AppleAmusements
New member
I might be crazy enough to do that for a nice clean machine. Honestly guys I can remember even as a young adult my heart would start pounding if I stumbled on a machine (just to play!) in an arcade around here!
Is this a sellers market?!
- Thread starter AppleAmusements
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And thats the feeling you need to keep hidden from the seller if you want to negotiate the price down some. Once they see your excitement over a game you might as well forget it. You have to be able to walk away from a game...even "rare" ones. They will pop up again..name of the game is patience.
modessitt
Volunteer: Encyclopedia Submission Moderator
It's easy to get games for good deals. I have 30+ games and have never spent more than $150 for any of them, although several have cost more than that in repairs/parts.
It's not easy to always get games YOU WANT for good deals, especially if your location limits your opportunities...
It's not easy to always get games YOU WANT for good deals, especially if your location limits your opportunities...
AppleAmusements
New member
I was being sarcastic about Dragon's Lair.. I know it is an overpriced (and popular) short cartoon film with less arcade action than some DVD's out there. In a decade if I can get one for $850 or so I might, but I know damn well after a week I'd beat the thing and it would be turned on attract mode when we had parties and that'd be the extent of the use of it. Just guessing.
I have built my own PC's for 15 years or so.. how much soldering is involved with most repair jobs because it is the only thing I am really uncomfortab'e with. I worked in IT and telcom before becoming an English teacher in a public HS so I'm, familiar with crimping wires and dealing with molex and jumpers and the like.
I'm going to be patient. I get that. The frustration comes from the fact more than 75% of my searches so far have ended in disgust at people's greed.
Maybe I'm just a romanticist but my big thing in life is traditional bowhunting and I have sold gorgeous custom longbows and recurves to guys at a couple hundred bucks less than than they were worth just because it was a guy all excited and new to archery or hunting - and the times I've done this I've been rewarded with years of photos and emails of some of these guys with trophy photos and just "how ya doin"s. I don't know ... toys should be played with not hoarded. I know most people don't think like this though : )
I have built my own PC's for 15 years or so.. how much soldering is involved with most repair jobs because it is the only thing I am really uncomfortab'e with. I worked in IT and telcom before becoming an English teacher in a public HS so I'm, familiar with crimping wires and dealing with molex and jumpers and the like.
I'm going to be patient. I get that. The frustration comes from the fact more than 75% of my searches so far have ended in disgust at people's greed.
Maybe I'm just a romanticist but my big thing in life is traditional bowhunting and I have sold gorgeous custom longbows and recurves to guys at a couple hundred bucks less than than they were worth just because it was a guy all excited and new to archery or hunting - and the times I've done this I've been rewarded with years of photos and emails of some of these guys with trophy photos and just "how ya doin"s. I don't know ... toys should be played with not hoarded. I know most people don't think like this though : )
Many times in this hobby, if you give a screaming deal to someone, they are going to try to flip it really quickly.
I think it really is a sellers market on pins right now. I rarely see them for sale for less than book value, and that is only when they will require a lot of work.
I have been looking for a Pinbot for a couple of months now, which books for $950, and I have only seen two for less than that. One had playfield damage, and the other was in pretty good shape, but I just didn't have the money that day. The rest that I have seen are all $1100 or higher. There is even more of a premium on the more popular pins. It seems like the guide value is a minimum these days.
I know a few pin resellers, and it is hard to beat them to the deals, and they are willing to sit on them until they get the price they want.
I think it really is a sellers market on pins right now. I rarely see them for sale for less than book value, and that is only when they will require a lot of work.
I have been looking for a Pinbot for a couple of months now, which books for $950, and I have only seen two for less than that. One had playfield damage, and the other was in pretty good shape, but I just didn't have the money that day. The rest that I have seen are all $1100 or higher. There is even more of a premium on the more popular pins. It seems like the guide value is a minimum these days.
I know a few pin resellers, and it is hard to beat them to the deals, and they are willing to sit on them until they get the price they want.
Oh I agree there is alot that are overpriced. We have a guy here that keeps listing an average Defender for $750 on CL, new add each month for over a year and a half. I have sold 5 Defenders in that time, for around $450.
We also have the $2500 Tron guy that pops up monthly LOL.
Now Dragons Lair is a different breed. You prob wont find one cheap.
I got my Dragon's Lair for $150, but that was back in 1998.
If you want a dragon's lair solely for the gameplay then that game may not be for you. Many of us laser game freaks love the game mostly for its animation and aesthetics.
DLs pop up quite often but the do average close to a grand. They fetched even more during the dot com pre 9/11 days. Then again, you could sell almost any game for three or four hundred percent markup.
There are certain things to look for when buying a laser game and as its been suggested, head over to dragons-lair-project.com, sign up and start reading, ask questions, and also check the classifieds, there might be one close to you for sale.
If you want a dragon's lair solely for the gameplay then that game may not be for you. Many of us laser game freaks love the game mostly for its animation and aesthetics.
DLs pop up quite often but the do average close to a grand. They fetched even more during the dot com pre 9/11 days. Then again, you could sell almost any game for three or four hundred percent markup.
There are certain things to look for when buying a laser game and as its been suggested, head over to dragons-lair-project.com, sign up and start reading, ask questions, and also check the classifieds, there might be one close to you for sale.
Wait a minute...didn't you just get a deal on a DL and SA???
Lindsey
Well-known member
You missed the sellers market by about 10+ years. Practically can't give the shit away now with a few exceptions.
I think a good period to buy vids was the late 80's to early 90's. The pins, on the other hand, were the mid 90's to the early 2,000's.
EVB
Well-known member
In general, games that were popular when they were released will command a higher price in working order of course. Condition is a huge factor in the price. If you want something on the cheap, the best way to get it is in good physical condition but not working. Games that fit that description can be easily found on Cl or ebay. Fixing them is rewarding and essential to owning these crates.
It's a buyer's market right now, but the tide is turning. I'm 36, and I'm spending money on games. In about 10 years I'll be spending LOTS more money on games (read: PINS) as I get close to retirement age.
The first wave of machines hit the market as the Ops from the 80's began their retirement in the early 2000's. Now that most of the Ops are done selling, the balance of the machines out there are either stored somewhere, or being bought & sold still. A few are being parted out, even fewer are being restored.
I expect in about 10 years this market will swing back again as the Gen X'ers get close to retirement age with disposable income and the market supply begins to dwindle.
The current general economic conditions don't help. Luxury purchases like these games are suffering during this downturn.
Dedicated machines still reign supreme - the hacked up crap is being left for dead or MAME'd / 60-in-1'd.
The first wave of machines hit the market as the Ops from the 80's began their retirement in the early 2000's. Now that most of the Ops are done selling, the balance of the machines out there are either stored somewhere, or being bought & sold still. A few are being parted out, even fewer are being restored.
I expect in about 10 years this market will swing back again as the Gen X'ers get close to retirement age with disposable income and the market supply begins to dwindle.
The current general economic conditions don't help. Luxury purchases like these games are suffering during this downturn.
Dedicated machines still reign supreme - the hacked up crap is being left for dead or MAME'd / 60-in-1'd.
roothorick
Active member
No offense, but... if you can't get into soldering, you're in the wrong hobby. Sure, you can kind-of get away without it, but then the bulk of your repairs will involve shipping boards out to people and paying $hundreds for repairs with a parts cost of $10-$50.
Soldering helps you in the PC world too. I've revived my fair share of motherboards just by replacing capacitors, and as GPUs get bigger, cracked BGA joints are becoming increasingly common.
LongJohns
Member
heh - we should meet up, I am always looking for cheap (or free) stuff - more so since I am also new to this hobby and I am finding it tough to get to the 'good deals' in my area first (it seems like either a lot of competetion or one person living on the "for sale" sites).
I also see a fair amount of stuff that 'seems' overpriced to me - but then, I am looking for the 'cheap projects' (not necessary the basket cases). But they have to be of some interest to me as well, as I am not one that will just buy a game to flip it and as such I want the 'expensive' popular ones...
Yea it was a Craigslist deal listed for $1200, but SA didnt work until last night
Basically the guy wanted $1200 for DL and threw in the Space Ace, but I only got one laser player. These were the only Dragons Lair or Space Ace that I have seen in my city for sale in over 5 years. I did pick up a non working DL out of Seattle last year, also missing the player for $550, not even sure what else is wrong with it. Now that I have a working one I will fix it too. Bottom Line DL is not a cheap game even non working.
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Lindsey
Well-known member
heh - we should meet up, I am always looking for cheap (or free) stuff - more so since I am also new to this hobby and I am finding it tough to get to the 'good deals' in my area first (it seems like either a lot of competetion or one person living on the "for sale" sites).
I also see a fair amount of stuff that 'seems' overpriced to me - but then, I am looking for the 'cheap projects' (not necessary the basket cases). But they have to be of some interest to me as well, as I am not one that will just buy a game to flip it and as such I want the 'expensive' popular ones...
how much space do you have and how much money do you have to spend?
EDIT: Also keep in mind that it's a different market here than where most KLOVers live. If you're trying to buy/sell based on prices quoted here you're in for disappointment (for the most part).
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sosage
Well-known member
It's a buyer's market, but the buyers have no money. This is the worst "buyers market" I've seen, in that people are trying to dump but a lot of the potential buyers are kinda broke/saving their cash.
On the flip side, as much as people want it to be like it was during the dot-com/tech boom, 800-1K for a butt average Pac-Man isn't going to be the norm again. Personally, it shouldn't have been to begin with.
As for buying cheap and being patient, you can find anything common this way. Star Wars cockpit...Quantum...Major Havoc...are hardly in that category. Galaga/Pac/Centipede/etc. If you wait, you'll find something eventually for your price range.
Cheap definitely can be done if you're willing to get your hands dirty and don't mind it being a pig in the cosmetics. I mean, aside from playing, putting these things together is the most enjoyable part.
I live in Cali, blah blah things are easier, wah wah blah fart
On the flip side, as much as people want it to be like it was during the dot-com/tech boom, 800-1K for a butt average Pac-Man isn't going to be the norm again. Personally, it shouldn't have been to begin with.
As for buying cheap and being patient, you can find anything common this way. Star Wars cockpit...Quantum...Major Havoc...are hardly in that category. Galaga/Pac/Centipede/etc. If you wait, you'll find something eventually for your price range.
Cheap definitely can be done if you're willing to get your hands dirty and don't mind it being a pig in the cosmetics. I mean, aside from playing, putting these things together is the most enjoyable part.
I live in Cali, blah blah things are easier, wah wah blah fart
I got a free working Star Wars with an ESB kit in pretty nice shape. I got a free Vectorbeam Warrior. Someone just picked up a basically home use only cockpit Sinistar here recently for $50. There are good deals out there on the rare stuff too. I wasn't really going to respond to this but I wanted an excuse to quote that.
Fuuuuuck no.
