Ghetto bulk buy / lessons learned

UnkulBuck

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I'm feeling long-winded so if you want just want to find out what I acquired skip to the dotted line

Here's pics of my ghetto bulk buy and some lessons learned. When I left my house on my 4 hr journey each way I expected to come home with 3-4 project cabs that I could sand and paint in my garage over the next month and then acquire all of the parts this winter.

(1) If someone says they are in, confirm it with a blood oath. Otherwise your old lady who thinks your going to get 3-4 cabs while be pissed when you come home with 9, my brother also got two cabs.
(2) Make sure you have ample storage, including a way to work on games easily once you get them to their destination. They all live in my one car garage and I need to move some of these quick so I can get to the ones I want to keep.
(3) Bring tarps and a generator. Tarps in case it rains and to protect the merchandise. A generator so you can have a general idea of where you stand with each game.
(4) Expect to leave with more merchandise than you originally thought
(5) Don't wait until you get to Uhaul 15 mintues before it closes to realize when you swapped vehicles with your brother at work that he forgot to leave you the hitch, ball and light adaptor. U-Haul will be more than happy to sell them to you for twice the price of an autoparts store.
(6) Confirm the storage facility address and pickup time before you rent the trailer and an extra dolly. Otherwise you will wind up eating an extra day on both when the seller says he can't meet you until 2 on Sunday and you expected early in the day to mean 9 or 10 am.
(7) Be prepared for at least 1 or 2 kicks in the nuts. Since I didn't leave until 10 my brother was able to go, which meant that I didn't need to rent the trailer and buy the accessories the night before ($100+ thrown out the window). Ouch, I just got kicked in the balls. 2nd kick - my buddy who was bringing the tarps bailed on me when I was already in route (full purchase price on my shoulders and I needed to now go and buy tarps). Ouch there was no need to kick me in the nuts again. And for the trifecta, I had to leave 5 or 6 cabs there (most had at least monitors and fully populated cps), a clean looking 25 inch monitor and chassis, and about 6 additional monitor chassis. I really wished my buddy showed up with his Tahoe and trailer.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I acquired a Space Harrier sitdown (nw, complete), yellow Centuri Eagle (nw,complete), Junior King (nw,complete, in a Midway cab), Heavy Barrell (working,complete, in a Midway cab), Xenophobe (nty,complete), tee'd off golf (taito cab,complete (nty), generic woodgrain cab (no board but otherwise complete), Stern cab (empty), Big Event Golf (nty, buried in the back).

nty = not tested yet aka buried in my garage. Tonight I have to climb over them all to get see where I'm at.

Enjoy
 

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To add to your lessons earned.

(1) Check around, there are a lot of storage places that offer first month free. That gives you 30 days or so to move them and/or arrange them in your garage/workspace. It is even handier if you can find a second one not far away with the same deal :D

(2) Those same places are usually not ones that you want to keep them in long term.

(3) Expect everything to take 3x as long as you think it will to try fixing them in a storage unit. You will:
(a) forget one simple but important tool and have to run home for it, every time.
(b) run out of gas for your generator (most units don't have power)
(c) get other people stopping by to see what you are doing in there and then they stop to chat.


ken
 
One thing to note about "one month free" storage areas is they make you pay for the second month full up front... Done it a couple times and ALWAYS had to pay the full second month before I got my first month and the key.

Looks like a pretty good bulk haul! I hate leaving crap behind too, it breaks my heart...

Good luck on the repairs and finding new homes for the cabinets. That really blows that your friend backed out... I guess no more screaming cabinet deals for him anytime soon! :)
 
Another lesson: Cheap doesn't necessarily mean "worth it". :)

You have a lot of work ahead of you, Quin!!
 
This sort of relates...I just drove 2.5 hours EACH WAY yesterday for a FREE burgertime. I knew it had problems and it was worse than I thought when I saw it but after driving that far I wasn't going to leave without it. Well on the drive home I discovered an awful cat pee smell coming from something............It was a long drive home with that smell. My nose sorta burns today.
 
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Don't forget, you also got a "New Game"! (see pic)
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Don't forget, you also got a "New Game"! (see pic)
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I love New Game.... :D
Seriously though Quin, what exactly did you want out of that lot? I don't think there's anything in there that I'd travel more than 10 miles to pick up for free....

I have to disagree with this one:

"A generator so you can have a general idea of where you stand with each game."

When buying stuff like that just assume nothing works, and pay accordingly. Games in that condition shouldn't just be plugged in anyway... not until you've thoroughly inspected them. If not, then you're likely to cause more damage.
 
did you get pics of the games before you drove up there? unless it is a cheap game i always ask for pic's, so i know what i am getting into and traveling that far i know i would want to see them before i say anything i would not care what the deal is that is just me...
 
I have to disagree with this one:

"A generator so you can have a general idea of where you stand with each game."

When buying stuff like that just assume nothing works, and pay accordingly. Games in that condition shouldn't just be plugged in anyway... not until you've thoroughly inspected them. If not, then you're likely to cause more damage.
Agreed 100%, don't waste your time, money or energy on a generator...
So the owner can see that a few of them do run and those ones are gonna cost a little bit more for you?

I love New Game.... :D
Seriously though Quin, what exactly did you want out of that lot? I don't think there's anything in there that I'd travel more than 10 miles to pick up for free....
Hopefully he didn't pay too much, but I see a wealth of stuff there. You've got a Galaxian project cab, about a half dozen monitors, some power supplies, misc. joystick & control panel parts, pcbs, a couple of really easy 48/60 in 1 cabinets in the group.

Granted there isn't any gems in there, but that junk is a few hundred dollars worth of parts. I'd kill to pickup a half dozen monitors right now!!
 
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