How much were Pins new 'in their day'

[astyy]

Lot of discussion about cheap parts, cost cutting etc in the past. I was trying to find out how much pin's were new when first released for sale to operators as cash generating assets. A £5K machine today in 1980 would be approx £1600 then, but I'm guessing they were relatively more.

What first got me onto this was the cost of a Taito Space Invaders arcade cabinet, but then it got me thinking about SI pinball and my '83 Gold Ball.

 

[abaxas]

Mind seams to remember that 2.5-3k was about the money in the early 90s.

 

[jagman]

in 1992 i was told by operators in blackpool they were around £ 3.5 k, and no it wasn`t from pinball paradise

 

[Jay Walker]

I remember being told that Williams Space Shuttle was around the £2,000 mark new in 1984.

 

[philpalmer]

MM cost me £2195+ VAT new. I think TAF was £2k + VAT.

 

[mark9]

From my dad's records:

Harley Davidson (Bally) £1950,
TAF £2100
FT £2400
TZ £2600

I don't think the prices include VAT.

 

[Nedreud]

MM cost me £2195+ VAT new. I think TAF was £2k + VAT.

From my dad's records:

Harley Davidson (Bally) £1950,
TAF £2100
FT £2400
TZ £2600

I don't think the prices include VAT.

Have you got dates for these purchases (just the year)? I'm assuming the year of manufacture or just after?

 

[Nedreud]

Using a few "How much was X worth" calculators I found out that £2,100+VAT in 1992 is worth about £4,600 today (for a commodity). So, the price of £4,795 from Pinball Heaven for new a Stern seems about the same (although given a time machine I'm sure most would want to buy a new TAF rather than a WALKING DEAD).

I'd love to see some confirmed prices for games from late 70s early 80s era... my internet searches haven't turned up any history on original sale prices.

 

[mark9]

Have you got dates for these purchases (just the year)? I'm assuming the year of manufacture or just after?

Harley Davidson (Bally) £1950, April 1991
TAF £2100 Sept 1992
FT £2400 Dec 1992
TZ £2600 July 1993

A new Stern seems about the same (although given a time machine I'm sure most would want to buy a new TAF rather than a WALKING DEAD).

That's for a Pro though which seems to be the economy version of the standard machine, they would probably remove the playfield magnets, chair and Thing to make a TAF pro

I would happily swap my TAF for a TWD LE or Premium though...

 

[mark9]

Forgot to mention my Dad was an op, so I guess these were trade prices, although to be honest did anyone but ops actually buy new machines back then? The depreciation on these machines was very fast, you'd have to be pretty minted to risk losing about 80% of the value in just a few years.

 

[DRD]

Got to be careful when comparing prices 20 years ago and now. With Chinese imports, automated manufacturing etc, the cost of many household items has collapsed in real terms. Clothes, tv, printers, cars .....

But Pinballs are so antiquated (like mechanical Swiss watches), I don't think much real progress has been made in the manufacturing process or actual finished products in the past twenty years.

Though Spike and that tiny circuit board in the MM remake might finally change this