blah blah whatever".
Like...if you were an LE buyer and had a good relationship with your distro, you'd be paying MSRP like hundreds of others.
When Godzilla comes out you'll probably be happy to grab one at $11.5k if you could.
If I was a distro and saw people selling their spots for $4k or turning pins around for $15k+ I'd much rather sell them at $11.5k to someone who really wants to enjoy the machine.
Go try and buy a pepsi or batman Rolex at MSRP, or an AMG 63. The market will be the market and if 3k people want 750 pins then prices are going to go up.

If there are 3000 LEs, 3000 people won’t want them any more. The limited is the point. Without it being limited, it’s just a premium.

I just wonder if this is old thinking these days. Before I always thought this as well, but now whom knows.

yeah, that doesn't work. Stern isn't dumb. They know that people will pay more because it's "limited" and has some additional design to it. If it's not limited then you won't have the same demand.
Then when the next new release comes out if people know they can get it after they play it, and be patient because there's a ton of them maybe they dont sell out of LEs.
Nah, same with toppers. When you know you have to be early to get one, that's when Stern wins. Hot title getting sold out before any photos released is exactly what they're going for.
They could easily make more toppers but they want you to know they're going to be sold out day one so you rush to pay $850 for one.

I think Stern knows the window of opportunity that a new pin has, until the next one gathers interest. It's why movie opening weekend numbers are tracked, that first weekend is almost always the biggest amount of tickets sold and the formulas tell what the final numbers might be based on that, as ticket sales dwindle. Pinball sales on new pins dwindle too, newer pins cannibalize sales I would think is one of the reasons.

Sorry but i have to disagree and will explain why.
Just because it is limited does not mean that is the main reason people buy the Limited.(unless speculation buying for profit)
Many times in Sterns History and even in JJps it comes down to both Features and ART PACKAGE . I solely base my Pin purchases this way .
Could care less if 50 to 5000 were made of it . If i like it . I want it ,I buy it . Period
Out of the 3 Gnr i prefered the CE and all its extra features and was super lucky to land it .
If they make 10000 more i could care less and i have the CE but then at least more people could buy them at the 13.5 they listed for and people who wants them can get them . It is the Greatest Pinball machine i have ever seen and played but would not want to buy it from a scalper and that is what you people who list it soon as you get it and i do not want to hear the BS Stories of coming down with cancer or House burned down and must sell for this raking you over the coals price. no one believes you . Well in todays day and age where people think your U.S election vote counts perhaps people do believe you and perhaps start you a gofundme account and take donations .

Wow . went off track. So rant over and No people would not stop buying an LE if it wasn't limited

P.S truly what is Limited? 250- 500-1000 seems drastic gaps in these #s

Why not make it easy and just have stripped model/ luxury And build a certain allotment 1k each and if Orders outway one of the models they make an extra 500 of it and just do away with LE model all together

But the art package is why I think it is the rarity. These were all sold/spoken for before any pictures came out, so no one knew what they are packages were. The sensible thing is to wait and see which art package you prefer between the premium and the LE, but sensible seems to have no place here.

"Stern sold out their LEs a week before the game went on sale, and Gary is taking nightly money baths while a harem of the world's highest paid models scrub his hairy old man back...Here's what Stern is doing wrong and why they should completely change their sales model!..."

-Pinside

No chance in hell would I pay anywhere near that. What an insane markup. I would have buyers remorse if I paid $15k for any pin.

People will pay what they want to pay and why Pinside spends so much time bitching about that is beyond me. I think it's abhorrent distributers are trying to gouge people thousands above MSRP but I also feel the same way about car stealerships and "dealer markup". Won't buy from either types of businesses. But that's just me and I completely don't care what else someone does with their own money but holy hell Pinside certainly does.

This is simply another extension of the same theme here over the last year or so, some people just can't handle the reality that their hobby is increasing in value at a rapid pace. I still don't get why or how that's remotely a bad thing but whatever. The same people bitch about real estate prices or the price of gas or pick your news of the day reason to bitch. World's getting more expensive to live in, but it's been getting that way since the first recorded use of currency...

Jeff