I don’t see it happening. Doesn’t seem like it was a huge seller and I don’t see the big pent up demand you are seeing.

Most kiss fans would rather own the classic 70s version, and post pinball people
Would rather own Metallica or acdc.

I think there was a code update, and people had more interest in the game again, way back when. I suppose I don't see it for sale often...wouldn't be a bad title to vault, if they had another update to go along with it and the license was cheap to renew.

Anything is possible with enough demand but doubtful.
You can ask whatever, but 8k for a pro?
Nope. Avoid those places.

Not sure where you are seeing these prices, but it seems like retailers/flippers and not collector pricing.

I'm pretty sure I know where busa got the price. It is retailer. Regardless, the game just doesn't pop up for sale often relegating us to an Economics 101 discussion relating to available volume, demand and pricing.

I might be a wierdo but Kiss is my favorite game. I have an LE with topper and it is just the game I play the most. I don’t know if a vault would work financially but I would like to see it over some of the other titles Stern has put out as vaults.

I don't buy pinball machines until I'm happy with the status of code. I loved Stern's KISS as a theme and really wanted a Premium, but held off buying one due to not knowing when (or if) the code would be finished, and unfortunately, they finished the code after the machine was out of production, and they did a really good job on that code. I'd love to set one next to my AC/DC Luci Vault and Metallica Monsters Premium, so I'll throw my opinion on the woodpile as I'm a KISS Premium Vault buyer if it should happen

Now, next question: Who's working on the KISS ColorDMD? LOL

I want color DMD so bad!!!

That would be a great update to the vault.

Shoot, I’d let you come get my LE #063 with stern topper, coin taker interactive back box light board, shaker, stern blades, Interactive lit speakers, plus some other mods for $8K if you want. It’s unshopped with a broken star child plastic though lol

That's a pretty good deal, actually! You could probably sell that topper alone for $1k.

Then maybe I should rethink it lol. Honestly I picked it up in a multi pin trade to get a TSPP. Kiss is a cool game but to be true LE games are a little more high end than my budget. I like the game a lot but I will definitely end up moving on from it because it is more money tied up in one than I want

Reminds me of the pinflation boom a decade ago when people would put ridiculous prices on games they wanted to keep, then someone would say "okay" and hand 'em the cash. Of course now those ridiculous prices are a deal.

This is very common with out of production games when they get near the end of the stock at a distributor. It has nothing to do with the actual value of the game, it is simply supply and demand at that point. The supply is low, and it really isn't costing the distributor much to have the game in a warehouse. So they turn up the profit. Then when someone who really wants a NIB experience with the game comes along... profit. It is also why you see NIB games seem to appear from nowhere right before a vault edition releases. Because distributors know the plan and want to clear it out before the next version comes out.

Distributors also did this before "Vault Editions" existed. Back then they were just called "runs". So a game like Tron had a run and finished. Then the "1.5" run. Distributors that had some left raised prices, then right before run 2, poof, a bunch of NIB sold and then run 2 happened. Rinse, lather, repeat for run 3 and run 4. The only time you could get a normal price was during production.

As for KISS being Vaulted... I don't think there is enough pent up demand to justify it. The game has its fans, but they are probably already happy. It's all about how many people would be willing to plunk down $5600 to own one. OF COURSE... I've been wrong about this before. I said the same thing about Iron Man, and then that showed up. Hell, I even own one of them. Time will tell.

KISS is night and day better since the last update.

One of the best games around.

Will Stern re-run the topper?

Maybe if they ever vaulted it.

yes! I hope its soon

I don't think Kiss had any PF issues at that time did it? I remember it had week sauce code, and the Gene head could always give you issues.

There were some with Ghosting issues but relatively the playfields on most look great.

Kiss LE with Topper for sale over here In UK.

Started out at £8500, then dropped to £8000, still no takers and now a Dutch auction - it’s at £7300 now..

Considering LE’s over here are £10500 now..

Probably not enough Kiss fans in the UK to artificially inflate prices. You guys have better bands over there.

Kiss sales stalled because of shitty, long abandoned code and the game went out of production before things were made right (about 2 years)? I know, I was a Kiss LE owner and wanted to love the game but the code just killed it for me... sold it after holding it for 1.5 years and moved on. Loved the theme, code just got old quick and then waiting for stern to do something just pissed me off.

I bought KISS fairly cheap before the major code update and glad I did. Still love playing it. Would also love that topper.

Great timing!

Me too. Have it all set up, all I need is some code.

Kiss is such a underrated game, Busa is correct that with pro prices $7-8,000 a vault edition should be a easy layup. Those who haven't had a chance to play this title with the new code are really missing out. This game clearly never reached its peak with sales secondary to how long it took to get that final code drop, you just don't see them come up for sale.

IMO the KISS playfields were a much better grade than the crap Stern is putting out now. They should just vault the topper.

didn't kiss come out after Metallica? I think about metallica age, they pulled pf production in house, and that is for sure when paint flaking and clear coat cracking started to happen. However my replacement metallica pf had extra extra clear on it, but my GB has a thin layer an you see the wood planking.

Looks like two pinsiders have been advertising to buy a Stern Kiss Pro. One ad has been re-listed 6 times, the other twice. Looks like no one wants to let go of their Kiss Pro? I bought mine at the initial release and thought it was good but not great. Almost sold it before the last update which really was a game changer. Glad i still have it.

You've got three "shoulds" in here. How do you know these "shoulds" to be true?

Maybe the license would be a pain in the ass to renew. Maybe the production would be a pain in the ass for some reason or another. Maybe it's not an easy layup at all. Maybe the demand really isn't there, maybe it's expensive to produce etc. etc.

Shoulds don't pay the bills man!

I don't know about the other points but for this one..... its KISS. They will take the money. One of the easier licenses to get.

This for sure. I have been looking for a couple of years. Would love a rerun. Have they rerun the topper when they did a vault in the past?

missed it the first time...I'd buy a vault edition!

This is another great opportunity to get the license again, add a colour display and sell it to customers who bought it the first time round in a limited run, as well as everyone else that now wants one. The same thing they should do with Tron....they are both great themes, with great layouts. Add something new to the formula and watch people buy it again.

Two amazing pins from Stern, I was praying for a Vault Tron and Kiss.
I pinched myself for a reality check. I knew deep down it was unlikely to happen.
I’ve since got my Kiss KE NIB DE version - alas still searching for that elusive topper....
Lucky to find a fully tricked Tron LE.
Both rooted to the spot, there’s some greatness about these themes.
Both beautiful looking pins too.

Question is:- Have Stern ever in their history vaulted a topper?

Beatles

Lick it up Babee!!!

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KISS was also the inflection point where Stern went to cheaper, less dense wood for the cabinets. But the playfields were still great quality at that point.

KISS LE with the foil cabinet art is a great package, and with the current code, I'd take one again over Metallica or even the boring 70's KISS pin. AC/DC would be a tougher call, with the edge probably going to AC/DC.

That said, I don't think a vault would sell all that well because of the bad early rep KISS earned. Almost an XMEN kind of situation.

I wanted a Bally KISS, but once Stern revealed their version, was much happier to pay similar money and get a machine with last-ability and real KISS tunes thrown in. Have had it for a few years now and it's still one of my most played machines.

Kiss has to be the only license that would be an easy renewal since gene loves to dole it out

Would be interesting to know how many licensees actually resist renewal...can't imagine many give a crap. Sure, it's not big bucks, but it's still bucks.

The thing with licensees is that they are in the business of selling their license.