I had an idea tonight, something I reckon both Stern and JJP should do. (I am going to send my idea in to both Gary and Jack)

Thinking about the famous Gold ticket idea from the movie - Charlie Wonka and the chocolate factory, why couldnt the pinball companies have a deal wherby when u unbox your BNIB pinball machine, you send in your purchase certificate and it goes into a draw with the pinball manufacturer you purchased your machine from. (no gold certificates in the machines cause the pinball machine dealers would nick them out etc).

So, u send in your purchase certificate, it goes into a draw, and the draw could be held twice a year per title, say in December, just before Xmas, and the 2nd draw just around the end of June.

Now, what do u win. Well this is the good part.

Stern does 2 x GOLD Edition pinball machines only per title, one winner each 6 months, and the winner is drawn out of the hundreds of pinball purchasers purchase certificates which obviously has your Stern serial number on it.. This Gold Edition Pinball machine is a very special machine, available as a free prize only, for anyone who has purchased a Brand New in Box Pinball machine from that manufacturer. Dealers are exempt, only end users, home users are eligible.

The draw can be a huge event at Stern for example, and people would be totally obsessed with winning a Gold Edition machine, that only a handful would ever exsist. If Stern held this for example, you would buy your brand new Stern title, knowing u would go into the draw to win the ultimate Gold Edition pinball. It might have a one off translite, a special something on the cabinet, say Gold rails or something, and a special plaque that only the special few machines would have. Overnight, it would become highly highly collectable.

If I knew how to use photoshop I would do a Gold Edition version but I have no skills in that department.

Anyway, it was an idea to give something back to the end home user, and it was a idea to help the pinball manufacturers give a extra bit of incentive for people to buy brand new in box versus 2nd hand, just to win that Gold Edition pinny once or twice a year.

Anyone think its a decent idea ?