Posted on 11/06/2008 1:56:14 PM PST by Daffynition
News hit yesterday that Stern Pinball, Inc. has laid many of its line workers and several designers.
No official press release from Stern yet, but the internet groups are a buzzing with comments from various sources talking about the devastating news.
Does this signal the end of Pinball as we know it?
Sadly, with a good chunk of Stern's revenue coming from private collectors and the economy doing a headstand right now, it's probably a safe guess that Stern might be a casualty of these trying times.
Word is that Stern has been stockpiling machines for a few months now, so there certainly is an inventory to be sold, but if consumers can't afford to buy them, and operators aren't willing to place them the future is dark for Stern.
The devil in me hopes that Stern has a fire sale and liquidates their inventory at rock bottom prices. I could certainly use a new Batman Pin. The angel in me prays that we don't see a posting on some website a decade from now about some guy finding an entire warehouse of Stern pins all sitting there nestled away in their crates waiting to be played.
Best wishes to all those at Stern who's future is unknown.
lol. Good one.
Love Pachinko. Gonna get me one of them machines someday.
End of another manufacturing era in the USA. Sad.
Cool!
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