I do think that prices on pins are crazy right now, so I agree with everyone who seems to keep posting about the issue. It’s been beat to death around here, BUT.......Why do you really care? (Just trying to put a positive spin on the crazy market.)

Think about it, if you have been in the hobby for a while chances are you have pins already. Didn't these pins also rise in price/value? For example something like a TZ a few years ago, 5 maybe was about 3k or so, now 5-6k right? Well let’s say you sell that pin and make a decent amount of money on it, you can afford to turn around and pick up whatever other pin you want in place of it. A good comparison is the housing market. Obviously pricing has traveled in the opposite direction, and people complain they have lost their ass on their house. On the other hand if they sell the house and take a loss chances are they can go ahead and buy another house, hopefully. When they purchase the new home they will enjoy a depressed price on the new house. It’s a wash really. I can go on and on about the housing market and people who purchased beyond their means, but I won’t.

Now back to pins, one thing that does suck about current pricing is adding to your collection without reducing/selling part of your collection. It can be bit difficult to deal with crazy pricing. I am currently looking to add to the collection and never thought I would be paying 5k and up for any pin, let alone ones I sold years ago for much less. (kicking myself as I am sure many of you are)

Personally I am happy that I have picked a hobby that can help support itself (through sales and trades) and it’s a good thing it does because as well all know this is a very expensive hobby to have. Eventually prices will either come down or level out, but as many have already mentioned, the people that grew up with these games are starting to make serious cash and can afford to just say 5-7k, no problem.

I think we should all be happy that we have a hobby that allows us to purchase games, enjoy them for years and generally get back what we have into them or even make a few bucks. To that I say, EMBRACE the market, enjoy the market and be happy more and more people are getting into the hobby. The larger the market the more that Stern, JJP and others will continue to stay in business as well as the possibility of companies such as Marco, Mad amusements, etc. continuing to supply the market with parts. Maybe if the demand was there back in 98-99 we all would still have Bally.

They don't make 70's style houses anymore either, when is the next house going to have shag carpet and rediculous lighting fixtures. The houses have changed just like Stern and JJP have changed pinball machines. Also the comparison was more related to fluxuations in markets, but to be litteral, yes the houses of decades ago are not being built the same, just as pins are not.

I agree. I wish the new sterns were not so expensive. There have been a few that I would have bought because I was interested in them but I wasn't willing to take a chance on them taking a crap value wise after purchasing it. Duds such as shrek, indiana jones, wpt, playboy, Transformers, etc.

Quality not quantity. Although quality is in the eye of the beholder.

Seems a tad steep on a few of the titles, but hey they are all up and running and gone through. A nice collection to start with, hard to swallow price tag for a beginner though.

I couldnt agree any more. The one flaw in my above rant, the newbees are the ones really taking it on the pricing.

I don't think your statement could be farther from the truth. Stick built homes today are 10 fold better than those even built in the 90's and those homes make the 70's homes look like shacks. Building materials today are extremely advanced, lighter, stronger, safer, etc. Architecture is above and beyond, plumbing, electrical, basically every single part of homes built today make prior decades look like crap.

Now, depending on regions you live in, craftsmanship is another thing entirely. Always find a great contractor or do it yourself.

However, in the pinball world, pins made today do not even compare to the pins of the early-mid 90's.

Almost all of my pins come from operators. I work with about 30 operators out there, they all hate pins, no matter what the price. Pins just don't make money, plain and simple. People just don't play them like they used and dropping the price is not going to change that even if operators did buy them.

I think we all are crying for help, Stern and JJP are just deaf