oh, do tell!

Bluff called.

Highclasspinball... I think you need a new user name.

Bwaaaaahahahahahahahaha

980x (resized).jpg

Any chance of doing a Stern Dracula backglass later on down the track John, 98% of the ones I see are pretty shot and mine is totally shot.

What about stars playfeild

Thanks anyway John,
I appreciate the answer,
I wish I was an art person but I have no idea how to do it. I do have a HP Scanjet 4670 I could scan glass or a playfield with but no help if you are like me and don't know how to stitch it back together or correct the colors., a Dracula playfield would be great thing as well.
Keep up the fantastic work you do.

Yes, that is what Gary told me years ago and the ex-wife does not care about it anyways.

Guys,

No need to speculate. I've already talked to Gary Stern personally.
Sorry all the details are buried in another thread, thus not being seen here, but they are over in the Sorcerer Playfield announce thread:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/announce-cpr-williams-sorcerer-playfields#post-4815512

The reason they are over there is because Mirco popped in to bellyache that I mentioned the color mix of our digital printer, and inferred I was copycatting him or something. Way off topic, and in my Sorcerer thread, for all to see. Right out of left field, unprovoked. Dude is behaving unhinged.

Anyway, I took the opportunity to post my findings in the same respone, about John's situation (he's right here in Halifax with us), as well as find out for ourselves too (as CPR has been a longtime maker of assorted Classic Stern repro items). Like I say at the bottom of that TL:DR piece, I'm not going to comment with any details further. Nor get into a back-n-forth with anybody.

I'm only planting this here as a cross-thread link, since it appears a lot are still unaware of the update I posted.

Keep up the good work John, you are an asset

I get that you (and others) are miffed by this, and it seems like that is understandable. You also said he sent an apology, but it seems like you are still trying to continue the shit storm by demanding he post something he apologized for.

We all make mistakes, but we need to let each other walk our mistakes back too. My concern is you all are never going to be happy with any amount of shit you try and force Mirco to eat to make it right.

Mirco is only apologizing because he got called out on it. In fact he still believes his PM shouldn’t have been displayed. While it may be against the rules on Pinside, I think it was fair to post. The guy was a jerk, using intimidation and talking how expensive a lawyer would be if John didn’t stop right now. Since robin removed the PM that started this whole conversation only mirco can put it back. And if mirco is a man of his words and truly believes what he was saying he would do so!

Mirco has a history of this sort of behavior. When it is a trend, I dont think he should be just let off with a simple "oops" esp since you know it is only a halfassed attempt to save face after seeing the ramification to his business.

please make a meteor playfield

Neil.

Meteor is in the CPR preorder section.

https://classicplayfields.com/preorders/

order yours today, operators are standing by.

Sorry I accidentally sent you a long threatening email full of blustery lawyer language that I was going to sue you and ruin your business that you've put years of your sweat and labor into, I must have pressed the wrong keys while reaching for my coffee. My mistake!

Oh wait, wrong apology, these pesky keyboard keys. I was trying to type sorry I got caught being an ass, it's making me worry about my own business, that sucks. So sorry!

Let me know when I can buy a big game playfield and backglass please! Haha

This is such a small hobby (in relation to so many other hobbies out there) That attacking/threatening a fellow parts producer, especially such a small one who does VERY LIMITED production parts, is just a terrible terrible look. & Then it looks even worse ,when it turns out that the attack was based on fabricated information about an agreement etc with Gary Stern.

I don't get why anyone would risk their reputation & their business over something so stupid/fabricated but... whatever. I know it's definitely soured any potential future dealings on PF purchases for me with Mirco, & it puts Both CPR & John in a better light. I really appreciate the fact that Kevin @ CPR went to bat for JG & contacted Gary Stern right away... to sort out fact from fiction. We don't all have the ability/contacts/pull to do that, & the fact that he was willing to definitely says a lot about his character.

These classic Sterns are hard enough to get parts for, we really don't need someone fabricating stories about having exclusive rights to making them & hurting the hobby.

Like my grandfather always said "Stupid people do stupid things; there is no way to ever make sense of it."

I need a Stern Lightning playfield and I don't care if it is a CPR, Mirco or a JG reproduction. I just need the playfield.

Exactly.

So you are happy as long as you get what you want no matter who it comes from or how? I don’t know, things change for me when I see behavior such as this.

Mirco’s apology is garbage in my opinion. If he would of posted his Pm, owned it, and admitted poor behavior, manipulation, etc.. I myself would like to think I would’ve forgiven him.

This thread is done.

No it's not

Everything has been said, what else is there?

This thread will live forever!

or at least until:

1. There is a full admission of the lie.
(not some halfassed "Durrrr....I mean....I really did once talk to Stern about..." but a full admission "Yes, I lied, because I am a liar.")

and

2. There is a full, genuine apology to John and CPR; two companies who are a vital part of this small hobby.
(again, a real apology, not some "Ummmm....I only did it because my robot felt threatened and said she would form an axis with my Roomba and I...I....I have a lot of pet hair in my apartment...")

I know how many playfields I buy each year from Mirco, and how many I clear for my customers from Mirco - as of now, that's no longer happening.
lies (resized).jpg

Made me think of this lol, might only make sense to those who watched or still watch sponge bob

wXCfyPt (resized).png

Both you guys should amend your posts
Neither are License Holders as a licensee can't sub license

they are a manufacturer making replacement parts with the licensee permission with a financial arrangement

I saw the original message and can paraphrase (pretty sure PMs are allowed to be put in my own words? on pinside)
I think it is important for the community to see the level of bully tactic without proof that Mirco is attempting to do here and how he is treating a respected and fellow parts manufacturer in our small community.

It went something like this (my paraphrase but I believe it captures accurately what/how he said it)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi John,

I would like to tell you that I have an exclusive deal with Stern for making all art parts for older games. This agreement is effective now and it lets me sue you and everyone else making reproduction parts for these games.

You are breaking international law since you make playfields and other parts for Stern games.
I am telling you to post now in your current Pinside sales thread and specifically cease making any/all stern electronics related products (pf, plastics, backglass).

If you continue to offer any of these parts you will face an expensive lawsuit. My lawyer is already collecting evidence to sue you; even from Germany I have no problem starting an international lawsuit.

This will be very expensive for you, so I am being nice in telling you to stop now before we meet in court. Stop selling/offering immediately and tell the public that you are no longer allowed to sell or else...

Please be aware that any private massage or email sales are also not allowed and I will sue.

If you have any questions please contact me.

Mirco
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

wow what an (*_) from Mirco.

I wish John and Kevin all the best!

Cannot stand fake people , lying people friends or not.
life is way too short for this type of shit.

You were right on with your paraphrasing of this. That was the tone and attitude.

The implied ability to sue over private massages really scares me.

This is like when the IRS calls you on the phone to tell you that you owe back taxes.

The obvious problem with being a big producer and then lying to close down another company's business, is that it could all easily backfire in his face.

If everyone told their distributor "Look, do not send me any Stern or JJP game that has a Mirco playfield in it, or I will do a chargeback on my credit card" that would be the end.

Distributors could look at the shooter lane by cutting a small flap in the box.

If the shooter lane has all the weird stripes like this, the customer would refuse the shipment (or do a chargeback):

1caec34e529cbc45597ec7106de45eb21595197e (resized).jpeg

this is not one of my playfields.

ADMIT YOU LIED, AND GIVE AN REAL APOLOGY TO JOHN AND CPR

You say.

What is up with your strong arm tactics? Are your bankers leaning on you?

Is Mirco right about this not being one of his playfields?

Look what the cat drug in. Mirco, you need to issue a formal apology for what you've done. Stop stalling and do the right thing.

I already did send Apologies to both. I'm very sorry and regret it! It was not a nice move. Please acceppt my apologies.

please provide the proof of your claim to have exclusive rights to all stern art/products

That is the only thing that will help you at this point... To prove that you actually even had the weight behind your bullying. It wont excuse your lack of tact, but it would at least prove you are correct in your position.

What I find most troubling is how ruthless and unethical he showed himself to be. You could see a little bit of it with the way he was trying to undercut CPR by producing the exact same titles just before CPR did, but these threats to John take it to whole new level. Claiming he was doing John a favor by being too cheap to send a proper C&D through his lawyer. He's a liar. Who knows, maybe his lawyer turned him down since he has no legal standing. No one in their right mind would respect a PM like that. A lawyer sending a proper C&D would have been far more formal, civil and respectful compared to the kind of nasty things he spouted at John. Then the half-assed apology just reinforced it and made him look worse since he was still trying to justify doing it and came across as pretty insincere at the same time. What a jerk.

its a meaningless tangent. The photo in that post appears to be a metallica LE... so it would be a stern game, and stern doesn't use mirco PFs. So technically not mirco... but meaningless to the point being made.

cant provide info he don't have. hence...……. the apology!