Quoted from pindome:Bally,
Since you are so confident that this is such a profitable venture for JJP, why don't you break it down for us how much it costs to capitalize a new pinball company.
Salaries, Rent, Insurance, Parts, Attorneys, Licensing, Travel, Advertising, R & D, and all the rest.
If running a pinball company is such a great investment why only Stern for so long. My guess is Jack is doing it for the love of the game not to make a ton of dough. The headaches and nightmares he must have to deal with is more than most of us can comprehend. Plus he has to deal with all of us on the internet --- Just on that alone I'm out!
I never said it was "such a profitable venture" I said he is not doing it just for the love of the game. The JJP venture will help fund a comfortable retirement. He is probably hoping for an early one at that. His children could take over the day to day or if wildly successful, he could sell the business.
Don't forget that he sold over 10,000 Stern pins via pinballsales. Some of the revenue became profit that he has probably used in the JJP venture. He was a very good seller for Stern and I bought some NIB's from him even though I could have a paid a few bucks less from local distributors. I liked his attitude, the extended warranty and the fact he always picked up the phone no matter where he was at. I never had to leave a message and that spoke volumes for me. One purchase was like a handshake deal (but over the phone) as well as he arranged shipping before payment and I paid him as promised .
If there is a pin by JJP that I want (Woz and TH are not themes that I care for) I will be buying one that's for sure.
If you really want to know how much it costs to set up a new pinball manufacturing business, I can research my files as far as what Bally paid to tool up for the solid state pins in the mid '70's as the business model was similar. They stopped producing many stamped steel parts for the em mechs and outsourced. There was some disposal fees for obsolete equipment but their slot & Bingo machines remained EM for a few more years past the pinball transition. All we need to is adjust for US dollar inflation etc.
Let me know if you need the figures and I can research. However, I still need to make my video files from 8MM movies of Bally, Williams and Gottlieb from the Mid-late 70's and post them here.
Paradise, NV
