the countdown to kanedas next podcast just got a lot shorter.

Can’t wait for the summer post covid pinball crash

I wouldn't expect a distributor to ask for another $1k for a pre-existing deposit. But regardless a $1k price hike is such a garbage move. If I had a preorder I'd cancel it.

The price increase on ONLY ON NEW ORDERS. If you ordered prior to today, your price is the same as original.

Pretty sure existing orders will still be original price. New orders will have higher prices from here on. I have an le ordered from day 1, but I don’t like this move at all. Way to big of a jump all at once. I think this was timed intentionally with toy story. ( a mega theme) waiting in the wings. I have been waiting a long time for both gnr and TS but it’s already a huge stretch to save up for a game now. If this holds true, consider me a HUO buyer only.

Does anyone know if this actually applies to games with deposits on them? If it does that’s not a smart move and surely will piss off your customers; I’d be surprised if jjp did that. If it’s for new sales going forward, that’s seems like a reasonable business decision if they feel demand is strong and they can’t make them fast enough.

In the Elvira thread, some people were saying Stern was raising the price on the next run of Elvira games by $500, including for people who put down deposits.

Edit: just saw posts that it’s only for new orders. I don’t blame jjp, they need to make money to fund future growth and make great games. Supply and demand.

Shit, should have bought a CE... Only $2000 more. All LE's are now $10,500. Used or new.

Not sure why all the madness. If all those that ordered are protected by the original price whats the problem. This is no different than any other industry raising a price to meet demand. Economics 101. If they dont sell at 10500, then they will have to reduce price to move inventory.

I would be concerned about the distributors and whether or not JJP is making them buy machines at a higher price. That would worry me if I were a distro.

Lets just wait and see what the market says.

I was saving for an SE. Im out now.

ok - glad to hear it's on new orders.

I still think a 1k jump is way too much all at once though.

Market won't care - idiots buying toppers for 2k. So in the end, if I'm in the JJP accounting department, I'm doing the same I guess. These companies will continue to price gauge us if we continue acting like idiots.

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/classifieds/ad/103627

get on it quick!

I didn’t bother to try and order with anyone right now knowing I couldn’t get it until summer or later. This is a total garbage move and should have at least given people a heads up that the price increase was coming, given the fact that the game has only been out a few months.

Same for the people who have ordered thru me. We are locked at old price.
Mountain Entertainment
Or Doughslingers

Thanks for waiting

Has JJP communicated the price hike? Are you still on original pricing for new orders?

Count me as another who was considering buying once readily available . No chance in hell now - business lost . People are sheep and the pin companies keep shearing the wool . They charge more and more - well beyond inflation - and the sheep keep paying . No thanks , I’m out .

Everyone was claiming that they have orders for over 4000 games total back in December. If that’s the case what’s the point?

Or was it all hype and maybe they have orders for 1500 or so LE’s in addition the the CE and SE?

You’d think with all the money that flies around in this hobby that people would get the whole “striking when the iron is hot” concept of supply and demand economics that you mention. Pinball manufacturers are in the making money business, this isn’t a hobby for them. I don’t see anyone complaining when they’re selling their games about the prices. JJP may never have another game this hot, nor is there any guarantees that pinball will ever be more popular than this in the future. I’m not a JJP cult member but I say go for it as long as you don’t fuck over anyone with a deposit down or your distributors.

I love how people justify the price increase because of the pandemic. Wouldn't that mean prices will drop $1000 when it's over? Quit making excuses for them and call a spade a spade. They know they got a hot title on their hand and want to cash in.

Many years ago I met this older guy who was a successful serial entrepreneur of sorts. He told me if people aren't complaining about the price you aren't charging enough. It's crazy, but if people keep spending the cash, the prices will keep going up even with months long wait times.

Just got off the phone with JJP.....

They told me now that their playfields don't chip and are defect free, they're imposing a 1k price increase....b/c why not. Then the person abruptly ended the call by saying BUY BUY BUY toppers are selling for 2k BUY BUY BUY and get ready for DLC suckers.

very interesting. We might need another awards show to figure this one out.

Holy crap. Open the gates. Here come the secondary $20k POTC LEs or are we there already?

This just on new orders ?
Or existing too?

Edit: new orders
Didn’t read second page

already there. have two open offers on my LE just shy of 20k but I just can't pull the trigger. Mine is really loaded though. Price will only increase. JJP isn't making them again.

Welcome to the jungle.

That's so cute. Tell that to the "take my money" crowd. There's a ton of them around here.

QSS

Getting rid of key employees, price increases,production delays, these are usually signs of economic trouble within a Company.

How can they have a 4,000 game back order. Do the math. At an average price of 7500, that works out to make them a 15,000,000 sized company. No way they’re close to a 15mm company. Typically that would require around 100 plus employees in most cases for manufacturing, unless the company is highly automated which in this case they wouldn’t be.

You are right of course but I don't think it applies in this case.
Who did they let go?
When did production slow down?
Econ 101 supply and demand. While the price is to low demand will exceed supply. If the price is too high supply will exceed demand.
They probably are experiencing so much demand that they are concerned about the timing for announcing, building and shipping their next title.

You must be a capitalist. The new America does not like you!

YOLO!!! BUY....BUY....BUY!

More pinball, less politics.

This guy gets it. And again, it’s a respectable move to honor the OG price for all previous pre-orders... Stern didn’t do that for the folks that had a deposit down for almost a year on Elvira. They have to cough up the extra $500 or get stuffed!

Didn't they get rid of the guy who creates Manuals? Butch MVP?
Aren't people complaining about June'July deliveries?

People always complain about having to wait. When they announced GnR they had 100 in box. Really an amazing feat. Production hasn't skipped a beat.
When you move your facility from NJ to IL not everyone will be making the trip. Sucks but that is business. Since the move they have been doing major staffing.
JJP is doing better today than at any time in their history. They are crushing it and every sign points to continued success.

Dear Slash,

WTF

So are all distributors honoring the original price?
Can someone confirm if this is the case.

Reason I ask is I put a deposit down day one and still waiting. My brother in law did as well and this will be his first pin.
Been patiently waiting.

Solid theory...

... If they were actually able to fill their backlog in a reasonable amount of time (not months with no estimates)
... If they made some sort of effort to show some sort of progress to closing the gap
... If they hadn't just moved the company to help eliminate these exact kind of production issues

But instead, it looks like greed when they can't even hold up their end of the bargin.

Timing and surroundings are important for public perception/reception of news. Just asking for $1k more without anything in return or someone gaining besides JJP just leaves them exposed.

But I'm sure it will help feed the FOMO rush on the next title release too!

I will be all alone in this post. I used to build commercial a/v conference systems for big companies like Microsoft. I wasn’t paid much, but it was pricey and the work I did had to look spectacular, not a jumble of wires in a box. Looking at this machine in and out, GNR is A LOT of build integrity. The harnesses, so many connections, monitor swing arm, audio noise filter.......these things all take a lot time to install, to design in real time with efficiency. It always takes more time than anticipated, it’s manufacturing with people. It’s easily 2x-3x the build of a Stern. It’s really a special machine.
GNR Is worth the 1k markup. Looking the CE I have over I know JJP didn’t make much money on the game. I think they anticipated less orders. Adding a 1k will help them stay solvent. Congrats to those that got in early, sorry to those that balked.
Anyway, most of you knew all this already. I’ll apologize for JJP here, Stern is on their own.

Cointaker told me Id get the original price since I was already on the list. So good on them

I put a deposit down for EHOH and Stern jacked the price up $500 in January 2021. Not happy, but guess I am glad it’s not a $1000 more.

I blame the INDUSTRY!!

...And TOPPERS!!!

This isn’t new having all these features etc..

Take a look at POTC, shit ton more in that game and here we are again.

Maybe the extra $1000 will pay for our long awaited POTC code update...not

Actually it’s not. It’s manufacturing. They are building identical widgets and selling them.

JJP motto: if Stern can do it, we can do it for more!

Correct me if I’m wrong but does this also sort of raise the price on all games all the way back to EMs?

I don’t think JJP ever made an EM.

Well, I was an Econ major back in the 1980s, does that count?

Nope, it won’t affect the price on Raven or Thunderbirds.

I like the GNR theme and I would like a first ever NIB pinball and I could afford it...but...NO THANKS jjp. This is a blatant ripoff.

I haven’t been following the progress of the GNR build or JJP in general, so I’m sure you’re right on all your points. I just know that there were boners a-poppin’ and wallets opening like crazy after the release. The timing isn’t great for their image, on these boards anyways. And when you sneak in a $1000 price hike with no explanation, greed is the only way it can be construed. Not defending the move, just saying I understand why they did it, clumsy as it was. We’ll see if it has any effect on sales or their image.

There won't be a crash. Pinball has now proven it's recession proof & pandemic proof. People in this hobby aren't living paycheck to paycheck & can afford to splurge on expensive frivolous things. During the last economic downturn, the pin crash was predicted as well...but people who had pins didn't need to purge them for liquid cash. That's the ONLY thing that causes a crash: EVERYONE in the hobby freaking out and purging collections at once, then racing to the bottom to sell.

Nothing about the current market suggests that will happen.

The only thing you'll see & are already seeing, which is relatively normal, is slightly lower resale prices of HUO newer titles. Since the manufacturers are now selling games at "flipper speculation prices" brand new, there's not really any way up on new games when selling used. So, a $9000 NIB game might sell for $8000 used. Hardly a crash, just normal depreciation.