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The OFFICIAL LICENSED 'moans about pricing' thread

I'm not one of those who thinks mods don't increase the value of a Pin, they at least make it more desirable compared to ones without, and I mean decent upgrades, not plastic tat stuck everywhere.

In future I'll most likely move things like shakers, speaker upgrades and cooling fans etc. from Pin to Pin. If buyers don't value them then they shouldn't mind them being removed.

But Mods are Marmite, some people will value a pin with them, some wont care at all and not think them worth adding anything to the value.
 
Hence the term desirable not worth more. If you hate them, many people are still thinking you can take them off and sell them. I certainly tell my wife that the mods I take off are worth £100's.
 
Seems like a good idea to move the mods onto the next game where you can, depending where people have their games, not everyone will be able to turn them up loud enough to benefit from upgraded speakers, or play long enough for flipper fans.

Not sure why, but it seems easier to justify buying at a lower price, and then spending on accessories afterwards, maybe I just concentrate on the big number, and accessories just get lost amongst other things in the credit card bill.
 
Not sure why, but it seems easier to justify buying at a lower price, and then spending on accessories afterwards, maybe I just concentrate on the big number, and accessories just get lost amongst other things in the credit card bill.
Some of it's about knowing what you value. I found the silver powder coating on the Godzilla LE unimaginative and I've had it done dark blue/purple instead on my Prem, which I think looks subtler and better. I don't value a limited edition run or a designer signature, but I do actually like shaker motors, invisiglass, and adding (tasteful, hopefully) bits and bobs to the playfield.

I never expect to get the value back from those additions, so I've not modded pins we expect to sell/trade. Increasingly, I'm with others, as in I'm not buying NIB unless I intend to keep the pin.
 
Some of it's about knowing what you value. I found the silver powder coating on the Godzilla LE unimaginative and I've had it done dark blue/purple instead on my Prem, which I think looks subtler and better. I don't value a limited edition run or a designer signature, but I do actually like shaker motors, invisiglass, and adding (tasteful, hopefully) bits and bobs to the playfield.

I never expect to get the value back from those additions, so I've not modded pins we expect to sell/trade. Increasingly, I'm with others, as in I'm not buying NIB unless I intend to keep the pin.
Yeah I'm with you on the 'Limited' edition, especially since Stern will happy re release a 'Not a special edition' later down the road if demand is there.
About my only must haves are side art and improved lighting on older games.
When it comes to Shakers and invisigalss, I'm a bit scared buying for one game, will make the others seem like there missing something, then that snowballs to spending £££
 
Yeah I'm with you on the 'Limited' edition, especially since Stern will happy re release a 'Not a special edition' later down the road if demand is there.
About my only must haves are side art and improved lighting on older games.
When it comes to Shakers and invisigalss, I'm a bit scared buying for one game, will make the others seem like there missing something, then that snowballs to spending £££

The handy thing with shakers and invisiglass is that they are pretty universal and can be taken off before sale and moved to another game.
 
Yeah I'm with you on the 'Limited' edition, especially since Stern will happy re release a 'Not a special edition' later down the road if demand is there.
About my only must haves are side art and improved lighting on older games.
When it comes to Shakers and invisigalss, I'm a bit scared buying for one game, will make the others seem like there missing something, then that snowballs to spending £££
With shakers, it depends on the pin. I haven't got one for JP2 yet, but it feels like it needs one for when the T-Rex roars. The one on Godzilla is arguably more a way of getting carpal tunnel syndrome than a thematic addition.

Invisiglass is worth it and I have moved it between pins. Pinsound was worth it on Creech because of the option to create a retro music pin with film music. I'm not rushing to add it to, say, Fish Tales where there isn't an obvious alternative sound track.

Some 'plastic' mods are worth It because the manufacturer made a boo-boo. Replacing the cheap-out Godzilla on Stern Godzilla feels like a 'must'. Adding a mothra, or plastic trees, is a bit more marmite.
 
For used your always going to take a hit when selling, just depends on how much you put out and how long you keep it for. I would love a Pin to be able to swap in and out regularly but just not worth the losses now I don't think.

I have had a Godzilla Pro for the last two months, which I plan (hopefully) to make a keeper. I traded up from a GOTG where I valued the GZ at 6.7K. If I were to sell GZ now it would be under 6.5K, in another couple months take another could hundred off again.

Best position to be in now is for buying used, with the thought of keeping it for a long time. Or working out trades if you are struggling to sell.

I'm not sure you "always" take a hit with a used pin. TAF, GB, original BTTF, TSPP, EATPM, IJ, TOTAN, CV, MM, AFM all gone up in price in recent years.

And many others have found their level and you can usually get back what you paid if it's one of the better Bally/WMS
 
Is a shaker motor actually a mod or just a missing mechanism for a game that’s coded for it?

There’s lots of good games offered at the moment but things aren’t shifting. Elvira, Stranger Things etc would have flown out last year.

There’s a ceiling price for everything and currently a lot of games are still above it for me. I’d suspect prices will still fall further.
 
I'm not sure you "always" take a hit with a used pin. TAF, GB, original BTTF, TSPP, EATPM, IJ, TOTAN, CV, MM, AFM all gone up in price in recent years.

And many others have found their level and you can usually get back what you paid if it's one of the better Bally/WMS
Good point, I forgot about the classics and more sought after titles. I said months back that some Stern LCD games are nearing worth the same as some Stern DMD games, that's possibly about to happen now. GB for example, it won't be long before a stock GZ Pro is worth around 6k seeing as there be plenty around.
 
Good point, I forgot about the classics and more sought after titles. I said months back that some Stern LCD games are nearing worth the same as some Stern DMD games, that's possibly about to happen now. GB for example, it won't be long before a stock GZ Pro is worth around 6k seeing as there be plenty around.

I think we are there now. There's a DP sitting on eBay unsold at £6500, suggesting it needs to be £6k ish to get sold.

A pimped GB, TSPP or Metallica would sell for that.

Kiss, TWD, Tron, LOTR, SM, Iron Man, AC/DC maybe £5k for nice ones.
 
I would have a guess that the lack of ££ kicking around and people starting to feel the pinch so to speak is having an effect.
For people that already have the more expensive games they are waiting as long as they can for prices to go up again and "loose" less, unless they are impacted by another machine coming in.
We seem to be in a bit of a stalemate position. Something will end up giving... always does...
Just my personal opinion..
 
IMHO there are definitely 3 tiers of mods

1. Adds value.
These are the mods which can be moved from game to game, such as Colour DMDs, shaker motors, invisiglass, flipper cooling units,.

My shaker motor has been in at least a dozen games which have passed through my doors, with imvisiglass being similar.

2. 'Can' add value.
These are more game specific mods such as upgrading from flat plastic to custom models, some of Stumblors mods such as Tokyo sign for GZ. But can also include upgraded speakers. Pretty much depends on the buyer.

3. Rarely add value.
These are mainly cosmetic mods, including powder coating rails, colour plastic protectors, bespoke shooter rods, cliffy protectors.
That's not to say they're not worth the purchase price, but don't necessarily expect to be able to get your money back on them.

I'm sure there are exceptions to the mods which may fall into a different category than above - such as Judge Dredd Deadworld mod, but these are the exception.
 
I would have a guess that the lack of ££ kicking around and people starting to feel the pinch so to speak is having an effect.
For people that already have the more expensive games they are waiting as long as they can for prices to go up again and "loose" less, unless they are impacted by another machine coming in.
We seem to be in a bit of a stalemate position. Something will end up giving... always does...
Just my personal opinion..
Definitely the lack of pounds, going to the supermarket getting some milk, bread and basics you come out spending £20 to £30. Gas 2 years ago £50 would last me about a month now less than a week. 😞 Even middle income are feeling it, rent gone up ridiculous amounts, was looking in london similar place and area rent gone from £1700 to £2600 it's all becoming unaffordable except for the wealthy, unless wages increase it's going to get worse. All these prices increases effect the ability to waste serious money on giant toys. My next machine is my last for a while.
 
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