I think if anyone in Ohio wants to come play scooby when I get it to see if they like it, I’d be okay with that.

Completely unrelated question… Does anyone know the highest dollar amount per play I can set for Spooky Pins? I think Stern is like $20.

Might actually be an accurate statement.....

Can you explain this a little more? As a distributor I often have to wonder why people order direct vs a distributor?

Myths about ordering direct

"I will get a lower game number if I order direct" - not necessarily. For example. I have 5 games in the sub 50's, then collector editions x16-x25 for the 100's-600's

"I will get better tech support if I need it if I order direct" - completely wrong. You get the same level of service from spooky regardless if you order direct or buy it from someone that bought it from someone, that bought it from spooky. In fact, buying from a distributor gives you an additional level of support as (most of us) are either technically trained or have a tech department to help in the rare case you will need it.

"I will save money by buying direct" - nope, costs are the same regardless of where you buy it unless your distributor marked the price up.

I have nothing against people ordering direct, I am just curious on the above statement about wanting to.

Looking at the hype thread where folks won't get games for at least 2 months and they are upset that they don't have their number yet. Some folks are just more Veruca than others.

giphy.gif

I don’t see anyone here that is upset or entitled about this. Just people asking if anyone else got their number from a distributor that posted in this forum that they would have numbers emailed out by yesterday… but it doesn’t appear that happened. Seems reasonable to check here to be sure they didn’t miss an email when the distributor asked that customers don’t contact just to ask for their number. Also seems reasonable to me that people in a hype thread would be hyped to learn if they will be waiting a couple months or several.

This weekend my plan is to get my 7 year old daughter on board the Scooby Doo hype train. We are going to watch the original series on HBO. She has only seen the newest versions so I think this will be fun.

Some perspective from a person fairly new to the scene, bought my first a year ago...

It’s as simple as not having a relationship with a distributor and making call after call on a couple of releases now, specifically Rush and Toy Story, just to give up and order direct because everyone’s list is of people waiting is too long.

Maybe things are different because this is a Spooky release but this time I just ordered direct and did not even bother making calls…

Just felt like sharing these again.
Butter me up

3E20F69B-C90D-4CFA-9EB5-EA0379E8B447 (resized).jpeg

3E25899F-3FC9-4F36-A03F-83293990EA8B (resized).jpeg

I was not that interested until I saw it was a wide body and the look of it thin showed the wife and she was all in I am excited for my first Spooky. It looks so good.

It’s a gorgeous game. Halloween was our first Spooky and very happy with it. Grail theme for me. Fan since the early 70’s.

thank you for your perspective.

Because in theory it's a pretty simple situation; ordering starts @ 10am I'll order and be done by 10:04.
Of course ordering direct from Spooky is nothing like this and I would never order direct from them again.

People also probably assume your early slots are taken up by established costumers.

Regarding distributers, I think to those of us who do not order a ton of NIB, Distributers are basically just webstores. Whoever has the lowest prices regarding taxes / fees / shipping and allows me to place an order wins.

Art is great, no doubt about that. Not a fan of huge upper PF so I will be passing on this one. Not sure why so many are spending so much time about ppl losing money or making money. This hobby is not the stock market. You buy a pin you like, you play the pin and keep it untill you no longer want it. Then you sell the pin at the current market price which we all know can fluctuate. I never bought a pin telling myself "I will be able to make money when I sell this". I made the purchase because I wanted it and it looked fun to play or I played it and want it. If your buying pins up to FLIP then thats on you. They can go scratch IMO.

I like buying direct because I like as much of my money going directly to the people who actually make the product and not to a middle man who in this case literally doesn’t do anything if I get my game directly shipped from spooky which would also be my preference.

Found this ornament
Hallmark 2018
I'm going to put it near the blue rail exciting the upper playfield. It seems perfectly on theme as a way for Scooby to escape Capitan Cutler / leave the upper playfield

Right half of picture is too give some scale

IMG_20221217_135603 (resized).jpg

I am getting one of those. Good find

Every thing I buy I try and evaluate how it will effect my finances. I really wish one day I had so much disposable income it wouldn’t matter if I bought a 10,000 dollar toys.

Honestly if pinball machines cost 10k and after 10 years they were worth zero I would not own 1 machine period. I don’t have the money or mental capacity to take that kind of loss over and over again. I am super happy for you and the others on pinside that can afford such losses on toys and hopefully I get there someday.

Oh and I have a wife so loosing 10k a machine. Nope

Congrats to you and flip on brotha!!!

Everyone is entitled to do what they want. I see more value in building a relationship with a distributor that sells machines from all the manufactures. My distro does actually do stuff outside of just selling us the machine. In the real world outside of pinball this model of business selling through distributors is proven and successful. IMO

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This.

yeah, this is definitely a fair point.

I appreciate everyone's responses. I don't begrudge anyone from ordering directly, i am just always looking to ways to "do better by the customer." I was a spooky customer long before i was a distributor for them.

I think the part of this hobby that is the most questionable is what does a distro actually do in the digital transaction age? I've done both direct and through distros, and in both situations I dealt with the manufacturers not the distros when something was needed. We don't like to make car comparisons, but in most products that are not cars, you get replacements if your purchase is broken or a lemon. That isn't the case with pinball. What I've heard is that distros can help with getting issues resolved, but I don't necessarily think that is the case these days. The customers have little leverage anymore because the companies keep selling out. This also means the distros have little leverage because they don't actually 'need' your business, they have others lined up waiting and they aren't sitting on stock for months for almost anything.

I'm sure there are scenarios where they shine, don't get me wrong, I just think that their involvement is more heavily around operators than home owners and I'm not sure the transition to service to the homeowner is as apparent as it is to operators because business has changed over the decades, and unless you are one of their old buddies that's been ordering from them non stop forever, you aren't getting too much special treatment.

Well Zablon I think the infamous "Costumer Service" probably means more than ever with so many new people in the hobby. I guess if you had a lemon or a disintegrating PF that's a diff'rent issue; but 99.8% of the time I dont need hell with anything.

-Email stern about a problem you're having trouble solving while you are still under warranty…
-Then email Greg at FlipnOut about the issue on a machine you bought from them.

Let me know which gets back with you first. (Hah, if at all.)

It’s two things for me. First is in 2022 I buy everything on a credit card. It’s easier, faster, and I get cash back. If I had to mail a check it takes time out of my day and I lose $200 in cash back on a purchase this size. The second thing was I knew that the earlier I ordered direct, the earlier I got a game. When I spoke to a distro prior to launch they said they’ll sort out numbers later. Could be 50, could be 1600. I need more certainty for that.

Those were the two reasons I went direct despite knowing the online shop would crash.

Sounds like a Stern issue. I don't buy NiB Sterns. I have to play them first and they are generally widely available. I do however get your point.

Depends on the manufacturer. Stern has very limited direct sales so you need to deal with a distro in most cases. With Spooky, I don't see a point in dealing with distros because they have a dedicated direct sales operation.

Thanks for the scale picture. My daughter was looking to buy me something for Christmas - and she just got it.

Distributors provide a valuable service to both the customers and the manufacturers, and saying they do nothing is quite insulting to the majority of them.

My distro Jason at classic got me a new playfield. JJP would give me one so I went through Jason and he sent me one.

Not being able to use a credit card without a fee is rough. As a consumer, you lose the protections afforded to you if something were to go wrong. Most give cash back and it's just easier.

I totally get why a small business has to charge a credit card fee. The margins on a niche hobby like pinball that doesn't move a lot of units is hard to just swallow those fees and charge MSRP as a distributor. Unfortunately, it's part of the equation. Good distributors like yourself looking for ways to add value make it easier to justify.

Yet you have EHOH 40th? I’m confused by your repetitive posts in this thread.

I’m trying to figure out the best time to pounce on the dog!!

I do have a 40th still NIB any interest in it?

I guess I was asking if he is worried in both direction for them or just a one way street. I general have empathy for people and total strangers, so yes I worry about them many times when it would be best if I did not, one of my many weaknesses my apologies.

I honestly think Spooky was a disingenuous by saying distros have more names on list then games available to churn up the FOMO hype before launch day. I read into that and my BS meter pegged out, it appears to be accurate as well.

When I get home from Vacation I will be unboxing my Halloween and can't wait to make the Scooby Doo purchase, at the right time I hope. I enjoy the buying game and am learning everyday

Lots of people like me I suspect. I got on an interested list but didn’t pull the trigger because I want to see more and have some reservations (pun intended) about gameplay. Could be that interested lists were full pre-sales day but when it came time to put up the cash lots decided to wait, which would explain Spooky’s statement (which I never saw, but taking your word for it).

You could be 100% correct, "maybe so" as my dad would say.

Nope. You missed the boat on that one. Also, just because someone spends their money frivolously or without considering the financial ramifications, doesn't mean they have more disposable income than you. I can 100% guarantee that.

I didn’t mean to imply that they never do anything. I have a local distributor that I like quite a lot! But in cases like this where a game is coming fresh off the line to my house a distributor does little to nothing. I was simply answering the question asked earlier of, “why do people buy direct?”

I’d rather spooky make more in cases like this.

That’s me too. I don’t need a full Twitch reveal stream. I just need to see the whole package and how it works as a game. I have no problem being later in line because of it.

No date yet for the stream?

I think you are looking for the reasonable, informed buyer thread....this is the shut up and take my money HYYYYYPPEEEE thread. Chugga CHUGGA choooo CHOOO!

I'm excited about this game. I used to watch the show as a kid all the time. Spooky space kook is one of my favorite villains, im hoping someone makes a led animated Sculpt of him to put in the game.

tumblr_a521a40459ac5c1cb3ce9f16db640f1a_ec90a056_1280 (resized).jpg

Hopefully they put the crazy “Space Kook” sound in the game…somehow somewhere.

I'm sure it's there when he is the villain

as much scooby as i watched as a kid, i don't remember that villain at all. I only remember some old guys in mansions.

If you don’t have HBO Max, there are four, five minute videos to complete the episode on YouTube. Top to bottom, 1-4.

I love the idea of modes playing out like episodes, working your way through the mystery until you unmask the villain. That's the kind of code I enjoy, I don't care as much about scoring points as I do completing missions. Based on what the guys have said it seems like this might be their approach. I hope it is because that sounds like it could be really fun with all the audio/video from the show.

^^^^ 100% this ^^^^

That’s fun, but you also need the scoring so you can create multiple scoring strategies and keep you coming back or else the experience is the same every time.