"Numbers matching"

scottsmith

Member

Donor 2012
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
335
Reaction score
1
Location
Duncan, South Carolina
Hello folks -

Hope all are well. I am relatively new to this hobby and have a question here and in a separate post regarding the value of our machines.

I came across four machines for a very reasonable price a couple of weeks ago and have been taking pictures and trying to get a list together to place an order. On two of the games that are in pretty good shape (dig dug and super pac man) I noticed that all of the boards as well as the monitor have the game's serial numbers all somehow attached to them.

My question is, does this, as it does in some cars, have any positive effect on value (e.g. would one choose to rebuild that particular monitor versus replace it, so that the numbers would still match).

My guess is over time, so many boards may have been replaced and monitors trashed that it may not matter but wanted to get thoughts.

Thanks -

-Scott
 
yes and no.. for the most part no..
(the only time i could see serials matching making a big difference would be if it was a super low production machine or a prototype)

lets be honest, having an all original unmolested machine is nice, but these things always break so if a boardset has been replaced for the most part it has little or no effect on the machine as this is and was a common thing.

number of plays, original art, original cabinet, those make the most difference.

theres alot of factors that do hurt value...

- cabinet damage (water damage especially)
- artwork damage or fading
- really burned monitor, or monitor issues
-gameboard issues

the more pristine, the more its worth. Sometimes games had options
( sw cockpit for example could have a 19" wells gardner monitor, 19" ampliphone, or a 25" ampliphone, ther last bieng the most desirable) and those options can make a differerence the price.

The biggest killer for game value is if its an original dedicated game or if its a conversion. if its a conversion its worth roughly half or less unless its some rare game where the working boardset outvalues the machine. or if the game was only ever offered in kit form.


stuff like that. WHen your looking at something in particular just ask here and we will do out best to educate you and help you make the right decision.

as far as origial monitor versus replacement, most arcade monitors (crt type) are not made anymore. Its always your best option to rebuild what you have if possible and yes its nice to keep the machine all original that way.
 
I have a numbers matching Tempest and while cool, I don't think it changes the value dramatically. Might be a selling feature, but that's about it.
 
Thanks!

Thanks - will definitely be asking LOTS of questions. I think I need to change my signature so you guys know what I have picked up!

Thanks again -

-Scott
 
I'll always offer more for a machine with a matching-numbers boardset and/or original monitor in working shape.
 
I personally don't know anyone that cares if the "numbers match" on an arcade game. It doesn't matter. Monitors got changed all the time, parts got swapped around. No big deal as long as everything is in there and it works. And not all companies even serialized all their parts like that.

Not only that, but any serial numbers are going to be on little paper tags. They usually fall off and wind up in the bottom of the game.

Really, what increases the value of game is condition. Being unmolested electronically is a big part of condition, but you can have a nice, unmolested game that's had it's game board and monitor changed out. As long as the repairs were done CORRECTLY, it will still be clean and neat. Just that a lot of times when ops changed parts around they didn't put all the screws back in, or left brackets out, etc. Or, they cut and splice wires badly... I have seen more than one game where the monitor wasn't bolted in at all, or where the game board was just laying in the bottom, or dangling inside the game.

So, if the game is complete, working, and the parts are all correctly installed, who cares if the serial numbers match? Almost nobody.

-Ian
 
Really, what increases the value of game is condition.

Yes. But, IMO, original good condition > restored / refurbished good condition. I'd rather own a 1981 game and be looking at the same monitor that displayed the game BIID than something newer. I'm weird like that, though. :cool:
 
Hey kstillin -

I noticed you are in Columbia...I live in Easley. How many SC folks are around here?

-Scott

I'm from Columbia originally..but moved to GA recently. In the process of moving all my games and setting up my basement arcade. I've know KStillin for a few years now..hes a good guy and pretty knowledgible on the arcade repairs. There's another collector in the Greenville/Spartenburg area.
 
No one will pay more for numbers matching. It does give the collector a warm fuzzy feeling though. If you have it, you can casually drop the fact IF it is minty. If it's beat no one cares.

.
 
You're just weird.

:D

Well, no argument there!

But yeah, I will. Just like car collectors who pay more for numbers-matching engines, I think having an original "engine" with an arcade game makes it worth more. I like being able to say, "Aside from a few capacitors and such, this game is running the same hardware that it did back in 198x".

If the numbers aren't matching on your machine, you can't say that. :cool:
 
Well, no argument there!

But yeah, I will. Just like car collectors who pay more for numbers-matching engines, I think having an original "engine" with an arcade game makes it worth more. I like being able to say, "Aside from a few capacitors and such, this game is running the same hardware that it did back in 198x".

If the numbers aren't matching on your machine, you can't say that. :cool:

Kind of hard to equate replaced parts on a vehicle to replaced parts on an arcade game.

A new engine or transmission is a big job. I'd think the primary concern there is if someone did the job right. Lot's of places to go wrong.

A replaced motherboard or monitor is usually just a couple of screws, bolts, and maybe a single connector. I'd still consider it 'original'.

Now, if there's some aftermarket board, or if the power supply has been 'upgraded', then that's a little different.

In the end, a working game is what makes me happy.
 
A replaced motherboard or monitor is usually just a couple of screws, bolts, and maybe a single connector. I'd still consider it 'original'.

True, it never took a lot of work to swap things out.

But "original" is, to me...original. If that's not the monitor or board it came with, it isn't original. You can say, "It's running an original PCB", but you can't say "It's running the original PCB", for instance.

That in and of itself wouldn't mean anything unless you could prove it were true. And, thanks to serial numbers/tags, you often can - or at least be 90% sure.

In the end, a working game is what makes me happy.

A 60-in-1 board will do ya in some cases, then. :D
 
I'd pay more. I have in the past, too.

I stand corrected. :)

So in your experience, put a price on numbers matching for me. You have 2 A list classics (Robotron, Centipede, Defender, Ms. Pac, etc) sitting side by side, working, 9/10 condition on both. One numbers matching, one with a replaced PCB and monitor of the same make and model as original. The one with replaced parts is priced fairly, neither high nor low. How much are you willing to pay extra for the numbers matching one?

.
 
I stand corrected. :)

So in your experience, put a price on numbers matching for me. You have 2 A list classics (Robotron, Centipede, Defender, Ms. Pac, etc) sitting side by side, working, 9/10 condition on both. One numbers matching, one with a replaced PCB and monitor of the same make and model as original. The one with replaced parts is priced fairly, neither high nor low. How much are you willing to pay extra for the numbers matching one?

.

Good question, good scenario. $100-$300 more for matching.
 
Good question, good scenario. $100-$300 more for matching.

Wow. I personally would go something around 10% or $50, whichever is less. I am sure that if these games ever became worth real money then the numbers match would get significant.

I have a nice Joust that is numbers matching so I like hearing that someone puts a premium on it, even if I really don't. :)

.
 
Back
Top Bottom