This thread is an interesting read. It is great to hear from some of the folks with experience finishing playfields (CaptainNeo, HEP).

I think that it should be expected that over time playfields have a higher probability of ghosting, however, the issue here is that NIB playfields are ghosting immediately and that shouldn't be expected or acceptable especially when this was not a prevalent issue previously. So something has changed for sure.

I have HUO LOTR, IM, Tron, SM, XM, WPT & MET and none of these have any signs of ghosting or clear cracking. Not a single pin has more than 3k plays and all are kept in my basement and do not experience any significant temperature or humidity fluctuations. If this did develop now I would not be upset (things do age), however, I would be more than slightly annoyed if a bought a NIB with these playfield issues. I am not one for rolling the dice so I have decided to only buy on the used-market so that I can see what I am getting.

Not really any different that researching buying a used car - some makes/models/vintages should be avoided. Always take 'em for a test drive and know what to look for.