Quoted from 27dnast:
Just to clarify to the folks that downvoted my original post: I didn’t start this thread as another “pinball bubble” thread... or to promote doom and gloom. I did it because we are entering some uncharted waters both from a pinball market health perspective (which is the healthiest it’s been in decades) and financial market troubled waters.
Just thought we could all have a mature conversation about what might happen here. Obviously, with the market in free fall every other day and economic conditions hindered in the most unusual way Imaginable ... the question must enter your mind.
That’s all... not trying to ruffle feathers or be a d***. Of course, this is the internet, so you’re free to judge this however you want.
I think we’ve heard some really intelligent answers. A lot has changed (here in Maryland), since I posted the first post... all restaurants, bars, theaters, and gyms are closing tonight. Not sure when they’ll reopen. I believe the same is true in CT, NJ, and NY.
I wish everyone in the service industry... and the industries that support them... the very best of luck. I’m really worried about the impacts these kinds of forced restrictions will have on folks that might not have a lot of wiggle room.
OK between working from home, buying some more chef boy r dee, and culling my Facebook friends list, I'll address this!
You are absolutely right, this isn't a "price bubble" thread, it's completely different. In the annoying monthly "bubble burst" threads, I've always been consistent: No, this isn't a price bubble. No it isn't going to burst. None of the things your thread suggests is supported by any current evidence. But I've always said If the economy completely collapses across the board, that's a different story.
Well, the economy looks like shit right now, so no doubt, pin prices may take a hit. Everything may take a hit. Pointless to worry about right now. I'll remind everybody what happened in the last recession; pinball machine prices did not drop significantly. People just held on to their stuff and everything slowed down.
Pinball people are very stubborn, and tend to skew "cheap" even if they have money. They aren't going to sell games at a loss unless they absolutely have to.
The difference between now and then is the massive influx of new people, and the massive amount of money they've spent in a short time amassing brand new and high end games. No idea what's gonna happen there. Again, I don't see a sell off unless people get desperate. And if it gets that bad, despite what some of you seem to flippantly think, you WON'T be reaping the rewards, because you'll have the same problems the sellers do. You aren't gonna see WOZ for sale for $4,000 tomorrow, which seems to be what many of you think happens when a "bubble bursts." By the time you do see stuff like that, you may very well not think that a $4,000 WOZ is such a screaming bargain, when you have much more important things to worry about.
Good luck everybody!