Between the widebody format andthe BOM, it's probably unlikely.

If the game was a standard body, there might have been a chance.

I still see examples being listed around $5500; not pristine HUO condition, but still pretty nice. I've been tempted on grabbing one for a good while.

Great game I would love to see that happen

LOTR is not a wide body. Either way, LOTR vault was made, it was called LOTR LE.

D'oh, so it is.

It sure seems like a widebody...

I do believe the OP was saying vault edition like they did with Spider-Man

Yes please! I’d like one.

I’ve owned and sold two LOTR and my fam still misses this awesome game.
Would buy a vault edition in a heart beat.

It would sell well...the problem is Sterns recent quality is crap. I have an LE and its almost perfect

I'd love to see a LOTR Vault edition where the art is hand drawn. Due to the DMD, I'd also like to see if it upgraded to the SAM system (I can't see them putting it on Spike 1).

Guys are dreaming of getting $8500 for this game. What people are really getting is between 5 and 6 depending on mods and condition. Of course there are always a few really nice ones with a grand in mods here and there going for 6.5

I own a nice HOU that I bought off original owner but would still love to see this game vaulted. Graphics and sound could be better.

I own a JP, DP, BM66 and Munsters and they are all flawless. All purchased nib over the last 18 months. No issues with the clear, pooling or any other major problems. Maybe I just got lucky?

I know there are documented issues out there with Stern; but I think there are also a large number of buyers who would love to buy a NIB LOTR vault edition.
I’ve passed up a few local huo examples in the hope of a re-release.

Has been a while since Stern launched a vault, fingers crossed LOTR is still a possibility.

I think the chances of Stern manufacturing a game as complicated as LOTR today are slim to none. Their designs are much more basic now for a reason. Ease of manufacturing and reliability due to near empty playfields seems to be their model. Code and art is where they focus the majority of their attention. I’d be absolutely shocked if they were to build a game like LOTR now.

Good choice for Vault and The Walking Dead.

I’m not sure if Stern would vault another DMD era game. Star Trek VE did not sell well per reports. Perhaps what I heard is off.

That was a weird one though. Those were exactly the same games that were out of production for what, maybe only a year. Hardly anything to get excited about. Seems that was more to do with just getting rid of some extra Vengeance ships laying around in the warehouse. I’d call that a re-run rather than a vault.

Would love to see a LOTR vault, but realistically I would agree with the others that it is unlikely purely from a business perspective.

Call me a skeptic, but I think vault editions came about as a means for Stern to liquidate leftover parts or remaining licenses that crossover with the manufacturing workflow of current machines, purely, as a financial move. Maybe this has already been discussed and debated? I don’t want to kick a dead horse or talk like I know more than I do (damn millennials), but VE stinks of corporate marketing.

It was Star Trek. What did they expect?

I have a HUO LE that I just got a non-solicited offered for $7700. Really thought about selling it but it is just such a great game. As I toyed with the idea of selling over a month, buyer found one close to him so he grabbed it which was the right call!

Anyhow, I have had a LOTR since the first day I got into this hobby. (Bought a NIB Tron and LOTR same week). When I asked my family about selling LOTR none of them wanted me to sell. My family almost never plays pinball, lol, but LOTR even holds a little place in their hearts.

So, yeah, I think a vault would probably do pretty well. That said, there sure are a LOT of new pins coming out and there is a ton of competition so who knows.

That Vault never made sense, there was good secondary market supply for ST with reasonable prices, unlike some other Stern Vaults that filled some serious demand (AC/DC, IM, SM).

The real killer to me that makes Stern Vaults unlikely: the number of design teams on staff at Stern today. Ritchie, Elwin, Borg, Eddy, Gomez.....the most I've think they've ever had. Plenty of new pins in the queue without the need to fill empty factory lines with Vaults.

Kinda like the random Game of Thrones run that was done for about a month recently.

There's plenty out there and remaking anything close to the features offered by the original would be pricey and the licensing expensive.

VE's made more sense 2013-2017 when they weren't competing against so many new machines from a variety of different manufacturers. Make less sense now with all the new titles being released.

What you gonna buy? Stranger Things or LOR VE? Jurassic Park or LOR VE? JJP Guns 'n Roses or LOR VE? Rick & Morty or LOR VE? Or new American Pinball or Deeproot releases...etc etc.

Believe me, there are way fewer dollars out there for NIB purchases and someone's gonna get hurt the next year or two (manufacturers). Stern doesn't want to be seen as a rehash company right now...now's not the time for microwaving an old title.

I would rather have LOTR VE than any of those options.

Within in the last two months I sold an original 2003 LOTR that was routed and then restored from the ground up with color DMD for $6150. I said I would do $5800 without the color dmd. I could have dealt with tire kickers and low ballers and squeezed out a few more dollars, but I prefer easy sales with known individuals when possible. It had a full cliffy set and plastic protector set, hammered bronze powder coating and other than the no mods. I didn't want to sell it, but I needed the money and space for JJP Pirates. I agree that realistically LOTR is basically going anywhere from $5500-$6500. Any more or less than that and it has to be over the top nice with a bunch of mods added to it or in really rough shape.

Mine hasn't even left my house yet, but if STERN valulted it with Zombie Yeti artwork I'd strongly coinsider buying it again.

Really want to grab a LOTR sometime in 2020 and would love a vault. Not sure it makes sense though because used ones can be purchases mid to low 5’s pretty regularly it seems.

You guys are crazy and once again lack business imagination. Imagine if Stern did a limited VE run of 1000-1500 games. They could charge current premium pricing or slightly under. They would sell out very fast with distributors. My nephews were only little kids when those movies came out, but now that they are teenagers, it’s the first game they ask for when they come over..........sadly, I sold mine over 7 years ago. It’s the same business model as what JJP is doing with WOZ. Some themes are timeless and will always be relevant. There would be ample demand including a purchase from yours truly. Licensing is not an issue.

I disagree. What is the current "best seller" number for a new release? We've seen numbers tossed around, but based on Stern numbers for LE; JJP numbers for CE; and miscellaneous observations like ACNC (a solid game with arguably some of the best artwork out there in a pin) is *still*available for purchase and it was limited edition 500.

I'm thinking Stern thinks if they sell over 2,000 pros for a specific title, it's a "best seller". I'm thinking if JJP sells 1,000 new "anything" right now, it's a best seller. The numbers go down, the smaller the company. Spooky or American 500 they'll take it and run to the bank. Etc.

I just have trouble imagining them selling even 1,000 of a title that has been out for 16 years. There's just too many out there.

I'm thinking they sell maybe 100 VE. It is either premium pricing approx. $8,000 and it still doesn't have the toys of the original. Or it's pro pricing and it is stripped down to bare bones. At 100 sold, they would probably be running a loss due to re-engineering and materials costs.

...and would-be buyers of the VE would probably bitch and complain on public forums about the lack of features compared to the original, hang back and scour the marketplace for a modded-out original for $6000-$6500

beautiful one sat all summer in st. louis for 6k.

I've got one for sale. Less than if stern ever remakes it and it's available now! Sorry, shameless plug.

SOLD!

Machine - For Sale

Lord of the Rings Archived

Used - shows wear but 100% working and clean - “Looking to sell my Lord of the rings. Really love the game, but need the money for my game room build. I found this difficult to price, so I listed it lower than most recent list p...”

2019-11-23

Akron, OH

PinballTilt

5,200 (OBO)

Archived after: 19 days

Viewed: 1207 times

Status: Sold (amount private)

Contributed to Pinside

Used routed game with repaired wood areas and other issues with thousands of plays for $5,200 plus shipping VS NIB for around $7800 delivered to your door. Con would be no figures on the playfield. You can still get the figures from ebay and other places.
I can see those wanting to save a few bucks going used. Also see them offering less. And those that want brand spanking new buying the NIB. Don't see what's so hard for people to understand that there are different types of buyers out there.