How much did a new pinball machine cost back in the 70’s?

[TMFP]

Just curious, how much did a pinball machine cost back in the 70’s/
early 80’s?
Example Bally’s Star Trek, Williams Black Knight, Gottlieb Sys1’s/
System 80’s

Some of my machines I bought second hand from operators in the mid
80’s, just wondering how much the price had dropped on them at that
time

Pete

[MIKE PAYNE]

Post by TMFP
Just curious, how much did a pinball machine cost back in the 70’s/
early 80’s?
Example Bally’s Star Trek, Williams Black Knight, Gottlieb Sys1’s/
System 80’s
Some of my machines I bought second hand from operators in the mid
80’s, just wondering how much the price had dropped on them at that
time
Pete

My friend told me Haunted House was around $1900 then. He said Pac
Man's and such were $1750 or so. Most other pins were in the
$1500-1750 range

[mikepin]

I ran an arcade chain called Fun n games we bought like 20 Wizards
at 951.00 each...

[Del]

 I ran an arcade chain called Fun n games  we bought like 20 Wizards
at 951.00 each...

When the 1st SS Bally's came out we were paying $ 1200.00 + or - ,
buying 5 to 10 at a time , We had 3 Arcades in N. Mytrle Beach & all
of them had at least 12 pins in each .

Pin-Del,
cargpb28

[Brian Saunders]

Post by Del

 I ran an arcade chain called Fun n games  we bought like 20 Wizards
at 951.00 each...

When the 1st SS Bally's came out we were paying $ 1200.00 + or - ,
buying 5 to 10 at a time , We had 3 Arcades in N. Mytrle Beach & all
of them had at least 12 pins in each .
Pin-Del,
cargpb28

In 1973 I remember the arcade owner of the place I hung out in
getting a new Gottlieb Flying Carpet machine brought in one day and
asking him right then what it cost. He told me "about $900". Seemed
like a fortune at the time seeing as how I was making $1.60 an hour
flipping burgers.That price might have included delivery, don't know.

[1st]

I was probably there causing trouble!
Although some of my earliest recollections of Myrtle beach arcades
included Berzerk, not pins ;-)

Post by Del
When the 1st SS Bally's came out we were paying $ 1200.00 + or - ,
buying 5 to 10 at a time , We had 3 Arcades in N. Mytrle Beach & all
of them had at least 12 pins in each .
Pin-Del,
cargpb28

[TMFP]

Thank you guys
much appreciated

Pete

[Woz]

Post by TMFP
Just curious, how much did a pinball machine cost back in the 70’s/
early 80’s?
Example Bally’s Star Trek, Williams Black Knight, Gottlieb Sys1’s/
System 80’s
Some of my machines I bought second hand from operators in the mid
80’s, just wondering how much the price had dropped on them at that
time
Pete

I've got a Jacks Open flyer with prices $895 and $1095 written on it.
Not sure why two prices since this game was only single player.

Woz

[Lloyd Olson]

BK around $2300, Sys 1 around $1800, System 80's around $2300. LTG :)

"TMFP" <***@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:c120fcef-cf57-4a89-8a0d-***@p25g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
Just curious, how much did a pinball machine cost back in the 70’s/
early 80’s?
Example Bally’s Star Trek, Williams Black Knight, Gottlieb Sys1’s/
System 80’s

Some of my machines I bought second hand from operators in the mid
80’s, just wondering how much the price had dropped on them at that
time

Pete

[TheKorn]

Post by Lloyd Olson
BK around $2300, Sys 1 around $1800, System 80's around $2300. LTG :)

Knowing that, it seems evident that the prices for new sterns have not
matched the rates of inflation over the years. (food for thought)

[Captain Neo]

indeed. you can get a new sterns for $3700ish now. That's only $1400
more than it was 20 years ago. Not a huge increase and much more
technology than it was.

[Lloyd Olson]

I've said that before. When MM's were about $3600, Stern is working miracles
building great games, in the worst coin op market ever, improving them, and
selling them for 12 year old prices. There are some of the smartest people
there ever were in pinball ( Including Mr. Stern ) at Stern Pinball working
hard to produce the games we love. LTG :)

Post by TheKorn

Post by Lloyd Olson
BK around $2300, Sys 1 around $1800, System 80's around $2300. LTG :)

Knowing that, it seems evident that the prices for new sterns have not
matched the rates of inflation over the years. (food for thought)
--
Have a home video that's trapped on your camera? Want to share it on the
web or on DVD?
http://www.webwidevideo.com/

[James Sweet]

Post by Lloyd Olson
I've said that before. When MM's were about $3600, Stern is working miracles
building great games, in the worst coin op market ever, improving them, and
selling them for 12 year old prices. There are some of the smartest people
there ever were in pinball ( Including Mr. Stern ) at Stern Pinball working
hard to produce the games we love. LTG :)

All kinds of stuff is cheaper now than it used to be. The last pair of
running shoes I bought was only 30 bucks, and they've held up as well as
the $90 shoes I used to buy. Sure, they're probably made by child labor
in a 3rd world country, but so were the expensive ones I was buying back
in the 90s. I won't even get into the cost of electronics, digital stuff
is orders of magnitude cheaper now than in the past on a price per
complexity/capability basis.

[F***@gmail.com]

Post by James Sweet

Post by Lloyd Olson
I've said that before. When MM's were about $3600, Stern is working miracles
building great games, in the worst coin op market ever, improving them, and
selling them for 12 year old prices.  There are some of the smartest people
there ever were in pinball ( Including Mr. Stern ) at Stern Pinball working
hard to produce the games we love.  LTG :)

All kinds of stuff is cheaper now than it used to be. The last pair of
running shoes I bought was only 30 bucks, and they've held up as well as
the $90 shoes I used to buy. Sure, they're probably made by child labor
in a 3rd world country, but so were the expensive ones I was buying back
in the 90s. I won't even get into the cost of electronics, digital stuff
is orders of magnitude cheaper now than in the past on a price per
complexity/capability basis.

Back in the late 1977 I wanted a new pinball machine (my parents had
bought us a Williams 1962 King Pin for Xmas the year before). I
called Betson (yes they were around back then) and they sent flyers
for Bucaneer and Royal Flush and the prices were $1399 for a NIB
Bucaneer and $1599 for NIB Royal Flush with delivery and set up. A
couple of year's later they were asking $2399 for a new Haunted House.


RIP...

[Mombo#5]

Post by Lloyd Olson
I've said that before. When MM's were about $3600, Stern is working miracles
building great games, in the worst coin op market ever, improving them, and
selling them for 12 year old prices.  There are some of the smartest people
there ever were in pinball ( Including Mr. Stern ) at Stern Pinball working
hard to produce the games we love.  LTG :)

Post by TheKorn

BK around $2300, Sys 1 around $1800, System 80's around $2300.  LTG :)

Knowing that, it seems evident that the prices for new sterns have not
matched the rates of inflation over the years.  (food for thought)
--
Have a home video that's trapped on your camera?  Want to share it on the
web or on DVD?
http://www.webwidevideo.com/- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Electronic technology was hot back then, and expensive. People were
paying thousands to carry a brick phone around. Since the technology
has gotten dirt cheap. Stern has an honest price for a game, all
thing considered they just need better themes to move product. Movie
themes always work ok, but they need to dream up something good on
there own (as Bally did with MM and other titles). They have to
figure something that appeals to kids around 15 years old, if it's
goth, or barbie dolls, or pokemon, or whatever, (poor examples noted)
which is difficult being resale can run into the ground if they go for
a theme that turns out to be a short lived fade. The think tank at
Stern needs an overhaul, and it may not include a college educated
person, they may need an insightful teenager.

R

[Hoov]

Post by TMFP
Just curious, how much did a pinball machine cost back in the 70’s/
early 80’s?
Example Bally’s Star Trek, Williams Black Knight, Gottlieb Sys1’s/
System 80’s
Some of my machines I bought second hand from operators in the mid
80’s, just wondering how much the price had dropped on them at that
time
Pete

I talked to someone who bought a brand new Gottlieb Atlantis and he
said it cost him $750

Dave