Every collecting hobby has conversations like this.
There are these people called "baby boomers."
Their house is paid off. Their kids are done with college.
The wife is lawyer and the husband is a dentist. They have lots of money and nothing to spend it on.
They decide to buy stuff: guns, guitars, muscle cars, coins, antiques. They don't care if they have to pay $8,000 for a TZ.
All of the old-timers start crying and say, "The high prices are ruining the hobby. A Luger Artillery model is going for $XXXXX now."
The prices will continue to climb as the number of people entering the hobby climbs. More people, more rich baby boomers.
Some collecting hobbies are experiencing the opposite trend. As the pre-baby-boomers die off, there are fewer and fewer people in their hobby.
Like for example, model railroading. You cannot give that stuff away, baby boomers don't want it.
Pinball is an example of Americana, like juke boxes and coke machines. The appeal is multi-generational.
80s arcade games are the opposite: when the 80s kids start dying off, you'll see the prices start falling.
As a wise village elder in ancient Sumer once said, "price is the meeting point between supply and demand."
Be glad that they're still making pinball machines. The supply of new machines helps keep the prices down.
"I think we're at the top for pricing" is something people like to say but it doesn't mean much. It was something people were saying in 1985 when you could buy a 1971 hemi cuda for $20,000.