# Episode #65 post show

**Source:** Don's Pinball Podcast (patreon feed)  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2023-08-30  
**Duration:** 13m 49s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-65-post-88454366

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## Analysis

Don reflects on a live-recorded episode with technical editing mishaps, discusses Stranger Things production rumors with Jason Knapp, mentions Pulp Fiction pre-order pricing ($2,500 with topper), comments on Venom LE oversupply and potential discounting, announces streaming setup success, mentions Pinball Expo actor meet-and-greet, and discusses community-made pinball banners as acceptable fan creations despite licensing ambiguity.

### Key Claims

- [MEDIUM] Jason Knapp shared speculation this morning about whether Stern will do another 500 limited edition Stranger Things or a full Premium Edition release — _Don states he was 'talking to Jason Knapp this morning about the speculation about Sam Stern's run of Stranger Things'_
- [HIGH] Pulp Fiction pre-order available for $2,500 including $1,000 deposit, with $1,500 upcharge for topper upgrade — _Don directly states: 'The Pre-order spot for Pulp Fiction James Cameron's Avatar (Limited Edition) with the topper for $2,500 that includes the $1,000 deposit they put down so for an extra 1500 buck up great update upgrade upcharge'_
- [MEDIUM] Venom Limited Edition machines are sitting at distribution centers and may be discounted like Godfather LEs currently are — _Don speculates: 'Hopefully we see some discounts on Venom Limited Edition coming up like we been seeing with the Limited Edition for The Godfather that are sitting at distribution centers'_
- [HIGH] Don has a $500 deposit with Joe at Pinball Star for an unspecified game — _Don states: 'I'm AC/DC (Premium Vault Edition) Game of Thrones (Premium) a $500 deposit with Joe at pinball star already'_
- [MEDIUM] David Fix sent out a flyer about Pinball Expo featuring actors from Galactic Arcade Tank Force — _Don mentions: 'I also didn't mention this but I guess David Fix has sent out a flyer already. At Pinball Expo, you will be able to meet all of the actors from Galactic Arcade'_
- [HIGH] Community-made pinball banners are being sold for $100+ despite not being licensed, similar to bootlegged merchandise — _Don states: 'the community wants these things, these banners, these pinball banners. Stern is not selling them... But the community is stepping up and doing it' and compares to bootleg merchandise tolerance_
- [HIGH] Don successfully configured multi-camera streaming with three cameras over WiFi from his setup — _Don states: 'The stream has been awesome, it's been working, I'm super enthusiastic about that... so far so good... it's working'_
- [HIGH] Don is considering Pulp Fiction pre-order but wants to keep his current deposit and find machines around $1,000 over MSRP — _Don states: 'I almost I considered it for a moment now... I'm not gonna you know I'd have to throw that away... I'm gonna keep my eye on the prize if I can get it for around a thousand over MSRP'_

### Notable Quotes

> "I was talking to Jason Knapp this morning about the speculation about Sam Stern's run of Stranger Things and if we're going to see another 500 limited edition cash grab or if we're going to see the full Premium Edition release. Are we going to see all three? Who knows?"
> — **Don (host)**, early segment
> _Indicates uncertainty about Stern's Stranger Things production strategy and raises question of whether multiple variants will be released_

> "The Pre-order spot for Pulp Fiction with the topper for $2,500 that includes the $1,000 deposit... for an extra 1500 buck you can get yourself a Pulp Fiction right now"
> — **Don (host)**, mid-segment
> _Specific pricing intel on Chicago Gaming Company's Pulp Fiction pre-order structure_

> "Hopefully we see some discounts on Venom Limited Edition coming up like we been seeing with the Limited Edition for The Godfather that are sitting at distribution centers"
> — **Don (host)**, mid-segment
> _Indicates Venom LE oversupply and precedent for Stern overproduction leading to secondary market discounting_

> "The stream has been awesome, it's been working, I'm super enthusiastic about that. I had no idea how this was going to work, was my laptop going to be able to handle all the cameras, was my wifi going to be able to handle streaming three cameras, and so far so good"
> — **Don (host)**, mid-segment
> _Confirms successful multi-camera streaming infrastructure deployment_

> "I don't see this as any different than going down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to the t-shirt stop and buying a Rick and Morty t-shirt with weed logos all over it. That stuff's totally bootlegged and not approved. And it's just tolerated because what are you going to do? Run after everybody?"
> — **Don (host)**, late segment
> _Articulates Don's philosophy on unlicensed community merchandise as acceptable fan creation similar to tolerating bootleg apparel_

> "Stern is not making these things... Stern is not selling them, probably because they don't want to pay extra for licensing or whatever. And that's fine. But the community is stepping up and doing it."
> — **Don (host)**, late segment
> _Explains rational for community-made banners and positioning them as filling a genuine market gap Stern won't address_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Jason Knapp | person | Pinball news/media figure; shared speculation with Don about Stranger Things production strategy |
| Sam Stern | person | CEO of Stern Pinball; associated with production decisions on Stranger Things variants |
| Gary Stern | person | Referenced as decision-maker regarding Stern's topper pricing and licensing strategy |
| Joe | person | Works at Pinball Star; holding Don's $500 deposit for unreleased game |
| David Fix | person | Sent flyer announcing actor meet-and-greet for Pinball Expo featuring Galactic Arcade Tank Force |
| Don | person | Host of Don's Pinball Podcast; discussing personal collection goals and merchandising philosophy |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer under discussion for Stranger Things production variants, topper pricing, and Venom LE oversupply |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Manufacturer of Pulp Fiction with pre-order pricing at $2,500 with topper |
| Pinball Star | company | Distributor/vendor holding Don's $500 deposit |
| Stranger Things | game | Stern game with uncertain production strategy; speculation about limited edition vs. Premium variants |
| Pulp Fiction | game | Chicago Gaming Company game with topper pre-order at $2,500 including $1,000 deposit |
| Venom | game | Stern Limited Edition with oversupply at distribution centers; potential for discounting |
| The Godfather | game | Stern Limited Edition currently sitting at distribution centers and being discounted |
| Galactic Arcade Tank Force | game | Game with actors appearing at Pinball Expo; Don states he won't purchase despite actor meet-and-greet |
| Game of Thrones | game | Mentioned as receiving 30 minutes of episode coverage |
| Pinball Expo | event | Venue for actor meet-and-greet related to Galactic Arcade Tank Force |
| This Week in Pinball | media | Referenced as comparison for Patreon paywall content strategy |
| Straight Down the Middle | media | Referenced as pinball show Don could cross-post Patreon content to |
| The Pinball Show | media | Podcast Don references for paywall content model inspiration |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Stranger Things production strategy and variant confusion, Pulp Fiction pre-order pricing and availability, Venom Limited Edition oversupply and secondary market discounting, Community-made unlicensed pinball merchandise (banners, toppers)
- **Secondary:** Live podcast production and streaming infrastructure, Pinball Expo announcements and actor meet-and-greets, Patreon strategy and subscriber benefits, Personal collection acquisitions and deposit management

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (0.55) — Don expresses frustration about forgetting to discuss Stranger Things but overall enthusiasm about streaming setup success. He's optimistic about potential Venom discounts and community merchandising but realistic about uncertain production strategies. Critical stance on Galactic Arcade Tank Force balances positivity about community initiatives.

### Signals

- **[machine_intel]** Uncertainty about Stern's Stranger Things production plan: will it be another 500-unit limited edition, full Premium release, or all three variants? (confidence: medium) — Jason Knapp shared speculation with Don about whether 'we're going to see another 500 limited edition cash grab or if we're going to see the full Premium Edition release. Are we going to see all three?'
- **[market_signal]** Venom Limited Edition experiencing oversupply at distribution centers with expectation of discounting similar to current Godfather LE situation (confidence: high) — Don observes Venom LEs 'sitting at distribution centers' and predicts discounts 'like we been seeing with the Limited Edition for The Godfather that are sitting at distribution centers'
- **[product_launch]** Pulp Fiction by Chicago Gaming Company available for pre-order at $2,500 including topper with $1,000 deposit, $1,500 upcharge for topper upgrade (confidence: high) — Don states specific pricing: 'The Pre-order spot for Pulp Fiction with the topper for $2,500 that includes the $1,000 deposit... for an extra 1500 buck'
- **[collector_signal]** Don holding multiple deposits across vendors ($500 at Pinball Star for unreleased title, previous $500 for unspecified game) while evaluating new pre-orders (confidence: high) — Don mentions having deposits scattered and considering new pre-orders while trying to maintain existing commitments to stay under $1,000 over MSRP
- **[event_signal]** Pinball Expo will feature actor meet-and-greet for Galactic Arcade Tank Force, announced via flyer from David Fix (confidence: medium) — Don states: 'David Fix has sent out a flyer already. At Pinball Expo, you will be able to meet all of the actors from Galactic Arcade'
- **[community_signal]** Community creating and selling unlicensed pinball banners ($100+) as acceptable fan creation comparable to bootleg apparel tolerance; Stern not producing official versions (confidence: high) — Don justifies: 'I don't see this as any different than going down to Myrtle Beach... buying a Rick and Morty t-shirt with weed logos all over it... And it's just tolerated'
- **[content_signal]** Don successfully deployed multi-camera streaming setup with WiFi bandwidth managing three simultaneous feeds (confidence: high) — Don confirms: 'The stream has been awesome, it's been working... was my wifi going to be able to handle streaming three cameras, and so far so good'
- **[product_concern]** Don expresses unwillingness to purchase Galactic Arcade Tank Force despite promotional actor tie-ins, citing unspecified design concerns (confidence: medium) — Don states: 'I'm not buying a Galactic Arcade Galactic Arcade Tank Force and I said why on the episode' but doesn't reiterate reasons in post-show
- **[business_signal]** Stern avoiding official topper production likely due to licensing costs and margin concerns, leaving market gap for community alternatives (confidence: medium) — Don speculates: 'Stern is not selling them, probably because they don't want to pay extra for licensing or whatever... But the community is stepping up'

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## Transcript

 This week, associate reopenética�友 a quietbak lake and BAH to tine5 Dalysia's I forgot to talk about the Stranger Things run. I was talking to Jason Knapp this morning about the speculation about Stern's run of Stranger Things and if we're going to see another 500 limited edition cash grab or if we're going to see the full pro premium release. Are we going to see all three? Who knows? But I totally forgot to talk about it and it's written in my show notes! That's what happens with live recording and editing. Happens sometimes. But I already got a full 30 minutes for the episode so that's not a big deal. This Week in Pinball, Johnny Pneumonicdisciplinary I'm just mad I didn't show this yet. What's the next that I see they haven't released from the internet. Typekit surprise a match within costly intchool and I roasting Проject interested M centered in speaking on an issue given to 1990 ares of only the FIN plano, wesn'tasis The Pre-order spot for Pulp Fiction LE with the topper for $2,500 that includes the $1,000 deposit they put down so for an extra 1500 buck up great update upgrade upcharge You can get yourself a Pulp Fiction LE right now and I almost I considered it for a moment now I've got a $500 deposit with Joe at pinball star already So I'm not gonna you know I'd have to throw that away So it'd be a little bit more expensive But you know I'm gonna keep my eye on the prize if I can get it for around a thousand over MSRP Wegukan partager malfunctionally POPSvertyne zeca jó, was misunderstandt, Officer ram., Those who take quantity fascinating testículosип Xbox.com USDH judge can lizyle9 Reg zul7ushty, O oikeublic 하나 On Mercati Italian You can make them all They make all thousand venomLEs and get them out of distributors and let distributors store them Hopefully we see some discounts on venom limited editions coming up like we been seeing with the limited editions for Godfather that are sitting at distribution Centers you know If they're not moving and we're already on to Jaws or Stranger Things or whatever the hell is next from Stern, like I could see them letting them go at cost, you know, and that would be a cool way to get into a limited edition. I do like the art package on the on the venomLE, I like the powder coat, I'll be doing that myself. Unusual Unusual Unusual Unusual Unusual The stream has been awesome, it's been working, I'm super enthusiastic about that. I had no idea how this was going to work, was my laptop going to be able to handle all the cameras, was my wifi going to be able to handle streaming three cameras, and so far so good, knock on all the wood planks, knock on the playfields, it's working. Tyah. What happened to Miles Kay's Oh, I also didn't mention this but I guess David Fix has sent out a flyer already. At Pinball Expo, you will be able to meet all of the actors from Galactic Tank Force in person if you want. They'll be there. So get your Captain Cayenne and get your creepy hands on Captain Cayenne I guess is what that'll be about. So I literally just uploaded the episode that I just recorded, episode number 65. What a flippin' week this is. Leментii Eviden rapeduto.com To L反 I'm going to mention a MK Daddy, special k balaing him but like since that whole thing bleworen McMasteravilaky Tanio Klyce Jeong, Olivia Wilcox, Lizzo Kerea , Abbey Mc风, At Sharing compensateędzieactivities.com A Thanks for watching and I put them in the show but I could put them here for the patreon people are you guys down with extra content The Pinball Show I'm on their patreon and you know they take a Segment chunk out of their show and put it behind the paywall I don't want to do that But like I do go and listen to that after I listen to the main show and I like that so If you'd want to see more of this I could try doing these after I record an episode if they're still like some more You know associated content or things you know or maybe like somebody passed me something, but they didn't want me to release it yet I also for a mad pinball my distributor that I'm good friends with I The Week in Pinball, John Papadiuk, Black Water, Kaneda's Pinball Podcast, Twippies Awards, transliteelectronic TeamdogSquad Tuningphere allen Е два meeting O sufficient And what happens Penalty is you can use small Sturne's not making these things. You know, the community wants these things, these banners, these pinball banners. Sturne is not selling them, probably because they don't want to pay extra for licensing or whatever. And that's fine. But the community is stepping up and doing it. I don't see this as any different than going down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to the t-shirt stop and buying, you know, a Rick and Morty t-shirt with weed logos all over it. You know, that stuff's totally bootlegged and not approved. And it's just tolerated because what are you going to do? Run after everybody? So, you know, we're big fans of pinball to the point that we would actually purchase a banner for $100 or more for our wall. So, you know, if Stern doesn't want to go through the trouble of the licensing and everything and put margins in there and sell these things for $160 or whatever, you know, the community stepping up and doing it. I don't see that as a bad thing. You know, no one's getting rich off of these things, right? It's no different than people making, you know, copyrighted material into mods and sending them out, you know, or what about the people distributing the Jurassic Park movie code? Like, same kind of thing. Total дв 10 о 25 millones 50 $ unprecedented Kosta Shulman Daritsey And that just their own IP right It not even licensed from someone else And they just like you know we not making them right now How many people want frickin toppers Overpriced toppers with a you know build budget and they still can get those out So people are making them, you know, I'm sorry. They are. You know, people got on Lior because he got too big doing it, you know, and that's reasonable. Whatever. finball lokaxy,en aime Jasanobi, finballcyclespect mechanical ez,千 через千 Entertainmentanta voilallor, f� … eastern yarn All these are just some of the things that I've been doing for a long time. I'm not going to lie to people. If something sucks, I will say it sucks. I'm not buying a galactic tank force and I said why on the episode. And if you like one, that's fine, you know, but I'm not going to chill for that. I'm not going to tell you to, you know, my distributor buddy probably has a ton on order and I'm not going to tell you to buy a galactic tank force. Inército rebounder exacerза3quadrant 2l1b4nost familiorphment, bie224av IC Flashblogsonwith colaborogedic carving JeaCπει7nFa2 varieties, b7g$9条rnclisngmxn-q Friends for 19908 вторicolsey j 691aj. Flv 7kt palavranoio?. b4geeeeav4xn-6. There we go, we caught up marketing and advertising wherein it's hard to get around bc I do know 1. Amazon, also I had another idea. Give me your feedback on this. I mentioned that Patreon subscribers get free stickers if you want them. Normally that's $5, but that's what you guys are paying for a month, so I figured I'd hook you up. What about if you maintain your Patreon status, quarterly I just do a mailing. I just do whatever new stickers I have, new merchandise or things I come up with, I'll just send you out a little package, a little mailing every three months. This Week in Pinball Wildlife cathedral internetv guru Bla believer La aún Adams кар 향 jour créus helyensúbyarrang está abras llaughingā ralph interrupting tanta quite offFSBla abonn каналderale et al. luardas результатvaiooxj Pro あり, That's fun. That's what we do. That's how we all learn and grow. Anyway, thanks everybody. Be cool. You're listening to Don's Pinball Podcast. All hail Ryan Davies. What a saint of a man.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 57a0cf84-d874-42c5-baeb-563e77fcb01e*