Yeah, I’d be in for at least two, maybe more.
The problem is the margin just isn't there to make these practical. Maybe if someone in the plastics or manufacturing industry were to make the panels in plastic it could drive down the prices and time to produce (eliminate all the milling, sanding, painting, routing, etc). But doing it yourself by the time you supply all the bits... you can be 70+ in parts before you even include any labor. It just makes it impractical to do in any volume.
I have reconsidered resuming the building of Swap Boxes. I never did it for the money, more the enjoyment of seeing them on display in collector's game rooms, and the feedback in this thread.
Pricing will remain the same $135 (plus shipping). I can ship one Swap Box for $35 or two for $45.
All will be the r/f remote style (it was by far the most popular model).
I just built a couple Swap boxes for the newer Stern Spike 2 LCD style games. BM66, GOTG, Aerosmith, and SW look fantastic in Swap Boxes.
I will only be building Swap Boxes for any modern Stern sized translite (1999-present).
I have several parts orders incoming, and should have some inventory built within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for all the support!!
I’ll take 2 modern stern ones and 2 newer stern ones please!! Let me know where to send the funds!!
Thanks for bringing sexy back!! Lol
Glad you guys waiting on Stern sized swap boxes will be taken care of.
I really need 2 WPC sized ones though
Quoted from flynnibus:The problem is the margin just isn't there to make these practical. Maybe if someone in the plastics or manufacturing industry were to make the panels in plastic it could drive down the prices and time to produce (eliminate all the milling, sanding, painting, routing, etc). But doing it yourself by the time you supply all the bits... you can be 70+ in parts before you even include any labor. It just makes it impractical to do in any volume.
I'd say $65 margins is well worth the time it takes to build one, and package. People are fighting to buy these things. He could do 10 on a saturday.
Oh crap I only have one GOT tl. But I do have new mirrored Silverball Mania and Space Shuttle bg's that I would LOVE to get box's for.
Quoted from lordloss:I'd say $65 margins is well worth the time it takes to build one, and package. People are fighting to buy these things. He could do 10 on a saturday.
1) I used a very conservative number as I've not looked at his BOM in particular. He's supplying things like trim which I've not sourced, while I tended to include the window material in my builds
2) If you think he could do 10 of these that quickly from scratch... I think you should just build them yourself and see
Even simple structures take time when you include actual prep time, waiting for finishes/glue to dry, switching out jigs/bits. Stocking parts and doing assembly as a separate task would speed things up, but also make it from an on-demand build to actually dedicating space and capital to inventory, etc.
I've built multiples of these myself... they are awesome and you wish you could do it for everyone... till you start realizing the really minor return on your time unless you industrialize the build.
Quoted from flynnibus:1) I used a very conservative number as I've not looked at his BOM in particular. He's supplying things like trim which I've not sourced, while I tended to include the window material in my builds
2) If you think he could do 10 of these that quickly from scratch... I think you should just build them yourself and see
Even simple structures take time when you include actual prep time, waiting for finishes/glue to dry, switching out jigs/bits. Stocking parts and doing assembly as a separate task would speed things up, but also make it from an on-demand build to actually dedicating space and capital to inventory, etc.
I've built multiples of these myself... they are awesome and you wish you could do it for everyone... till you start realizing the really minor return on your time unless you industrialize the build.
You got that right. I know that first hand with my 2 mods.
Quoted from blimpey:I have reconsidered resuming the building of Swap Boxes. I never did it for the money, more the enjoyment of seeing them on display in collector's game rooms, and the feedback in this thread.
Pricing will remain the same $135 (plus shipping). I can ship one Swap Box for $35 or two for $45.
All will be the r/f remote style (it was by far the most popular model).
I just built a couple Swap boxes for the newer Stern Spike 2 LCD style games. BM66, GOTG, Aerosmith, and SW look fantastic in Swap Boxes.
I will only be building Swap Boxes for any modern Stern sized translite (1999-present).
I have several parts orders incoming, and should have some inventory built within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for all the support!!
Awesome!
Quoted from blimpey:I have reconsidered resuming the building of Swap Boxes. I never did it for the money, more the enjoyment of seeing them on display in collector's game rooms, and the feedback in this thread.
Pricing will remain the same $135 (plus shipping). I can ship one Swap Box for $35 or two for $45.
All will be the r/f remote style (it was by far the most popular model).
I just built a couple Swap boxes for the newer Stern Spike 2 LCD style games. BM66, GOTG, Aerosmith, and SW look fantastic in Swap Boxes.
I will only be building Swap Boxes for any modern Stern sized translite (1999-present).
I have several parts orders incoming, and should have some inventory built within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks for all the support!!
Great news. Would it streamline your building these and make them a little less expensive if you didn't paint them, sent them out unpainted and we could paint them any color we wanted? After all only the outside get's painted and I think most of us could handle that.
Dang, I think I first inquired about these 6 months ago. After figuring it wasn’t going to happen, I found another option. I spent over $300/frame, and ordered 12of them. Sure they were custom sized, LEDs, diffuser sheet, etc, but I would have waited for these. Although they are all B/W BG I did.
Either way, good to see you’re doing these again!
Quoted from TheBigDog:Dang, I think I first inquired about these 6 months ago. After figuring it wasn’t going to happen, I found another option. I spent over $300/frame, and ordered 12of them. Sure they were custom sized, LEDs, diffuser sheet, etc, but I would have waited for these. Although they are all B/W BG I did.
Either way, good to see you’re doing these again!
$3600
Yeah, it was a little more than that. I know people who spend much more on art... this is the kind I wish to display
I have been the worst at responding to PM’s.
Sorry about that. I am going in order of the inquiries received, and will contact you when I reach your name.
No worries about the delays on PM's. I think I speak for most of us in that we are just ecstatic you are making them again!
Quoted from Apollyon:Swap boxes installed. Great product and seller!
Game room looks great!
I might order one for a spike 2 (Iron Maiden) sized Translite. do they come with the glass and trim for the translite?
I provide the top & side channels and bottom lift channel. I do not ship glass. A sheet of 1/8” thick glass will run you about $15 from your local glass shop.
Sent a pm as well.
Quoted from blimpey:I provide the top & side channels and bottom lift channel. I do not ship glass. A sheet of 1/8” thick glass will run you about $15 from your local glass shop.
Any one have the exact dimensions for the piece of glass? This would be for a Spike 2 translite size.
Quoted from blimpey:I will only be building Swap Boxes for any modern Stern sized translite (1999-present).
I was thinking of using a SwapBox to display my CPR mirrored STNG backglass but it looks like you aren't doing WMS anymore. Oh well...
Hope he gets back to you, I sent him two PM's about a year ago with no response. Since he did not get back to me I made my own box probably cheaper in price.
Blog Post :
Video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=802&v=yl3mwAyTUZ8
It’s been a while since I have built these. Sorry if I had failed to respond. I have no plans to resume.
It’s a free time thing I did for enjoyment, after building a couple hundred the enjoyment faded.
There is someone on Pinside who does LED frames, different than how I was building, but I thought they looked well done.
The key is to mass produce these. With sizes all over the place that’s hard to accommodate.
Quoted from blimpey:There is someone on Pinside who does LED frames, different than how I was building, but I thought they looked well done.
Blimpey - you were an inspiration to keeping my project, Lit Frames, going when obstacle after obstacle appeared. I thank you for that!
If anyone is looking for a frame for a Stern LCD, Stern DMD, or 90's WMS/Bally translite, let me know. You can check out my active thread here for pics and reviews:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/lit-frames-led-backlit-translite-frames
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