What's new
By:
Pinball info

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Whats the value of a LOTR LE

Lance

Lance

Site Supporter
10 Years
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
161
Location
Hornchurch, Essex
Anyone have an idea of the value of a LOTR LE. I have given up getting one over here. so just in the process of acquiring abroad. My view was 5K+ and a standard LOTR about 3.2K. Does that sound about right or is a LOTR LE not worth that much more?
 
HUO peach LOTR £4000 (skill post) non skill post a bit higher £4200+ LE HUO £5K+ all day long I should imagine.
 
Cheers Mr Dreads , thats what I thought. ;) PM me what mods you do , it will take a while to get here so no rush but will be up for some when it does
 
Judge Dreads said:
HUO peach LOTR £4000 (skill post) non skill post a bit higher £4200+ LE HUO £5K+ all day long I should imagine.
Click to expand...

Wow, they've gone up a bit - I had a perfect example LOTR (non skill post) that cost me £3k - that was in July 2013 mind.
 
not much back glass brass trim shaker motor and no figures i prefer the standard one to be honest but it is always nice to have an le
jt i still have the lotr i got of you i think
 
A lot of games get called HUO but some of those have had ten owners and been to shows, and may even have coin door metal bar holders fitted (suggesting the 'home' was an arcade). I think the main benefit of the LE is the beardcock.

I'd be happy with a average condition LOTR with a decent playfield, and would expect to be able to pick one up for about 3000-3200
 
chris b said:
jt i still have the lotr i got of you i think
Click to expand...

:) Yep, and that was perfect condition as far as I remember. £4k does seem very steep - I'm guessing whoever bought that one dreads mentioned is going to take a bit of a hit when they come to sell, but who knows with pinball prices, maybe that's the current normal value - and I thought most Sterns were dropping off in value - I certainly took a massive hit when I moved my MET on anyway, and it sounds like Spidey values have taken quite a hit too :confused:
 
Why is SM dropping in value yet LOTR is going up?
Did they produce more SM's or is just that more people hang on to their LOTR's?
 
SM's have been much easier to acquire in recent years, LOTR is the highest rated Stern and as it's older than spidey, peachey ones are harder to come by, may all change if they do a LOTR VE.
 
Last edited:
It makes little sense to me either:

All 90s games are going up, whether BWS or DE/Sega. 80s/90s Gottliebs seem to be static or slowly rising, or we see so little info that it's hard to tell. 80s Ballys seem to be on the climb. Modern Sterns are all dropping in price from the day they're made until they bottom out at 1500 or so. The only exception I can think of are the rare LE versions like ACDC BIBLE.

Where is the evidence that LOTR is going up and SM / FG / TSPP are going down? I just don't believe it I'm afraid, based on sales on here and eBay.
 
Personally my evidence is from tracking and purchasing these machines over the last 8 years, saw my SM go up in value although they are now way lower than what I sold it for and nearer what I paid, with regard to LOTR, I remember them at 2k, I missed plenty over the last 6-7 years or so and have never seen them drop in price only climb, minty SM's climbed as high as £3.5k+ a few years ago (doubt you would get that today), last two really nice LOTRs on here have gone for 4k or just below, hope that shines some light on it for ya, I missed a stunning LOTR on a BIN on ebay about 4-5 years ago for £2.2k, no way that will ever happen again methinks, Manny sold a HUO LOTR some years ago on ebay for 2- 2.5k, again, no way you will see them prices these days.

Can't comment on FG, TSPP seems to be going North also but get the feeling is did not drop from it's highs as much as the others so the climb has been less obvious.
 
Last edited:
Three years ago I really wanted a SM. Took ages to track one down and then a couple came up in the 2.8-3k range, Last few I've seen have been in really good condition but seem to have gone for 2.5, maybe a bit more. Didn't have mine here for a year or so and when I got it back the flipper action felt strange compared to newer Sterns.

I paid £2.2k for my LOTR but that was about 6 years ago. At the time I could have got a better one if I'd hung on a while. They seemed to then climb to around 3k but I thought they'd fallen back a bit again. Probably the key issue is that they don't crop up often. The only LE I've ever seen was one from PH which I think had been damaged in transit on the bottom. IIRC I think Phil wanted less than 3k.

MET pros have dropped and seem easy (ish) to source. Haven't seen a premium for sale though so suspect they are still at a high price.
AC/DC has come down slightly in value for the premium. although the PRO is rare I would imagine it's totally tanked in value. Who the **** wants that fugly thing?

Lots of other modern sterns have settle din the 2-2.5k range that the better B/W games are also in.

SEGA's are all over the place. I still think most are sub 1k but I know I've just made way more than that for a Godzilla. LIS is probably the hardest to source but went for less than £900 on ebay this year.

DEs what the **** is going on? The runt of the litter has just become sort after. :confused: Last year a LW3 went for more than a grand. WTF. What next LAH for the same amount?

Back to the LOTR question. If I was Gary Stern and had an efficient well run factory that has a history of being able to crank out machines (as well as a brand new factory) I would have stockpiled the bits I need to build a vault edition LOTR over the last 12 months. I'd now be waiting for another badly run competitor to finally get their **** together and announce a firm release date for their very delayed very similar themed machine and then drop my game on the public in the same month. No waiting time for actually be able to buy it, no 1000 people in front of the new customers who's machines need to be made first. Hey presto a small dent in my sales of a Vault edition (which is near enough all profit and has the stronger theme of the two) but a loss of 300 or so badly needed new sales of the other machine and then no more future competition. Maybe Mr Stern isn't as nasty as me though or maybe there are licence issues to prevent this but I really wouldn't be surprised to see a VE crop up later this year.
 
I think lotr was as most sterns are deemed a rubbish game when first came out so sales where not great as years have gone by its now seemed a great game so prices have shot up due to how rare they are i think a rough guide price would be £2500 for a rough one up to £4500 for a super mint huo non skill post
SM on the other hand was a pretty good game out of the box very popular with operators and huo so value stayed high at first as it was hard to get a second hand one as operators didnt want to sell as they were taking good money just the odd huo one came up people selling to buy there next game they were going for around £3000-£3500
as time has moved on operators are now selling spidermans as they are old hat now and tired i have bought 3 this year so the market is now flooded hence price drop but you never know with ex op stuff i could be mega fooked or only ever been on one site and never played and be in great nick
other titles like tron tspphold really good money i sold a nice tron ex op last week in 3 sec last week
 
I would be very surprised if Gary doesn't announce LOTR VE just after Hobbit FINALLY starts shipping;)
 
IMO i prefer the original - not the LE.Mine now has a shaker,colour dmd,axe rails and other bits-even if added to a £4k one,still only less than £5k,and it don't have the backglass with Gandalffs appendage on!
Tho mine has the horrible duck egg in between flippers:mad:

Wouldn't have thought they were £4k,but,some pin prices,as said keep going up - i know @windoesnot paid close to that for one

I guess,in line with original question,they go for what they go for - annoying answer,but true:rolleyes:
 
Some great explanations there fellas thank you. Now please go to the 'what is this game worth' thread and give every game the same thorough treatment.

SM is such a wonderful game that I can't believe anyone considers it old hat. What about new hats like Avengers and Transformers then?
 
I knew I'd set my price too low, when there was no haggling or whinging and my hand was nearly bitten off ;-)
But both happy with the price, so no worries.
Just a shame that there's nothing for sale that I fancy at the same or lower price :-(
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. I am going with what Mr Dreads says.

I think the closing comment is , its all irrelevant until you come to sell as whatever the price is today will be different then.

However I noted that SM's are coming down, of course I wouldn't want a normal one , How much is a black one I wonder :hmm:
 
I dont think there are many Spiderman Blacks in the UK. You could just buy a normal one and stick a shaker motor in it ;)
 
I bought Mannys one 3 or so years ago. Sold it a few months later.

Bought another one from Marc Evans who also had a NIB LOTR LE. price was £6300. Asked him to hold it for me but he didn't so I bought the other one US, looks HUO for £4.5K last year. A lot for an LOTR in my opinion but don't come up that often
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom