Not saying Daytona didn't do good.
Just pointing out coin counters don't start at zero. The manufacturers usually ship them with hits on them to cut down on employee theft from ops.
so how much did a successful arcade pull in weekly back in it's heyday?
- Thread starter kerri369
- Start date
Not saying Daytona didn't do good.
Just pointing out coin counters don't start at zero. The manufacturers usually ship them with hits on them to cut down on employee theft from ops.
ironworker
New member
I know Tim Arnold, not the actor. Made over 1 million befor he was 35 years old. Read his story and if you ever have the chance, stop by his arcade.
Here is his life story. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/history.php
Here is the home page. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/
Here is his life story. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/history.php
Here is the home page. http://www.pinballmuseum.org/
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Wiz
Well-known member
Very cool story. I live in Ann Arbor, where the remaining Pinball Petes is (there used to be 3). I did not know that the owner of the pinball museum started petes- but that is really cool. I know his brother, but did not know the full history. I will absolutely attend the museum if I make it out to LV and will shovel some serious quarters into those machines, knowing the full story about how the money gets used. I guess I would anyway, but it is very cool to hear about how Tim started it and how much of a "giver" he is. Thanks for posting this article!
tevans333
New member
ironworker
New member
If you do a google search for, Pinball Hall of Fame Las Vegas, you will be able to see the place. His old location had blue carpet, the new place is Huge. It has gray floor with white walls. There are a ton of pics and video's, also other web sight talking about the place.
There are some one of a kind pinball games there, plus all the old to the most up to date ones. There is never a cover price to get in. The old games cost 25 cents and new ones cost 50-75 cents.
Here is the Unofficial Pinball Hall of Fame page, it has a list of the games, who made it, what year each one is, the cost to play and how many balls per game.
http://www.vegas-pinball.com/games-list/
There are some one of a kind pinball games there, plus all the old to the most up to date ones. There is never a cover price to get in. The old games cost 25 cents and new ones cost 50-75 cents.
Here is the Unofficial Pinball Hall of Fame page, it has a list of the games, who made it, what year each one is, the cost to play and how many balls per game.
http://www.vegas-pinball.com/games-list/
i have this particular book, which lists average earnings in april 1982 for each game listed on the cover. they all average around 175-225 per week. if you figure an average of that of $200/ game / week, thats about 115 plays per day, roughly. and let's say an average game lasts 3 minutes per player, that means each game is getting played for 5 hours and 45 minutes per day straight. that's really not that bad.
chas010
Permanently Banned
When I was going through all the goodies from my "warehouse raid " I found rows of filing cabinets that contained years of receipts and statements. I leafed through a few and found several receipts per month for over 5k each to the government.
I worked for Dream Machine for a couple of years up here in New England. I mostly worked in the mall store and it was fairly steady income but when I worked at the Beach stores, that is where the money was made. I worked a memorial day weekend at the beach and we had 101 games in the store. Each game had to be emptied 2-3 times aday. Ski-balls would be always jamming up due to to many quarters. All the new games went to the beach first and most were paid for in a weeks time. I know when I was running the change booth I was exchanging $100 in quarters every 10-20min for 4 hours straight durring our peak time. And that is with 4 BC-35 as well. I know we were clearing 40K+ a day before expenses at the beach. But after you figure in the beach rent, power and labor I'm sure they made out well.
The mall was alot less busy but as I said it was year round. Most games took in $100-$500 a week. We usually had 40-60 games in the store. More in the winter as they moved them out of the beach locations and less in the summer as they were moved to the beach locations.
Oh and this was back in 86-87
The mall was alot less busy but as I said it was year round. Most games took in $100-$500 a week. We usually had 40-60 games in the store. More in the winter as they moved them out of the beach locations and less in the summer as they were moved to the beach locations.
Oh and this was back in 86-87
OP
OP
kerri369
Active member
did you wind up taking that paper work in your haul?
chas010
Permanently Banned
No, I messed up big time and left so much. There were cool replacement part catalogs and boxes of NOS pin plastics. (Hangs head in disgust)
