Quoted from sadler28:Basic supply and demand economics IMHO. There is a bunch of new supply coming to the market and the demand won't be able to keep up. Prices will fall eventually to move inventory.
I've only been in the hobby for a couple years so don't know how things have been long term. I'm happy I'm in this for fun and not profit. Market timing is a very difficult game to play.
i've been on Pinside for several years now and there is almost always a small contingent of people wringing their hands about "the bubble". it's been going on since at least 2012, and i've seen people quote similar posts (from RGP) from as far back as 2005.
in my opinion Pinball is growing, and the demand is real. the housing bubble was fueled by flippers -- right before the crash, 66% of new home buyers never even lived in those homes before flipping them. that's false demand.
when two thirds of NIB games get stored and flipped instead of opened and played, that's when you should worry about a bubble. i would guess right now that figure is something below 10%, which is probably okay. that indicates actual demand for the product, even if you personally think it's overpriced.