My Arcade Story So Far...

RenegadeFred

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Feb 3, 2012
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Location
Lake Village, Indiana
Very few people on here know me. But I'm a "noob" (beginner) in the arcade scene.

Here's my back story. I've started collecting this year alone around January I believe. I wanted to build a Mame for my birthday gift to myself. Yes I know that's considered a very bad word here, but keep reading...

After doing research and searching CL I found an empty Showcase Cab, which I thought would be perfect for Mame. I continued my search to try to find Mame parts locally to build one, came across an add in Indy. It wasn't for any Mame parts, but it was for a control panel and NFL Blitz 2k that came out of another Showcase cab.

Thought to myself hell I should at least go buy that until I do more research on the Mame. At the very least the cab won't be sitting here doing nothing then. Picked the game and CP up for $80 + Gas. Got home and started following the wires etc and hooking things up.

NFLBlitz.jpg

Mame became a back burner idea that I have yet to finish up. I couldn't run Blitz on my current PC that I wanted to dedicate to it, nor many of the gun games. So hell I loved the real deal more.

Found another ad and it's one of those deals you gotta be the first to email/call or else your S.O.L. - 3 Arcade's $600 - Offroad (3 player), NARC, and Area 51 Site 4. I shot the guy an email and let him know i'm a beginner collector, not a dealer so the games wouldn't be resold right off the bat for profit.

Well after talking back and forth for a bit, the Offroad was already sold off but he made me a deal on the other 2. I only wanted Area 51 since I always loved shooters as a kid. After seeing the subject matter on NARC I couldn't pass it up! I ended up picking them up for a total of $425 (including gas).

Area51NARC.jpg


The next score after that, I was looking for an empty or non working cab to start building the Mame. Since my space is very limited I can't fit much. I wanted the Mame cab here, so Area 51 is stored at another buddies home.

I came across a "non working" arcade which I believe the guy was asking $75 for it, maybe higher idk. Was about an hour drive from here. Few emails later the guy said it "Was working when I bought it, dead on arrival."

So by this time after doing research and such on how to check wires and fuses and things, I asked if I could bring my multimeter and check things out to see if I could figure out the problem. Got out there, was checking the power line, the cord looked chewed up, and was getting no power at all threw it. Ended up talking the guy down to $50. Paid my buddy another $25 in gas.

Got it home in the garage, and plugged it in to some actual working power. Found out the power filter wasn't working properly. In a recent ordering mistake I had bought an extra one. Threw that in there and boom fired right up. The cab is a bastardized Capcom Merc's cab, working 25'' monitor, with a single slot Neo Geo (Puzzle Bobble) inside. Probably one of the most addicting games I've played in a long time.

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Ended up doing some deals on here, to score some other PCB's and a 60-1. I have plans on building a 60-1 cocktail out of an old PC monitor, for my Niece and Mother.

Basically I haven't bought any actual arcades after that. I did however work some other deals and scored 5 - 25'' monitors from Vectorman. I caught a lucky break since he was actually driving past my area, he dropped the monitors off on my front door step! Great person and I would not hesitate to do any type of business with him again.

Don't really know why I bought them for in the long run but now that I have them 4 out of the 5 work great. 3 Standard Res (one dead) and 2 Medium Res. Great Deal! I'm having a local KLOV'r (I won't include his screen name unless he wants to chime in) fix the monitors up at a great price.

Here's a video of the room I rent. Well at least store some of my junk there. Just my setup for the time being.. Sorry about the quality but it was done with a PS3 Eye camera.

RenegadeArcade.mp4

Well in the span of a few months, I ended up with 4 arcades. Well that was at least until yesterday. I'm a big fan of Sit Down Drivers, and you all know the prices on those can be fairly high. Some great deals that I had to pass on out here, since I'm without a truck and the distance was just too far to ask a buddy to drive.

Yesterday morning I was looking on CL as I always do, trying to find that great deals before they are gone. I've been watching an add slowly go down on price for a Tokyo Cop Sit Down Driver. I believe he started up near the $1000 mark, and got down to $450 yesterday.

Well I ended up getting my buddy to drive, and we loaded up the truck (4 of us). Picked it up for a total cost of $438 (gas and food included). Once it was unloaded and in the garage, it was non stop playing from everyone. I love it. Monitor is a Tri Sync and will probably need some work soon but for now its fine.

No one wanted to give up the game, so I finally had to set it for quarters, and gave everyone a limit of a dollar per turn. 1 quarter to start and 1 per continue. Really had fun trying to see who could get the farthest on those credits alone. I'll be ending up in the garage here shortly myself.

Game is fun. It really brightened up the day for one of my personal friends with Muscular Dystrophy. Was the first time in a long time I've seen him actually having fun and smiling. He couldn't really swap from gas to brake but that's just part of the limitations. Can't really move as well as most of us.

BrandonCop.jpg


Cop2.jpg


Cop1.jpg

All in all so far it's been a fun ride! Now if I can only get a job working on/with arcade's I'd be set!

That's my story.. Thanks for stopping by and reading!
 
Awesome story - welcome to the addiction! All of this since January - pretty impressive, keep it up! :D
 
Your on a roll and thanks for sharing it's a good read.
 
Good job.. Yup I know the feeling.. I started in december and I have 5 games now... And I am restoring my first TMNT cab which will eventually be for sale once its done.. Beware of the addiction!!
 
Awesome story. And not only is it an addictive disorder, it is also contagious. Keep relentlessly subjecting your friends to arcade game culture and before you know it they will all want to own arcade games too. That way when you run out of room, you get them to buy all the stuff you can't fit in your arcade. At least that seems to have worked for me pretty good...
 
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Thanks everyone. Yeah it's very addicting. I'm also looking to start building cabinets for the monitors I have. Adding some of the pcb's i've bought from other members here. Bidding on an empty cabinet near my sisters place so I can put one in her basement!

So far my friends only like for ME to buy the arcades and bring them to their homes. Hopefully that will change one day. I really need to start thinking about selling some so I can get others that I really want.

Since we unloaded this Tokyo Cop in the garage, were all out here now (second day now) trying to get further then the next person on only 4 quarters (1 per play). Brought my niece over here earlier and my buddies daughter is out here now. Both of them had a chance at driving, with me holding the gas down. Was fun to see them slam straight into a wall. haha

I'm glad I could share my story with everyone, and hopefully soon I'll have more to add to the list of games. This place has been wonderful for knowledge and great deals! Thanks to everyone here making that possible!
 
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