Swinksy, to be honest with you, I am a bit dissapointed with Stern. I mean, I want to be positive about everything in pinball. I want Stern to produce machines, I am grateful they produce machines, I have recognition that they have the talents and man power, innovation and skills to make new pinball machines, but there are a few things, that if i was to be brutally honest about, there are a few things which piss me off, and should piss off alot of other people as well.
The LE models, and the way Stern is doing it is a blatant money grab, which is in no way value for money at all to the end consumer. I want to sit down one day and have a coffee with Gary Stern when I visit his Stern factory in the next 12 months cause thats something i would like to do, but I have to also be honest by making some direct and honest opinions that I cant seem to just shake. Having said that, I still love Stern/the company/the people, but i just think that the customer is mostly right, and the honest feedback is what is best.
On the Transformers LE, its a $8250 machine, compared with the $6350 Pro. (and these prices are current, without further discounts which may or not be available via Aust Stern agents because of the aust dollar. That means you are getting a Pro for $1900 less than a LE, or a LE for $1900 more than the Pro. Given a shaker motor comes with the LE, and its a $220 item, the real difference is $1680, lets say $1700. On the LE Transformers, I just couldnt justify the $ difference, after playing both.
So, u buy the Pro and save the money if u feel the same. But my argument, is that perhaps there shld just be a machine, that has what the LE has, to start with. If u called it a $1000 difference, u MIGHT just argue the side armour, different paint, different lockdown bar, and a few small playfield changes are worth the grand. BUT $1700, no way. Its just not value for money in my honest opinion.
Then u get to the AC/DC pins, and the LE difference in price jumps to $3250. Thats double of the Transformers LE price variance, for again, what.?
How can the difference in pricing now be doubled. There were 500 LE Transformers made, there are 500 total AC/DC LE made. Why a pro-rata price jump of almost another $1700 on top of the already upmarked $1700. This is NOT value for money in anyway shape or form.
Some people would say that the PRO version of a Stern pinny, has the absolute, or less than absolute basics, compared to say the 1996 to 1998 models of Segas/late Data Easts etc etc. Even the LE models still dont have the same mechanicals and toys of the early to mid 90's machines. So why pay thousands of dollars extra, for machines, that even in LE form, arent up to the features of machines from the nineties. When u have 35 machines , all dmd machines to compare to, its a sobering realistic truth that Stern still has to lift its game ALOT for the $$ they are charging. The current games, need more mechanical toys n more features to be valued as good as the late 90's stuff in my opinion.
My honest feedback to Stern, or Stern's Aust agents, is that they need to pass on what I have said, back to Stern USA, because, the $3250 price jump, compared to the Pro, is absurd. How can it be justified to have doubled between the transformers LE and the AC/DC Le pro-rata.?
If u have bought a LE AC/DC, and u feel that the pricing is high ($9250 is alot of money in anyones book) I say u shld give feedback to Stern, and say whilst u are happy with the machine, in future, u feel that the pricing difference, and subsequest massive price hike is not acceptable on the next model. If u dont, expect to keep paying through the nose, for a LE model, that u have to order sight unseen, which again, is madness.
I just think the pricing is absurdly too high in Australia. Unless people complain/give feedback, it will stay too high for the next LE models.
Also, when u look at the prices in the USA, even when u work out the shipping costs to Australia, pro-rata, again, our LE models are at least $1,600 more, take away shipping, and its still $1000 minimum on top of the USA prices. Something isnt right. The Stern guys in Australia should make profit, but the figures dont add up and are too high pro-rata no matter how u look at it.
I will pen a email to Stern and give my feedback, whether it does anygood or not, I dont know, but someone needs to ask why the massive price jump ontop of the Transformers LE. Otherwise, we are destined for outrageously priced Sterns for the future.(and yes, its only my opinion, so it doesnt mean i am right or wrong on the issue, its just an opinion). 
Brett your forgetting in the early 90's NIB pinballs where around 8.5 k so twenty years later we are doing ok I reckon
And there's license costs so I bought one and I'm happy
Peter
