Mando premium production is supposed to begin the week of 12/20.

My distributor called me yesterday to let me know they received my payment. The build is still supposed to start next Monday, 12/20, and go through the following week. He wasn't 100% sure the build would start on time (mentioned current the Batman build going somewhat slower than expected) or that they would receive all of their promised allotment from this run.

Stern definitely does not seem to make it a priority to give consistent, accurate, and timely info to their distributors. Mine was told that Mando premiums were being built this week and next and requested final payment for it on the 8th. If that turns out not to be true, and it might not be given conflicting info here, then I'm looking at them holding onto my money for some indefinite period plus the price increase.

They post all the time on social media about code releases and events, but almost never about production. Is it a friggin' national secret what games they are currently building and what they plan on building next?

Or still sell to them, but at a higher price than non flippers.

Short term I don't think Stern cares much because demand is far exceeding their production capacity, any cancellations just come off their huge backlog of orders, and the games they are producing are at a higher price point. They should be concerned for when things normalize that they have burned a large number of customers with the price increases after they have already put down deposits and waited months.

Is the February Mando Premium run still on as you reported on your podcast? Someone over in the Mando thread is saying their distro just told them March.

Thanks, I think there was originally a Mando Premium run scheduled for March 2022 if I'm remembering correctly, but that was when the October 2021 run was still on.

I guess that makes sense since the remaining December Mando Premiums were supposed to be built sometime in February after Rush. Ran out of time machines or clocks maybe?

I hope the supplier for the unavailable parts doesn't charge Stern an extra 15% now after they already placed their order and agreed on a price because that would be unethical.

They built a few Mando premiums at the end of the December too, so here's hoping that small run plus this moved up run meets or exceeds what they planned on building in February and at least gets them through the launch orders.

I'd like to think that once they made the decision to start building Mando after the Rush parts delay that they would just finish out that run rather than stopping it if those parts show up this week.

Only 17,999 now if you go with their floor demo machine.

So Deadpool follows Mando while the wait for Rush parts continues?

I can confirm that this January Mando Premium build, plus the few they built the last week of December, did not equal the total of what was supposed to come out of the original December run. Even though I was supposedly next in line for the (still planned?) February run, I cancelled with the distributor that had ordered from in May and was able to find a replacement from a different distributor that I should have by early next week.

R&L is supposed to deliver one to me today too, but I think the winter storm delayed it.

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Good luck, I was supposedly next on the list from the distributor I ordered from in May after the end of January build. I cancelled with them and found one at a different distributor 3 weeks ago since I wasn't confident they would stick to their planned February run.

I learned an important lesson that your place in line with the distributor you ordered with is much more important than when you ordered.

Yep, I'd still be waiting on my May order if I hadn't cancelled with my local distro and bought one of the in stock ones last month.

I was just told the JP premium run was moved to July.

This. I put a deposit down on a Mando at launch, waited 8 months until the end of January, and still didn't get it (you're next on the list). So I started checking around and found one in less than a day.

Remember the commitment is only that you'll get a game eventually, at whatever the then current price is. 2024 might be a couple price increases from where it is now.

Wouldn't this be better for everyone involved?

--A customer places on order for a game directly with Stern (or via an ordering portal from a distributor to Stern) with a non-refundable deposit of $1000 which guarantees the price and place in line, i.e. Godzilla Premium Order number 755.
--Orders are then assigned by Stern to individual distributors (based on size/geography for those ordered from Stern directly), who take a fixed profit and arrange for delivery or shipping, and handle warranty related issues.

Stern would know exactly how many orders they have for a given game and could adjust their production accordingly, the customer would know exactly where they are at in line compared to everyone else and be able to better estimate when their game would be delivered, and distributors would have a lot less questions to deal with.

Somebody started opening up boxes and it was all T-Rex heads instead of Godzilla statues?

I was supposed to be in the April (then July) run but haven't heard anything yet.

I just got a shipping notice for a JP premium. From the tracking it looks like it is being drop shipped from Stern and was picked up there on Friday. It's currently sitting at a freight depot by O'Hare.

I ordered it early last month after finding a smaller distributor that had one available in the then April run. I was previously in limbo for months on a Mando premium from a larger distributor, and had to eat a price increase as a result, so my take away from that experience was to check around and find a distributor that can provide a more definite commitment.

Me too, JP Premium delivered at lunch today with a 5/18 build date.

There was this at the factory about a month ago ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My JP with a 5/18 build is tight as hell.

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The metal side rails on mine were screwed into the cabinet really friggin' tight. After taking the plastic channels out and putting them back on after confirming I couldn't adjust them much, I just didn't tighten the metal side rails down as much (what I think you meant by loosening the rails). And now I can slide the glass in and out normally again.

Knowing what I know now, what I'd try for those having issues with the glass is just loosening the 2 middle screws on the metal side rails.

For those having issues with very tight glass, try just loosening the screws on the metal side rails to see if it frees it up, and if that doesn't work loosen the bolts at the ends.

They should post a factory picture every Friday.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. This is an interesting development. https://www.amazon.com/Pinball-Deadpool-Machine-Connected-Premium/dp/B0B34XYJGW

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At least some Bond Premiums were built after the LEs finished up. The one I ordered is being picked up at Stern today.

Different part numbers for sure. Probably depends on if a particular topper needs to drive some LEDs, but likely very similar to those.

For a Bond Premium I paid in full on release day because it guaranteed me one from the first run and I was able to put in on a CC and get cash back.

For Mando I got the your game is being built - please pay your invoice notice, and then it didn't show up so I know how that goes. Definitely a learning experience with that one.