Quoted from pinmister:What is everyone's true opinion on true valuation of GNR and others?
For me GNR SE is a $5500 machine
the CE is a $8400 machine
The Big Lebowski is a $9000 machine
Rick and Morty is a $6000 machine
Rick and Morty BS is a $6800 machine
MMR Royal is a $9000 machine
Supreme turd is worth $3000
The list goes on....
I tend to set my own price points for games. Sometimes they align with reality and sometimes they do not. Are some of these games worth nearly what people are asking nowadays-hell no.

Quoted from wesman:

That's the thing, isn't it? It's a combination of both as I see it. We can be accountable, accept our faults in decision making, correct them, move forward with knowledge and make more empowered decisions, no matter what the stage.
But there are also inevitable factors, forces beyond our control, that impact and influence our lives in ways that we are so utterly powerless to alter.
One change I will definitely make, is crossing JJP off my list for NIB purchases. As an owner of two of their 6 games, that kinda sucks, but financial comfort + defining my own principles in this matter, makes a more contented me.

Quoted from Lamberger:

KK, I promise I'm done. Just handing out options for guys like me, it's not too late to sell ur LZLE and join the movement .. My pm is exploding with guys wanting to get in on doing the same thing. Lots of talented guys coming together to make a final product Led Zeppelin truly deserves.

Quoted from Utesichiban:

My prediction is a big shift in spending on home entertainment items like pinball machines come late summer/fall timeframe. People are going to shift spending to travel and hobbies outside the home as Covid is brought under control.. As a result, my prediction is new pinball sales will return to prepandemic levels rapidly.
These price increases are going to alienate some NIB buyers and I am not convinced this crazy rise in prices is sustainable or will even stick. Stern & JJP are going to back themselves into a corner, lose some fed up customers, and have to go to a rebate system in the future IMO. I could be wrong but their greed may come back to bite them in the ass.

Quoted from Utesichiban:

So you think people will continue to buy NIB games with all this pinflation and huge price increases? I disagree that pricing and demand for NIB pinballs is inelastic.
When Covid ends, I see demand leveling to lose to prepandemic levels. Time will tell but many NIB buyers are just about priced out of the market ... to say nothing of operators who may not resume purchases post Covid. How can they make money with NIB pricing at these levels?

Quoted from DrJoe:

Yeah, I'm not into the whole rose-colored glasses because I own the game mentality. Been doing it for a while (playing, collecting, etc.) and most machines, in my opinion, are either over-rated or under-rated. I know that sounds counter intuitive but what I mean is, the separation between the "BEST GAME EVER!!!" games and the "WORST GAME EVER!!!" is far less than most people care to admit. So when everyone declares a game "BEST EVER!!!!" before the scoring even has balance and there are missing modes, etc., they are excited for the experience more than objectively considering the pinball game itself. Again, just my opinion.
GNR is a lot of fun, and yes, the light show really is the best ever. But as a pinball "game", the code needs a lot of love yet. And there's no helping the mushy flippers. Really, 60's EMs with 2" flipper bats have more snap than JJP flippers. I can't understand why they can't get that right.
I host pinball nights a lot (pre-COVID), and will again once we're past all this. I'll msg you when I do.

Quoted from BallyKISS1978:

Like buying an expensive sports car with all the bells and whistles but comes with a 4 cylinder motor.

Quoted from Dkjimbo:With the insanity of the market, the real money at stern and JJP is for employees to buy games at their steep discounts and quietly sell them at market prices.

Quoted from Darscot:

I never understood this logic, what does working in a factory have to do with being able to buy the product. Is everyone that works at Boeing supposed to be able to buy their own jet? Also is everyone working in a sweat shop supposed to be happy because they can afford a T-shirt?

Quoted from flynnibus:

I've worked in mechanical assembly in environments like these. It was cool because it was kinda like getting paid to play with Legos all day.. just assembling panels with wiring, etc. It was also the first job I ever worked that had concepts like fixed break times, the roach coach would come to the location during break, etc. I was used to working straight through shifts with no breaks except for a lunch break that you took while others covered for you. So you never had those periods where everyone stops and can hang out together like you had on the assembly floor.
But of course I was doing it just to keep busy during school breaks and make some money. I never had to face 'this is going to be my life...' so I didn't sweat the lack of potential or what years of monotony might be. It felt like vacation time to me... the demands were very simple.
I don't remember what I got paid at the time... but it wasn't much more than minimum wage at the time. My (now) wife also worked there and was trained to work as a soldering tech and they got paid an extra dollar or two an hour. They had to do all the work that couldn't be completed by the wave soldering machines.

Quoted from zaphX:

Wow.
I'd argue the exact opposite.
I had a friend in the industry counsel me: give manufacturer's a chance.
That's some of the best advice I've been given.
Assume they didn't screw you out of malice. Assume they want you to be happy with your purchase. Give them a chance to make it right.