Black Knight Returns

Looks awesome!

Stern Pinball Announces New Black Knight: Sword of Rage Pinball Machines!

https://sternpinball.com/buy-a-game/

CHICAGO, IL – March 26, 2019 – Stern Pinball, Inc., a global lifestyle brand based on the iconic and outrageously fun modern American game of pinball, proudly announced today the availability of a new line of pinball machines 40 years in the making. The iconic pinball character, the Black Knight, returns to entertain a new generation of pinball players with the third game in the Black Knight franchise, Black Knight: Sword of Rage.

For the first time ever, players will explore, discover, and unlock the secrets of the Black Knight universe. Navigating through these dark, mysterious, and twisted realms, players will uncover foes, demons, riches, and secrets in their quest against the Black Knight. Black Knight: Sword of Rage pinball machines will be available in Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models.

“There’s nothing more iconic in the pinball universe than the Black Knight character,” said Gary Stern, Chairman and CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. “Created by game designer Steve “The King” Ritchie, the Black Knight has always taunted and antagonized players to battle him and now, for the first time, players will be able to fight back.”

Stern’s Black Knight: Sword of Rage Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models feature stunning and distinctive hand-drawn art in homage to this pinball icon. Each game features a custom sculpted, interactive, and multi-functional Black Knight bash toy. This interactive Black Knight toy features a bi-directional motorized flail, a glowing RGB helmet with individually controllable expressive lighting to interact and taunt players with custom speech, and a sliding coil-driven shield that will bash and block your shots.

All models include the distinct “Magna-Save”, a player-controlled magnet used to prevent a ball from draining, and timed resetting drop targets. In addition, Black Knight: Sword of Rage features a legacy sound package composed and performed by Scott Ian of Anthrax with Brendon Small, adrenalizing the audio experience for players on their journey, and custom speech by Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies.

The Premium and Limited Edition models both feature a transparent upper playfield with a distinct 3-ball lock mechanism, giving players the ability to achieve a 6-ball multiball.

The Limited Edition – 600 units globally – includes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored backglass, anti-reflection pinball glass, shaker motor, exclusive custom art blades, a custom autographed bottom arch, a sequentially numbered plaque, and exclusive battle art custom themed cabinet artwork.

Complementing the immersive theme and exciting gameplay experience, Stern Pinball’s powerful SPIKE™ electronics hardware system enables high-definition graphics and innovative animations on the high-definition video display. SPIKE™ reduces system complexity and energy usage resulting in enhanced reliability and simplified servicing. The state-of-the-art electronic system also powers a high-fidelity 3-channel audio system that is three times more powerful than audio systems of previous generations.

Pricing and Availability:

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price:

MSRP for sales to USA end-users, before any VAT, GST, Sales Tax, Duties, or other taxes.

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• Pro Model: $US 5,999

• Premium Model: $US 7,599

• Limited Edition Model: $US 8,999

Should I sell my pinball machine during the holidays? Will I get more money?

I get this question often. The answer depends. If you have a nice machine and is desired, say star wars, then there is the possibility of getting higher value. Generally, I see no difference. If you need the machine out, sell it when it's convenient for you!

#PinballMachineValue

Retail Prices - What to make of them?

I often get asked, "Why are the prices higher from so and so amusement company or ebay? Why are you offering me less money?" Well, first things first, let's go back to some basic economics. Market price doesn't mean value. Just because someone is asking $8000.00 for a Star Trek Next Generation Pinball Machine doesn't mean it's worth $8000.00. I can ask for a 40% premium on the home or car but that doesn't mean it will sell. A seller has to remember many retailers spend a considerable amount of time, resources and expense getting a machine ready for sale.

Most machines bought from a private home have not been serviced or cleaned in years. A retailer, before reselling, has to clean and service the game. The retailer doesn't want a call in 2 weeks from the buyer complaining the machine broke therefore the retailer spends time and resources making the machine reliable. A friend of mine in the retail business once told me when he takes overhead, employees, and parts into consideration, it adds up to about $2000 per machine. Plus, the retailer want/needs to make a profit. So, when you see an amusement company charging $8,000 for a machine, remember, he has costs in there and needs to make a profit. His costs and profit do not increase the value of the machine. Remember, the retailer bought it at a lower price otherwise he would lose money. Retailers also offer warranties and support which inst free.

Our collectors generally offer collector value on the machines. This is the cost the machine would go for on the collector market. This assumes a clean machine that is playable. Now, the reality is (like I said above) many machines found in private homes have had little in any maintenance. The playfields get dirty from flipper dust as well as plastics, ramps etc. The games need a good cleaning. On the collector market, a dirty game in need of maintenance would be worth a little less. To properly clean a machine takes about 10-20 hours of work depending on the machine. If you were to pay someone to do this work, it would be around $1000-$1500 bucks. Most collectors don't ask for that much discount but a couple hundred dollars is normal. For example, if you have a game that has not been serviced in years and is very dirty, a buyer may ask for a discount of $200-$300, which, would be fair.

If the buyer asked for anything more, that would be too much.

Again, everything with pinball is condition. Nicer the game, the better the price. If someone has to tear it all apart to find the hidden beauty of a machine, be prepared to discount the game a bit if you want the sale. Finally, just because a retailer lists a game for a price, doesn't mean that its the value of the machine.