ACDC Pro price check

[Caveoftreasures]

That Premium price was a great deal.
The great deals are around if u speak & contact enough people.
Great to hear such good feedback about a  game not mentioned much on the forum these days.

[Replay]

Pro models were $5950 originally and the LE $9250. Haven't seen any pro models for sale in a while but would expect them to start at 5k for a decent one.

[Cow Corner]

I would pay no more than 5k for the pro.

[Caveoftreasures]

$5950 excluded delivery & shaker and under playfield slide rails plus any custom mods.

Also, if u didn't pay the entire $5950 upfront, as opposed to only paying a small deposit the machine was $6300 min plus delivery & so on.

The special lowest discounted price worked for those who paid in full by cash or bank transfer and handed over the lot.

If Stern does a ACDC Pro Vault edition which is being talked about its going to be $8150 plus shaker n delivery & so on cause of the weak Aussie dollar.

So one would have to price a minty machine around 6 ish to feel satisfied.
I have every custom add on to my machine I could buy incl a expensive topper so I have probably $1500 in it more than the original base $5950 ish undelivered price.
They seem few & far between now to buy in HUO mint condition. People are really hanging on to them.

[pinsanity]

Pro models were $5950 originally and the LE $9250. Haven't seen any pro models for sale in a while but would expect them to start at 5k for a decent one.

I would pay no more than 5k for the pro.

That sounds realistic given the reputation it has.

Tacky mods and overpriced toppers have their place for those who think that somehow adds intrinsic value to a machine, but at the end of the day it is missing an interactive mini playfield (amongst other items) from Ritchie's original intended design.

That was how Stern justified the sub 6k sticker pricing in the first place for it - by cutting back on the BOM.

[Caveoftreasures]

If u actually ring & speak to Steve Ritchie about ACDC like I have, he will tell you he designed two completely different machines, one being a Pro and the next being the LE playfield layout etc.

John Borg also has told me they design the Pro machine first, get that perfect and then design a LE and its differences on top. This constant claim from Stern bashers that the LE is designed first then things are taken away eyc, that claim is complete BS and totally uneducated and completely false compared to what the actual game designers will tell you face to face or over the phone.

Of course, when a person has the opportunity to buy a machine, and if they like custom purchased Mods and toppers etc, then those items will add value if the buyer likes those things on their machines.
Since the pinball Mods business is booming, I would argue that expensive quality Mods would add value to a machine.
I also was of the impression that ACDC was a massive success worldwide and a hit for Steve Ritchie & Stern.
The vast majority of people I have heard from have said the game had a excellent reputation, certainly not the opposite. All ACDC models have sold massive numbers and are appreciated by their owners.
The Pro machine is great. Of the 30 people I know who bought a Pro, not one of them has sold their machines on.
That has to mean something.

[pinsanity]

Straight from the horse's mouth Steve Ritchie as of 3 days ago via a live Q and A.

https://www.facebook.com/sternpinball/videos/10153936706249244/

Question posed by J Dankberg via Live Feed from listener: "So here's a great question, Pro versus Premium/LE, which is designed first and do you make a Pro first (Steve interrupts question with NO) or do you make a complete machine with Premium/LE and then remove items?"

Answer from Steve Ritchie: "I start with the LE. I start with everything. On games like GoT for example we are talking a HUGE (his emphasis) difference between the Pro and the LE. It's actually insane. If you want to spend the money on an LE/Premium you are going to get that maximum play, maximum everything."

Then added as an afterthought because he realises he has indirectly crapped on his employer's product.

"But if you want a good, fun game the Pro is there too." Said whilst rolling his eyes and looking off camera.



You only need to read between the lines to see even the designer himself is not happy with the BOM cutbacks which is causing not only damage to the hobby itself, but is shortchanging the pinball playing public.

[pinsanity]

From a design/manufacturing standpoint it simply makes no economic sense to design a machine to prototype with only 70% of the parts implemented and then attempt to shoehorn in the remaining 30% of the intended build to another model based on the existing design.

Logic dictates that it is far more practical to have the machine built to 100% of the planned specifications first with finalised build costings attached to each individual assembly and then simply remove certain assemblies/parts to cut back on the BOM in order to bring it in line with the lower price point model.

[DSB]

I think the biggest problem for my mate is the fact that they just don't come up for sale often so in the end it may just be a pipe dream for him.

[GORGAR 1]

I think the biggest problem for my mate is the fact that they just don't come up for sale often so in the end it may just be a pipe dream for him.

Yeah there certainly hard to find considering how many came here , just such a great well coded game :) Sterns best by a mile-it would be in the top 5 of all time great games :) I have a LE and it ain't going anywhere lol but a mate has a pro and it's also an awesome game so dam fast and hectic. Good luck searching.

[Caveoftreasures]

I haven't heard or read the later SR info but it sounds completely different to what he told me when ACDC was first made. I can only go on what he told me directly. Maybe things are changed, maybe they haven't.
It seems different designers have different approaches and different answers over different periods.

I still say the Pro model is a fast playing best bang for your buck machine with any Stern title.
Play the Pro, play the LE, the Pro plays faster almost every model.
Buy what you like but as long as u buy that's what matters.