"Putting prices up in a bad economy is a real BAD idea. Lowering prices to keep the cash flow going so u can survive is the smart way to go. Shame the government is screwing everyone over. We need a new election and a new PM real bad. "

i agree but as with everything in this country, walk in any shop. things are going up up up up.because even though local shops can buy stuff cheaper than before, the small business is being smashed from every angle from this gov, so infact that item has allot of added costs ontop of it, those added costs that aren't imposed on items bought over seas.

 im not in this industry so i don't know how much it would cost to run ,or how much turnover the pinball parts industry turns over a year, but it is a very small market after all, so when competing with a cheap over seas market its probably not very profitable at all. unless you own the market.
but local is going to get more expensive in almost any industry.

"I have been running my own business for 20 years in the Electronic Security Industry, and all of the stock we buy within our business has never been CHEAPER than it has been the last 6 months"

and wages, insurance, rent, electricity, rates, and the many other other running  costs have never been dearer, and yer big guys do find ways of making things cheaper, they go to china where they dont have the added costs i outlined above.