Actually this has become the case in the comics industry now. While there will always be old original comics that capture incredible prices from collectors, the modern industry has shifted to the point where the reprints in hardcover or paperback are in more demand than the original comics themselves because they are a superior product. While pinball is not comics, there are definite parallels here.

(But yes, as with others here, I couldn't care less about the collectability in either area)