I would buy a new Chicago Coin, but...
...lol

I like old games. Would like to find a nice quality EM game for sure. But I tire of the reflecting back on "how things were". My grandparents tell me they used to have to walk miles to school up a hill too........both ways. For me - nothing was as good as it was in the 80's..... and then I re-watch Battle Star Galactica and think "really!". If you don't like what the new fangled kids are buying for pinball, then don't buy them I guess. Either that or put your time and effort into building a time machine. Cause that's the only way you're going to get back what you want. Have a feeling if you could actually do that though, you might not see things the way you remember them.

I'll second that.

Stern has sold thousands of pins and there are relatively few complaints. It seems like the price police just need something to whine and complain about even though they never buy anything.

I burned them last summer, all I have left is Sterns.

I get the anger. Its a tough change in the hobby. For a big chunk of guys this world revolved around buying off route games and fixing them up. It let them buy and trade at good prices and build great collections. All at an income level that was normal.
Now all these NIB pins are here and the new hobby enthusiasm. Worse, it bring in newbies with cash that also buy their old games up.
Prices get so high they sell but then they cant buy back the old and there is not a huge pot of off route so its pushing them out. Unless they always had the NIB budget they are getting squeezed out of a hobby they loved and worked on for years. Thus anger and I get it.

Nothing stays the same.

Back over thirty years ago I collected German made tin toys. At the start you could afford a large collection, when prices went obscene you could only afford a piece or two.

So if you want to stay in a popular hobby you like and prices go up. You need to change your strategies.

Buy new if you can afford it. Buy used games or fixer uppers if you don't have much of a budget.

Or start with a beater, fix it up and sell it for more. Wash, rinse, repeat until you built the collection you want.

Bitching never solves anything. Adapting does.

LTG : )

Yeah ... Stern should therefore RAISE prices even more! Call it a "you're lucky we're still here" premium. Lets fuel the pinflation even more. Go Stern!

(Smart-ass sarcasm off)

I had to buy both

troll food:

I just ordered my AC/DC Prem. to go with my Tron, SM, FGY and TSPP. TAKE MY MONEY STERN

... I'm broke.

Never said Stern should raise prices. I miss the old days too. Pinball is the same as anything else, inflation keeps winning. The funny thing is that new Sterns cost less than "A" list Bally Williams games. Collecters are causing prices to go up, not manufacturers.

I think pins are expensive because they are expensive to make. Smaller factories, higher labor costs, and less revenue to offset the cost of overhead. I know there is a lot of complaints about price for new machines, but I honestly don't think Stern is rolling in dough right now. And I don't think any new companies will be rolling in dough (especially if people think they can undercut Stern in price and produce a better product).

Competition is going to push everyone to do better, but I think there is a lot of wishful thinking that we'll see huge improvements to quality and huge drops in prices. There just isn't a way of making money doing that.

49 thumbs-down on the original post - that has to be some kind of new record.

Sure, the design is great but several of the machines show up non-functioning due to poor build quality. I am pretty sure thats what OP is saying.

He specifically said the designs were lazy, Xmen (and Avengers) are great layouts.

edit-vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Email Borg and Gomez and tell him how lazy they are

The OP has to have the record for the most thumbs down, on a single post.

2 out of how many?? I like my odds with this approach. Maybe moving forward that could change.

I totally agree. Knuckleheads are overpaying for sub-par games... thus Stern keeps making sub-par games & keeps charging more for them, & they will keep doing this until it stops. This bubble will burst. I'd have less problem with prices as long as the talent & quality put into the games was at least in the same ball park as the old B/W standards.
It is that simple for me.

But some people are simply NIB whores. Nothing wrong with that, as some people just want something new & shiny, regardless of cost. Yeah it kinda screws things up for the rest of us, but I really don't like to complain because there are a ton of good affordable games out there that these same people choose to pass up. & like I said, something is gonna give eventually. & as long as pinball stays popular, somebody will start cranking out top notch games again consistently, if not B/W themselves.

When you look at the prices people are paying for 80's & 90's B/W titles, beat up or not, that alone should speak volumes about what people really think about 21st century Sterns.

who cares??

Yeah, Avengers, AC/DC, Tron, IM all subpar, do you believe any of the crap you write?

i believe that all those games are subpar too. just because you disagree, doesn't mean he's lying. get over it.

play what you like. post about what you like. don't get your panties in a bunch.

-jon

Defend that statement and explain how bad they are.

i'll get right on that.

How many times can you rebadge a stern bashing thread.

Who gives a shit if you'd buy a new stern or not. Buy none, buy fifty - who gives a toss.

Now 57. It should be called the Stern Fan Club button.

Um, welcome to Pinside, this is a great place to enjoy all things pinball. You may find some older posts of interest. Immediately following release of a pin and for the next twelve months, people descibe a few of the issues they have with that title. I wish folks would quit making these things up. People can be so mean.

I'm glad there's demand for new pins, as well as the vintage stuff. It keeps the hobby going. One alternative would be to have no companies making new pins, which is where this industry nearly was for several years. That would suck for everyone. Bad, really bad.

I really wish it was made up. Hopefully, Stern will step it up.

I wish them the best.

Or people are just tired of the same old Stern bashing from the same people over and over. Same can be said for the WOZ bashers. This thread was only created to start shit and it needs to be closed, it deserves the thumbs down.

Pappy

So is there any other manufacturer that makes or has made pinball machines in the past? All I ever hear is Stern, JJP, and B/W. I'm sure someone out there had to make one before them.

Obviously I'm joking, just notice every time threads like this come up you would think B/W was the only company to ever make pins prior to Stern, etc.

I think the record is 86 thumbs down, but the day is young

http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/any-one-looking-for-pinballswizard-of-oz-and-morecheck-this-out

Agreed. At the least the mods have the decency to put the JJP troll threads out of their misery.

Where's the line between "bashing" and legitimate complaints? I neither support or reject the OPs position - but I do support people being able to speak their mind if they're not happy. It seems that if anyone says anything but nice things the Holy Defense Brigade marches in to cry foul.

_{Post edited by pinster68}

I own a game and list issues = Legitimate complaint. I dont buy and have not bought something and make posts about how it sucks = bashing.

Even stating why you dont care for game on thread can have its place.
Not productive to the forum to start threads on why I hate Stern or Williams or JJP.

Yup. All one needs to do is venture into one of the many game specific or problem specific threads to see Stern owners legitimately and rightly bitch up a storm. Games have problems. Stern has QC issues. I don't think anybody denies that. But if you label all Stern releases cheap, inferior, and not worth owning yeah, some people are going to have a problem that.

Time for someone to start a "I would buy a WOZ or TH, but...." thread and see how many minutes it lasts.

wow! 66 thumbs down. what is the record?

Better not wait too long, once it starts getting humid those cabinets will swell up to twice there size. They day they started making the cabinets out of the same cardboard they were shipped is when I started being really careful when cleaning the cabinets.

Yeah, Duane cringes everytime I spray Windex on to clean the glass.

I'd be more worried wiping the cheap ink right off the side. Good thing the newer games have stickers on the side.

The cool thing is that I don't have to buy shakers anymore. They're so flimsy they shake when the ball is on the playfield.

What a load. I got a very nice AFM and TOTAN this week. Been playing a lot of pinball and in the end ACDC and TAV ate their lunch every time. Just much more fun and stuff going on.
Sorry but Stern makes one hell of a game and they are not just decent but top games of all time.

Funny, my NIB AC/DC plays fantastic and looks just as good. Taxes in, that was about $7,500 CDN.
Let's compare that with the $9,300 paid for an AFM. Bumpers needed work. Lots of cleaning required. Flippers needed some attention. Cab decals faded on one side. Couple dings out of the back box. Coin door sticks a little. PF glass has to be inserted slowly...

So ummm... I sure hope you didn't pay much for the crack you've been smoking.

I love the fact that Stern have continued to put out new games, rather than pack up with pinball and move into something more profitable, like slots. And I love playing Tron and ACDC out on location here in Ottawa. Plus, TSPP and LOTR are two of my favourite games! But honestly, it WAS satisfying to see ACDC fall from the top, because while ACDC is a good solid game, and I love the theme and music, it is just not in the same league as Twilight Zone, Addams Family, Medieval Madness, etc. It really didn't deserve to be at the very top, and I'm quite comfortable with where it sits in the top 100 right now, neither overrated nor underrated, just right.

But that's just my sentiments. I'm sure some will agree and some will not. And that's okay, because that's what starts interesting discussions and that's what we're all here for, are we not?

AFM TZ and TAF are great games for sure. May be ACDC is not as good ( but I have a different opinion ). But now contemplate TOTAN and TOM in the top 10 ( they were top 10 last time I checked ). Mentally swap the Williams logo with Stern and swear these two pins would remain in the top 10. You would rather see comments on how cheap the Magic trunk is...

Yes there are legitimate concerns about Stern quality but it often translate into bashing.

If it weren't for Stern,I would have never found the pin I've been looking for since this hobby began 15 years ago. Yes,AC/DC LE. Now I can rest in peace. Thank you Stern.

Yeah, I accidently wiped off half the I on my IM. Can you come over on Friday and touch it up for me?

LMAO! 76 thumbs down. I literally haven't opened the thread since I posted "thumb him down and walk away"...Robin should keep records such as this at it surely will have one. Great stuff.