New and need some input

92greenyj

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Hi all. New to the forums.
I am an arcade manager by trade.

My mother has a 1980 Pacman machine that was converted to a Ms. Pacman. it has the Ms. Pac chipset and the Ms. Pac marquee. Past that, the cabinet has the Pacman graphics and such on it. She bought it back in the early 90s for $475.

Currently, it has a dead monitor and hasn't been used for about 4 years due to this. So being that it doesn't work and is taking up space my Mom is considering selling it, even though she loves the game. So considering what I do she asked me to look into it. Now I am looking at several different options.

Apart from the monitor the paint is a little rough, but not too bad. there was some shoddy touch up work done to it at some point. wrong yellow was used. the screen surround is a bit worn and some of the point value info has peeled and it needs a new marquee light.

1. Sell it as is. What would it be worth in its current condition?

2. Do a full restoration on it. My estimates say this would cost me about $450 give or take. What would it be worth in fully restored condition?

3. Convert it to a multicade.

4. Convert it to a MAME machine

I have a feeling that if i get it up and running she will probably change her mind about selling it, depending of course on what it would be worth. I already sent an e-mail to one of my suppliers asking what it would go for in both conditions to the industry. But I would like to know what it may potentially be worth on the collectors market as well. Any input is greatly appreciated
 
Hey 92,

I just sent you a PM. If you do consider selling it, I'm looking for a Pac cab in San Diego. Please let me know.
 
couple things...

First off, welcome.

Now, if you are a tech, why the heck didnt you fix it 4 years ago??? Just curious.

As for price? Its all about condition...If you did a 'full restore' (new CPO, new or mint everything (including paint/stenciling etc), I'd assume you could get a pretty penny for it...Maybe $600? Again, if absolutly 'off the showroom floor'...

As for converting it? I'd be careful here asking about mame'ing/multi'ing a classic...Its kind of like going to a model T forum to talk about making a hot rod out of an old model T chassis...

BUT, I'd personally say just get it working. If your mom likes it, get the monitor up and running and you're good to go.

(btw, $450 seems pretty light on cost if you are going to get a mint monitor in that thing and find/buy stencils to paint it)

Good luck!
 
As for price? Its all about condition...If you did a 'full restore' (new CPO, new or mint everything (including paint/stenciling etc), I'd assume you could get a pretty penny for it...Maybe $600? Again, if absolutly 'off the showroom floor'...

You'd sell a fully restored Pac man for $600? Holy shit. I wouldn't sell a restored Pac for less than 12 hundred.
 
toby, I run the Gamers Garage at the new Corvette Diner in Liberty Station. We are actually a NEW arcade. Just opened back in June with 50 games. Good selection of old and new. few pinballs even!!

Gamey, I've only been running the arcade for about 9 months. I actually have no prior experience and i've been learning as I go. thankfully I am very handy and very technically minded, so its been pretty easy. I wouldn't actually buy stencils, i'd back mask and make my own for the paint restoration. Again, jack of all trades and master of none speaking here. and that $450 figure would include paint and supplies, new monitor, new coin mechanisms (they are missing) replaceing the joystick, new locks, buttons, marquee light, CPO. granted the joystick and buttons don't HAVE to be replaced. they work fine but look a bit worn. Also I agree on $600 sounding low for a full restore. Thru a few arcade game sales sites I've seen full restored units going for upwards of $2k. non restored and working units for around $1200. but again these sites are geared towards selling for the arcade industry not to home collectors/hobbyists.

As for the conversion ideas, if she decides to keep it i figure why be stuck with just one game?
 
For less than $100, you can probably fix what is already there and it works. Then you can decide to sell or fix.

As for putting $450 into it to "fix" it (new paint and graphics are not a "fix"), you have to consider what you can get for it afterwards, If you can spend $100 to fix the monitor or whatever, and then sell it for $500, good. Put if you put $450 into it, can you get $850 for it? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, your profit is the same, so you can decide if your TIME is worth doing it.

And it's super easy to make it a Pac-Man again if you wish, so the game matches the artwork...
 
Hi all. New to the forums.
I am an arcade manager by trade.

My mother has a 1980 Pacman machine that was converted to a Ms. Pacman. it has the Ms. Pac chipset and the Ms. Pac marquee. Past that, the cabinet has the Pacman graphics and such on it. She bought it back in the early 90s for $475.

Currently, it has a dead monitor and hasn't been used for about 4 years due to this. So being that it doesn't work and is taking up space my Mom is considering selling it, even though she loves the game. So considering what I do she asked me to look into it. Now I am looking at several different options.

Apart from the monitor the paint is a little rough, but not too bad. there was some shoddy touch up work done to it at some point. wrong yellow was used. the screen surround is a bit worn and some of the point value info has peeled and it needs a new marquee light.

1. Sell it as is. What would it be worth in its current condition?

2. Do a full restoration on it. My estimates say this would cost me about $450 give or take. What would it be worth in fully restored condition?

3. Convert it to a multicade.

4. Convert it to a MAME machine

I have a feeling that if i get it up and running she will probably change her mind about selling it, depending of course on what it would be worth. I already sent an e-mail to one of my suppliers asking what it would go for in both conditions to the industry. But I would like to know what it may potentially be worth on the collectors market as well. Any input is greatly appreciated

Fix the monitor and sell it as is.

/ END THREAD .
 
Yeah i know about pulling the Ms. Pac stuff. I was under the impression that Ms.P was far more popular than the original Pacman was.
 
It is. But you don't need to put $450 into this to sell it. Fix the current monitor (probably needs $38 in parts) and see if your mom still wants to sell it...
 
yeah thats kinda what I'm thinking. I have a feeling that if it works she won't want to sell it. Just trying to do my due diligence and gather as much information as i can to present her with all the possible options
 
As for the conversion ideas, if she decides to keep it i figure why be stuck with just one game?

As far as I can see, the only reason to keep it as one game, is due to the rarity that it is. You can make a mame machine for WAY under 400 bucks, and put it in any old box for a cabinet. What you have here seems to be pretty nice, and would be a waste IMO as a MAME or Multi.

If it isnt worth the work/effort/money to you to have an original PAC, then sell it to someone who values this machine, and use that money to get a mame running.

Just my opinion.
 
yeah thats kinda what I'm thinking. I have a feeling that if it works she won't want to sell it. Just trying to do my due diligence and gather as much information as i can to present her with all the possible options

Tell your mom $50 for parts to fix the monitor . You should fix it and keep it .
 
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