Ever think "I got a good deal" but then realize how much is gonna have to go into it?

RareHero

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Ever think "I got a good deal" but then realize how much is gonna have to go into it?

So I picked up a Millipede cocktail the other day for $250. I mean, not a smoking deal - but compared to what I've been spending on pinballs, seems like a deal! :) ...but of course I wanna make this thing as nice as possible before I put it in house...I want to get a Multipede kit, new glass, new underlay, CPOs...then I'm thinking it would be cool to have translucent trackballs & buttons w/ lights (if possible). I'll probably want to get a new monitor since the burn-in is pretty bad. Crap! This is going to be an EXPENSIVE cocktail! Oh well...it'll be pretty sweet...but it's no longer a good deal at this point.
 
I paid $299 for mine, then got the Braze kit ($85), then dropped a nice burn free WG 7000 into it ($75). I've had to fix one trackball, but other than that, this machine has been well worth the money and trouble free.

IMG_0163.jpg

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I think they are gorgeous cocktails and would love it if someone would do screened top-glass reproes. How are your CPO's?
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Pay attention to all the guys that get excited about their "good deal" on a machine and then come back with all kinds of repair and resto questions that ultimately land them in the not so good of a deal category. We all use the term "good deal" but in reality, hundreds more are spent by the time it's all over.
 
So I picked up a Millipede cocktail the other day for $250. I mean, not a smoking deal - but compared to what I've been spending on pinballs, seems like a deal! :) ...but of course I wanna make this thing as nice as possible before I put it in house...I want to get a Multipede kit, new glass, new underlay, CPOs...then I'm thinking it would be cool to have translucent trackballs & buttons w/ lights (if possible). I'll probably want to get a new monitor since the burn-in is pretty bad. Crap! This is going to be an EXPENSIVE cocktail! Oh well...it'll be pretty sweet...but it's no longer a good deal at this point.

Most of my stuff is like that... free gutted Tron cabinet... gutted Robotron cabinet, gutted Stargate cabinet... $80 Space Invaders cabinet with bad power supply, boards, and monitor... $50 Pole Position cabinet with bad boards, power supplies, and monitor. Free gutted 4 player TMNT cabinet...

But projects are fun sometimes... it gives me the opportunity to build them up till they're playable, then set them aside and do the art and finishing touches as time and money allows.

When you add up all the stuff I have to buy to restore the machines, they ALL end up costing WAAAY too much... but, again, I don't mind projects.
 
this thread is so true. Its always a great deal, then a week later you got like double into the machine. I remember getting my dynamo cab and coming home and placing a 100$ order for parts I wanted, that it didnt need. haha



Heres a question, Does it ever bother you to go to someones house and not see a game in that good of shape, and you think to yourself "omg how can you even play it like that"
Like trackballs that dont roll smooth, bezels missing, insane screen burn. stuff like that haah
 
I paid $299 for mine, then got the Braze kit ($85), then dropped a nice burn free WG 7000 into it ($75). I've had to fix one trackball, but other than that, this machine has been well worth the money and trouble free.

I think they are gorgeous cocktails and would love it if someone would do screened top-glass reproes. How are your CPO's?

Mine has generic CPOs, so I'll be getting some new ones. I mean, I COULD just leave the glass and monitor....but I love scratch-free glass and burn-free monitors. Yours looks pretty good! Maybe I can find a decent used monitor instead of springing for a new one.
 
Heres a question, Does it ever bother you to go to someones house and not see a game in that good of shape, and you think to yourself "omg how can you even play it like that"
Like trackballs that dont roll smooth, bezels missing, insane screen burn. stuff like that haah

With vids, as long as the controls work - I'm not picky at all! I'm more picky w/ pinballs, as non-working or dirty elements truly affect the gameplay experience.

For a cocktail game in my own house...since it's a piece of furniture, I want it to look as nice as possible. :)
 
Mine has generic CPOs, so I'll be getting some new ones. I mean, I COULD just leave the glass and monitor....but I love scratch-free glass and burn-free monitors. Yours looks pretty good! Maybe I can find a decent used monitor instead of springing for a new one.

I had to do a little retrofitting on my monitor, as the previous dudes just used really long wood screws to mount the first replacement monitor they installed. Here are the custom mounts I fabbed from 1.5 inch polished aluminum angle:
IMG_0215.jpg


If you have the original mounting brackets, I am sure that these WG 7000's mount right up. Best part? They come with remote adjustments on the front of the monitor, so no getting on your knees and looking inside the machine to find the pots. (you can see them to the right of the tube in this pic):

IMG_0212.jpg
 
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So I picked up a Millipede cocktail the other day for $250. I mean, not a smoking deal - but compared to what I've been spending on pinballs, seems like a deal! :) ...but of course I wanna make this thing as nice as possible before I put it in house...I want to get a Multipede kit, new glass, new underlay, CPOs...then I'm thinking it would be cool to have translucent trackballs & buttons w/ lights (if possible). I'll probably want to get a new monitor since the burn-in is pretty bad. Crap! This is going to be an EXPENSIVE cocktail! Oh well...it'll be pretty sweet...but it's no longer a good deal at this point.
Ahahaha! You Millipede can come hang out with my Thousand Dollar Centipede cabaret. :D You're preaching to the choir. The secular we don't sing songs about the great spaghetti monstor choir. ;)
 
LOL, living this one right now. Picked up a Stern Dracula pin last week for $90. Beautiful playfield, case about an 8 out of 10, missing backglass and boards. Now Im looking at $400-500 for the missing pieces, and I think its still a good deal.....not just as good of one as I first thought:rolleyes:
 
Let's face it, if they were really good deals, the owners wouldn't be dumping them! ;)

I usually start from a running list and adjust prices up or down pending on my dumpster diving on Ebay:
Cabinet $100 (even free cabs cost something to go get)
Boards $200 (reduce to $20 for POS Jamma boards :))))
Wiring $50 (more if you have to get someone else to do it for you)
Controls $35
Bezel $50
Marquee $40
Miscellaneous parts $25
---------------------
Total $500

If you are lucky and some parts come along with the cabinet or everybody is watching the Olympics instead of EBay, you can lower some of those prices, but for a ballpark figure, that's about what it will cost. Then you can start to spend for the cosmetic things, artwork, bondo, paint, .... :eek:

ken
 
So I picked up a Millipede cocktail the other day for $250. I mean, not a smoking deal - but compared to what I've been spending on pinballs, seems like a deal! :) ...but of course I wanna make this thing as nice as possible before I put it in house...I want to get a Multipede kit, new glass, new underlay, CPOs...then I'm thinking it would be cool to have translucent trackballs & buttons w/ lights (if possible). I'll probably want to get a new monitor since the burn-in is pretty bad. Crap! This is going to be an EXPENSIVE cocktail! Oh well...it'll be pretty sweet...but it's no longer a good deal at this point.

Happens to every game I buy.

Wade
 
Pretty much all my games start out that way... before long I'm replacing everything I can think of... "Good Deals" seem to become "Expensive Projects" rather easily...
 
If you have the original mounting brackets, I am sure that these WG 7000's mount right up. Best part? They come with remote adjustments on the front of the monitor, so no getting on your knees and looking inside the machine to find the pots.

That's one nice thing about having a DK cocktail too...all the adjustments are easily accessible right next to the monitor :)
 
I picked up this cab for $25 dollars:
IMG_4541.jpg


Great deal. Only had to put another $975 into it to turn it into this:
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And let me tell you about my $30 ($1200) pac-man and my $60 ($800) Centipede. All great deals!
 
You buy a $1500 car for $400, but then have to put another $1600 in it to make it street legal = Bad deal.

You buy a $600 cocktail game for $50, and then do about $70 work to get it working = Good deal.

You buy a $600 cocktail game for $50, and then do about $700 work to get it perfect or better than original = Bad deal.

Seems like I'm not seeing so many bad deal stories here as I'm seeing perfectionists at work. ;)
 
In my first turn at this hobby in the late 1990's I did exactly the wrong thing - picked up too many projects that needed too much work, but that I seemingly couldn't pass on.

Now, after 20 or so cabs, I just buy working games that need little to no work and go from there. I enjoy playing much more than restoring.

I'm sure there are guys who love to restore as much if not more than play and my hats off to them. Just make sure to hit me up when you have a game you need to unload! ;)
 
This Baby Pacman I just bought from Logan... purchased for $75

I have had it for 2 weeks...
so far I have purchased the following items:

Extra Playfield - $90
Marquee and monitor bezel - $85
Monitor - $120
Control panel hardware (buttons, cones, lock) - $20
Working Vidiot PCB - $150

At this point, I have no idea what else I may need. It only has side art on one side so I will have to purchase that eventually. The cabinet is pretty scuffed up so I may have to repaint it but I am hoping not. Then I'll put it all together and see what else needs replacing/repair.

Should be a lovely $800 Baby Pacman by the time I am done.
;-)
 
i have about $400 into my Gorf project... cab was one of two conversions that came from an op (classic Taito the other one) that i picked up in exchange for a Sanyo monitor i didn't need. and i haven't even replaced any of the artwork with new nor done any cosmetics beyond replacing worn art with less worn art. the only thing still wrong with it is no speech, but i'm going to contact the person i got the PCB set from and see if i can exchange it for one that has speech as i'm pretty sure it's a PCB issue.

and of course, i passed on a nice example last summer for $350. but at least i get the satsifaction of knowing i brought a classic back from conversion even if i'll never get my money back out of it. now if i could just find space for it somewhere other than the garage...
 
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