Do you have a photo that's in focus?

Tough to tell by the photos...is the discoloration in an area where it will blend in with normal wear and maybe not be noticable after several plays. If not just run it by your distrbutor.

This thread will be a sh#t storm soon...........Joey

The reason I say that is there is no right answer....both camps will chime in....someone will compare it to buying a car......in the end...nib pinball is a gamble...(just my uneducated guess)....I prob will never nib because I'm crazy anal with most things and that's too much hard earned money to spend on aggravation...........Joey

Are you sure it's NIB and not used? Maybe someone repacked it in a box? Transformers is a 4-5 year old game.

Did they come with red colored cliffy posts from the factory?

Too me this is the worst part of pinball ownership.....for every person that opens a nib and has nothing but problem after problem....there is someone that opens the same game nib and never has a problem....(at least for a long time... )................Joey

I believe I remember reading that TF ramp flaps often were this way for whatever reason.

Here is one example:

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/transfomers-combo-start-ramp-rusty

3 nib sterns for me...no problems but your right seems as though a lot of issues pop up.

Both my games were NIB and I'm damn glad.

Ramp flaps can easily be changed

Great game by the way

I don't know about easy.... remove ramp PIA. drill out rivet's have new rivet's and a riveter tool. then put it all back together..

Looks like corrosion. Rivet on the right also looks slightly corroded.

Within range, IMO. You can probably even buff it out with polishing compound if you are so inclined.

Enjoy the game!

Here's the pic from ipdb.org so it looks like it did come with a red post sleeve.

http://ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=5755&picno=53660

I wouldn't worry about Automated. They treated me right on my first NIB several years ago replacing a damaged pin in delivery that I mistakenly accepted. They sent me another one and dealt with the shipping company themselves.

The ramps could have just done that over time, sitting in a cold warehouse. And if anybody would still have TF NIB's it would be them

And I'm pretty sure the red post sleeve came factory.

How is that relevant to this discussion? The guy got a brand new game, paid a small ransom for it, and the flaps/cabinet are messed up. If they are so easy to change, Stern should have made it right before it left the factory, not the customer. I would put in a service ticket, if Stern is worth their weight in salt they will send a tech to your area to fix it. This kind of stuff irritates me to no end, especially the mob mentality that these kinds of flaws on a brand new premium priced game are acceptable. It never ends with with Stern crap. I will never be a buyer.

A small amount of moisture in the air will do that to those flaps, literally a sneeze will too. Around 300-500 plays you'll start to notice many more ball markings and wear throughout the game, like on the rubber pads in front of that left ramp. Not a big deal, all normal. Just keep it clean and it should be good for a long time.

Transformers is a fun pin, and very hard/long rule set to get to the end. I came close but never could pull it off before I sold mine.

Flip on!

It's not relevant.....someone posted they were easy to change....that's all.............Joey

really??...send a tech to his house for a minor discolored ramp flap?

This is a grey area. Yes, you have a NIB, but it is still a four year old machine. The last run was in 2011. Time will take its toll on all machines. Many Transformers had some kind of problem with the flaps - must have been a bad batch. Mine accumulated some minor corrosion despite being an HUO machine. You can polish some of it off with metal polish, but it will probably come back.

By the way, install metal decal protectors right away. Pretty much all Transformers eventually develop decal wrinkles around the legs.

First of all, welcome to the hobby!

Second, I think its totally possible that the ramp flap rusted or oxidized or otherwise became discolored; 5 years in a warehouse will do that depending on conditions. The 'grease' I think is normal, was also on my steel I bought for new ramp flaps on my Taxi. (http://www.marcospecialties.com/pinball-parts/66-FSS006) .

Is it a problem? I mean probably not, but call your distributor, take a really good photo, ask questions. A good distributor will work with you, know the warranty terms, etc.

Hi there,

It's a NIB, but it's new old stock of a 5-6 year old game, so the chances of getting another NIB is probably remote, but one never knows. My point is that it's just a ramp flap and if that's the only issue it's not impossible to put a brand new one on and make the buyer happy. It's not clear if the game shipped this way or if it's due to the years of sitting in a box.

Sorry if you took my comments to mean anything other than the above. If it was a play field defect or something more severe it would be a different story.

I wouldn't be happy if this happened to my game.

Thanks,
Marc

I can't really tell from the pic , is it surface rust ? If it really bothers you , take the ramp off & take some steel wool to the ramp flap . It should clean right up.

My NIB Metallica has the stickers peeling off the back box. Stern sent new ones and I installed them. Lots of hands touch theses games throughout the process of them being NIB and they may be stored in various conditions. I also bought mine from Automated Services (used Mike as well) and when I told him he offered to call Stern. I took it upon my self to call and they were responsive. I don't think that anyone would pack up a used game and try to pass it off as NIB, or maybe I am just naive.

Automated sold a floor model BBH as NIB once

I'm sure that was an isolated incident tho

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/i-just-bought-a-nib-bbhwhy/page/2

Not all, #410 combo here, mine came with the decal protectors installed.

I've replaced a lot of flaps on transformers for rust spots. They are still available. And NIB did not come with red cliffy post rubbers. I would think that suspect.

Actually, you're wrong, it did come with that red post. Ripley's did too.

Transformers LE came with 4 red posts.

My TFLE had red post sleeves NIB. I also had problems with the ramp flaps, but if I remember correctly (I've since sold and miss the game), some Novus 1 took care of that and they looked real good after that.

I think TF was the first game Stern went to decals on and I wouldn't be surprised if you have some decal issues (not that it makes it acceptable). I believe all the first run machines did not have to leg spacers on them either. Make sure you get some leg spacers from Stern (they sent me some for free, or you can get them from Pinball Life), and don't use the large, old style plastic cabinet protectors on the legs (they could wrinkle the decals).

If you're really unhappy with the decals, call Stern. They sent me a replacement set even though the decal wrinkling was my fault because I used cabinet protectors. I never replaced them though because it was a much bigger job than I wanted to do, so they went with the machine when I sold it. With all that being said, TF decals might be hard to come by this far after the run.

Chris

I'm curious. When you got the box, were the top and bottom flaps of the Stern box stapled like 4 to 6 times?
I realize they may have taken it off the pallet, but was it on one and if so, were the plastic straps around the box and through the pallet?

I got the same thing on my ramp flaps on my TFLE Autobot. Not an issue and if you really want to you can remove the ramps and clean them up. Mine never got worse after years now.

Yes later run TFLE's came with metal cabinet protectors from the factory. I bought mine right when it was released and it didn't have any protectors. TFLE was Stern's first game with decals.

Welcome, I bought a new in box KISS pro, it was missing rubbers on two posts, the ticket prong was bent on the cabinet node, and I had to rattle Stern for a main board because the one that came new in box was fried.
I will never, ever buy a new in box again.

NIB (new in box) has never meant MIB (mint in box). Games are cobbled together quickly. You'll find lose screws, parts not connected properly, etc. My iron man's ball stop post at the top fell to the bottom of the cabinet after about 20 games.

That residue/staining might be from whatever protective coating was on it sitting there for years. There are still quite a few NIB avatars and transformers out there because no one was willing to buy them.

Call the stern and the distributor you bought it from and see if either will help. They might if that part is even available after all this time.

I think you are being understandably picky about your NIB purchase; but I think you may be a little TO Picky.
Stern never sells these machines as Mint-In-Box. If these minor defects are rubbing you the wrong way; then you really shouldn't be buying Pinball machines at all. They aren't works of art; they are machines which are meant to be played the sh1t out of.

My take is call the distributor about your grievances and let me provide you the support they claim to offer. I'd be a "little" miffed about the side art... but at best all you can hope for is a new decal for future use.

Good luck

My experience is to absolutely go through your distributor, not Stern direct. If you try to go through Stern for a bigger ticket item they may drag things out for weeks.

Rob

The pin was definitely NIB and IMO it's perfectly fine. Minor smears and/or corrosion on the ramp flaps is a non-issue and beyond miniscule. Tiny decal inperfections aren't all that uncommon. Your upper cabinet keys were included, I'm sure. They're just on a different key ring. Take it from me. All is well! Enjoy the new pin! Don't bother obsessing over minor cosmetic imperfections.

The question that was asked about the way the box was sealed (stapled or not) should answer the used question.

.

Don't ever feel like a NOOB or hesitate with any questions. We were all noobs at some time and that is what this great forum is for. Transformers came with tarnished ramps-anodized metal reacts with solvents like grease, etc. It also came with bad decals. Almost every Transformers had this issue and it was mainly around front legs where wrinkling would appear. The game is several years past production and Stern may or may not help you out. You may want to call Michael at Automated to see what he can do, I am sure he has dealt with similar issues previously. The good news is you got a NIB Transformers at a reasonable price and it is a fantastic game that is a blast to play. Good luck and enjoy!

Nib heavy price tag jitters. It's cool. TFLE is a hugely underrated pin. Stern hyped it to beyond what it was and under-delivered based on that, which is a huge part of its price tag. That and the Optimus Prime roadblock, which has since been fixed. ( a year later after Gomez stated emphatically the pin was solid! Ego.)

I traded a POTC+small amount of cash for mine and still think it's great.

Backbox keys hang on the inside of the coin door next to the coin mechs on a little hook

I was surprised to see the megatron anti airball shelf installed already. I guess you got a later run machine, so stern may have started installing that stuff at the factory.

That blue rubber on the left ramp will get ball marks on it pretty quick, so since yours looks clean/new i think that lends itself toward this being NIB.

Rick