Absolute joke stern should be ashamed of themselves

Yeah, you are indeed new here.

Unfortunately this isn’t a surprise to anyone who has bought Stern games for the last few years.

I would put 100% of the blame on the Federal Reserve instead. They are the ones distorting prices for everyone. My guess is the $100 increase is for the cost of the lumber that more than doubled these past several months.

Then you’d be blown away to look at a Seawitch, Classic Stern in the 80s was mega cheap and bleeding money.
And then when they became Data East, always cutting costs. I love DE games and they had neat innovations coupled with garbage cost-cutting.
There’s a reason they’ve been able to reinvent so many times and stay in business. It sucks but the profits keep coming.

Operators aren't buying. Location pinball is dead until covid is cured. They need to make money somehow with the lower demand. Hobby keeps attracting noobs with pockets full of cash. Why not raise prices. Good job Stern!

From July to August lumber jumped 29%. The same house I framed in July, was $7800 cheaper for the framing lumber, than in August...Ouch....

I’m guessing licensing costs have gone up as well. My guess is Disney is being squeezed by falling revenue as well. Until theaters and theme parks are full again, the mouse is going to have to go after $$$ some other way.

Why wouldn’t they raise prices, the Avengers LE sold out in hours by showing a picture of it!

For my personal buying they've been going up around (average) of $133 per year since my first NIB in 2014

Let me explain it to you. Hobby is filled with DEEP pockets who really don't give a shit aboot $100. Not that hard to grasp.

I'm good it provided they reinvest a bit so I don't have to spend hours tinkering on a NIB. They're churning out fun games and kept torch alive, hope gary is sitting on a pile of cash

Pressure treated is even worse. Building a deck and a 5/4x6x16' board just cost me $27.40 plus tax! That was a "premium" board, close to clear but even the #2 grade is $20 when you can find one.

No one is celebrating it and certainly no one is happy with cutting corners. Fortunately some of the changes have been reversed (cabinet quality, support pegs) but there’s a long way to go to get back to the build quality of 6-7 years ago.

Because a lot of folks don’t care about quality of materials and any attention to detail. Over the last half decade, Stern games feel more like toys than commercial gaming equipment.

And I’m certainly guilty of padding their coffers.

Well they're off to a great start with that.

I’m sorry but everything goes up every year, typically 2-3%. Sometimes more sometimes less. 3% of $7599 is $227.97 so $100 is a bargain.

The people saying "Good job Stern for raising prices" are likely 3 star generals in the Stern Army lol.

Reminder that cost to manufacture and the sales price are not really related. The sales price is based on the market.

When mimimum wage is $15 an hour, a skilled worker is worth way more. Cost of goods always go up when wages go up. I don't like paying more either, but quit crying about it. Does no good. I can guarantee prices will not be going down any time soon.

you can always start your own pinball company and lower the cost. Just curious, do you work for free, have you ever wanted or received a raise. Because most people want that, and never knew that profit was a bad word.

Also curious, i just looked at you collection page, and you have never owned a stern, so really odd complaining about constant cut corners when you never had one

Classy guy ain't ya? Just making a point that prices go up every year on everything. Why you makin it sexual?

aimed at wanimal

What about $100? Folks pay $15k for POTC, $12.5 for MMRE, $10k+ for RaM, +$1000 over street for TMNT LE and will pay likely pay up to +$1000 more for TAV LE. Only $100 is a bargain! Manufacturing costs must have gone down this year with all that has been going on. No?

Also Folks demand a 2%+ a year pay raises each year but also want to pay the same price for clothes, food, healthcare, transportation, utilities and other important “needs“ such as a “Loaded” “deeply coded” pinball machine. Somethings gotta give I guess?

They are just getting warmed up. Wait till they add internet conductivity. They will start selling you DLC. Modes for your game that should have been included from day one.

Indeed. Profit is not a bad word!

Inflation has been no where near 3%; especially excluding food and healthcare. And should be more than offset by the positive impact of technology and productivity like Spike and their new, more efficient factory. Their pricing has little to do with inflation and everything to do with maximizing profit - as it should be with any well run business; especially one that dominates the market with 80-90% share.

The “it’s only 100” “you pay 10k anyway” mentality is what causes the prices in this hobby to get out of control... random price hikes, 1000 toppers, it’s not cool.,,

Wages up, prices up. Good for income equality! We need to pay more support them

Despite PPP they got when taxes go back up for them in 2021 you can add another few hundred

Ok you win.

Honestly? $100 is a joke when you live in Canada and pay 13% taxes on TOP of the exchange rate.
Fortunately, the f/x isn’t too bad right now so on Avengers LE, it’s 13% x 1.31 x pin price.
I’ve previously purchased when the CDN was much weaker resulting in an increase of a 10% higher price!
TEN PERCENT!
So $100? I’m far more concerned that Stern has Keith Elwin, Zombie Yeti, Lyman Sheats, Steve Ritchie, John Borg, George Gomez, Dwight Sullivan and the rest of the pinball A-team hard at work, making games that are worth the price tag.
Not to mention the Deadflip videos that are produced, explaining the rules and showing off all the toys.
But of course, to each their own. If you don’t think the games are worth it, that’s an opinion that you’re entitled to.

Respect your elders (edit)

Is that a question?
Are you asking me?
(edit)

(edited by mod team)

Lol. Naw., just drunk and always salty.
That Vette has been there for 7 years, no hurry now.

Yep. I’d actually prefer it if they cut MORE corners.

I don't get it. this is how business works? almost everything costs more over time.