For some of the larger distributors like Automated, make sure to ask for and only deal with the owner - not a sales rep who happens to answer the call. Also let them know you’re active on Pinside and can pay cash, i.e check/wire if they prefer. You may also be able to save by picking up at a local depot and buying out-of-state.

Or, buy lightly used, get to inspect the playfield, etc. and save a lot more.

Woz and Hobbit use to be out of favor and available for $6k used all day, but if it’s pretty and an iconic theme there will be some number of casual pinball buyers that are not tuned into Pinside. Over time these games are cash cows for JJP.

That’s harsh. Shipping use to always be included with Sterns but lots of dealers began to charge during the shortage to inflate profits. And don’t think it’s fair to suggest he’s pocketing tax revenue - many of the larger dealers charge since they exceed the $ threshold requiring collection and would be stupid to play games with their business. Can definitely find dealers though that still include shipping and don’t collect taxes. I’ve never bought from Zach and he certainly likes to sell, sell, sell, but he’s an honest, great distributor by all accounts, and produces a ton of free content for the community (even if it’s good business marketing).

The two owners are older, have stepped back from regular operations as CEO and CFO, younger family members are not involved, and they’ve brought in non-pinball executives from major companies - not hard to connect the dots that the business is being positioned for some type of sale.

Plenty of ways to prop up short term sales by leveraging their catalog of games. And it’s rare for a company to immediately fill a major capacity expansion vs. basing on longer term growth projections.

Seems like it would be easy to make non-pinhead investors drool over super high margins, dominant market share and growth prospects.