It wouldn't matter how many contacts anyone has, a product with no future will never get off the ground.
Market research would indicate over & over again that it would be an unwise investment to fund such a project, no matter whether it's in china or elsewhere.
If pinballs were ever made in China, it's only coz Stern is looking for a cheaper way to do it and create a larger margin for themselves, i dont see them dropping the retail price down for us.
This all should have been done 20 years ago, when it might of had a greater impact and slipped in before all the playstation, Xbox and Wii mentality took over the world.
The only reason pinball lives in our collections is because 'we' have a passion for it, past experiences, childhood memories etc, and when we go, they go.
Kids today might walk into your pinroom and say 'wow', maybe play a game, but like the chinese 'they dont get it' and walk back inside to jump on the COOL XBox and let Dad play with his stoopid clunky machines. 
There will always be special interest & collectors groups and they always reduce in numbers as members move on.
Just like Vintage cars....people restore & drive them in clubs, but nobody manufatures them anymore to support the collector demand.
just my 20c 
MM.
It's sad - and I hate to say it, but I agree with you. I think that everything that "is old - becomes new again" there is no doubt but pinballs are a long way from that place yet..…...
For the record, plenty of Stern parts are made for them in PRC and the same was the case for WMS 20 years ago - all of the toys and many smaller parts were made for them in PRC. Still didn't stop them slamming the doors even though the pinball part of the business was making a profit at the time. It's covered well in Tilt (I think?) where they show the prgress of pinball 2000 and state that had WMS actually sold off the pin dividion to someone who would keep making machines it might be a totally different scene today..…....I guess we will never know what 'might have been'.…
