Quoted from Thunderbird:

Stern has no threat from any other company, because they are king of the high dollar cheap table currently being made. Because Stern’s copy and paste system, can’t be threatened. No other maker makes such simple no frills pinball tables than Stern. The great thing about Stern is their motto is: how good is good enough, cause we don’t care.

I was at a pinball event this past weekend and realized after playing a dozen Stern’s that they all began to blur and seemed to play and be near the same table. Just a couple ramps, with some plastics thrown here and there for a theme and relatively no motorized toys. DP with a slinky bash toy and IM with a lifting ramp. Not much at all in interactive toys. If the asking price were what they were just 7-8 years ago, then such a sparse amount of goodies is fine, but when the asking price is double that of 7-8 years ago, shouldn’t we expect a great deal more?

Even Stern’s boutique tables like Beatles and Primus cost an incredible $8,000.00 for not much at all. Cannot believe anyone would be sucked into paying that kind of money for so little in return. Those tables should only be no more than $3.5k to $4k tops.

We all need to vote with our money and just say no to Stern’s policy of giving very little in game toys, quality and code depth versus what other makers give us for our money spent. That would return pricing away from gouging us to being fairly priced again like it was just 7 years ago. When Tron could be purchased NIB for $3,800. Hoping Munsters will reflect a change in offering and fair pricing, but it probably won’t.

Maybe if Beatles Boutique table does poorly Stern will rethink their strategy and return us to the good ol’ days of pinball. They would flourish if they did and make even more money than they do now. I do hope Stern is successful in making this much needed change.