Phil Parmer should not have to ask Distro's for machines at his show there should be a long line out the door with them hoping he takes their machines.
Please see the UKPinfest FAQ about the different Phils. I'm not Phil Palmer.
Phil Parmer should not have to ask Distro's for machines at his show there should be a long line out the door with them hoping he takes their machines.
Phil , I think he meant Palmer, just prob caught up in writing - can loose track of your thread unless you script then view over 24hrs before postingPlease see the UKPinfest FAQ about the different Phils. I'm not Phil Palmer.
CorrectI've not particularly wanted to get involved here, but considering I was in constant contact with David Fix and Pinball Heaven from GTF to BBQ Challenge coming over I'd just like to put a few things straight in defence of Phil.
Galactic Tank Force (good game btw) did really badly sales wise and Phil was not keen to stock any more American Pinballs because they didn't sell. However, he purchased and shipped Barries BBQ Challenge for videos and because he knew David Fix was coming to Pinfest. Ironically, I told Phil not to buy the BBQ Challenge but he was adamant that it should be shipped over, filmed and sent to my house for people to play before sending it off to various venues in the hope that it would generate some excitement and sales.
Basically, Phil would never have forked out thousands to buy and ship the game if he knew that he would no longer be exclusive.
Was what happened illegal? No. Did Pinball Heaven have an exclusivity agreement? Possibly not. . . . But it wasn't really the decent thing to do.
Fix basically got a game sale and marketing because Phil was under the impression that he was the sole UK distributor. There is no way that he would have purchased BBQ Challenge and put it at Pinfest if he'd have known what someone else would benefit from his test machines (Phil also supplied Legends of Valhalla and Galatic Tank Force).
Basically, Pinball Heaven paid for some promotion and marketing of AP in the UK only to be diluted without notice.
Barrells of Fun was different because there was no existing relationship and no money had been exchanged. @dave Retro brought the first Labyrinth to the UK so the situation is quite different.
I don't blame Dave btw, he was offered the chance to supply another line of pinball machines and would have been silly to say no.
I hope this isn't repackaged as just 'sticking up for my mate', I've merely stated facts and tried to be a reasonable as possible. I can totally understand how Phil is pi$$£d off having run at a loss on AP's over the years.
The very least Phil deserved to be kept informed. Imagine spending all of that money then finding out on social media . . . not great.
This is spot on.Phil Murphy should not have to ask Distro's for machines at his show there should be a long line out the door with them hoping he takes their machines.
To me Pinball heaven's old business model is gone. you have to please you're customer base or retire
Perfect example of why @Atlantis is talking rubbish!A prime example of the above is spinal tap been out on location all its life been to several shows totall sales zero
To be fair, @CHRIS B PINBALLS, I bought a pin I didn't expect to purchase as a direct consequence of going to the London EAG in January.Even when you do the big London show sales generated from that are minimal you could have every ap machine at the eag in London you wouldn’t sell one as operators will buy a stern pro at considerably less
I wonder how many orders Dave has taken even with David fix 2 hour chat I suspect none
Even when you do the big London show sales generated from that are minimal you could have every ap machine at the eag in London you wouldn’t sell one as operators will buy a stern pro at considerably less
And as we speak about distributors then there is no real distributors other than electrocoin and ph no other person actually stocks game they just take orders or sell electrocoins stock
From the shipment that arrived on Wednesday I would think 80% of that was actually pinball heavens so the old business model is not doing two badly
A prime example of the above is spinal tap been out on location all its life been to several shows totall sales zero
Dont you think its better they did view it and said im glad i got to play that turd before i lost my azz buying FOMOA prime example of the above is spinal tap been out on location all its life been to several shows totall sales zero
PH is not a real Distro then they dont order anything till they been paid then order, as for PH stocking games thats a no. He does the same as I do with electrocoin but does not carry the full stock and why would he. electrocoin charges enough to cover storage till we get a sale.
But lately he has had to drop his prices to keep David out in the cold selling them at cost to make sure he dont get a sale. to keep competition away but that biz model wont last long.
That's because it's being shown to pinball people, it's not aimed at us, retro should take it to farmers markets, the ideal home show stick it in the show house, the rum show, the gin show, it will then fly out because what non pinball people want it a giant man toy that costs as much as a new kitchenA prime example of the above is spinal tap been out on location all its life been to several shows totall sales zero
Got to disagree here. I didn't want to buy Labyrinth until I played it at the show. I purchased the game specifically after playing it at the show. I doubt I would have otherwise.A prime example of the above is spinal tap been out on location all its life been to several shows totall sales zero
That’s because it’s a discussion and not a thread where people are throwing insults.This thread is like the good old days before ‘he who cannot be named’ was banned…..
Oh it’s coming mate! I can smell it!That’s because it’s a discussion and not a thread where people are throwing insults.
Big difference![]()
Yeh, because there just took expensive to buy blind.Got to disagree here. I didn't want to buy Labyrinth until I played it at the show. I purchased the game specifically after playing it at the show. I doubt I would have otherwise.
The show also had incentive offers to buy on the weekend. This was fundamentally missing on any other game being advertised on the day. Its fairly common at shows in the US to provide event pricing/offers. Something I think we fundamentally lack here in the UK.
If anything can be learnt from any of this is that games should be promoted where possible, no one wants to buy a game blind anymore, FOMO is dead.
That’s good seems most people have the same viewThe product has to be good now to get sales, there just too expensive.
Adventure in Val by American pinball interested me, after borrowing houndi for a bit, but there absolutely no way I would buy blind, friends who played it at the show didn't like it, I reserve judgement.
3 mill Turnover and you had Phil Murphy pay for the transport of machines your selling at his show and never even coped up a free sponsor prize and likely sold machines on the bases they were there and you use free selling tools on this site.Perfect example of why @Atlantis is talking rubbish!
I think my £3M turnover this year shows “the old model” isn’t dying.
Phil
Your Boss will tell you that I cant sell Into northern Ireland so no point him trying one here out or sterns lolThat’s good seems most people have the same view
Didn’t the Irish ap distributor have a val for you to try
A valid reply Scott I believe you weren’t the only one who ordered one either maybe other suppliers don’t feel the need to discount things for the show or if you contact them with an enquiry they would but in ap case there has been monumental discounts on show machines but nothing has soldGot to disagree here. I didn't want to buy Labyrinth until I played it at the show. I purchased the game specifically after playing it at the show. I doubt I would have otherwise.
The show also had incentive offers to buy on the weekend. This was fundamentally missing on any other game being advertised on the day. Its fairly common at shows in the US to provide event pricing/offers. Something I think we fundamentally lack here in the UK.
If anything can be learnt from any of this is that games should be promoted where possible, no one wants to buy a game blind anymore, FOMO is dead.
It is but being a distributor isn’t just about picking and choosing its about buying the games from the manufacturer and stocking them weather good or bad it’s great when a game is a smash but not so good when you are stuck with lemons you can’t sellDont you think its better they did view it and said im glad i got to play that turd before i lost my azz buying FOMO
Thank you for that explanation.I've not particularly wanted to get involved here, but considering I was in constant contact with David Fix and Pinball Heaven from GTF to BBQ Challenge coming over I'd just like to put a few things straight in defence of Phil.
Galactic Tank Force (good game btw) did really badly sales wise and Phil was not keen to stock any more American Pinballs because they didn't sell. However, he purchased and shipped Barries BBQ Challenge for videos and because he knew David Fix was coming to Pinfest. Ironically, I told Phil not to buy the BBQ Challenge but he was adamant that it should be shipped over, filmed and sent to my house for people to play before sending it off to various venues in the hope that it would generate some excitement and sales.
Basically, Phil would never have forked out thousands to buy and ship the game if he knew that he would no longer be exclusive.
Was what happened illegal? No. Did Pinball Heaven have an exclusivity agreement? Possibly not. . . . But it wasn't really the decent thing to do.
Fix basically got a game sale and marketing because Phil was under the impression that he was the sole UK distributor. There is no way that he would have purchased BBQ Challenge and put it at Pinfest if he'd have known what someone else would benefit from his test machines (Phil also supplied Legends of Valhalla and Galatic Tank Force).
Basically, Pinball Heaven paid for some promotion and marketing of AP in the UK only to be diluted without notice.
Barrells of Fun was different because there was no existing relationship and no money had been exchanged. @dave Retro brought the first Labyrinth to the UK so the situation is quite different.
I don't blame Dave btw, he was offered the chance to supply another line of pinball machines and would have been silly to say no.
I hope this isn't repackaged as just 'sticking up for my mate', I've merely stated facts and tried to be a reasonable as possible. I can totally understand how Phil is pi$$£d off having run at a loss on AP's over the years.
The very least Phil deserved to be kept informed. Imagine spending all of that money then finding out on social media . . . not great.
Thank you for that explanation.
Turnover, not profit. If an average NIB machine is around £10k with a few accessories etc. added to the order then just over 300 machines would get you there. Bit more if you sell more Pro than Prem.I’m blown away at the 3mil turn over, imagine what stern bring in a year!!!
Id say 20% Gross profit and about 8% net still a nice wage. If his company ever did 3m turnoverTurnover, not profit. If an average NIB machine is around £10k with a few accessories etc. added to the order then just over 300 machines would get you there. Bit more if you sell more Pro than Prem.
I would estimate Stern turn over in the region of $25-35m if we can loosely estimate that they sell 5k machines a year to distros at $5-7k a machine. Obviously I’m not a distro and don’t know the pricing they offer to Electrocoin and other first level distros but I reckon it has to be in that region for anybody to make money. And the sales figures are a total guess as Stern don’t publish them!