Yep. It’s just pinball. Good luck Stern. And goodbye. Don’t race JJP for the door. Both can pound sand.

Even if those. Yeah. I’m done. After the sale is just as shitty as price increases. Node board goes out? At least you get to stare at your dream theme waiting for parts being used on assembly line. Cuz we got your money so fuck you Mr./Mrs. collector.

Insider connected. When overpriced pins sit idle nib, I wonder if Stern will offer “50%” off deals for limited time with proof of purchase.

50% off of insider connected subscription. Not the pin itself.

Uh huh.

I just skipped to your talk about bubble on the bottom there.

Welcome. Rooms standing room only but I’m sure some whale will give up his seat soon.

According to some folks we’re full of stupid money.

Oh for crying out loud. I had to google TLTR. Your post is TSTR.

Nope. Not at all. Increased nib pricing dictates secondary market. Not the other way around. Used pins can ask whatever they want doesn’t mean they’ll get it.

Pandemic perfect storm caused heavy influx of ‘pinvestors’ since everyone was trapped and supply chains shut down. Pinball for my home you say? Harder to get machines nib you say? I better jump on board now! x500,000 or whatever number of folks flooding our hobby.

Our illustrious manufacturers of Stern and JJP saw this as a cash grab opportunity. Short term, great. Long term, feels like a middle finger to us long time hobbyists who already tolerated price increases year after year.

The ceiling has hit for me. Hell, just to prove a point to my wife I placed an obscene fs ad. Even she saw pricing jump dramatically. I took my ad down cuz I got the exact offers I expected and both the market is cooling down a bit AND there are still some pinvestors clinging on. I decided my wife can stfu.

This is a fun hobby for me but hardly a lifestyle. I can walk away whenever I want and to this day still cash in. But I’ll lose the collection I spent decades building.

Well I appreciate that Doug. Thank you. I expressed an opinion about a subject I enjoy and others read it and either agreed or disagreed.

But what Doug and others can do is express as if we were talking face to face. I respect that. Unless he’s drunk posting. Then he’s hilarious.

Crazy how this interwebs has differing outlooks and can be informative and exhilarating.

Fooled us all. My friend who worked with Stern was glad he’s no longer affiliated. He’s doing medical research now. Smart guy. Loves pinball. He still feels terrible about that whole “SURPRISE!” Premium on TWD. They were holding out on even doing it but LE sales were too good to pass it up. Last minute artwork design, AMC at that time was a licensing whore and couldn’t care less.

Then they’ll sit. And sit. And sit. I recall years ago there were tons of nascar nib pins available years and years after release. Ok game, but meh on replay value.

Hell, I bought a nib SM three years after release. Distro cut me a great deal on it too.

Again, no honor in NOT raising pricing on buyers already committed.

That’s just good business. $tern is short-sighted and cash grabbing everything. I like their games, they’re fun. But not ever owning another with current market strategy of fuck you, pay me.

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