There's never a guarantee a new pin is going to hold or go up in price. Now more than ever we'ee seeing that a pin has to build a reputation based on gameplay in order for demand to build. Plus - it must be out of production for potential buyers to consider paying more than new.

The prices you see newish used games selling for seems relatively normal. For example, some Hobbits are selling for $7200. The pre-order price was $7500, so those sellers are doing OK. If you start seeing them sell for like $4k or less, then something odd is going on.

That game was about $4500 when brand new....so, I don't see anything wrong with that price.

You can't get a Smaug anymore...those were an optional switch-over for LE pre-orderers. I was more than happy to buy my HUO Smaug for $7500 when new Black Arrow Editions are $9000. I saved money and got the version I wanted.

That's good to know...I know with Stern there's the MSRP and "real price" ....so JJP's have a "real price" too? I wonder if that means Dialed In is less than MSRP if you talk to the right peeps? Hmmm ....

Either way, Smaug is done...so - in my case, I knew if I ever got a Hobbit, that's the one I wanted....so when it was avail locally I jumped on it. No regrets!

There are already 4 SW pins & generally no one cares. I don't think it's going to be the mad rush some hardcore SW fans assume.

Also the prices are STARTING so high...they're being sold at what used to be the "in demand scalper price" before any demand is actually known.

Nope. There have been 4 Star Wars pins. Star Wars fans who want a pinball can get one. There never was a Ghostbusters pin...huge difference. Plus, "cool GB merch" is a tad more obscure. SW merch is all over the place, and most gamer types who love Star Wars are getting their rush from the tons of SW video games out there. I guess we'll see - but I sorta feel like most SW fans who collect merch might be like "$8000!?!?! I can buy that high end light saber, that huge spaceship model, tons of action figures, a few Star Wars arcade games, a new 3D home theater to watch my SW movies, etc"

Ritchie isn't a guarantee of anything. His toys have been lackluster (and what do SW fans love more than toys!?), his layouts have been familiar, and if the art package on SW looks like ST or GOT, SW fans will give it a huge "meh".

What collectors did in the 90s is irrelevant. 90s pins are the hottest pins amongst people who buy pins. There are 2 classic SW 90s pins, 1 Ep.1 Pin2k, and 1 Hankin SW 80s pin.

Once again there never was a GB pin, so one popping into existence was like a lost relic that never existed coming to life. SW already exists in pinball form many times over. Those SW collectors with money aren't beating each other up to get them. It's obviously a huge license - but because of that, SW fans and collectors have every possible form of merch they could ever want. Clothes, toys, props, models, video games, bedsheets, toothpaste, snacks, etc. I don't think a pinball machine is that enticing to that crowd.

Look at Transformers, Xmen, Avengers...all themes with huge fanbases - but fanbases that are satiated with the merch they already have. The pins weren't hits.

I'm not saying the game won't sell well. I just don't think it's going to be the mega hit the ultra fanboys think it will be. Combine what I said about fans being satisfied with current merch, with high prices and people in the hobby possibly hanging back due to code/QC issues - all that = average sales IMO. I'm sure the LE's will sell out to the usual speculators though. After that, we'll see.

Sorry, maybe you need to LISTEN every so often instead of just talking.

There is a current type of playfield dimpling that is absolutely different than the 90's games and even older Sterns. There are "normal" dimples that you have to really really look for under the exact right lighting & that even out over time....and then there are some modern games that experience crater-like dimples that eventually make the playfield look like mushy clay - these do NOT even out...they will always look like shit. Now, not EVERY new game has this happen to it. A friend of mine had an STLE that looked like lumps within 100 games, while my STLE had a few "normal" dimples and remained relatively nice and smooth. A local barcade has a lineup of Sterns. Their GB, Tron, and GOT playfields look pretty smooth while their TWDLE looks like lumps.

So, given this knowledge - don't automatically dismiss someone who's upset about their playfield dimpling...because it might be the lumpy crater type, which is not what used to happen and will not get better.