Quoted from Gameseum:

There's three guys in a room:
Guy A bought a Twilight Zone for $1,000 and expects $1,000 out of it.
Guy B bought a Twilight Zone for $1,000 and expects $8,000 out of it.
Guy C bought a Twilight Zone for $8,000 and expects $8,000 out of it.
Guy A wins (and sleeps the best at night) whether the market continues to skyrocket, or crashes. I'd say Guy C is the only one at risk, and Guy B is just being a greedy bitch that can't really suffer a loss or a risk rather than one that is perceived, rather than an actual loss considering he only paid a grand for the thing.
If this hobby focused more on "getting what I paid for it" rather than "value" we'd have a lovely pool of games and a stagnant pricing for everything, but alas that's not the way the world turns.
This is more focused on the used games but all in all it all affects new game pricing as well

Quoted from Bud:

I see a lot of references here saying location pinball is an option if new pricing has closed the home market for some.
I’m an old operator and recently have been working up a plan to open a large location. These prices are making me think location pinball is not doable for anybody who doesn’t already own the equipment. Even current operators have to be contemplating shutting down operations because the return on investment keeps taking longer to achieve on new equipment. Operating pins requires new equipment coming in or the location gets stagnant.
In short, if people think there will always be an option for location pinball, think again. Operators have to do more than break even.

Quoted from drypaint:

A 2 year routed game does not sell for the same as the HUO game that has 100 plays after 2 years. Especially with assholes death saving and rage tilting because they think pinball machines are public property. New Sterns today are averaging $1 per play and often $2/3 plays. Thats $0.67 per game with the bonus credit. I was paying under $6k for a pro just over a year ago. Now over $7k. Price per play has not changed yet.... But I am starting to hear chatter from other locations.
Breaking even is business is not worth it. Not even close.
What is the ceiling for throwing quarters into the machines on location before people stop coming in to our places?
Its sad because the quality of these Stern machines is getting so bad. The new service button assemblies feel like dollar store plastic and don't work half the time. A real nuisance for us operators who need them often. Investing in buckets of coil stops and other basic parts that break prematurely ads to the cost as well.
But... You have to always have the new stuff. Customers want the new.

Quoted from sirisles:

LE buyers should have been Sterns target!
They are the FLIPPERS!!
NO price increase for the PRO machines. And a bump for PREMIUMS of $300-$500 would be realistic.
They could make a killing on LE buyers
LEAVE us POOR pinheads ALONE!
Stay safe everyone

Quoted from metallik:

Meanwhile pool chlorine is clocking in at 50-100% more than last year.

Quoted from CoreyStup:

Tell me about it. And go read the pool forums where people complain just as they do on Pinside. "People are hoarding!" "The pool companies are gouging us!" "They know we NEED this stuff!" I mostly use liquid chlorine, although it went up in price significantly as well.

Some of us have stainless steel paneled pools and can't use salt generators. Never mind SWG's have other cons.

Quoted from Gameseum:

Went to go buy a TMNT Pro as I know Mike at Automated (pinballs.com) has a bunch overstock as most do, but the price is the new price (in 2021??????) despite the game being released a year prior. I was barely a taker at the regular price and not super feeling the game, so especially not buying now.
(Not a big fan of the game but finally warmed up to the idea that the theme would probably absolutely kill on location like my Turtles arcade game does, and is the most polished of the turds Stern is releasing lately)
If anybody finds a distributor still at the real price let me know please
What a crock of s*** that Stern is retroactively applying the price increase under the guise of their s***ty connect system, even to games that were lukewarm at the normal price ala LZ, Beatles, TMNT, Stranger Things, and more.
It must suck for the distributors having to increase the price on a stack of games collecting dust from already not being able to sell

Quoted from Gameseum:

Same thing. I could've sworn they had stock but I guess not? (EDIT: They are in stock)
Cointaker is doing TMNT pro pre-orders at the $6600 price point