The only difference is that 7 years ago you do not get a baseline Pro, you got the machine as in it's full glory. Do you really believe they would still sell LOTR or Spiderman today for a 20% increase over what they originally sold for? Doubt it, if it were re-released today they would be as a Premium equivalent price range with all the ramps, toys, metal apron, PF rails, etc. or you could be an altered version with less features that may fall in the 20% range.

Why is it so bad a pinball company makes a profit!?!?!?!? We saw what happened when it was no longer profitable for Williams.

Prices aren't ludicrous. In fact, they haven't really changed that much in 10 years. In 2004, I paid $4,500 for my NIB LOTR. Last year, I purchased a NIB Metallica Pro for a less than $4,500. Sure, the Premiums and LE's can get pricey, but the Pro prices compare favorably with Stern pins 10 years ago. The Pro's aren't as richly appointed as the "stock" LOTR/TSPP's, but that's a detail...

You may have overpaid for that LOTR at the time.

Maybe, but from my perspective it was a bargain since the "Sharper Image" store was selling it for 5.5k (msrp iirc).

Pinball warehouse in San Jose gave me great in-home delivery and support @ no charge (so I was happy).

I of course only get my machines from Skymall.

Wow. I'm kinda tired of these rerelease of existing games. Some bought Metallica for $4300 and now it's around $4900.00 for the new cab, which has a cheaper production cost and led s

$4300 shipped? Really? Good deal.

Those would be warm dead hands, my incandescent friend.

Mine was around 4500 shipped last May. Dude is right, you're paying more now for a lesser product (IMHO).

With higher demand companies raise prices to increase profits, its Microeconomics 101.

I completely call BS on your "$500 more" comment in 6 years. When Transformers LE combo was sold NIB, it could be had for $5500. What LE sells today for $6000 NIB ?

Seems like Stern needs some sales to fill in their production schedule so they are pricing IM and Metallica to generate the right level of volume at the best profit. I'm involved in manufacturing and we will often price product to match available capacity - more isn't always better.

Soooooo, the pros are up to 5600 bucks now? I shudder to think how much the LEs will be selling for.

Comparing absolute rock bottom from months ago to the new MSRP is apples to oranges. Let this settle out and see what the real price is. The original Met Pro MSRP was $5395... Also, I prefer the new metal cabinet and certainly the LEDs cost more and are worth it if they have the new circuitry to remove ghosting/strobing/flickering. Not to mention the speaker panel looks bad ass. That panel is worth at least $100 to me ($50 for the sticker and $50 for the better viewing angle that eliminates the need for a glare guard). So all in all if it is only $300 more, I am gladly a buyer of the new version over the old.

Actually it was $4995. Source: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/04/will-the-metallica-table-help-pinball-ride-the-lightning-to-relevance/

I know that article is correct because I wrote it, and that number is straight from Stern PR.

For the last ten years at least MSRP is a moving target. It shows $5395 on their own website and has for some time. The rock bottom street price is what matters. MSRP means nothing unless you are remaking MM.

http://www.sternpinball.com/games/metallica/pro

I bought Star Trek Pro this year for $500 more than i paid for Spiderman in 2008. I don't know any prices of LE games, last time I checked my distributor said he doesn't order them.

It was a fun back and forth yesterday, appreciate the replies specifically from Rarehero. I just don't like the direction pinball is going. If it wasn't elitist enough 5 - 10 years ago as it was, it is even more so these days at the current market prices. I want to be more into this hobby, but can't at the current pricepoint tear. Wish I could share this hobby with others with another machine or 2. And isn't that what we all want? To have fun and share this with our friends? Oh well...one day...

Here's the thing to remember - "It's all relative". When I started in the hobby, NIB games were ~$3800 - and I thought that was INSANE. I was buying broken 90's DMD pinballs on Craigslist for $500-1000(ish) all day long instead, and that's how I built my collection.

That was my way of getting into the hobby. You don't have to buy new games. I like buying the older games cheap(ish), and fixing them up myself. They're harder to come around these days, as a good chunk of them have been snapped up....but even if you can't find project games or even if you're not a fixer-upper, you can get a great 90's B/W pin for $2k-or-so...that's well under your $3k number.

The price of new games isn't "elitist"....it's just what a niche product like pinball has to cost for a pinball company to thrive and pay its employees salaries. It's always been an expensive hobby. When I started, my 'cap' was $300 lol...granted, I was only collecting classic vids....but my first pin, BTTF, was $300! I hope everyone has a chance to get at least one "bargain" pin. It feels good!

Also, don't forget that people often 'build-up' their collections over time before buying a new stern.
I sold a BSD and DM to fund my first NIB.

Most people aren't jumping into a new Stern as first time pin owners.

where are you finding Metallica pros under 5 k?

Everywhere! way less delivered.

I see games come up all the time at $1500-2500, and I just bought one for $200 yesterday. Frankly I don't know why anyone of limited means even looks at new pin prices. I don't test-drive Porsches because I'm happy with my '06 4-Runner. There are a lot of pins out there like my 4-Runner.

The collector side of the hobby has always been somewhat elitist. Pinball machines in the home are very expensive luxury items. Same thing goes for hobbies like sailing or collecting restored cars. It's the nature of the beast.

The fact that you talk about the hobby being too expensive without even acknowledging that location pinball exists suggests an elitist attitude to me. I see homeless people playing pinball on location occasionally. Owning a game is not a requirement of the hobby. Hell, you don't even have to have a job. So please forgive me if I don't shed a tear for the fact that you can't afford to buy a game.

Now that IS something. Can you imagine what the diaper-rubbing community on Pinside would do if a homeless person played their machines? Lot's of people don't allow tilting even.

Not exactly many places in Cincinnati area to play games on location. The sad truth.

Not sure if I'm a big fan of Stern pumping out Pro 2.0's less than a year after the originals dropped. Seems like it's best to just wait and buy Sterns a year or more after their initial release if you're not going the LE route.

So which distributor do you buy your Sterns from???

We have a big cincypinball group though. Shoot me a PM, could hang out sometime and hook you up with the locals.

Well, to be fair - they have been transitioning to the new cabinet style....not sure they're doing it to rub anything in anyone's face - but they're just at that point where the total changeover has happened & they want to keep selling Met & AC/DC - so, into the new cabinet they go.

I buy from Trent @ Tilt Amusements

Have heard nothing but great things about Trent and Tilt amusements. Good stuff

Things are getting better. Lakewood just got a new place. Hang in there.

There you go. metallik will hook you up in the mean time.

PM sent

Trent rules!

This is how I built my collection.....and then I got a taste for new in box Stern machines.

Now, which company is going to bring out an updated Back to the Future pinball machines? Out of any possible future themes, that would be a must buy at all costs. I'm still chasing a Data East Back to the Future to quench that thirst.

Cheers!
Adam.

So that means that my Met Pro in old cabinet is the end of an era, eh? Wood head boxes, 80 years was not long enough, we barely knew ye.

Its also best to wait for the LE. You never know what Stern is going to do (or more importantly, not do). I bought a NIB METLE last month with no problem at all.

We need Stern to get into the mod business. Make a new decal in the same style for the original pro. I'd buy one..

Yep, I think they're missing out on money. Their Web store could generate so much more business.

"Oh look, I can now purchase mods direct. While I get my Dirty Donny t-shirt, I'll grab that Sparky bobble head toy, as well as some speaker panel decals for my AC/DC and Metallica Pro to keep them fresh....Ahhh and will add that swinging bell mod to the list as well."

Cheers!
Adam.

Wow, you were on the money on the Mod stuff!! They've taken your advice!

Why doesn't Stern show updated pictures of the LED version on their website? You would think they would update that so people know what they are buying. I sent a email to see if they could update those pictures. Even on this forum there is very little pictures. I've seen the different back box and thats about it. Would someone please post some pictures of this LED model, stock would be nice to see what it looks like right out of the box. Thanks!