No doubt the dollar has caused massive hassles but everything has gone up.
A new JetSki last year I wanted was $16,990 on special. Exact same model 12 months later is $18,990 because of the dollar. Same with cars, pro rata same sort of increases across the board.
The prices u quote for brand new Sterns Nino are way under realistic prices for a fully imported USA product with GST & import duties & various fees added for shipping & customs etc.
You cannot seriously expect people to sell a 2015/2016 model product for the same money that you are selling refurbished 25 year old DMD games that are B & C titles that are not absolutely mint or barely used.
There has always been a conflict of interests between any pinball company I have known of who makes it living from doing up old pinball machines.
The prices are way high for refurbished stock from the 90,s and the prices for Sterns are set far too low but never on offer.
I have not see one single pinball business do this properly except AMD who sell BNIB Sterns, refurb Sterns, and pin us from every other era. Their pricing a were never contradictory.
Joe from interstate has also juggled it well but no other business yet has set realistic prices in my opinion because they are firmly in one camp or the other but never both and hence that's where the pricing conflict starts and rarely ever gets addressed in a balanced why buy pin businesses who don't evenly embrace and market both the Stern products or the older stuff happily side by side.
I have seen it dozens of times and it just never works out to balanced pricing that is even close to reality.
(Lots spell mistakes cause I.phone & bit rushed).
Welcome to the luxury market where nothing is ever a bargain.
Earn more or buy less. That's the only choice unfortunately.
In the 90's music CD's across the board, by all artists and record labels were priced around the $29 mark. Everyone left the prices up (Allen's, Brashes etc etc). Along came JB Hi Fi. They purchased exactly the same stock, at exactly the same price from exactly the same supplier. Their price was $23.99. Where are Brashes and Allen's these days (for that matter - everyone else).. So what was the big secret ? They MURDERED the opposition by buying more stock than everyone else and selling it cheaper.
Brashes - Sell 5 CDs a week for $29.99 - Lets say $10 profit.
JB - Sell 50 CDs a week for $23.99 - Let's say $4 profit.
So who is making more money ?
Brashes = $50
Jb Hi Fi = $200
Apply this to Stern - instead of making massive profits on low manufacturing numbers, why can't they lower their price and sell MORE volume ? There's no excuses here - they moved to a bigger plant, they employ more people, so they should be making more machines and more profits. A smart move would be to adopt the Jb Hi Fi model.
Case in point - anyone that thinks a machine costs US$6000 to make is kidding themselves. EVERYONE along the food chain is making money - the investors, the shareholders etc etc.. Stern are making a LOT of money making pinballs - first rule of business - if you are not making money then you won't survive very long !
Whats the difference between a Pro and an LE - a backglass, a plaque, a drop target here, and extra spinner there and a bash toy. HARDLY - $4000 worth. Then there's the extras - toppers, armor - Stern make a killing.
If Stern were realistic with their prices, and given how much I enjoy TWD LE and KISS LE (code permitting) - I would buy more games. If Stern dropped this 3 tier rubbish and made the LE the STANDARD - in line with everyone else before them, and sold them into the market for realistic prices (JB Hi Fi) they would be far far more successful, sell more games into homes and not create a price point where people are prepared to pay as much for a fully restored "A" or "B" title.
Recent Stern price hikes have created a mini rush for A, B, + C B/W titles as High End Restorations.
If Ghostbusters LE was $7500, Stern would make a killing. I'd buy one
