Getting the game first. However in the case of a 2013 title like Metallica - zero reason to go NIB unless you ran out of patience trying to find a used one.

Sorry about your experience. I think the best you can hope for is that Stern may send you new cabinet decals. I'm sure you don't want to re-decal your game, but at least if you sold it in the future, they'd be there for the next owner if the scratches bugged them.

Nah - Stern made the choice to go from "coin-op" to "luxury goods". They're charging a upscale price for an upscale clientele who rightfully expect a quality product. When NIB full featured games were $3500, we were a lot more lenient with our analness. Not that THAT was "cheap", mind you - but if there was a nick on the cabinet, most would let it go. Now that we're in $7k-$15k mode....yeah this shit better be perfect when it gets boxed up.

WTF (resized).jpeg

Why is that relevant to having an opinion on the matter?

That's by design lol

Actually the plastic one on TWD is by design. TWD has the same cannon as Austin Powers, which also had a plastic apron to work with the cannon when other games of the era had metal aprons.

Most people like the higher resolution of the new decals. Before the new decals, collectors complained endlessly about the "pixelated" Stern cabinet art. Also, they didn't have replacement decals back then....try touching up a printed Stern cab if it's been damaged - it looks like crap. At least if a newer Stern's cabinet gets damaged, you can make it look brand new again with replacement decals.