Quoted from BeatlesOnly:After 10 days of reading Pinside posts about the Beatles machine, I have distilled my thoughts into this one giant post.
1. Depsite several Pinsiders trying to clue everyone else in that this pin was made for Beatles fans, the significance of that fact doesn't seem to be sinking in for some. It's not so much a pinball machine as it is a collectible licensed Beatles product. It isn't going to play by the rules of any other pin release. I gleaned from the posts I read that Pinsiders like to buy a machine, play it for a while, sell it and buy a different pin. I get that, but that doesn't describe a Beatles collector. For the most part, they don't buy a rare Beatles record, play it for a while, then sell it so they can get a different record (unless they are upgrading condition). Boredom is rarely a factor with premium Beatles collectors. This is likely the only pin these guys are ever going to have, and they'll keep it a long time. (But wait until the next Beatles pin, distros!)
2. One distro told me he sold his Diamond for $30K; another sold for $25K; the one on eBay has a bid of $25K with time to run. Those are the only Diamond distro sales I know of personally. Other Pinsiders have reported $25K asking prices, so that seems to be the starting line (with one exception noted in #4 below).
3. The vast majority of Pinsiders posting on the Beatles pinball topics have no comprehension of what the Beatles memorabilia world is like, or the number of collectors worldwide. Any licensed memorabilia has a waiting market of persons for whom $25,000 is not an issue. I think I saw a post suggesting there were tens of thousands of pinball enthusiasts; multiply that by at least 100 for the Beatles collectors. They will collect anything related to the Beatles. Collectors at every price point. Got something really cool and rare? Name your price.
4. Beatles memorabilia values are still going up despite the band breaking up almost 50 years ago. Think about that - that's 2.5 generations. Some suggest that now is the time to get out of Beatles collecting (much like those saying now is the time to get out of classic cars) because the core fanbase has more money now than it will ever have, but it is graying and will eventually die off. Maybe, but the Beatles aren't just any band; they're regarded by many authorities as the most significant band of all time (notice I didn't say "best" because that term is meaningless without clarification). You want to see the Beatles' appeal to today's teenagers? Go to a Paul McCartney concert. The guy is still performing in his late 70's, and the audiences have loads of kids. Values for top items like autographs, the rarest records and the coolest limited edition licensed items are not likely to stop their upward march anytime soon. (Best comparable item - Yellow Submarine jukebox.) I'll venture a prediction that the Golds might possibly see some resales under $7500 (only by non-Beatles-fan sellers); Platinums might remain at or near MIB original price; but Diamonds will not depreciate in your lifetime. I suspect many of the 100 Diamonds will never see any play, and those prices 8-10 years from now will be insane. If you're lucky, some distros may sell now for less (like the Beatles Store apparently did by jacking up the price of the Golds), but you'll be competing with buyers who know they can flip them for a profit with a little patience.
There is one caveat, and it's a BIG one. If the Beatles grant licenses for more pinball machines (Sgt Pepper, Yellow Submarine, etc.), all bets are off. Price differences between the three versions should come down. It will be interesting to see Apple Corp saying "The first one sold out - why should we reduce the license fee?", and Stern saying "Yes, but you're diluting the marketplace." The 10-pack strategy and the $8K-$25K price range might not work a second time. It may be more like $8-10-15K.
5. Again, some Pinsiders ignore the fact that the license cost from the Beatles must have been very high, maybe more than any other pin license ever. The reason you don't hear the actual Beatles (as opposed to covers) in commercials and films is because it is more expensive to license than any other music. Therefore, all arguments comparing the price to other pinball releases are moot and without merit - "apples to oranges" as they say.
6. The Seawitch vs. totally-new-game-from-scratch discussion is pointless, as is any discussion about playfield features compared to any other game. Read #1 again. I'd never heard of Seawitch, or Stern for that matter, until this month. Loops, drops, multiball, backglass, HUO, distro, Pro/LE/SLE, code, mechs, IAAPA are some of the pin terms I learned just in the past two weeks. Beatles pin buyers (at least the Plat/Dia buyers) don't know or care doodly about Seawitch, drops or loops, etc.
7. In the 1970's my dad took a used coin-op pinball machine and pool table as payment for a debt. Haven't played pinball in probably 35 years. I agree with some who have opined that the scoring into 8 digits seems odd for a 1960's-based theme, as my only previous experience is with 4 or maybe 5 digits. Wish I still had that machine, or could remember its theme, but it's long gone.
8. I also agree that having no MSRP on the Platinum and Diamond machines is horrible for end users. I have been collecting different kinds of things for 50 years, and I've never seen that strategy before. Distros who can afford the carrying cost of a 10-pack must absolutely love it.
9. Yes, I have put my money where my mouth is. I know of what I speak.
10. And one forum suggestion from someone who has been a member of several special interest forums: if you feed the pot stirrers the attention they can't get anywhere else, they never go away. Stop feeding them.
West Chester, PA
