All these Barcades opening is kind of like the Bubbler Jukebox

LyonsArcade

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All these Barcades opening is kind of like the Bubbler Jukebox

I was just thining about how all these barcades are opening in the last few years and how it's kind of changed the arcade collecting scene... basically all these businesses are opening with all the old games that have been sitting around forever.

The exact same thing happened with the famous Bubbler jukebox, they made new jukebox models every year and the Wurltizer 1015 was made in 1946. A lot of the ops liked the way the box looked so much that they saved them instead of trading them back in for money off the next years version.... It played 78's.

Flash forward to the late 50's, all these little soda shops start opening up near schools and record labels were selling 45 singles to people of the newest Rock & Roll bands and singers... Wurlitzer released an upgrade kit to turn any of their older boxes into 45 boxes (a gear to change the speed of the turntable, and adapter rings to fit around the smaller 45 records) ... so the ops drug out their older jukeboxes (many of them 1015's), updated them to play the 45's all the kids liked, and put these old-ass jukeboxes in all of these low profit soda shops they were getting access to.

So they had new jukeboxes in the bars and pool halls and old jukeboxes retrofitted with 45 players in the soda shops all the kids went to.

There were probably old men going in the Soda Shops back then saying "Aw hell, they ruined it, that damn thing won't even play 78's anymore!" just like we bitch about LCD screens :)
 
Have prices gone up a lot recently, or have parts been getting more scarce?

It's cool if people are actually playing the games, boards are getting serviced, etc., but I understand the frustration for collectors!
 
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I bought a Neo Geo 2 slot Caberet out of a warehouse for 200 bucks, decided to sell it for a lil more than $250 after 8 fun years of playing it to look on craigslist a short time later to see it it on there for 1800. Damn. Everyone is going so retro/nostalgic these days to the point that old tech is starting to get expensive.
 
Lot more collectors now than 15 years ago, also lot more opportunities to make money with the equipment, so prices will go up. As a collector it sucks, but it also means that stuff like odd joysticks, metal bits, gears, and whatnot are being reproduced. As an operator, I enjoy sharing games with our customers. It's one thing to have a pretty game for yourself and a few friends, but to make a place where everyone can go and have fun is quite satisfying. There are still deals to be had, but you need to scrape a little harder than you used to.

Even if the arcade bar/retro arcade/etc scene wasn't a thing, we still have more collectors than ever getting into the hobby and not nearly as many unraided warehouses full of stuff from operators who are oblivious as to their value. The scene is changing for sure. When things go up, more things will get saved, though. I could not imagine 20 years ago someone picking up an empty Tron cabinet and rebuilding the water-damaged base and having new artwork and whatnot printed. It would have cost more than just finding another fully working Tron for $300. But now that Tron is expensive, it's worth someone's time to do all that, and even enjoy the chase hopefully.
 
As an operator, I enjoy sharing games with our customers. It's one thing to have a pretty game for yourself and a few friends, but to make a place where everyone can go and have fun is quite satisfying.

I believe this mind set is what continues to bring coin op amusement to the next generation. Decade after decade. Galloping Ghost is the epitome of this. They have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of games. The rarest, hardest to find, one off, prototypes that people would normally put velvet stanchions around inside there home. And yet every single machine Doc and the gang have picked up is out on the floor available for you, me, and everyone to play 365 days of the year.

Thanks
Blake
 
The resurgence staved off its demise, but that is all. The next generation is already looking past many of these relics, charry picking a handful that they have interest in and discarding the rest. The challenge will be what comes after. Typically though, it works out badly for everyone. No one wants to see the value decline, no one wants to take a loss, and we are stuck with an immobile here gh priced market that shrinks because we all die off and our kids through this crap in the dump.
 
You know what would be REALLY cool? Barcades putting in Arcade 1Ups!!! Now THAT would be Heaven!

Jason
 
Don't give them ideas ! When Silverball Museum first brought in some video
games they had the Konami version of one of those Midway Classics machines.

You know what would be REALLY cool? Barcades putting in Arcade 1Ups!!! Now THAT would be Heaven!

Jason
 
Have prices gone up a lot recently, or have parts been getting more scarce?

It's cool if people are actually playing the games, boards are getting serviced, etc., but I understand the frustration for collectors!




Prices have going up its a combination of things. The internet and people showing off their collections on youtube did their damage. Barcade after Barcade swooping up and hording their games are doing their damage and games getting shipped off to over seas collectors are really doing a lot of damage. The games are gone forever once they leave the country for the most part a few MIGHT make their way back it their rare enough. Once the barcade fad dies off their hordes of game will be available to the market again but for top dollar I'm sure.


Parts I have tons of parts just maybe the ones people aren't looking for though lol. I'm having more trouble selling my parts now than I had selling them 5 years ago.
 
I like and hate this fad at the same time. I not only have a different taste in arcade machines but different way of playing them. I strive to having skills similar to those crazy asian players that can achieve ridiculous scores in games like House of the Dead 4.

My selection in arcade machines (mostly the rare ones) sadly aren't meant for arcade bars.
 
There were probably old men going in the Soda Shops back then saying "Aw hell, they ruined it, that damn thing won't even play 78's anymore!" just like we bitch about LCD screens :)

The major difference is that going from 78's to 45's didn't ruin the experience...

:D

You know what would be REALLY cool? Barcades putting in Arcade 1Ups!!! Now THAT would be Heaven!

Jason

Yeah and when you spilled your beer on one and it crumbled into a wet mess, then what?

:eek:
 
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