Buying Values of a few games

[gutsman004]

And this thread is the exact reason this hobby will be dead in just a few short years. Thank god i'm just about out of it!

Seriously? Come on......

Noticing the same thing. Sold all my stuff, kept the Star Wars and my Race Drivin' cockpit. Everything else is gone while it was still worth something.

Once our age group outgrows the need to relive our childhood, there won't be enough buyers to make it worthwhile. I think we're well on the way.

Again,come on.....

While I can see the market shrinking,I don't see it going away any time soon.
And if this hobby actually was about to die,then I should be seeing tons of listings on ebay and CL for perfectly working games for $25. I do not.

 

[DanoND]

I don't buy or sell stock based on the rest of the market investors, I try to read ahead.

I can only speak to what I can see happening. People who care about these machines are getting older, the age group after us aren't as interested (if at all) in these games, and I see many people in my market getting out. Slowing, dying, whatever you call it, prices aren't going up. Now is the time to sell.

 

[mcandrewsoun]

Dont really think the hobby is dying. I suspect its more "changing of the guard", with people getting burned out, new people getting interested. Locally here, Ive met as many people starting into the hobby, as Ive met getting out of the hobby. Most of the folkes I know leaving the hobby are doing so because of life catastrophies or economic difficulties. Dont really think the prices are going down so much. You cant really base prices pitched here as market. There are those of us who like a restoration project for cheap so that may skew the prices a bit. I'll tell ya this, they aint makin any more of em. Nice restored games, will hold their value. Im almost 40 and Im finally financially and logistically able to have some games. Several of the new folks Ive met and helped are in their 20's, so thats encouraging.

 

[nomore25s]

I'm not in this hobby for an investment.

If everyone IS getting out of it, I can pick up those games I want for pennies!

 

[smalltownguy2]

Dont really think the hobby is dying. I suspect its more "changing of the guard", with people getting burned out, new people getting interested. Locally here, Ive met as many people starting into the hobby, as Ive met getting out of the hobby. Most of the folkes I know leaving the hobby are doing so because of life catastrophies or economic difficulties. Dont really think the prices are going down so much. You cant really base prices pitched here as market. There are those of us who like a restoration project for cheap so that may skew the prices a bit. I'll tell ya this, they aint makin any more of em. Nice restored games, will hold their value. Im almost 40 and Im finally financially and logistically able to have some games. Several of the new folks Ive met and helped are in their 20's, so thats encouraging.

Yeah, I'm 36. And I plan on fixing, restoring, collecting and PLAYING my games until I'm dead. So with any luck I'LL be in the hobby for another 50 years.

This hobby isn't going anywhere. Just because the money isn't flowing like water right now doesn't mean the well's drying up. Many guys like me will continue to spend disposable income on their games.

To answer your questions, I'll put my opinions in on your list, based on what I've seen lately:

1. Original working Pac-Man Upright
Depends on artwork. Minimum $400, probably more like $600.

2. Tempest Upright with dead monitor, plays blind
Non-working cabs are tough to price. Again, as stated above, artwork is important. If it's got an Amp monitor, then it's worth $400. With a Wells Gardner 6100, it's worth less.

3. Original Ms. Pac-Man with unknown condition
Unknown condition? Hard to say. With good artwork, it's worth $200-300 if it's complete, but not working. Missing any parts and the price declines.

4. Original working Popeye Upright
$300

5. Original working Assault Upright
$300

6. Original Asteroids cocktail
Cocktails are hard to sell, but to the right buyer, they're worth good money. $400.

7. Original Zero Hour cocktail
Working? $250

8. Original IPM Invader cocktail
Tough to price. But working, I'd say $500 to the right buyer, depending on condition.

9. Original Tekken Upright with unknown condition
Dedicated Tekken is worth $500 working, maybe $200 complete, non-working.

10. Donkey Kong project with all but PCB
$350 if the monitor looks good and the artwork is complete.

Total: $3900 best case. I'd say a good offer on the complete package would be $2500.

 

[incrediblegamez]

I survived a life catastrophe with minimum damage to my collection. Was a stay at home dad that went through a divorce with a woman who was trying to get ahold of my collection to hand over to her new boyfriend and his kids. Yea sick i know but that's how she and her family operate but nevertheless i handed over the house, i kept the arcades.

Keep in mind that 50% of my collection were projects that i placed on hold due to the past years proceedings. I got out with maybe 2-3 casualties where i had to sell due to money factors but overall im quite happy with the way i managed this collection. For a time i was really bummed about losing all due to economic conditions but i came through.

Sorry for the hijack so back to the subject, I think $1500 is a fair offer for those games. There was a lot here locally that didnt have that type of lineup that i thought his asking price was definately fair but hey i pay retail on most of my games that dont require restoring.

By the way i put the new woman in my life on notice a few weeks ago while i moved the games from my current home into storage that i intend on keeping the top 8 until i pass! She is absolutely ok with that!

 

[kspiff]

Man I was going to try this just now, but some of those titles vary widely depending on condition. If Tempest is in a beat cab I'd top @ $150, but if the cab was in great shape I'd go more like $300-350. Assault is one that could be a disaster with hundreds in original parts missing. And I've seen tons of working Pacs and Ms. Pacs that I wouldn't pay $100 for.

 

[asteroidsNut]

Update next week on what I paid and conditions. Have to drive 4 1/2 hours to get all this stuff. Most will be re-sold, but there a few I will keep

 

[Alpha-tron]

Update next week on what I paid and conditions. Have to drive 4 1/2 hours to get all this stuff. Most will be re-sold, but there a few I will keep

Good luck and good hunting..

 

[vicemikey]

This hobby is far from dead - people are just smart enough not to buy other people's bullshit for exorbitant prices anymore. Gone are the days of $1,000 Pac-Mans and Donkey Kong machines - Thank God. Fuck those days.

I have no pity for anyone who got into this hobby thinking values would just keep going up and up and up on everything. Remember any time you buy a game that at the end of the day, bottom-line, it's outdated bullshit to 99.99999999999999999% of the world. That's why I'm glad we're here. lol

Back to topic - If you get that lot for $2500 - You've done well.