Guess the end-price KISS

[Extra Ball]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110435393794

Well have all heard stories of guys offering 10k plus for KISS. Reckon this auction be a good indication of the title's worth.

6.5k?

[Rod71]

Not a fan of the red lane guides. Just looks wrong.

Also, there's something funky going on with the KISS bonus lights. If it's in attract mode, there's lights that are on when they shouldn't be etc. hmmm.

[pinnies4me]

I'm going with 5.8K as most of Melbourne is getting busy this morning, so market is down a little!

[Strangeways]

I'm going with 5.8K as most of Melbourne is getting busy this morning, so market is down a little!

Yep - Very bad timing - I got "stung" years ago selling a pin, and after it sold, I had three bidders contact me offering more as they forgot about the machine due to watching the Grand Final ! The auction ended at night - but most drink all day !

A restored KISS will fetch $10,000. As with all restores - it has to be a "faithful" reproduction. Rod is 100% right - Wrong lane guides and wrong drop targets (color and type - they are supposed to be red and tombstone, not blue and in-line). The KISS logo is fully lit in what appears to be the switch test. When you go to the lengths that the guy has gone to with the cabinet, electronics etc, you would think that changing the lane guides to white and replacing the targets would be a cheap fix. On a side note - the original lane guides have not been available for years !

By no means am I criticizing the seller, on the contrary - I hope to see the machine sell for a higher price. Looks to me to be worth close to $7000 in the current market. It looks to be a fantastic machine, but not the best I've seen.

Whoever does buy it - Should have years of trouble free operation and a really nice KISS machine due to the effort the seller has put into it !

[Rod71]

The KISS logo is fully lit in what appears to be the switch test.

Sorry mate. should have explained further.

Take a look at the second pic where you can see the backglass and playfield.

The game appears to be in attract mode, with credits switched off in dip settings?.

Now if you look at the kiss bonus lights on the playfield. They are lit in a random way. Also an outlane special light is lit.  Something doesn't look right to me.

[illawarra_steelers]

$6,835

The lane guides and drop targets are easy fixes 

[Extra Ball]

KISS pinny has a cult following that other licensed machines dont enjoy, and its puzzling why really.

Think of other licensed games, they dont command big money in comparison:Gunners, Dr Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR, Simpsons etc. Why does KISS stand-out, these other licenses have a huge fan bases as well.

[Strangeways]

KISS pinny has a cult following that other licensed machines dont enjoy, and its puzzling why really.

Think of other licensed games, they dont command big money in comparison:Gunners, Dr Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, LOTR, Simpsons etc. Why does KISS stand-out, these other licenses have a huge fan bases as well.

Without trying to sound "flippant" - The KISS pinball has the KISS logo and theme. You need to understand the "psyche" of KISS fanatics - they will pay ANYTHING for rare memorabilia - more the the Beatles or Stones. Remember both the Beatles and Stones HAVE their own pins, and they are nowhere near as sought after as KISS. The price of the KISS pinball was driven up by the KISS fans - Not Pinball enthusiasts.

I'm a KISS "fanatic" and I have weird stuff like the original "KISS Ice Cream" wrappers which I've been offerred crazy money for. I have an vinyl album still in wrapping, signed by the band - worth hundreds - yet most would expect to see it in the Bargain Bin at K-Mart..

[Extra Ball]

Thats fair comment Nino, but Trekkers go mad on their gear, and same with Star Wars.
It is rather baffling that KISS is so more highly prized. Is it that the KISS pinny has been given more exposure to KISS fans?

[Strangeways]

Thats fair comment Nino, but Trekkers go mad on their gear, and same with Star Wars.
It is rather baffling that KISS is so more highly prized. Is it that the KISS pinny has been given more exposure to KISS fans?

Absolutely - I agree..

Go to a Star Wars convention - 1,000 people once every 2 - 3 months.

Go to a KISS concert - 10,000 - 20,000 a night when on tour.

I digress a little as I don't follow the band with the current lineup - But last year, they toured Europe and broke attendance records in some countries. Yet the KISS pinball is not worth as much O/S !

The KISS Pinball is the "Holy Grail" of KISS memorabilia - and you have to remember (going back to the KISS fanatic "psyche"), KISS INVENTED Band merchandise !

[illawarra_steelers]

A little band called The Beatles and Elvis invented merchandising 

KISS took it a step further where they had total control and got all the cash from it.

[Retropin]

yeh i dont get it - is an average game to play and not liking the band one bit - i can barely look at this machine - even the colour scheme irritates me....id keep my Bally LOST WORLD over a KISS any day (unless i was reselling of course!  )

[Rod71]

Yet the KISS pinball is not worth as much O/S !

Now why is this?.
Back in 1979/80 the popularity of KISS in the US was fading fast.  But over here it was just beginning to take off!

I remember hearing or reading back in the mid 90's when they came back for the conventions, that they had wanted to tour Australia during the 80's but were told by the Australian promoters that there wasn't any interest here.

I think the going rate for KISS over here reflects a couple of things. Firstly the huge number of fans in this country, and secondly the price for working generic titled games over here is over the odds compared to other countries anyway.  So if decent working EM's or early SS sold on eBay in Australia every day of the week for $300 - $500, You'd imagine most Kiss machines here wouldn't crack $3k tops.

 

[Extra Ball]

Is the KISS pinny really the ultimate KISS collectable? I am just interested to know how it attained such status. I dunno, sometimes you just want to know the why of things.
 

[MrMaloo]

There was one I heard about a while ago (not sure if it was on ebay or not) that had the backglass signed by the band members while they were touring here in Oz . Apparantly the pin was arranged to be left in their hotel room on the proviso they all signed it . This would be a perfect example of a pin that , to a Kiss fan is the ultimate collectible . But to a pinball collector who is not a big Kiss fan then it's just a Kiss pinny and the signatures don't really make that much difference .