History of Dig Dug 02050

Tombo

Administrator
Staff member

Donor 2011
Joined
Oct 31, 2003
Messages
10,995
Reaction score
1,940
Location
Northern, California
Not a complete history, but pretty close.

So, last weekend, I, along with other CAX staff members, provided games for Silicon Valley Comic Con. We had 30 games in total setup on freeplay - a mixture of pins and vids. We were able to advertise and the convention goers could play some games in the gaming area.

Fast forward to the load out - I notice a familiar jingle in my Tron when I tipped it. Seems some folks dropped quarters. It turns out, almost all of us had quarters in the machines. I had at least $2 in each of mine which brings me to the Dig Dug.

The bottom coin door still had the lock on it from when I bought it in January of 2015. I really had no reason to get in there until now. So I used the skeleton key (big ass drill bit) to open it and I found something that I think is totally cool. The operator had a log of the counter, date and location. Check it out:

66Ly9lpl.jpg


gsLBT6nl.jpg


K70J8K0l.jpg


ZeQlK2pl.jpg


wW2WDqrl.jpg


XxYLMofl.jpg


thQlkc8l.jpg




I think I am going to add "1/15/15 26026 Garage Arcade to the card

Where it is today

iVl7ahEl.jpg
 
Thats cool as hell. I would totally ad to that from time to time.
Years from now your notes will just be part of its history.
Go buy a few more 3x5 cards :)
 
So... the 02050 is what, the serial number?

This is actually a neat idea... makes me wish I'd noticed how many plays the coin counters had when I got my games. Actually, I think I have a pic of Pole Positions... maybe Dig Dugs as well... but not sure.

Be kinda fun to do a "yearly count" on my games, since they really don't have Free Play.

Nice looking Dig Dug, BTW. Very pretty. :D
 
That's funny! I found the same thing in my dig dug when I got it. Ill have to get a pic, I left it in the coin box.
 
So... the 02050 is what, the serial number?

This is actually a neat idea... makes me wish I'd noticed how many plays the coin counters had when I got my games. Actually, I think I have a pic of Pole Positions... maybe Dig Dugs as well... but not sure.

Be kinda fun to do a "yearly count" on my games, since they really don't have Free Play.

Nice looking Dig Dug, BTW. Very pretty. :D

YEah, thats the serial number on the outside. The left side is swollen. I didnt really notice it until last weekend when I caught a glimpse of it in the sun with shadows. Oh well.
 
Too funny Tom...and cool!

I guess next year we should post a sign to let folks know the games are on free play...I had about $6 between all of the 11 games I brought. :)

But the coolest part of all is how I lost count of how many times someone would approach me to let me know how excited they were to play these games again, or how they hadn't see them in 30+ years, or how they loved showing them to their sons/daughters.

For the record, I brought:

Robotron, Joust, Zookeeper, Mad Planets, Millipede, Stargate, Star Wars, Tempest, Indiana Jones, Qbert, and PacMan.

I mostly concentrated on the more recognizable classics I have...I figured most folks wouldn't know much about Boxing Bugs or Major Havoc or I, Robot or Inferno.

All games were in constant use!

I also got William Shatner himself to sign the marquee for my Star Trek upright :D .

Jon
 
thats low plays by 80s standard and for being operated for 7 years.

so its first 3 years it earned 16,000 coins and the next 4 it made just over 9,000. depending on when they bought it, it ranged in price from $2095 to $995. so over its life it earned its operator maybe $1k-$3k not counting repair costs.
 
Last edited:
But the coolest part of all is how I lost count of how many times someone would approach me to let me know how excited they were to play these games again, or how they hadn't see them in 30+ years, or how they loved showing them to their sons/daughters.

I got this a lot when I was at MagFest. I thought it was really cool watching how some people were "re-experiencing" them for the first time. I'd watch some people play, and when their game was over, they'd ask if I was next... I'd shake my head and say, "I'm here all weekend, knock yourself out."

Occasionally, I'd offer some gameplay tips if I knew some. Nothing crazy, but....

I mean, I'm no Billy Mitchell, but some of these people made my Dig Dug skills look like an upper level master.
 
Back
Top Bottom