Heard as well.

Ive had to buy a lower grade health Insurance Because prices have gone up.
Ive had to take a lower cost vacation, because of Price Increases.
Ive started to take a tight look at food, because of increases.
I have less coming in being retired, and only bought my first NIB, a couple years ago.
It ends with GB.

I love Stern, and JJP, and all Games.....But this is a problem.

Used is where I am back to, and I dont mind at all.

But we have Global Cost Changes likely coming with the New administration,
and Stern Raising again, means only those earning more will feel no issues with this....maybe.

Its time, and I hate to say this....maybe they can get some tax incentives, but time to move the factory.
This Labor is from $3-$6 an hour just across the border, and trucking costs are minimal.

It is a way to get full featured Pros back with profit at $3995 and top of the line at $5995.

Homeowners and collectors would benefit.....How much would this mean to Route operators????

Time to start listening a bit to customers, and if it stays status quo, data mine your customers for Toys and features.

Many of us, as independents, would love to see a toy idea or Proto, make it into a game.

Not every game needs to be over the top to be fun.....Iron Man, to me, is a perfect example.

I know its a bottom line deal, but its time to look at Labor costs, efficiency, and anything and everything else to squeeze out the profits needed, without the easiest method...simply raising prices.

I feel bad for the Hobby about this....How cool to be back at $3K HUO after a few years...??

That, to me, is how you grow the Hobby with New Blood.

My Meds are thankfully safe! Those costs have dropped in half!

Yikes! Some down votes....Im guessing you dont want the assembly to move out of country?

Yet, many parts are made there, or even an Alien Pin is OK, and made outside US....?

In both our cases, these are assumptions.

I would think many of our consumer products have dropped in retail price point due to global production.

I appreciate the vote of "delusional", when everything else in the market place shows otherwise.

Sure, Im a Nationalist, and want everything made in the US.

Im addressing a method that might work with this thread....maintaining profits, without raising prices.

One method is labor costs.

Paying workers a decent wage shouldnt be a negative, of course, so Im guessing the price increases are OK
by you?

I can respect that position.....or welcome another thought on how to see quality improve, while seeing MSRP drop.

I would hope they are doing it for both...wouldnt you?

Either better availability, newer innovation, higher quality, or lower price......arent these the demands of a Consumer
Market?

Some of them....especially after the tour at Expo.

If you have more eyes, perhaps those flaws that occur can be caught before shipping.

In LEDs, the MSRP was $1.59, before PBB, PBL, and myself, brought them to $.59-$.89 cents.
To fix QC issues, I agreed to pay $.01 cent more, per bulb, for a final inspection before packing and shipping.
I cant say which company my rejects went to in the US market.

In my other business, I went from NY manufacturing among friends, to Merida, Mexico, Thailand and China.
I fixed late shipments, Quality Control, and lowered Consumer Prices, while increasing profit margins.

I think this is what most of US companies that have consumer merchandise have done in the last 20 years.

In regard to Stern, QC issues, may often be within a normal range, but social media magnifies it.
This discussion, in anything Pinball, is communicated ad nausem, among vendors......seriously.

Its just people, and mistakes happen, while consumers expect and demand perfection.

If its Code....they need more programmers, right?
If its lower cost, yet higher quality, Id love for this thread to have us help all of us with ideas on how to achieve,

The thread is titled "TELL THEM NO".

Im not sure if just bitching will fix this, or simply not buying...especially if sales still stay strong to a different
income demographic....will change this.

We have some mighty fine talented people here...what if one of the toys that a Pinsider has made, designed and tested,
were to be used? Wouldnt that save costs?
How about Artwork? Coding maybe. Some of the Mods made are better than original toys....
As a community, we can contribute, if a business would like us.

Maybe we could vote for less complex games to keep the price down, and Stern has heard this and made the New Home
Spiderman.

Ultimately, I was doing nothing more than expressing my opinion after 45 years in manufacturing on how to avoid a price increase, and improve QC, etc.

Perhaps, its best, I just let this roll, and let you guys get back to complaining, and sharing, "No"

No worries...

No problem to respect this as a counter to my position.

Yes. As an example the factory making the LEDs in your new Stern, is the same as I used and others.
While, the standard example is to "Negotiate, tougher deals.....lower prices, minimal profit"...
I am well aware of the complaints of the labor and the factory complaining of higher quotas, no pay increases,
and a degree of "revenge" with letting quality slip.

Either we pay more, or we pay the same and get less. Otherwise, one needs to cut costs to stay in business, and maintain margins. Increase volume, and therefore gross profit is true, but most pin manufacturers forecast a finite market
for this product....hence the home pin attempt again...profit and customer base market expansion.

Oh, I agree...Never was a fan of NAFTA.

The problem we will likely face with rearranging trade deals or Tariffs, is (in a short comment, as it gets political), is hyper
inflation here.

Im not sure how the public in the US will react.