How much are you asking for it?

Yeah, you'll have a lot more luck if you post a price.

Research is overrated. You should sell it to me for $1,000.

You may want to eliminate blanket statements like that. That is almost like using the word "mint". HUO typically means the condition is close to mint if not mint.

I just brought one home in similar condition last night for $2800... is that typical market, probably not, but I would say 3500-3900 probably moves it sooner than later.

GLWS. they don't all have to be trailer queens to be appreciated

i would say a nice routed LOTR is more in the low 4's. Sry for your luck, i know first hand how bad Sandy was I was on the cleanup end.. GLWS and your business

Nice score.
Let me know when it is time for it to leave. I have NOS pf that I am looking for a core game to swap it in.

Where the heck do you guys find deals like that? I do agree with you suggested price range assuming average condition and no upgrades.

I see people trying to inflate LOTR over $5k these days. They sit. Even here in CA where we pay higher prices.

Really? I don't think I have ever seen one with a messed up playfield. As much heat as Stern takes for their quality, I have had 5 Sterns that had really nasty playfields, but all of them cleaned up really nicely.

Now if you were holding onto a NOS cabinet for this game, that- I would understand.

Bump for the seller...

5k is a bargain compared to the machines Stern is pushing out today. Think of what this game has as opposed to Sterns from today:
1. Finished, polished and extremely deep code
2. Hand drawn art that can't also be found on birthday plates
3. Custom calls from actors from the trilogy
4. Some of the best mini-wizard modes in pinball
5. Excellent custom music

Nice score.
Let me know when it is time for it to leave. I have NOS pf that I am looking for a core game to swap it in.

image.jpg

$2,800? really? seems pretty low.

"is that typical market, probably not, but I would say 3500-3900 probably moves it sooner than later."

you gotta share once in a while Dave.

Tim> I have seen a few LOTR with blasted out PFs (most recently the one that left Up North in town was toast)

Sorry for the thread side track OP.

Really? I actually know of a LOTR-LE that sold a few days ago for the mid 6k range (and quickly too). LOTR has definitely experienced a bit of "pin-flation" over the last 6 months

Regardless, I hold the market for an average condition LOTR in the mid 4k's

and IMO whether this is HUO or not, the flipper button wear seems a bit excessive for a game that's only ever been in a home...

Don't forget these notable features as well.
6. Metal Ramps
7. Gold metal habitrails
8. Interactive ring w/magnet
9. Swing out Balrog bash toy
10. Upper playfield
11. 2 towers toys
12. Unique sword lock

Yes this game is loaded by todays standards. Well...AC/DC is loaded as also.
If this game was released for the 1st time ever in todays market, people would be falling over each other to pay 7k for one.

It's also a used pin that lacks some of the niceties of other Sterns. Sorry, over $5k is too much. I'd buy one for low $4k, just like TSPP, another deep (the deepest?) Stern with tons of custom sound etc, but also way better art quality.

1. Finished, polished and extremely deep code

True.

2. Hand drawn art that can't also be found on birthday plates

LOL, no, photoshopped art that looks like $#!7 sorry. The translite is eh, the playfield is pretty garbage, and the print quality is crap. Just the truth, it looks bad.

3. Custom calls from actors from the trilogy

With some of the worst quality sound you will even hear on a pinball. It's like they ran all the sound through Gorgar first. I imagine they just had to compress the all the audio to hell and back to fit it in the paltry amout of memory, but it's pretty bad.

4. Some of the best mini-wizard modes in pinball

Again, cool rules. It's a long grind pin, but that's not a knock, it's a style.

5. Excellent custom music

See sound issue from above.

I know people love this game. And it's deep and cool. But it's not a great package, and $4k range is more than reasonable.

Edit: not trying to crap on this game, or the seller's thread. Simply saying if you list it for $5k+ don't be surprised if it sits for a while. Will some sell that high? Sure, right condition, right seller, right buyer (can't really compare the LE) but that's just facts. I'm not kidding about them sitting at that price in CA, been watching one trying to move for weeks at $5200. If he dropped it to $4.5k instead I might call him myself.

No, I don't. I don't think it's my turn for awhile, though.

let me rephrase that then. $2,800 seems to be pretty low no matter what the "market" is and hard to believe there isnt a backstory in getting one for that price.(estate sale perhaps). put a LOTR on craigslist for $2,800 and you would have to change your phone number. even in the top100 on pin side the high end range (which always seem too low) is in the mid 4's.

Look up any CEC threads recently and you will see where I get a majority of my Stern pins. This one was actually a purchase via friend that was offered the machine to him for $1500 (he didn't pay that- he paid more, we don't roll like that). He made a few bucks, and didn't have to do anything to it except spend his time, gas, and expenses to get it (which is enough). This is going to be a surprise gift for my son's 6th birthday in a couple of weeks (it is sitting underneath blankets in my basement right now). I really don't even care for the game that much, because the theme doesn't do much for me, but he and I have been playing the Lego LOTR game on Xbox for the last 6 months....

I will have an opportunity to get a couple of more LOTRs, Nascar, TSPP, and POTC (most likely all of them for under 3k) at the beginning of next year.

These deals ARE out there, you have to pay to get them though. I pay money for leads all the time, and I often land at least one machine a month FAR under whatever the current market says they are worth....

For the record, I havent looked at CL or Ebay for a machine in over 3 years. I don't believe any of the free services are anywhere worth my time, the machines are usually crap, and the sellers are even worse.

To the OP, sorry for the hijack, at least this hasn't turned into a bash fest on your price (yet, LOL)... Another bump for your sale....

thanks for following up with the backstory. wish i could land an ac/dc premium for under 5!

Me too, I freaking love that game.... The reality is that LOTR was $3600 NIB and there are plenty of them around that people paid that for. So naturally, you can/will find them used for under that amount. Finding a newer Stern in their newer price point for under market is going to be tougher because the market has a higher starting baseline.

Really?

I beg to differ. I've sold two LOTR's in the last 6 months, one over the $5k mark and the other just below it and they both sold in less than 24 hours. In fact, one sold in less than an hour.

Edit: I am talking about HUO versions in really good shape.

I've sold two LOTR's in the last 6 months

image.jpg

It's a long story.

Ask Eskaybee.

?????

HUO-with mods

HUO-Stock

A stock HUO LOTR is roughly 4500-5200, with 4500 being where it typically moves locally. A routed example up here will move in the range I quoted initially. Of course the variances in price will depend on location and quality of the machine.

There is no concrete price on these, but anyone paying 4k plus for a routed one with cabinet/playfield wear better be okay with losing a few bucks when it comes time to sell. (In my area)...

Yep, I edited my post Mr. Wiggum!

Kudos to you, and your way-below-market insider deals. I don't see how boasting about them is helpful to the OP's FS thread, or relevant. This looks to me like a nice $4-something LOTR. Slap some lollipop side rails on there and you're good to go!

@ Seller
If you're still seeking pricing info, I recommend asking $4500-$4600 with a bottom line of $4300-$4400. That should easily do the trick. This is assuming little-to-no playfield wear.

I was specifically thinking of you when I wrote "right seller". And your over $5k was nicely modded, in really good shape, AND HAD A VIDEO. Videos add like what? $300 to the price?

If you ask $4600 make sure you make a video. (Joking aside that sounds like legit advice.)

Sorry, not boasting, just provide real-world pricing as reference, and is completely relevant. For every person like myself that has zero issue sharing actual (not asking) pricing with others, I know of at least two-three other people with the exact same experiences that arent sharing them with others.

A bottom line of $4300 of that machine (in my area) would most likely sit for quite awhile. There were two of these machines in my area that I know of @ 3400-3500 (worse condition) that were sitting for over 3 months....

Yep, I know you are half joking, but let me tell you that posting HD video helps a lot! That's why I do it, and will do it on any pin that I sell in the future. I know that if I were a buyer a 1080p video showing virtually every inch of the pin would be very valuable to me as I would feel much more confident in what I was buying (assuming that I couldn't see it in person). I think it makes sense that anyone would pay a little more when they have that extra confidence that they are getting a really nice pin without any hidden flaws that don't show up in the crappy pictures that most people take.

Me either come to think of it. Why is that I wonder?

One thing Id like to add, LOTR is not a grind to play, if you wax it up super shiny/fresh shiny balls and pitch it a little more aggressively, add the upgraded coils, a LOTR can play pretty fast and mean!

My LOTR is possibly the fastest game I've ever played.

It's set up exactly as you describe. A minty HUO waxed PBL coil powered white rubber Oohhhhh shiny ball mad house of a game with the hind end cranked up high.

Sometimes the ball will fly right off the F'n wire forms or blasts the cabinet off a ramp.

Shit one day I'm gonna bust the ring in half starting a mode lol

I do get a kick every time I hit the Palantir target and the ball then ricochets right over my flipper bats because those upgrade coils have so much pop to them. <---thats my face every time it happens.

You ain't jokin. Left a little dookie in my pants the first time it happened.... and the second... and the third...

The current market is dictated by the buyers, not the sellers. If you get machines for FAR under these prices then great, but I don't see how that is the norm or real world pricing when many don't have these opportunities to pay a person for leads on great deals.

It's so NICE that some of you are trying your hardest to "smooth out" the pin price market,

BUT the reality is, I have not seen any LOTR for sale in the past 2 years that are under 4k.
Deals can be had but they are few and far between.

The fact is, it's the deepest pin out there, with a great theme, and it's one of the most desirable pins on the market. Better get one sooner rather than later, they are becoming more scarce.

I think low/mid 4s gets it done.

Who's saying to price it under 4k?

Better get one sooner rather than later, they are becoming more scarce.

No they aren't.

An HUO LOTR in the Northeast/NY Metro area will sell fast in the $5,200 range. That seems to be the going rate.

This one which sounds to be lightly routed, and with the flipper button wear I'd say is good for $4,200-4,400.

Don't forget the "Ugh, I have to drive to Long Island" discount...

Where on LI matters a lot too =-P

Probably should look a little harder...
There was one in the Market place here...last week at $3800 in Pittsburgh. It sat there for a couple of weeks. I almost went down there and grabbed it. Who knows what it actually sold for.

There's one in AZ right now at $4200 also.

So the last one I know of selling was at least $3800 or probably less considering the time it was for sale

Sounds like a deal I wish I found

Funny, I purchased my Funhouse out in Westhampton back in 2008. I drove early AM on a weekend to get it ... It was actually a nice drive.