It already is. Despite pinball being relatively "hot" right now, it is a tiny market. The only way for these companies to say alive is to charge more. Due to the age group of pinball collectors on Pinside being older, they are remembering past prices.

Those days are dead.

The simple cold truth is that NIB pinball is a rich man's game, and no amount of bitching and complaining is going to change it.

If you have means, you are going to be able to continue buying NIB. If not, you are shut out of this space.

This does not make it right or wrong. It is just the reality of the situation.

It won't. You will have 2-3. Everybody tosses out 8-12K but entry price for a Stern is 5.5K. Lot of money, but it is no different than collecting high end watches, artwork, guitars, etc. These are niche markets where the barriers of entry can be high.

Let's put it into other terms. I like boats. Boats can run from relatively inexpensive to beyond belief. I can get into boating at relatively any price range, but it is not a necessity. But if I can not afford a Hinkley (1M+) or a Benneateau (1M+), I can go get a Sea Doo (4.5k) or a Boston Whaler (14K). If I want a higher end or bigger boat, I can look used. Now for some people, 4.5K is nothing, and for others it is a lot. However, that is the price of admission to get into boating. Pinball is the same way.

Buying a brand new pinball machine is not a right.

In niche markets, you tend to see companies go to the high end. They have more money and are less prone to swings in the economy. Because pinball is transitioning between location to home use, you are seeing the same thing.

Does this make it hard to get into pinball? Sure does? But guess what, it always has been. Lots of money, tons of space, finicky mechanical design, etc.

Does not make it right or wrong, just the reality of things.