Quoted from Lermods:
People complain about high prices, but I think stern actually helps keep prices lower than they otherwise would, including the secondary market. The pro sets the bar for pricing. They also have really helped spread the pinball word in many ways. Hard to imagine what the pinball world would be like without them.
Would we have Wonka Standard @ $7500 without Stern? Also, it is worth mentioning that having new, reliable games in the $5k range makes location pinball much more realistic. I would never say that Stern games don't have issues; I have experienced many personally. But as others have said, the support is very good. I would put a Stern Pro up against JJP, CGC or Spooky any day to have more location up time.