Remember the day you started collecting?

[SilverCoin]

October of 1999?

Realized I could actually own an arcade game. Won a Ebay auction for a Magic Sword in a Robotron cab. Cost me 225.00 plus shipping. EX WIFE ok'd the 225, but not the shipping. Had to sell some mint old Warhammer Hardcover game books to get the rest..

Once I found out it was a conversion I sold it, got a Ms Pac & Congo Bongo next.. Through surviving divorce and having a new wife who loves the arcade(She kills on Moon Patrol) I think I've owned over 50 different games..

This is the actual Ebay photo that was posted of the game I won..

 

[ArcRevival]

I had an arcade game before we had internet in the house. Pretty sure it was 1993 and it was a Space Invaders that I found through the San Jose Mercury classifieds. First 3 or 4 games I bought were from classified ads. Then came the internet. It was more fun hunting them down pre-internet days. You had to look in the classifieds or go out and talk to people. Now it's all about who can respond to the CL ad first.

 

[Paul Olson]

In 2003, I decided I wanted a MAME cab. I called the local ops and retailers, and they all wanted $500 for an empty cab. I started looking on ebay, and found a cabinet style that I liked. The game was a Tekken 2 in a 4-player Konami cab (of course, I had no idea what the cab was at the time). I paid $350 for the game, and then had it shipped for another $300. Now that seems so ridiculous, but back then, the local market was terrible, if only because I didn't know where to look. At that time, I had never met anyone that owned an actual arcade game, or wanted one, I guess. I played the hell out of Tekken 2 until I got tired of it, which took about 2 weeks. Then I built a new control panel, and it turned into a MAME cab. It was a MAME cab until about 3 weeks ago. I decided to use an LCD TV for MAME, so I am going to build a new cab for it. The konami cab is empty waiting to be the home of a new game.

It is weird, but I didn't think of buying a dedicated cab until 2008. I guess I just assumed it was too expensive. A neighbor about a mile away had three games in his garage, and that was the first time I had ever seen games in a residence outside of Silver Spoons. I saw the games once in awhile because he always had the garage door open, but I never stopped by. Then I found craigslist. There was a Ridge Racer listed for $200, and the guy offered to deliver for $200; sold. After that, I decided to go talk to the neighbor with the games. Turned out that he didn't want the Space Invaders or Zaxxon, so he gave them to me. I spent the next 2 years casually trying to talk him into selling the Robotron, which never happened, unfortunately. So I had 3 games after a week in this crazy hobby. I know the OP only asked about the first game, but thinking back, I realized that my VAPS profile was wrong. I have Space Invaders listed as my first game instead of Ridge Racer. Time to go edit again...

 

[JeepMonkey]

Five years ago now. My first arcade find was a very nice condition Ms Pac, not working, for $150. 20 hours of work and $20 later I had it working. I was stoked. Still have it to this day, although it might be time to move on and put it towards a new pin.

 

[descrentl]

I don't remember the exact day, but it was spring time of 05'. I was searching ebay for something unrelated, and I ran across an Operation Wolf. It was in Buffalo NY. No one had bid on it and it was a starting bid of 60.00. I used to play this game a lot at the local Pizza Hut back in the day. It hit me that I could actually own an arcade game. So for some reason I bid 60 and forgot about it for a few days. I got an email a few days later stating that I won, but then I realized how far away it was from me! Ooops. So after persuading the wife, I grabbed my son and hit the road. I think it was 6 hours each way. It was a heavy beast and sucked getting up the stairs of the house I got it from. Its was a real cool bonding experience for my oldest son and I. Got it home, slid it down the stairs and I was hooked since then. The disease took hold of me and I've been an addict ever since.

 

[jawhn]

... The disease took hold of me and I've been an addict ever since.

Ok, serious question, now... Are there any members on this site that only have *1* game? And if so, for how long/how long have they owned it.

Arcade games are like Lays potato chips, I swear to God...

 

[noice87]

Mid 90ties I called a amusement place looking for a Crystal Castles. They said they did and it was 320 delivered. I went to look at it and was so excited I didn;t even realize it was in a Dig Dug cabinet. I was upset with myself. I played it a ton and finally sold it at a yard sale for 45 bucks. I have since owned 3 dedicated UR's a Cocktail and currently own a Mini.

Next was a free Centipede I got from a friend who bought and sold junk metal. I never got it to work and used the cabinet for my Atari 2600. I later burned the cabinet. I think it has some water damage from being outside.

Now I have too many but at least most of them are Super Mini's. Not telling how many I have bought and sold. I use to buy just about anything that was cheap or on my way to pick up another game even if I had never played the game before.

 

[sohchx]

Got my first game for $75 in august 2003 at a warehouse raid, a double dragon II. Over the next 2 days the disease had completely taken over and I brought home 6 more games.