Is Szabo's Arcade still around ??

I do find it funny that all the TOG naysayers always pointed to Szabo as the better and 'quicker' alternative. Looks like Szabo has now become TOG light. Seems like a trend with direct printers. Everyone keeps bringing up Darin with Phoenix, but HE DOESNT PRINT HIS OWN STUFF, he has an outside source print it. I think he even tried using TOG but eventually Rich actually made him wait a bit too long as well. Now Darin does do a ton of work in collecting samples, color matching, working with the printer to get it perfect, etc., but he does not print his own stuff. If he did, I assume he would probably find himself in the same place these other guys have found themselves in, overwhelmed, disgruntled and constantly lamb-basted by customers due to the long lead times.
 
All great points. I hope you are right and I am wrong.
I'm not too concerned about it, but there have always been people talking about crashes (wouldn't most of us prefer to spend $400 per working game again?) but so far it hasn't materialized in a meaningful way.

Also consider there are a lot of barcades now that are exposing entirely new generations, and some of those guys will some day decide they want original games. When I go to big pin/vid places, most of the people seem to be in their 20's.

There's also the worldwide market, people sell games to people around the world. There are plenty of rich people in the US and abroad and when they want something, they'll pay for it. The $200 Star Wars cockpit that surfaced here eventually was shipped overseas!
 
Last edited:
I do find it funny that all the TOG naysayers always pointed to Szabo as the better and 'quicker' alternative. Looks like Szabo has now become TOG light. Seems like a trend with direct printers. Everyone keeps bringing up Darin with Phoenix, but HE DOESNT PRINT HIS OWN STUFF, he has an outside source print it. I think he even tried using TOG but eventually Rich actually made him wait a bit too long as well. Now Darin does do a ton of work in collecting samples, color matching, working with the printer to get it perfect, etc., but he does not print his own stuff. If he did, I assume he would probably find himself in the same place these other guys have found themselves in, overwhelmed, disgruntled and constantly lamb-basted by customers due to the long lead times.
It doesn't matter if Darin prints. Who cares if Darin's hands touch the screens. He keeps stock of what he has, and people can expect high quality and delivery in a reasonable and professional timeframe. The issue is really about "print on demand" work, which is somehow not printed "on demand" but many months later.
 
  • HP DeskJet 2755e is the best
  • Epson Action Printer T-1000 DotMatrix sucks and takes way too long
  • the hobby is collapsing
  • the hobby is as expensive and active as ever
 
people talking about crashes
To be clear, I never said the word "crash".

I said "slow decline over the next 5 to 10 years while the oldest generation in our hobby get out."

Don't worry guys, nobody is saying your toys are suddenly worthless.

Again, just my stupid opinion. And I'm wrong anyway so who cares what I think. :)
 
I dont believe you can reproduce screen printing the way TOG or PA does their art butt I could be wrong.
Anything can be reproduced. From a graphic design perspective speaking as a 25 yr design professional. Replicating screen methods digitally is certainly doable. Replicating the color trapping, overlays to create different colors, etc.... can all be done digitally.

Unless you have the original films with color separations and know the exact color inks used, you just interpreting the original and recreating artwork digitally to screen print if you're choosign to use that method. Keep in mind.. screen printing isn't magic.. it's just a method of printing just like offset printing, inkjet, etc.
 
I can tell you that my local printer will be damned sure I don't have to wait, they are used to doing jobs the same day or next day
Your local printer is starving for business, then. A week or so, sure. Same or next day? They're dying slowly.
 
This is nonsense.

You could say the same thing about your house or your car.

It doesn't mean there is an imminent crash coming in real estate or automobile prices.



This is nonsense.

I've seen plenty of teens and pre-teens very interested. Literally hundreds.



This is nonsense.

Many collectibles were once valueless. This is common in almost every collectible field, from jukeboxes to oil sign / memorabilia. It's actually part of what makes them valuable today.


Lol, classic tstone.

"This is nonsense."


Wow, he rests his case, case closed, gold medal to tstone. Great work. Lock the thread. Go home folks.
 
Your local printer is starving for business, then. A week or so, sure. Same or next day? They're dying slowly.
They employ like 50 people, and it seems to me like they're doing alright. There is a TON of last minute work, which never, ever works out doing it online. Seems like they have their niche. But maybe you're right and they shut down at some point. I'd be shocked if anything changes for them in the next 10 years unless trees and paper disappear.
 
To be clear, I never said the word "crash".

I said "slow decline over the next 5 to 10 years while the oldest generation in our hobby get out."

Don't worry guys, nobody is saying your toys are suddenly worthless.

Again, just my stupid opinion. And I'm wrong anyway so who cares what I think. :)
I wasn't talking about you specifically. I agree a slow decline is more likely than a dramatic crash, but I honestly think even a decline over 5-10 years is fairly unlikely. Things in limited supply seem to always go up. But who really knows what will happen in the future.
 
Anything can be reproduced. From a graphic design perspective speaking as a 25 yr design professional. Replicating screen methods digitally is certainly doable. Replicating the color trapping, overlays to create different colors, etc.... can all be done digitally.

Unless you have the original films with color separations and know the exact color inks used, you just interpreting the original and recreating artwork digitally to screen print if you're choosign to use that method. Keep in mind.. screen printing isn't magic.. it's just a method of printing just like offset printing, inkjet, etc.
I agree for the most part, in many cases it's hard to tell… but most of us here can tell the difference between a screen print vs modern digital print on sideart. Additionally, when restoring "properly", we usually want to duplicate the original materials and methods if at all possible.

Both methods have their place for sure. But discounting screen prints won't pass the sniff test here. Unless there's been a shocking new development in digital printing that went under the radar?
 
I agree for the most part, in many cases it's hard to tell… but most of us here can tell the difference between a screen print vs modern digital print on sideart. Additionally, when restoring "properly", we usually want to duplicate the original materials and methods if at all possible.

Both methods have their place for sure. But discounting screen prints won't pass the sniff test here. Unless there's been a shocking new development in digital printing that went under the radar?

dont misunderstand me. i'm simply responding to whether screen printing can be replicated visually. i will say this though... new canon colorado UV gel printers and spot print gloss and matte and also reproduce some light texture with the print. it would be very possible to replicate the look of layered inks as is what screen printing does. this one didnt fly under our radar as much as flies so high, unless you got about $50-60k for one, you'll never see it.
 
dont misunderstand me. i'm simply responding to whether screen printing can be replicated visually. i will say this though... new canon colorado UV gel printers and spot print gloss and matte and also reproduce some light texture with the print. it would be very possible to replicate the look of layered inks as is what screen printing does. this one didnt fly under our radar as much as flies so high, unless you got about $50-60k for one, you'll never see it.
Interesting! At some point maybe we see the price of that technology come down.
 
It's games, not life or death. Anyone can just buy a printer and start printing and that's how you get some of the hideous art i've seen on some games. Even digitally there's still an art to it to get it right.
 
Back
Top Bottom