At $7.5k for a full featured premium, or $8.5k for an LE (after buying shaker motor) - I am out of the nib pinball market. I'd always consider pro models too, but $5.5k is more than I'm willing to spend to open a box. It really doesn't matter what the title is either ... I maxed out at: 4.8k / 6.3k / 7.8k. New doesn't mean better, I tell myself. SW will still be exciting to play, and I look forward to it, I just won't be owning one, or any other nib Stern going forward, evidently.

Looks like an easy way to finance a pinball machine is here, if you didn't have all the cash together now. Even though term is only 1 year, making payments over $500, the interest is 10% and there is no lengthy loan approval process.

SW4Lease.pdf

Reread some of the preorder sagas - JPOP or Skit-B or Heighway and their variations. There is much to be learned, including a few financial nuggets. It comes with four side dishes - anger, denial, despair and humor.

Also reread financial topic threads - those dealing with financing a pin purchase, licensing a theme, paying for a pin with PayPal and how to get a credit card chargeback. Sage advice is mixed with bad, illegal, unfounded and insane points of view, but it is all there in black and white and comes sprinkled with bits of humor.

Pinside is a treasure of pinball stuff occurring in the last decade. OP, I know are really seeking a book on small business accounting, but above threads are case studies.

My experience writing checks on a credit card account is that the rate is indeed 0 percent, however you pay a fee to write the check. Seems like around 1.5% for MC & Visa, or $90 on $6k transaction, which is not totally fee free as described, but is a one time hit and then you enjoy 0 percent for the defined timeframe.

I've used for two pin purchases and it worked great. I was expecting a lot of OT, and the pins were available, so I bought one and paid it off within time. The checks were a convenient method - with no additional paperwork nor new loan approval process. Checks came in my monthly statement and I put them in a drawer. Three months later I needed money for the first pin and I wrote a check. I saw the fee on my next statement, which is how I learned about it. After that I worked off the pin and soon another pin came up that I needed, so did the same. Now my pins are paid off and I am practically debt free (except house, cars, boat etc)

Guess I enjoy living in the past, I refuse to go above 6.2k for nib premium. Even that is too much. I feel comfortable paying 5k/6k/7k for pro/prem/Le. There is no reason prices should be so much higher.

If Stern adds drops and integrates a magnet I'll be ordering a SW prem, otherwise, I feel priced out. SW pro looks fun but is too sparse for the money, unless pricing scale drops $500, I'll be passing on SW altogether.

No, he's patiently awaiting any film to reach 100% approval before wasting his time.

^^^ Good stuff. .89 update looks like solid changes. Previous updates addressed first round of Dwight changes to scoring and yet this version does not. Surprised because recent scoring with people running .87 and .88 code show scoring is still too high. I've suggested cutting target values throughout game by factor of 10 and leaving multipliers alone for a simple and effective solution. And maybe they can add adjustment in menu for ball speed of balls in hyperdrive. Current speed setting should be a 2. Offer half speed for setting of 1, offer double speed for setting at 3. And quad speed of those balls circling in the loop for a setting of 4. Heck, hyperdrive speed could be a 5.

Happy that Stern is taking care of the problem playfield and ultimately you - a valued customer. This may be our first test case, but.... if ghosting inserts and flaking clearcoat are considered within normal parameters, why is Stern replacing your playfield? Did they mean those could be expected after thousands of plays, but was not acceptable out of the box or up to a minimum number of balls played? Well they didn't say that, so why would Stern replace something that was not defective Answers suggesting it is because of Stern's altruistic business philosophy won't be accepted.

What's with all the silverware coming out of boob's head? some kind of fetish maybe?

... and you pay more too (presumably, the artwork is worth more than the rest of the pin)