The arcade collector's eternal dilemma....

Guru-420

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
2,566
Reaction score
59
Location
Hubertus, Wisconsin
So, I'll just put it out there, I'm bad with money. I like to spend it and buy toys.. Sometimes it's a new machine, sometimes it's parts for project machines. No matter how you slice it, I usually have it spent by the time I get it...

Well, I have a sum of money coming my way. Not a ton of cash, but a decent amount, and my wife is kind enough to be OK with me spending some of it on myself (which means my hobby). So, now I have that money coming in, and I'm in "how do I want to spend it" mode. Not the best way to go about it, but whatever...

So, I am looking for other's advice on the best way to spend my money. So, if YOU had some money given to you, what would YOU do with it?


1. Buy all the parts you have been drooling over for the past few months to spiff up your working machines. (Think t-moulding, cab artwork, upgrade parts, and all that crap you HATE having to justify buying)

2. Save the money so you can jump on that awesome CL deal the next time it comes up. (Think that $100 machine you want to just go and jump on from time to time, I have a small collection so more machines is an attractive option)

3. Go out and buy one of those "AWESOME" machines that is currently for sale, kinda rare, and will need even more money to get it working. (Think Grail game that isn't cheap and will still require a monitor job)


My wife is VERY understanding and supportive of my hobby, but she has been getting sick of hearing the "just one more game" mantra over and over again. This is the last oppertunity for me to spend a wad of cash for the next few months (until tax time). So, what do you guys think?

(PLEASE be nice with your answers, I am actually looking for advice.)
 
If you have a grail that you know doesn't pop up too often that is available, I'd get that first. Parts for the other machines can wait...
 
Buy my GORF (the one on the left):

DSC01378.jpg
 
Money burns a hole in my pocket too, but I'd like to think if I had a sum of money I'd save it and write down a buy list with prices to jump on. So I'd actually have money to grab the deals as they came.
 
Last edited:
Depends on the amount of cash. If it was enough, I'd target one of the pins I've been looking at for years, but been to cheap to splurge for.
 
Make a list of the 5 games you want the most. When you see one for sale, buy it. Continue until the list and/or your money are gone. Buying a lot of games is fun, but not even close to being as fun as buying games you really want.
 
Borrow it to a fellow local collector to help out, so he can grab the games on his 'pickup' list in the next month; and let him pay you back ;)
....
...
..

ok, I can wish!

In all seriousness, I would drop some into fixing up some games; and some into buy some new ones. Or, if there's one out there you know you want; grab it before it's gone!

You could also use my idea to help with the wife, use a bit of the cash to take her out for a nice dinner, maybe buy her something small. I usually do that if I sell something big/get a lot of cash in at once. Then she doesn't feel like I only spend it on games, and it's really not that much out of the pot. Then you're "free" to do whatever you want with the money on games at that point.
 
Last edited:
So, I'll just put it out there, I'm bad with money. I like to spend it and buy toys.. Sometimes it's a new machine, sometimes it's parts for project machines. No matter how you slice it, I usually have it spent by the time I get it...

Well, I have a sum of money coming my way. Not a ton of cash, but a decent amount, and my wife is kind enough to be OK with me spending some of it on myself (which means my hobby). So, now I have that money coming in, and I'm in "how do I want to spend it" mode. Not the best way to go about it, but whatever...

So, I am looking for other's advice on the best way to spend my money. So, if YOU had some money given to you, what would YOU do with it?


1. Buy all the parts you have been drooling over for the past few months to spiff up your working machines. (Think t-moulding, cab artwork, upgrade parts, and all that crap you HATE having to justify buying)

2. Save the money so you can jump on that awesome CL deal the next time it comes up. (Think that $100 machine you want to just go and jump on from time to time, I have a small collection so more machines is an attractive option)

3. Go out and buy one of those "AWESOME" machines that is currently for sale, kinda rare, and will need even more money to get it working. (Think Grail game that isn't cheap and will still require a monitor job)


My wife is VERY understanding and supportive of my hobby, but she has been getting sick of hearing the "just one more game" mantra over and over again. This is the last oppertunity for me to spend a wad of cash for the next few months (until tax time). So, what do you guys think?

(PLEASE be nice with your answers, I am actually looking for advice.)

Spend as much as you can with Chattanooga Pinball
 
I'm exactly the same way, there's always a new toy out there I want and I always get it. Back in 06 I got $40,000 after My ex and I sold our house. She got just under 100K and blew it, I blew mine too. I look back and have very little to show for that money, I regret just spending it all on nothing. You should put most of it away and maybe jump on the sweet deals when they pop up but don't go crazy or you'll end up regretting it for sure.
 
I would buy a new battery for my dodge cause ive been putting it off,it still works but just barely but it's a $100buck's!

Ive been wanting to get back into r/c's so id proly buy a good used nitro off oF CL.

Id buy a pocket bike from CL.

I would get drunk.
 
I will take a different stance. I say spend the money to fix up the games you already have. You said your wife is getting annoyed. So instead of furthering her annoyance, why not just focus on the machines you have and make them as nice as possible? There will always be more games to buy, and you likely will always want "one more game". And then another, and another. The ability to buy more games will never go away. But at some point you have to consider which is more important: to have as many games as possible, or to have a decent sized collection of really nice games.

So I say use the money to fix up the games you have, and then buy your next game after your current collection is spruced up to your liking.
 
So, I'll just put it out there, I'm bad with money. I like to spend it and buy toys.. Sometimes it's a new machine, sometimes it's parts for project machines. No matter how you slice it, I usually have it spent by the time I get it...

Well, I have a sum of money coming my way. Not a ton of cash, but a decent amount, and my wife is kind enough to be OK with me spending some of it on myself (which means my hobby). So, now I have that money coming in, and I'm in "how do I want to spend it" mode. Not the best way to go about it, but whatever...

So, I am looking for other's advice on the best way to spend my money. So, if YOU had some money given to you, what would YOU do with it?


1. Buy all the parts you have been drooling over for the past few months to spiff up your working machines. (Think t-moulding, cab artwork, upgrade parts, and all that crap you HATE having to justify buying)

2. Save the money so you can jump on that awesome CL deal the next time it comes up. (Think that $100 machine you want to just go and jump on from time to time, I have a small collection so more machines is an attractive option)

3. Go out and buy one of those "AWESOME" machines that is currently for sale, kinda rare, and will need even more money to get it working. (Think Grail game that isn't cheap and will still require a monitor job)


My wife is VERY understanding and supportive of my hobby, but she has been getting sick of hearing the "just one more game" mantra over and over again. This is the last oppertunity for me to spend a wad of cash for the next few months (until tax time). So, what do you guys think?

(PLEASE be nice with your answers, I am actually looking for advice.)

buy a nice new game or two, ask for forgiveness before asking for permission imho. by the way, thats one nasty avatar! right now you can get some nice deals on games, dont let this opportunity pass you by!
 
Tools. It's all about the tools. I collected tools my whole life, but when I started this hobby I found that I didn't have the right ones. Air compressor, paint guns, soldering/desoldering tools, clamps, etc., etc., etc.

A new control panel is good for one game, but new clamps will be good for putting on unlimited cpos.
 
When I sold off my first game collection I got like $8000 for it and I have no clue what I spent the money on because I didn't make a major purchase for like 2 years after that.

I'm exactly the same way, there's always a new toy out there I want and I always get it. Back in 06 I got $40,000 after My ex and I sold our house. She got just under 100K and blew it, I blew mine too. I look back and have very little to show for that money, I regret just spending it all on nothing. You should put most of it away and maybe jump on the sweet deals when they pop up but don't go crazy or you'll end up regretting it for sure.
 
Depends on what type of person/collector you are. Personally I'm not in spending mode right now so it's hard for me to get excited about spending money even if it's yours and not mine so my first instinct is to tell you to save it. But I've been there where I have money burning a hole in my pocket and looking at where I'm now and reflecting I would say that first decide if you're someone who loves to take the time to fix up and restore your games or at least will follow through with it. If you are then I would say buy the parts to work on current projects and get to work on them. If you find yourself buying parts that sit in storage waiting for someday to come when you will hopefully restore your games then I would advise that you hold off until you find the titles in nice enough condition that they don't need to be worked on. Rare titles might be an exception but personally I have a lot of projects that I don't get to enjoy because I have to get around to putting in the work which I'm not motivated to do. I have most of the parts but little motivation to put in the work. Oh and I've about maxed out my space so that kills the fun too. A little self control can be a great thing in this hobby.
 
Back
Top Bottom