Damn I want one!

Can anyone shed some light on something for a NIB-ewbie (see what I did there)?

I have a pre-order for a GZ premium with a distributor that says 3rd run “late fall” ETA. The data on this thread suggests that the 3rd run is happening this spring/summer. Is this because Stern has accelerated their production timetable for GZ and I may get it sooner, or would this mean that I’m still late fall and on a different run?

I am absolutely going to check with the distributor but also realize he probably gets bombarded with “when” questions, so figured I’d check here first. For the record I’m fine with however it shakes out but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited at the prospect of getting it sooner!

Just ask the distributor, especially if you have a deposit down. That's part of their business. Worst case is they don't have an update.

When I have similar questions (my GZ is scheduled for March) I email Stern sales. I usually get a quick answer. I agree, I don't want to ask the dist. a million questions.

I’m in a similar position. Placed an order and deposit on GZ premium 2 months or so ago. Initially told August. Talked to my distributor just the other day and was told another run had been added to the schedule, meaning my game might get to me sooner. Fingers crossed…

This is what your distributor is for. Stern is not going to know how many others are in line before you to get the same game title as you.

always a good read to come here when I start getting antsy about the RUSH Prem (April) I have on order

That's great news! I'm in the exact same boat as yourself. Add my fingers to the crossed list.

Of course. I ask stern general questions about production itself.

I asked my distributor about my early premium order.

I was told to expect my pin sometime in qtr 3

Ya, I ordered day 1 and was told I was the last one in the first run batch from the distributor and expected for October. October passed and I checked back in my order and was told his allotment was one short by mine, and that it should come "any day now".

Still haven't heard anything. In normal times I would have canceled a long time ago. Still holding out hope I'll get it in March.

Follow up: My distributor confirmed May and July runs of GZ Premiums and another in the fall - TBA on exact month but sounds like September or October.

From the sounds of things, Stern could do with a dedicated line just for Godzilla.

More and more, I am really glad I put in my order through GEX for JP Pro.

With the new JP Dominion trailer having hit 10 Feb, there are going to be some hyped people trying to get one...

Congrats on your JP. You’ll enjoy that one.

yay.

me too. A couple of us locally all want GZ Pre and trying to get them at the same time. Originally told march or august. hopefully this means Aug got pushed up. I figured Stern knew money was on the table they would try and build more GZ before the next shiny competitor pin comes out.

I was only told by end of year on GZ PRE by Cointaker - at least of you ordered before 2022. Ordering in 2022 your looking at an unknown 2023 delivery

I was told when I ordered Godzilla Premium in Dec '21 that it was for August based on allocation, but, of course, things can change.

I ordered GZ premium in November from cointaker , was told today not to expect it until 3rd or 4th quarter still.

update from our New Zealand distributor

Approx. Stern Manufacturing plan for 2022 .
-its not official or guaranteed
- still concerns re the supply chain or Covid or ?? etc:
-some months are not fully filled in yet and small runs of other games could be made then .
When could Games be coming in 2022:
Feb 2022 - Rush LE & Premium
Feb 2022 - Mando Pro & Premium
Mar 2022 - Godzilla Pro & Premium
Mar 2022 - AIQ Pro & Premium
Apr 2022 - Rush Pro & Premium
Apr 2022 - JP Pro & Premium
May 2022 - Godzilla Pro & Premium
May 2022- Could be a new Title
June: 2022- Could be a new Title.
July 2022 - Deadpool Pro & Premium
July 2022 - Godzilla Pro & Premium
Aug 2022 - Star Wars Pro & Premium (original art package)
Sep 2022 - Star Wars the pin (original & comic art)
Oct 2022 - JP the pin
Nov 2022 - Elvira Premium
Dec 2022 - TMNT Pro & Premium

Already feb 20th - I don't think they will get Rush premium and mando pro/premium out the door in a week.

Are the LEs finished? Maybe they start Rush Premiums this week and Mando next week starting on the 28th?

When do we think Stern will be caught up with the backlog?

Mid-late 2023 would be my guess.

I’m guessing they catch-up what they can this year. Then likely cancelled orders & some archived pins. Depends how much Stern can ramp up production imo w/o a drop in quality…
You can only push so Much or grow so fast in a limited time…

I expect 2023 Focus will be New releases and 2022 production run. Anything left will possibly be cancelled.

I hope I’m wrong.

I know someone waiting on a Rush LE and they are being told should be receiving in the next week or two

As long as people buy them and they have the license, they'll keep making them. So the backlog will be going for a long time.

And parts....

$400 price increase in April is the new rumor… makes me think even more about a deposit buy. I know a guy that would be through 2 price increases for Elvira at that date.. assuming it’s true. Maybe just LEs

How can Stern raise prices yet a third time in 8 months(?)

Stern's gonna Stern.

Gotta add one to the list -

March - replacement Rush scoop protectors

IDK - but at these prices already if they weren’t pushing it before they are now.

Just in time for the next release in May...

Apparently, Elvira will already cost more than the average premium - and is predicted to cost 9-10K. I'm in that boat now, too, with the two price hikes. But it will keep going up if there's price hikes across the board. Are they going to price hike before Elwin's pin again? Maybe 7899 for a pro? Does that mean people who are getting TMNT in December might be charged 8k for a pro?

As long as people keep buying pins at 2k+ over MSRP from flippers, the price is gonna keep going up. LEs are 12k by Christmas? Just in time for Foo Fighters.

Ugh, thanks for the info, but how can Stern think people are going to pay over $9K for a TMNT NIB?! Lol. You can’t even sell a Premium (or Pro) on the Marketplace for the old Stern prices of $7899. They go for like $7600-$7800 used Premiums.

Yea, while I agree people are buying some pins at inflated prices, that’s the thing, not all NIB titles are created equal. That’s what gets me about the price increases, not all the pins they can cash in on. Mandalorian is another pin that’s “close” to rarely selling over MSRP. Star Wars Pro (non comic) is another, etc, etc. All you have to do is look at the machines the Distros don’t sell quickly at these new Stern prices (TMNT, SW Pro, Mando Pro, Beatles). They will definitely sit there if there is another +$400 increase.

Dealers will offer those under MSRP like they did before the boom. But they're selling out of everything, so having a few extra TMNT and SW at the warehouse is much less than having extra of every title like they did a few years ago. So the TMNT and the SW might not be selling pros for 8k, but they'll sell Godzilla, Iron Maiden, Deadpool, Elvira, Jurassic Park, etc. And who knows if it really is Venom, Bond and Jaws and those are monster pins that everyone wants. There's too many people buying. Supply can't make demand. So it doesn't matter if they could sell 20k Godzillas this year if they can't make them. So price goes up, unfortunately.

If I'm producing a product and the demand for that product grows to two, three, five times my production capabilities, doesn't it behoove me to expand my production capabilities or bring in leadership with a track record of being able to do so? In the old days, as demand for a product increased, production increased accordingly and prices dropped drastically. Example: PCs.

Yes you are correct. But there is a line that some draw - disappointing to think twice about a year long commitment but it is the reality.

Economics 101 says as demand goes up so does price.

Not even close. They could charge 15k for the LEs and they would sell out easy.

I have never seen so many games go up in price that the new (high) ceiling is almost 20k now. We're now in this state where 10-13 is actually not that bad and the 14-17 is becoming a lot more common than before. 17-20 is now becoming that top tier with 20+ being the hard to finds (when it wasn't too long ago when this tier was 10k.....by christmas).

If 10,000 people will spend 9k on a Premium, but you can only make 5,000. I'm sure you could sell it for 9400 to half the crowd. It sucks, but when you're about to spend 9k on a pin, and you've been waiting a year, chances are you'll spend the extra 400 or more.

Your talking LEs man - I’m saying 400 across the board is pushing it. They could as we already know go 20k plus on these (think Elvira 40th)

7k plus for pro let’s see how it goes

I'm talking pros and premiums and whatever else is coming out of that factory. Pros and Premiums all selling for a....premium right now.

Until the supply increases significantly, stern can raise 1k and still sell (on both pros and prem). Not saying I like it or approve of it but the market speaks and stern listens.

Can’t disagree with supply and demand - but shit let’s push this hobby and the collectors see where it’s really at. I’m curious myself but not that curious to stay in. Holding strong on my Halloween standard at less than 7k

Definitely not so with tech products. I guess pinball isn't considered a tech product.

Pinball is "for amusement only", as seen on many pricing cards on the apron of EM and older solid state games. It is also a luxury item we all do not need.

I think “for amusement only” was to indicate pinball machines were not gambling devices.

You are onto something here, but not necessarily the proper context. Generally speaking “Yes” tech products get cheaper primarily because of innovation/lower cost of parts, not necessarily due to demand. However, however, however, demand does play a part in companies creating more SKUs! What you are describing is when companies create more SKUs as technology evolves allowing the price to be lower for the “original” product, while still being able to ask for a premium for the “next-gen” product. That is why there are still $7K TVs now just like LCDs cost in 1999, but there is also a $300 LCD TV available on Black Friday. Hence new SKUs using old technology - filling key demand they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Basically, CX marketing aims to target a larger audience with broad price points…something Stern does not do. My single concern for Pinball pricing is - if they continue to increase rapidly, there may be a squeeze point at the “arcade” level. The prices are going the opposite way for the Pro model. Machines should be getting cheaper to put on location, not more expensive. I don’t understand how that’s not understood. Premiums & LEs are a different story, I don’t care if they get up to $15K - $20K. It is whatever the home scene will pay, so be it.

Smart phones being an exception. They used to give phones away until the world was hooked on them, now they are priced super high and most of us pay full retail. They can't say the contents of the phone have changed all that much either.