Medieval Madness question??

LaserFan

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Ok...so I have played this machine a few times. My buddy bought one in 2005.

There is one listed on Ebay right now, here 'tis:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1997-Medieval-M...959?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41556ae4af

My question is, WHY is this machine SO pricey?? I haven't done alot of research about it but it seems that THIS is almost everyone's "holy grail" of pinball machines. Like I said, I have played it and it is "ok", IMO. I like my buddy's Data East Star Wars machine and his Indiana Jones one better. The one on Ebay is listed for almost $10,000 and the seller even admits it isnt in "perfect" condition. Why would ANYONE spend as much as some new cars on a pinball machine??

Just curious what you guys know, or think, about the machine. I just don't understand why it is so "special"...

Thanks for the info you might provide!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Jess
 
Why can a 69 RS/SS Camaro go for as much as it does?
Well, because they aren't made anymore, hard to get a hold of and are popular.
Same thing with MM. No different. Don't get me wrong, I feel the price it commands is ridiculous but so is the price for a 69 RS/SS ;)

Don't forget about Cactus Canyon and Big Bang Bar. :D

I guess I'll make "melons"
 
Why would ANYONE spend as much as some new cars on a pinball machine??
Can you even buy a new car for 10 grand anymore? :) All kidding aside, some people simply have a lot of money. They can drop 10-15 thousand on a game without even feeling it. Then there are others with less money who desire to have a certain pin in their collection and are willing to pay whatever it takes to get one. Some of these people truly love MM, while others love the feeling of saying that they have one in their collection. Let's face it, MM has become a status pin. I'm not in any way judging the people who paid big bucks for one. I'm just stating a fact. I happen to really like the game, but I do find it's current pricing a little hard to swallow.
 
The point..

I understand the "collector" who pays whatever he/she feels something is worth...I get that...I have done that..lol

I guess what I was trying to figure out is what does MM have that MOST other pins don't when it comes to collecting or owning one?? Its not THAT special of a game, is it? Was it made in a limited number of machines? I have seen much better pins going for HALF, or even less than half, of the price of MM. So, is the market for MM being purely driven by the fact that "some" people think it is worth a ton of money?

Like if I found a running YUGO (for those who remember that car, if you want to call it a car) and I paid $50,000 for it would that sudddenly make EVERY Yugo left out there worth $50,000?? Probably not...so why does it work that way on a pin?

(By the way...I started this thread out of shear boredom and curiosity!! Thought it would make a good Christmas weekend discussion...hehehe..or would that be hohoho?)

Jess
 
I understand the "collector" who pays whatever he/she feels something is worth...I get that...I have done that..lol

I guess what I was trying to figure out is what does MM have that MOST other pins don't when it comes to collecting or owning one?? Its not THAT special of a game, is it? Was it made in a limited number of machines? I have seen much better pins going for HALF, or even less than half, of the price of MM. So, is the market for MM being purely driven by the fact that "some" people think it is worth a ton of money?

Like if I found a running YUGO (for those who remember that car, if you want to call it a car) and I paid $50,000 for it would that sudddenly make EVERY Yugo left out there worth $50,000?? Probably not...so why does it work that way on a pin?

(By the way...I started this thread out of shear boredom and curiosity!! Thought it would make a good Christmas weekend discussion...hehehe..or would that be hohoho?)

Jess

I like it lots. :)

Really the flow of the game, the humor, TROLLS, it's a fun game. As far as the price, yeah it sucks. I like Attack from Mars more than MM and the price is half of MM. Similar playfields, fast, flow, I dunno. Those 2 pins are a couple of my favs. Fortunatley, they are only .50 to play on location near me :D

That said, I probaly would never pay the 8K or so to put one in my home.
 
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i have a possible answer to this question. many people in this day in age simply can not think for themselves. someone somewhere a few years ago said this is the must have pin everyone must own. 10 years or so later people are asking,and getting 10,000 or more for mm. it is a fun game and all but i,and many others here on this forum would rather spend 2-3,000 on 2-3 not as popular titles that are just as fun. these old sayings hold true,beauty is in the eye of the beholder. and many people are trying to keep up with the Joneses.
 
Why can a 69 RS/SS Camaro go for as much as it does?
Well, because they aren't made anymore, hard to get a hold of and are popular.
Same thing with MM. No different. Don't get me wrong, I feel the price it commands is ridiculous but so is the price for a 69 RS/SS ;)

Don't forget about Cactus Canyon and Big Bang Bar. :D

I guess I'll make "melons"

I think this pretty much sums it up. I've only seen one, never played it. Maybe some day I will get a chance. I can understand why people want it and will pay a lot for it, and I can understand why some people think it is ridiculous to pay so much.
 
Why? It's the biggest status symbol pin. Something has to be that game. Many people who own them bouht them many years ago, and many paid normal prices for them. It is "the" collector pin to have, so most aren't selling.

Don't think it takes $8k or 10k to get an MM, that kind of price buys a mint one without any wait time at all. Just because people talk alot about "10k MM's" doesn't mean they usually command that. $4-5k seems more common.

No, the game isn't "that" good. I have never been able to get past my initial disappointment of the game because it was talked up SO much before I'd played it. Played a near mint one a while, enjoyed it, but it wasn't great. High dollar doesn't mean "best" game play. The game is loaded with last minute band-aid fixes. The split ramps and all the extra ball gates make the game seem like a design failure. Lack of a true skill shot is a downside too. This stuff annoys the engineer in me.

It's a neat looking game, good humor, plenty of neat things to shoot for, cool exploding castle. A great game overall. But unless Monty Python is your favorite thing in the world OR you need to say you have the most highly sought after pinball machine... you can find a hundred other games that are as much or more fun, for a fraction of the money. Non-pinball collectors will never know the difference.

Wade
 
Don't think it takes $8k or 10k to get an MM, that kind of price buys a mint one without any wait time at all. Just because people talk alot about "10k MM's" doesn't mean they usually command that. $4-5k seems more common.


i'd pay $4-5K for one, because it's worth that to me. i wouldn't pay $10K because i think that's way too much.

i'm not actively seeking one out though...not sure if i ever will. maybe when i get down to that LAST spot on pin row that needs filling. until then, there's plenty of $1500-2500 pins that i'll enjoy just as much.
 
I'm not going to lie I would like to get one, and actually plan too someday. I don't plan to pay $10k for one however, unless I decide I absolutely need one in mint condition. I would also like to get a nice AFM, which I would probably buy first.

It's a fun game that a lot of people want, and the production numbers are relatively low, which helps to drive up cost. The game still earns well on location so there are probably a decent number still in ops hands. Also you have the fact that a lot have been restored to some extent, and aren't going to go for your run of the mill pin pricing.

I also would'nt look at pricing this time of year as the norm. People are probably using the the fact that it is Christmas to try and make a few extra bucks on their game. I mean hell you see routed ones on ebay for close to $8k, at that price it better be nice, and not just off route. I think Wade is right, and ones needing a decent amount of work sell for around $5k - $6k.
 
Fun, fun game!

I'm not enough of an experienced pin player to be able to tell you that it's the best thing since sliced bread compared to everything else out there but in the short time I had one I couldn't stay away from it.

TROLLS!!! heheh, I miss those guys
 
No, the game isn't "that" good. I have never been able to get past my initial disappointment of the game because it was talked up SO much before I'd played it.
Wade

Who cares about who talked up what? Why let that spoil your outlook on the game? Myself,I don't care what others think about a pin, if it's fun to me that's all that matters. A lot of people on KLOV and RGP love Stern's Batman. I think it's a pile of shit. Crappy little crane to shoot for, little toy joker, I just didn't like it. To each their own, but I don't think anyone should have a predetermined "fun" or "this is the best pin ever" level set before ever playing the game.
 
I own one. It's a great game. I got my MM in a multi pinball trade so basically it was free once I factor in my investment on the game that I traded for it.
 

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To answer some questions (my opinions):
1/ it's the best game ever
2/ it earns really well on location
3/ not enough games have been made - when operators noticed it started to earn really well and wanted to order more, wms had already stopped production and moved on to the next game..
4/ this caused prices to stay high and demand to stay - operators who had it just did not let go of it because it earned well.. so if a collector or another operator wanted to buy one, you had to make a good offer
compare this to ie CV which earned bad on location, it's price was really low and in 2001 you could pick it up very cheap (only after the 2.0 home rom was made the game started to get appreciated by collectors and increased in price)
or NGG or CP.. all games of the same years with a much lower price because demand from collectors isn't there and they also don't earn very well so ops don't want to hang on to them
5/ this status and popularity made it more in demand among collectors who said 'I have money and want the best there is'
6/ did I already tell you it's the best game ever ? everyone who visits my gameroom loves it, even people who have not played pinball before.
7/ it's the best game ever. graphics, sound, humor, rules and strategy, .. everything you'd expect from a pinball is there in a good combination
it's easy enough to understand the rules (shoot the castle, ramps, ..), beginning players can enjoy it and have a feeling of accomplishing some goals
it's difficult enough to stay challenging (barnyard multiball, light all blue inserts, ..) and when you start to learn all the rules you notice strategy is important,
also just difficult enough to give a good challenge to average players (ie you don't play mega-long games like on TSPP or LOTR that last 2 hours before you can complete the game, and which maybe 1% of all pinball players can ever reach).
 
Great stuff..

Great stuff everybody! I like to hear everyone's take on this kind of thing. I think, even after almost 12 years of collecting, it gives me some new insight and all that..

I agree that "beauty" and "gameplay" are in the eye of the beholder. I disagree that it is the "best game ever". My buddy Dan's MM is probably his 3rd or 4th most popular when he has a party. He just had his annual Christmas party and the MM could be played throughout the night without really waiting. I took me 30 min to get on his Indiana Jones and his two Star Wars pins (Data East and Star Wars Trilogy) were packed all night. But I know that just comes down to personal taste.

Believe me, look at my nick here, "LaserFan"...I know people HATE laser games but I really enjoy them. Not all of them (there are some real shitty ones), but my Space Ace and Dragon's Lair 2 always got played plenty of times when I had people over. But I know laser games have a "unique" fan base...LOL...

Thanks for contributing to the discussion...its been interesting to read!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, Everybody!

Jess
 
I own a Medieval Madness, and it is the favorite pinball machine in my gameroom. I've had it for a long time, and it's currently in a lineup of 9 pinball machines. Whenever I throw a party, the guests usually play all the machines, but by the end of the night MM is usually the most popular.
In every hobby, there has to be THE ultimate grail.....and in the pinball world Medieval Madness is it. It's a machine that alot of people would say "they got everything right on that one". Price and demand determine the price on this machine, not one guys opinion.
-Mark
 
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