Ghostbusters too, if you can find someone willing to part with theirs. The offers are out there.

I don't own an Elvira pinball machine, but if I did.... I spotted this little horror house at Big Lots today, see pictures. It's $25, lights up and makes scary noises by batteries. Could it be modified and wired into an Elvira pinball as a frugal, or protest topper? I don't know, but hey, I thought seriously about it and I don't even own an Elvira pinball, though it's on my short list.

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So 7 stern toppers or an actual stern pinball machine
What's the better value?

At the moment... the machine... in the future if this reaches the same demand as the ghostbusters one then the value will be in the toppers. Time will tell.

Would an LCD really justify the price? An LCD screen that size can’t cost very much. I guess I’m thinking in TV terms and they are pretty cheap.

You have to think in relative terms. If the Avengers and Jurassic Park toppers which are just flat plastic and LED's sell for $600 the Elvira topper at $1000 probably has more to it to justify the higher price.

The Star wars topper for $750 was probably higher to relatively higher cost of license plus sheet metal is more expensive to fabricate than flat plastic in small batches.

Elvira topper that is based on the crypt with dead heads shouldn't have licensing fees like Star Wars so an ultra wide LCD seems like a likely reason to increase price.

So even thought LCD's are cheap (if its ultra wide size they are a bit more than standard sizes) they will still add to the cost. The actual cost of the parts is typically a fraction of the actual retail cost of the finished product.

Stern parts cost forJurassic park topper (plastic, lights, node boards, wiring harness) might be $100 but topper sells for $600.

Elvira topper raw parts cost might add another $75 or so for LCD so now topper scales up to $1000 instead of $600. It's all relative.

Lol

Remember when people were over analyzing the blurry JP topper thinking, well surely the dinosaurs move...the thing costs so much!

How much did it cost to design and develop the topper and related software? Now divide that by 200 and I would hazard a guess that development costs are at least equal to the parts costs and probably more. Then factor in what the distributors make because they aren't doing it for free. Point is this is a boutique item at a time where Stern factory is working at half speed. Would people rather they release no topper than one that is super expensive? Stern just released what could be the best pinball machine ever and people are harping on an item that they won't even buy even though it will hold its value and therefore most likely be a smart purchase for people with play money to spend. There will be plenty of cheap plexi toppers available from the mod makes for $150+. Just buy one of those at 200% mark up instead.

I hope its spectacular..i really do..
but...
That's gonna probably be about 1600 Canadian and with the limited run amount I doubt there's any possibility to get one unless you preorder sight unseen.

It feels like they're kinda saying:
"There isn't going to be an official topper for Elvira Premium and Pro fans, this is targeting those that purchased the Signature or LE of Elvira."

I'm still curious to see what it does..but overall the likely hood of it being unattainable and to expensive is disappointing

I’m not convinced. Your argument just tries to justify why the Elvira topper is more than the other Stern toppers. Even if I bought your argument, the spread on the price between the JP topper and the Elvira topper is $400. A little LCD screen doesn’t cost $400.

I think the more likely argument is the fact it’s limited to just 200 and, as someone else pointed out, there’s development costs to spread over such few units.

What seems unfair is that they could easily sell 500 Elvira toppers (maybe more) and make them available to a broad set of their customers who want them at a lesser price and still make the same amount of money as the run of 200 at $1000 each. In my mind, they are cheating a lot of their customers who bought an EHoH that can’t now get a topper either because of the limited run or price. If I was Stern, I’d make a bigger run to satisfy and take care of my customers who invested in one of their products at a price of $8000 or more.

It was cool when the Batman 66 SLE had personalized call outs from Adam West.

I know it’d be a logistic nightmare and isn’t going to happen because it will sell out regardless, but if you buy this thing it’d be awesome to submit some details and Stern sends an update with a few call outs from Cassandra just for you. Get a list of names and let her record a couple hours of “Watch where you put those balls, [Name]” or whatever.

Your argument is valid but relative doesn’t mean reasonable. With higher prices come higher expectations, a concept that Stern doesn’t seem to get with toppers (see Star Wars and Munsters in particular for different reasons) and their games in general.

The topper will almost certainly sell out. It may add a fun mode to the game and/or exceed expectations. But there is absolutely no way to justify a topper that costs $1k as reasonable.

It’s also a marketing failure. At minimum, Stern should have offered to sell a topper to every purchaser of an LE or SLE. Those buyers have already paid a premium for a special, limited version of the game and deserve the chance to complete the package. And it’s absolutely ridiculous to show a sneak peek of the topper to “Stern Insiders” almost a year before it will be available. Both show a total disregard for customers that will only lead to disappointment as 200 units will probably sell quickly before anyone actually knows what they are paying for.

No it’s not. It’s just not. Justifying it makes it worse.

Answer is simple: we’re horrible at Pinball spending. We know it. Businesses know it.

Hi gang. I’m Rick and I’ve got a pinball problem.

Seems like Joke considering I just paid $450 for my bksor topper.

A machine that already comes with a factory topper.

LCD screens are priced according to the number made per size. Regular tv screen sizes are dirt cheap because millions are made - something like this? 200 made? Unless it’s an off the shelf very common size, it’s going to be pricey.

I agree that they could do More for LE/CE owners, but they don’t need to. Stern is VERY good at being in business, there’s no question. They surely worked out how many toppers they could make which would guaranteed sell out, and priced It accordingly.
Hopefully it is also actually kind of cool - but at 200units? It’s probably already sold out, and we dont even know if it has a screen or what.

Stern knows what they are doing, and like what has been said a hundred times already - we can only vote with our wallets, and for those who would do so, this topper isn’t for them.

Here’s an LCD with excellent resolution that RETAILS for $50. Probably in the ballpark of the size being discussed. I’m still not seeing the price increase being due to an LCD.

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Never said it was a reasonable or justified cost from a buyer's perspective. I was just trying to think how Stern would have come up with that price.

I do think it's funny to see all the butt hurt form people regarding Sterns pricing. All of the stuff they sell; machines, mods, toppers, etc is all ridiculously over-priced non-essential toys.

Stern appears to know what they are doing from a business perspective considering their success over the last decade. If you dont like what they charge for stuff dont buy it and move on. If they think they can sell 200 of these at 1K good for them. If they dont sell all 200 then maybe they will re-evaluate their strategy for the next one. The market will dicate if it was a smart pricing strategy for them or not.

If you thinks it's a waste of money and not a good value that's fine too but dont whine and cry about it.

Right with ya.

The center flip up part is very wide and narrow. So if (big if since we are just guessing what it does) it has an LCD and that LCD fills that full wide narrow area then it's not a standard size LCD. As soon as you go to a non popular size for anything (LCD's, tires, windows, doors, etc) the cost goes up.

“It's all about bucks kid. The rest is conversation” - Gary Gekko

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Levi is very proud that nobody has made any sexual references for a topper this expensive. Is pinside turning over a new leaf ?

Man, I wish Stern would release a non-limited alternative topper. Maybe something similar to the JP/Avengers/Turtles topper? This one-off is amazing and would be exactly the kind of thing that I would want.

Neither!

You’re still bending over for them.

Good point.

I guess we are all growing up!

That’s what the topper should have been. Looks way better.

can you post a video pleas Wacky?

Stop encouraging him! Do you yell at the drunk in the alley ‘CHUG!’

I'm with you - and the panel used there is probably about $8. But thats a very common size. it's being used in a common consumer product. The topper looks to be using a very weird size only for special applications

It could easily fit the screen from Star Wars or the villain vision screen from Batman'66

Wait...wait wait wait.

You're telling me THIS Fischer Price looking thing is in demand with prices reaching $1000?

Man, I need to start selling exhaust fumes from my cars in ziplock bags or something.....

the danger is he is the sober guy in a room full of drunkards!

We still dont know what they would show on the display (or if it even has a display) but if it was a dead head that floats around it would be very tiny on that size screen.

I'm just getting into the hobby, and I'm loving the more classic machines. I have a Meteor now, and a Genesis being refurbed. I personally am not a fan of having games stuffed with toys. One or two, sure. But JJP and Stern, it seems, it all about cramming as many toys in as possible. My favorite modern game is TNA, which is basically a 70s game made with modern tech. I don't think any game that has recently come out really interests me, except perhaps rick and morty, and that's largely due to the theme, but it's still way outside my price range. I'll happily keep buying up classic machines at 1/6 the price of new machines.

Alibaba has them for 100.00 and under

That topper is a perfect layout for a topper with her on the couch and the pinballs. Maybe the original designer could work out a deal with Elvira herself and sell them on her website so she gets a cut. He could make 3 versions that are the same with the only difference being the name on it: "House of Horrors", "Scared Stiff", or "Party Monsters". That way people with any of the 3 games could use it.

Yeah, even if he can't/won't sell or make any more, I'd still love to know HOW he made it.

10k by Christmas!

Is Stern doing another Elvira run?

Yes. Just saw a post from a distributor saying he will have them in stock again in 2021.

I would buy that one-off one in an instant!!!

Sometimes simplier is better, it looks fantastic but not so elaborate that it wouldnt too difficult to recreate. Its appears to be laser cut plastic staggered in a few layers to give a little dimension to it. Artwork is stuck on top of the plastic and a few LED's to backlit it and pulse behind the logo. I think the hardest part would be getting a nice hi-res copy of that artwork.

includes lap dance.................

My sentiments exactly.

The liquor store had Elivria toppers for $6.19

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Does anybody know the dimensions of this topper? I’m curious about the height to see if it would fit under my low ceiling

No details have been released yet but It shouldnt be any taller than previous Stern toppers.

At one of the shows Stern said they have a max height restriction they try to stick with so there is consistency from game to game. So if you have any of the other Stern toppers and they fit in your low ceiling then the Elvira one probably will as well.

It doesn't matter. Order it, and if it doesn't fit, you can sell for a profit. I have one on reserve, may ask if I can secure another