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The OFFICIAL LICENSED 'moans about pricing' thread

I still weep when I look at the ads in the Coinslot paper I used to get back in the ‘90s, where Addams Family tables S/H were £495.

Back in the day I would think “Why would I want to pay that much for a three year old pin?”.

Don’t look at house prices in the 90s then mate…….
 
I still weep when I look at the ads in the Coinslot paper I used to get back in the ‘90s, where Addams Family tables S/H were £495.
Ah, a broke teenage me used to buy Worlds Fair back in the late 80's and go to the Co-Op section and dream! £325 for a Dragon's Lair / Space Ace. I don't think I looked at pins back then.
 
Don’t look at house prices in the 90s then mate…….
Or the interest rates😵‍💫 Was a nightmare, not long bought my first property. People were handing there keys back and prices dropped massively.
Black Wednesday September 1992
The UK’s withdrawal from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism on 16 September 1992 meant a rise in the base interest rate from 10 per cent to 12 per cent at 10.30am on that day; later that day there was a promise from John Major’s government to raise the rate further to 15 per cent. These actions were taken to encourage speculators to buy sterling. When this failed to materialise, the government reduced interest rates on 17 September 1992 back to the original rate of 10 per cent.
 
Yes I'm aware most of the difference is due to the electrocoin tax. Doesn't make it any better!

Here's my estimate, no idea if its Electrocoins fault, Sterns or simply an outdated business model, but smaller game manufacturers distribute games here for a reasonable price, why can't Stern manage it?

MfgrUS priceUK Price (ex vat)Difference
CGC$7995$8552$557
JJP$12400$13355$995
Stern Pro$6995$8861$1866
Stern Prem$9499$12064$2565
 
Here's my estimate, no idea if its Electrocoins fault, Sterns or simply an outdated business model, but smaller game manufacturers distribute games here for a reasonable price, why can't Stern manage it?

MfgrUS priceUK Price (ex vat)Difference
CGC$7995$8552$557
JJP$12400$13355$995
Stern Pro$6995$8861$1866
Stern Prem$9499$12064$2565

CGC & JJP ship straight to Pinball Heaven, Stern via Electrocoin
 
Here's my estimate, no idea if its Electrocoins fault, Sterns or simply an outdated business model, but smaller game manufacturers distribute games here for a reasonable price, why can't Stern manage it?

MfgrUS priceUK Price (ex vat)Difference
CGC$7995$8552$557
JJP$12400$13355$995
Stern Pro$6995$8861$1866
Stern Prem$9499$12064$2565
Take a closer look at the LE Electrocoin profit margins.
 
Take a closer look at the LE Electrocoin profit margins.
Can't find any LE's, bond 60th $6840!
What's in it for Stern though, other than the ease of dealing with one distributor rather than 3-4?
 
Can't find any LE's, bond 60th $6840!
What's in it for Stern though, other than the ease of dealing with one distributor rather than 3-4?
FF LE retailed for £16k here and $13k in the US.

Stern basically get guaranteed sales out of it. They tell electrocoin "thou shalt take N bond 60LE" even if no buyers are lined up - for a long time Electrocoin had loads of beatles in a warehouse due to this. Stern can afford to have these practices due to their market dominance.
 
FF LE retailed for £16k here and $13k in the US.

Stern basically get guaranteed sales out of it. They tell electrocoin "thou shalt take N bond 60LE" even if no buyers are lined up - for a long time Electrocoin had loads of beatles in a warehouse due to this. Stern can afford to have these practices due to their market dominance.
I can kinda see how that benefits Stern, still seems inefficient to mark up popular games as a buffer for the odd title that may sit for a while.

Guess we are such a small market there's not much point in Stern changing the arrangement.
 
I don’t like to moan much but I was thinking about pin prices today. To me going on well known uk distribution sites is just depressing in the last few years it seems the pins are going up 1k a year. Nib is looking very unlikely at these prices … and lead times :) I have 5 pins and that might just be enough for this pinhead
 
FF LE retailed for £16k here and $13k in the US.

Stern basically get guaranteed sales out of it. They tell electrocoin "thou shalt take N bond 60LE" even if no buyers are lined up - for a long time Electrocoin had loads of beatles in a warehouse due to this. Stern can afford to have these practices due to their market dominance.

that isn’t how it worked out for EC with Bond 60th - my understanding is EC requested a lot more but didn’t get them. Beatles was EC asking for them and from what I hear most of them gone.
 
Electrocoin dont pay top whack for Bond 60th.
Hazard a guess on these types of special anniversay pins, they will pay for example: 14k from Stern.
Of course end user pays top dollar.
Reckon thats why distro can hold onto stock for long time.
If they decide to drop price to move it, still quids in.
 
that isn’t how it worked out for EC with Bond 60th - my understanding is EC requested a lot more but didn’t get them. Beatles was EC asking for them and from what I hear most of them gone.
Ec didn’t want anymore and got away with it after seeing the massive reduction USA distributor s where offering straight away after launch just to get out alive as nobody wants them and consumers where cancelling there orders
Ec did want Beatles but made a big error of judgement thinking it would be a massive seller and where stuck with them for many years and had to do deals to shift them they still have 3 of the top model in stock many years after it came out so probably not made that much profit if any till they sell
 
Ec didn’t want anymore and got away with it after seeing the massive reduction USA distributor s where offering straight away after launch just to get out alive as nobody wants them and consumers where cancelling there orders
Ec did want Beatles but made a big error of judgement thinking it would be a massive seller and where stuck with them for many years and had to do deals to shift them they still have 3 of the top model in stock many years after it came out so probably not made that much profit if any till they sell

I spoke to John, he told me he wanted more. Maybe he changed his mind.

Neil.
 
Question is how high does the £ have to go for EC to reduce rrp? Now at 1.25 and machines are the same price as at 1.03. Or will they not reduce no matter what it goes to because Sterns are still selling?
 
Question is how high does the £ have to go for EC to reduce rrp? Now at 1.25 and machines are the same price as at 1.03. Or will they not reduce no matter what it goes to because Sterns are still selling?
It all seems a bit like petrol prices to me!
 
Decided to look over the current machines that are still for sale from now going back to the start of March.

There are around 20 machines still for sale. Whats the thoughts, market slowing down, everyone going NIB, they are overpriced, non desirable games, or are we just all skint 😂
 
Decided to look over the current machines that are still for sale from now going back to the start of March.

There are around 20 machines still for sale. Whats the thoughts, market slowing down, everyone going NIB, they are overpriced, non desirable games, or are we just all skint 😂

Probably a bit of all of those
 
Lots of nib titles released and sold even though you probably won’t see them this year
People in dreamland with prices covid days are long gone
More machines available and multiple of certain titles sadly if you want to get rid it’s a race to the bottom
 
Decided to look over the current machines that are still for sale from now going back to the start of March.

There are around 20 machines still for sale. Whats the thoughts, market slowing down, everyone going NIB, they are overpriced, non desirable games, or are we just all skint 😂
Slow down surely, all these pins would have sold a year ago, over priced or not. Slowing down to pre-covid? Wouldn't know, I wasn't around then, but if I had the space and money I'd like some of those that are on the market.

I don't however,and if sales are slowing, space is the biggest factor. You ask, how do I offload when I want another, and if it's hung around now, what's to say I won't be stuck with it.
 
Slow down surely, all these pins would have sold a year ago, over priced or not. Slowing down to pre-covid? Wouldn't know, I wasn't around then, but if I had the space and money I'd like some of those that are on the market.

I don't however,and if sales are slowing, space is the biggest factor. You ask, how do I offload when I want another, and if it's hung around now, what's to say I won't be stuck with it.
Yip agree. If things are slowing and you had the funds to buy one now, in the future you'll be pricing to sell for sure, just so you wouldn't be stuck with it as you say.
 
It would seem to be slowing but as long as NIB keep rising the used market will follow, or at least try to.

I'd assume more Pins are being produced than binned so space has to factor in at some point.

Some people just can't let go though and would rather tombstone them than sell.
 
The wealthy can afford nib and might not be so keen to own a room of older tatty pinballs in a million pound house the lower end has been priced out and the middle are all bought up I guess , and more popular titles have dried up. I do still think resellers have stripped the best cherry’s from this forum to be sold for twice as much and never seen again - knobs
 
From what I have seen, there hasn’t been a lot of middle value / desirable machines for sale in general this year yet. Maybe a few, but not anywhere like I would have expected.

What I have noticed is a few sellers just don’t seem to drop their price when it doesn’t sell. If you are serious about selling, there is no problem with starting high, then keep dropping and letting the market find its value. But to just keep bumping a post over and over again, with no price reduction, just seems a bit stupid to me and maybe a touch greedy.

Not naming any names or machines and I am probably generalising a bit, but I do think a lot of the new people who came into the hobby during COVID times, over paid on a machine and are now trying to pass their machines on for the same inflated price.

Like Chris B said before, COVID times are over and so should some of the prices.

Just my 10 cents.
 
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