Well, to answer one of your questions, yes I do think it is an exciting time for pinball.

As far as what I think the market will do ... I don't know, and i am glad I'm lucky enough to not have to care too much. I mean I get that we are talking about toys that cost thousands, so prices will always be a big issue. There's no avoiding that. I just wish money and speculation were a smaller part of the hobby in general.

Just remember it's all about having fun playing these games

There are a bunch of threads on here with price speculation (search "bubble" and see!) but the honest answer is nobody knows.

Prices down-Summer…Prices up-Winter.If that helps

Hmm hard to say, prices for pins are always softer this time of year as most are out doing other things while the weather is nice. I think prices will trend up/firm up as we go into winter. Jmho

Ya know, a few years ago it was normal for a new Stern game to hit closer to $2k....South Park, Austin Powers, T3, WPT, etc....a lot of newer games really went down in price...So, Avengers and TF (Pro) being around $4k is still pretty "healthy". At the end of the day, it's supply and demand for specific titles. Prices went up because more people got into the hobby, cleaned out the "inventory" of garage sale & auction games, restored them and kept them (or sold them for more money based on condition).

Same as always. People selling will think titles are made of gold...people buying will forecast prices being silly high and doth protest.

Forecasting pin pricing is like forecasting the stock market. Full of 'experts' and 'insiders'. Some are right some of the time, most are wrong most of the time.

I forecast TWD to be sterns most successful title since Tron LE.

Prices down - Selling... Prices up - Buying.

And don't worry too much about what will happen to prices. Just don't overpay unless you already know its a keeper and a great copy. Pay fair market value and you will be fine.

I would say prices will be moving up on the lower end and down on the higher end. It's harder and harder to find old routed machines on Craigs List, at garage sales or in the storage warehouses of old operators because most stuff is already in the hands of collectors. There are lots of people entering the hobby, but not much supply at the entry level anymore (at least not in the under $1000 or even $1500 for anything with a DMD). The high-end A-level games have the ongoing threat of remakes which keeps their prices in check (except for those with licensing issues or absolutely pristine examples). What I've really noticed lately is how many collectors have game rooms that are now almost exclusively Stern. Those with lots of money to spend on this hobby seem to have shifted from 90s Williams Bally to LE Sterns.

Run numbers mater if you look at Stern TSPP is a highly rated game but not one of the highest on price. You will see a high run game like ac/dc will still be highly rated but the price will come down.

I also forecast my pin pricing as follows:

image-68.jpg

Prices are down right now based more on $$$ being on the sidelines than anything else. Preorder mania = literally millions of dollars out of the 2nd market economy. Until we catch up there, it won't get better for the values of machines. Add to that the prospect of reproduction from Stern Vault and Planetary, and you have supressed values with no breathing room.

More like preorder stagnation. Soon to be burnout if not already.

If it ain't built you got nuthin' to sell me.

Maybe. I think it's definitely been moving in that direction over the last 8 months or so. But if PPS delivers as promised in a timely fashion, you may see preorders gain momentum again.

the reproduction wild card will keep a lid on pinflation for older a list titles and it will trickle down from there to the b titles etc. 8k nib pinball machines might be looked at as the lunacy period of pinball in future years.

That summer winter thing burned out a year and a half ago. We had the taxes line, Xmas etc. clear trend down from a crazy high.
As mentioned folks are burned out, out of space and just tired of the LE game. We are feeling what most of us knew was coming.
Now Predator money is needed forcing some selling. Add MMr being called in this week and a New Stern on the Horizon and then Hobbit. Those are real factore putting pressure on the pin game big time!

Well put. PRED preorder was my last. Done funding other pinball projects. PPS will have to build em THEN sell em. Novel idea.