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The Classic Pinball Podcast
The Classic Pinball Podcast
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#20. Pins costing less than a topper. The Classic Pinball Podcast

PodcastAnalysis updated 2d ago42 min listenBy George
From the creator

In this episode Dave and George go back at least 20 years to discuss games they purchased and how they cost less than a Stern Star Wars topper($750). The stories are told about the acquisition of...

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Highlights

  • A Stern Star Wars topper retails for approximately $750
  • Stern Monopoly (2003) White Star board sets have become obsolete and unobtainable; Stern manufactured ~500 replacement boards ~1 year ago, which sold out quickly
  • Stern Monopoly machines exhibit widespread alkaline battery damage on main boards due to original owners not changing batteries
  • Pinball prices over 20 years have appreciated faster than inflation and the stock market
  • Rick and Morty and Stranger Things share nearly identical playfield layouts (fan layout) with only mechanical midfield differences
  • Stranger Things Pro model does not include the projector/drive-in movie screen feature
  • Rick and Morty features a 'Denise Lock 2.0' mechanism similar to horseshoe targets seen on Silver Ball Mania and TNA
  • A working Xenon was purchased for $50 approximately 5 years ago
  • Modern pinball buyers are purchasing games sight-unseen based on early-access streams by content creators, with minimal public play testing before purchase

Notable quotes

“Every game I bought was under the cost of a topper at $750.”
George
“You'd probably agree with that, wouldn't you? They have. Better than the stock market, better than inflation. I lost my shirt in the stock market, in the pinball market. I just wish I just put all my money in the pinball market and didn't even go to the stock market.”
Dave
“So now, you know. So no wonder the game is so inexpensive, knowing that it's got a finite life.”
Dave
“They lost the technology and it's too expensive to build it back again. And too painful.”
Dave (quoting Don Pennant)
“The Pro model doesn't have that thing in it... Oh, well that kind of blows.”
George and Dave
“I'm just amazed people are still buying new and no one's really solved the old play field clear coat issues and all that stuff yet. So I don't know. I haven't even seen either one of these games or played them.”
Dave
“The version of software is .6. But they'll still buy it.”
George
“Look what I got. I got the latest and greatest thing. Look at my shiny bauble.”
George

Entities

  • Stern Pinball· company
  • Pentastic· event
  • Rick and Morty· game
  • Stern Monopoly· game
  • Stranger Things· game
  • The Classic Pinball Podcast· organization
  • Benjamin Miner· person
  • Chuck· person
  • Dave· person
  • Dave Matrando· person
  • Don Pennant· person
  • Eric Stone· person
  • Frank Rothdeutsch· person
  • George· person
  • John Toth· person
  • Keith Christensen· person
  • Mark Ross· person
  • Mark Seidman· person
  • Mike (Church of the Silver Ball)· person
  • Raman Cromwell· person
  • Ryan McQuaid· person

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