I have to ask!!!! I took a step back for a little bit maybe a year or more but not too much time. I am trying to figure out what the hell happened to prices. Did game prices blow up in the past year. I am seeing over 7k for TAF and TZ 6k for TOM 5k creature. I don’t rember them being that high. Those are numbers I used to remember paying for MM and AFM. Maybe I lost my mind
It’s not your imagination! I’ve only been really following the hobby for a year and a half or so and the prices have gone up even in that small time frame. New games are more expensive than ever and it seems like the popularity of pinball is increasing, so I think this is part of what you’re seeing. Also, economy is fairly robust and people have more money to spend. I would guess that most games are selling for more than the pinside prices that are listed. Perhaps archived prices should be removed after a certain amount of time from the price formula so that they are more accurate.
Good news is that more money in the hobby= more games coming out.
The one positive is there are more parts out there now than ever I have been into the hobby for about 10 years or so. I remember when getting a decent game for 2-3k was possible. I guess with all the discretionary income out there people are buying stuff up.
I guess I will never find my creature project pin for a bargain 
Quoted from CrazyLevi:The real question: Is it a bubble?!
Don't start that shit - LOL
Quoted from chad:More people with crazy money.
What you should’ve said was ‘More crazy people with money’.
Prices are up mainly because of supply and demand. I’m new to the hobby and just started collecting, I’m sure there’s lot of other new collectors buying up machines too. There are only so many of the older pins for us to buy.
Quoted from mmr61184:Should have held onto my HUO CV god only knows what I would get for that today
One million dollars...
Quoted from Guinnesstime:One million dollars...
Quoted from bigd1979:7-8k now depending on condition and mods... Everything has went crazy
Traded my non huo cv 2 years ago at a value of 7900. I would image his is closer to 9k too the right person
Quoted from FlippyD:I thought prices went up because Stern announced they are putting pinball on the blockchain?
They changed their name to Blockchain Pinball.
Quoted from gtxjoe:Hi, my name is Supply.
Hi, my name is Demand.
Have you seen Bargain lately?
Yes, but he is hanging out with Scam, so I would avoid him.
Hahah like I said maybe the year or so off took me out of the loop I thought demand was pretty high before
I think it has a lot to do with people not knowing the difference between player and collector conditions. Or rather... knowing, yet still expecting collector price for player condition. As long as people are stupid enough to overpay, inflated prices will be the normal. If people would stop overpaying, the prices would drop to reasonable levels again. Never forget that buyers control the market whether they're stupid or smart.
Quoted from erak:Demand outweighs supply. And most older games are in collectors hands now.
So collectors dictate the prices. If you wanna be in the club of owners you need to pay X amount.
Thank god I hung on to all my 1990s b/w games except CV
Quoted from mmr61184:Thank god I hung on to all my 1990s b/w games except CV
Yep. Depending on condition you got about 25k in games I’d say.
Quoted from mmr61184:I guess I will never find my creature project pin for a bargain
The problem here is what I am finding. So many hobbyists are fixing up or restoring games, so that is resulting in a shortage of project and players pins. One title I am looking for is a players T2. All I find is T2s with a hundred mods and new parts that are priced out of my budget.
You also have better chances if you can travel further or pay shipping. If you can't or won't, that makes it even more difficult.
Quoted from wayout440:The problem here is what I am finding. So many hobbyists are fixing up or restoring games, so that is resulting in a shortage of project and players pins.
This happens in nearly every hobby/collectors market.
Try finding a decent collector car from the 70's and earlier to restore. . . anything with potential has already been bought up. Even less desirable models like four door sedans, lower HP engines, etc. have been scooped up. You almost have to build a new vehicle around a VIN tag (cause everything else is rusted away) or be content with a mid 70s Plymouth Satellite or Dodge Monaco.
That being said, Id drive one of these all day long:
Quoted from wayout440:The problem here is what I am finding. So many hobbyists are fixing up or restoring games, so that is resulting in a shortage of project and players pins. One title I am looking for is a players T2. All I find is T2s with a hundred mods and new parts that are priced out of my budget.
You also have better chances if you can travel further or pay shipping. If you can't or won't, that makes it even more difficult.
Yup and the fact that parts have become so readily available especially repro playfields. Before you had to rely on professional restoration comoanies
Quoted from Eryeal:I've basically found that the prices of the pins you want tend to go up, while the prices on the pins you have tend to go down.
Hahah well put
Used pinball market is so inflated with regards to price. Only the n00bs to pinball are paying those ridiculous prices. I don't even look to the used market anymore....I'm strictly out there looking for new pins to add to my collection but even the new pinball sector is becoming congested with NIB Pinball machines. It use to just be Stern for NIB Pins....now there are many more companies....Jersy Jack, Chicago Gaming, Circus Maximus, Heighway Pinball, Dutch Pinball, Spooky Pinball, American Pinball.....the list of companies continues to expand and so does the market but I just don't see it continuing on this rocket like climb for much longer....I just don't think there is enough money to keep them all afloat! Only time will tell!
Quoted from Chicoman:Used pinball market is so inflated with regards to price. Only the n00bs to pinball are paying those ridiculous prices. I don't even look to the used market anymore....I'm strictly out there looking for new pins to add to my collection but even the new pinball sector is becoming congested with NIB Pinball machines. It use to just be Stern for NIB Pins....now there are many more companies....Jersy Jack, Chicago Gaming, Circus Maximus, Heighway Pinball, Dutch Pinball, Spooky Pinball, American Pinball.....the list of companies continues to expand and so does the market but I just don't see it continuing on this rocket like climb for much longer....I just don't think there is enough money to keep them all afloat! Only time will tell!
Yeah, I have no interest in the new games even the remakes of the classics. I grew up on the 90s games, and I am not desperate enough to spend north of 5k on banged up or poorly “restored/shopped” games. That I will have to dump another 1500-2000 into. Personally I like restoring games as much as I like to play them.
I get it it’s a supply and demand market I am in the finance business I know how it works I just couldn’t believe how much has changed since I stopped paying much attention. I wish I had the room to buy up and horde games back then.
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