(Topic ID: 227408)

What did classic titles cost when originally produced?

By UNCgump

5 years ago


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  • 30 posts
  • 23 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 5 years ago by RoyGBev
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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    #1 5 years ago

    People frequently complain about high and rising prices for NIB machines. I'm curious what classic titles cost when they were originally manufactured. I'd be curious to extrapolate backward to adjust for inflation.

    Addams? Flash Gordon? Theater? Frontier? Eight Ball Deluxe? Others?

    #2 5 years ago

    70s ems were about $800 from distributors. Later 90s games 2-3k

    #3 5 years ago

    Great question. I would Like to know.

    #4 5 years ago

    There's a few price list threads kicking around. If you do a search, you could probably get a decent grouping of prices on classic games.

    There's also posts where people have uploaded copies of original paperwork or receipts that were found with games.

    #5 5 years ago
    Quoted from zacaj:

    70s ems were about $800 from distributors. Later 90s games 2-3k

    The Williams and Bally games produced by Williams in the mid to late 90's had a BOM cost of about $2000 +/- $100, and if I remember right, the labor was about $250. I believe we sold to distributors for around $3000, which left gross profit of about $750. The year we produced 70K games, that was an annual GM of about $52 Million. Of course, there were mouths to feed.

    #6 5 years ago

    IPDB has occasional prices:

    "'Fireball' (February 1972) sold new for $895. A German version was also produced."

    https://www.ipdb.org/search.pl?any=fireball&search=Search+Database&searchtype=quick#852

    #7 5 years ago
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    #8 5 years ago
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    #9 5 years ago

    Not classic but I remember when Sterns broke $4000 NIB. I think it was after POTC but I remember it to be SM. What did you guys pay?

    #10 5 years ago

    Don't confuse a NIB price with the lower sale price to distributors.

    Grand Prix, Williams 1976: BoM $402, price to distributor $945.

    How much of a percentage markup would the distributor have added? Because honestly, it looks like we were spoiled for a time with sub-4K Sterns and Pro prices are now where they 'should' be.

    #11 5 years ago

    Long story short, pins now are a bit more (adjusted for inflation). But seriously, consider the capability and depth of today’s games and I think they’re reasobalbly priced.

    #12 5 years ago
    Quoted from KJL:

    Not classic but I remember when Sterns broke $4000 NIB. I think it was after POTC but I remember it to be SM. What did you guys pay?

    I know Elvis I paid $3400.00. Seems Nascar and Pirates were $3800. And Family Guy $3600 or $3800

    #13 5 years ago
    Quoted from ToucanF16:

    Long story short, pins now are a bit more (adjusted for inflation). But seriously, consider the capability and depth of today’s games and I think they’re reasobalbly priced.

    Agree. LEs and super LEs however...

    #14 5 years ago

    Not sure what the retail was new, but I know for a fact a good friend of mine got a Cirqus Voltaire new on closeout in 1998 for $1800.

    Chris

    #15 5 years ago
    Quoted from SilverUnicorn:

    Not sure what the retail was new, but I know for a fact a good friend of mine got a Cirqus Voltaire new on closeout in 1998 for $1800.
    Chris

    My local bowling alley got a couple at $1800 and No Good Gofers $1995

    #16 5 years ago

    I remember seeing $795 for a Williams OXO, 1973. I paid $350 for mine, used, in 1978.

    #17 5 years ago

    Not sure about original. But here are some used prices from 1999.

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    #18 5 years ago

    Maybe not a "classic" by some definitions, but according to the inside of the flyer, Data East's Batman has an MSRP of $3,045 in 1991.

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    #19 5 years ago
    Quoted from Deez:

    Not sure about original. But here are some used prices from 1999.
    [quoted image][quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]

    Wow, Airborne for $1260. If I only knew back then. Can’t find one now!

    #21 5 years ago

    Classic Bally SS games from late 70's-early 80s were $1800.

    #22 5 years ago

    $19!

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    #24 5 years ago

    I was fortunate/lucky enough to win a Stern Magic NiB game as a prize in a tourney (1981). The arcade valued it at $900

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    #25 5 years ago

    The Shocker Electric Chair caught my eye in the Replay pics above so I had to look it up. This dude is a real live Metallica Sparky

    #26 5 years ago

    1936 Bally BUMPER was $64.50. That price was FOB Chicago

    #27 5 years ago

    If anyone has been hurt by pinball prices over the years, it's the Brits - not because of inflation, but because the exchange rate from pounds to dollars has been in decline since the 80s. Used to be almost twice what it is now.

    #28 5 years ago
    Quoted from o-din:

    $19!
    [quoted image]

    The imamaculate ones with no legs were only $16.50.

    #29 5 years ago
    Quoted from Travish:

    The imamaculate ones with no legs were only $16.50.

    Nah, if it's truly imamaculate (with under 600 plays in 12 years) then that increases the value. I believe they would have sold for $32.99.

    #30 5 years ago
    Quoted from terrapinmark:

    I was fortunate/lucky enough to win a Stern Magic NiB game as a prize in a tourney (1981). The arcade valued it at $900
    [quoted image]

    According to IPDB Magic is from August 1979, so it had probably been in the box for a couple of years by June 1981. Probably retailed for a lot more when it first came out. Depreciation on pins was pretty steep back then IIRC. I bought a Bally Paragon (from June 1979) from Aladdin's Castle in December 1981, not in the box but in excellent condition, for $750.

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