Tapper - price check on register five!

visionik

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Hi all -

Went and looked at a Budweisier Tapper today at a guys house. It was a "regular" (not the color side/front art Tapper).

Game worked fine. Monitor would need to be re-capped. Cab was nice, not mint. It had a 2" x 0.5" gouge / missing art on the front. Also would need new art on one side (so realistically both sides so it matched), and a new CPO.

I asked where it was from. Owner said he used to own an arcade shop. Probably should have known to walk at that point. He was a nice enough guy, but arcade shop owners (and perhaps ex-arcade-shop-owners) generally seem to feel games are worth much more than us collectors.

After offering what I felt was a very fair price ($1300, with very little room to haggle) he said he wouldn't take a dollar less than $1850.

He's had it up for sale for four months...

Amusingly of course, Tapper is the *one* game used in the "condition pricing" examples of the Exidy price guide.

What do you guys think? Is the fair price closer to $1300 or $1850?

-V
 
They are worth about $1200 to buy the parts if not more. without seeing it i would say $1300-1500 if you really want one. If the art was new i would think he is in the ballpark.
 
Id say your price was a little more than fair, given its a complete working Tapper. Let him keep it.
 
If you go to the 'price check' sub forum you may get more comprehensive answers. Sounds like a nice game.
 
I think your price is pretty fair for condition maybe even a bit high..

I just traded out mine recently but my cash price would have been $1500 if I didnt trade it. Pretty confident I would have sold it pretty easy at that price based on emails I got on it.

Mine was a notch or two nicer cosmetically then what you are describing but still a players cond example for the most part, fully working..

$1850 is closer to retail/restored price to me.
 
It really comes down to how bad you want the game. Also, how often do you see one come along in your area. If your heart is maxed out at $1300 but you have to pay $300+ to have it shipped to you. Your not really saving that much considering the convenience of having one close by. Just my two cents.

LJ
 
Sounds like a nice cab that you want to justify peeling the art off of. Why not make one from scratch rather than trashing one to put repo crap on it?
 
FYI, I'm not trying to justify anything.

Based on the description and asking price ($2000) i was expecting a near-perfect game that needed no to very little work.

I wasn't expecting a game that had a two inches of missing art on the front.


Sounds like a nice cab that you want to justify peeling the art off of. Why not make one from scratch rather than trashing one to put repo crap on it?
 
not rare, they do come for sale.

1850 seems high to me, but if you want one now, it's only money.
 
FYI, I'm not trying to justify anything.

Based on the description and asking price ($2000) i was expecting a near-perfect game that needed no to very little work.

I wasn't expecting a game that had a two inches of missing art on the front.

$2K for even a perfect Tapper sounds about $300 or so too high to me. There are valid points being made re: local collection vs. shipping a game, but, based on what you've said, the $1250 range sounds more like it.

Then again, I'm picking that number without having seen photos of the game, so it really is a complete shot in the dark.
 
FYI, I'm not trying to justify anything.

Based on the description and asking price ($2000) i was expecting a near-perfect game that needed no to very little work.

I wasn't expecting a game that had a two inches of missing art on the front.


a 2" gash in the art is not a reason to replace the art. Especially when what you replace it with is above average at best. Now if your saying its all faded, then maybe. But I would rather put a 80's sticker on it to cover the damage, and keep it original.

Yeah, $2k is too high and $1500 is probably reasonable. Just keep in mind that parts value is pretty much $1200-$1500 today.

But if your that anal about the cabinet art, why not build one from scratch? You obviously don't care about original. Your interest is in how it looks and hopefully how it plays. A new C&C cabinet will be better made than the original. You can probably gather all the parts and the cab for about $1500-2k. Why not go that route? Then you won't have to destroy and original, you can buy the ugly color side art and be happier with it.
 
I've sold three in the last year and half. Each one went to a collector in the hobby. All in nice shape (not restored), new power, rebuilt monitors, new monitor glasses, cupholders and footbar brassed (a service I offer), and I did not have to advertise any of them as they all sold before I got each one done. The prices were: $2350, $2400 and $2500.
 
You keep making an assumption... that leads to misunderstanding.

Do you have some hostility towards people who part new art on games? :)

I did not say I would put side-art on it. I said it needed it. It was simply a way to convey the status of the game,

Not that I would consider replacement art on most games "destroying it" anyway.

Have we beaten this horse enough yet? :)

-V

Sounds like a nice cab that you want to justify peeling the art off of. Why not make one from scratch rather than trashing one to put repo crap on it?

a 2" gash in the art is not a reason to replace the art. Especially when what you replace it with is above average at best. Now if your saying its all faded, then maybe. But I would rather put a 80's sticker on it to cover the damage, and keep it original.

Yeah, $2k is too high and $1500 is probably reasonable. Just keep in mind that parts value is pretty much $1200-$1500 today.

But if your that anal about the cabinet art, why not build one from scratch? You obviously don't care about original. Your interest is in how it looks and hopefully how it plays. A new C&C cabinet will be better made than the original. You can probably gather all the parts and the cab for about $1500-2k. Why not go that route? Then you won't have to destroy and original, you can buy the ugly color side art and be happier with it.
 
You can decide to pass or buy it if you like. But today, a working tapper is worth more than $1300. Some people are going to offer up I just got one for $500. but just add up the parts. $400-$600 working board, $300-$500 control panel, $200 -$300 glass, $100-$200 brass and holders, $200-$300 wiring, transformer, and PS.

I have issues with people who peel art for the smallest of blemishes. repo art is at best above average. Even with original films. I don't want to disparage the people doing their best to repo it, but even their best efforts are not up to snuff. I have yet to see something that said wow, that's better. About the closest I have seen is scotts black widow art. His actually had more detail in it than the production. But even at that, colors and texture are usually a bit off.

If you want to go all the way back to fizgig, I thought he was insane for doing what he did. But at least he sold/gave away the old cabinets. Then, by all means destroy your games.

You keep making an assumption... that leads to misunderstanding.

Do you have some hostility towards people who part new art on games? :)

I did not say I would put side-art on it. I said it needed it. It was simply a way to convey the status of the game,

Not that I would consider replacement art on most games "destroying it" anyway.

Have we beaten this horse enough yet? :)

-V
 
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