The reason you collect?

r3m

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I would just like to see what your reasons are for collecting arcade, pinball, pcb's, slot machines etc. The reason that I would love to be a collector of these things are because it reminds me of the great times I had as a child. It's just a part of my life that I loved and miss. I love my life now with my finance and my 6 month old son but it's just filling in that gap that I have. Growing up going to the arcade every weekend popping in quarters left and right was what I loved doing. Waiting for that mortal kombat arcade machine to come to my arcade and once it was finally there the crowds of people standing and waiting in line to play. Those are the times I love and miss very much. Things have changed, arcades are gone, and now I am filling in that gap money permitted. Yes you can say I'm stuck in the 90's. But I miss them very much and wish that arcades would come back. But they won't, Consoles were the death of the arcades. I hear they are still pretty big in Japan and some out west in the US. But anyway the reason I try to collect is because it is more personal to me than anything. I also feel that they are works of art that should be preserved as long as possible. It's something that I would love to pass on to my son when I'm dead and gone and have him say that's what my dad liked to do, and this is what he liked to play when he was a kid. Ya I understand it not a house or a really big boat. But it is something that is very special and close to me. And I thank my fiance and her grandfather for buying me my first dedi arcade machine about 3 months ago.
 
For me i think its the moving around of 300lbs machines and the back/joint pain that goes along with it. :)

GOOD TIMES!!!
 
I grew up in and out of foster care. My Uncle pretty much lived at the arcades. He would take my sister and I everyday to play games. It was an escape from reality for me. I knew (as dumb as it sounds) that I couldn't count on a home, I couldn't count on a meal, but I could count on those games being their for me to help me escape, if only for a little while.

Fast forward to the present.........

It is a common love for the amusement games/industry that my husband and I share that both brought us together and keeps our relationship strong. When you have something that you are both passionate about it helps to bond you together.

Mushy I know, I'm a girl cut me some slack. That's how we are.
 
r3m pretty much hit it on the head. In addition, I just love to tinker... I love (most) of the restoration process. I love the "hunt"... and I love the feeling of the "unexpected" I get when I first bring a cab home and open up the back...when I plug it in... etc.

Oh yeah... and I kinda dig playing the games as well... putting up high scores... even if the only people that are going to beat those high scores is... well... me.
 
Could it be the countless idiots that post a machine without pictures and then lie about the REAL conditoion fo the machine?

Could it be the hunt for the machine - when once again you get a CL moron responding about a machine that turns out not only does it NOT work but the tube is burned to hell and it's not even a dedicated cab.

Could it be so you can agree to a price to show up only to either be told "it's already sold" or "I just had a guy call and offer me more can you beat his price?"

Could it be the countless replies you get to a CL posting wanting an item and you get several emails from people that can;t follow the directions you've set forth?

Could it be the countless replies for an item you have for sale on CL that ask you questions that you already supplied an answer to in your ad.

Could it be the countless replies for an item you have for sale and people telling you you'll take it and they never show up nor do you hear from them again.

Could it be the countless times you'll have to deal with a person showing up to buy a game for an agreed amount only to have the person tire kick your ass and leave without it.

Could it be the countless people that will ask you for delivery?

Could it be the countless SPAM emails you'll get from a CL posting?

Could it be your eBay auction was won by either a no pay, slow pay or the dirty asshole tries pulling the ole "switcharoo" on you claiming said item was broken. Or they file a claim against you without even talking with you first.

Could it be dealing with people in the same hobby that own everything gold plated and your stuff is worth rocks?

Could it be posting and end up in a "one up" thread?

Could it be the countless headaches the machine will provide you eventually?

I really have no clue why I do this shit anymore. Sounds like I have a piss poor attitude ... and maybe I do but everything I've listed above is REAL WORLD FAQ

Pros - drinking beer and hnaging out with your family and friends and watching them enjoy your stuff.
 
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For fun and nostalgia.

I never imagined I would ever own any arcade games. I grew up with 3 brothers and we all share a love for video games. It feels so good to have these games in my home to share them with my friends and family. Ex. My oldest brother's favorite game was DK Jr. and now I have one that he can play whenever he visits.

I also feel a sense of accomplishment when I restore games. Taking a jacked up cab and making it pristine through meticulous hard work. I can still remember how I felt when I fired up DK for the first time after putting it all back together. It was awesome.

And everyone knows it's just plain awesome to just see your games set up and fired up in the dark. That alone is worth it to me. :)
 
It takes me back too a time in my life where we did'nt care about bills or working.

Brings me back too the days of Showbiz Pizza place and the arcade i used too love going too on the weekends with my Famly.

It's a feedom of know this is your game room, these are all your machines. I allways dreamed of having this and sometimes it can be a NightMare!
 
The reason I collect is because of the chicks .....they love guys with arcade games .
 
Everyone has to have a hobby and I've had some pretty odd ones ( WW2 Re-enactor, WW1 Airplane Repro Builder, 1/6th scale RC Tanks etc) but his one connects directly to my own past and suits my hunger for nostalgia. I've always had a nostalgic nature so I guess that is the #1 reason.
 
'Cause ALL the hot chicks love grown men who try to hold onto their childhood by collecting old-ass arcade games.
 
Nostalgia and I really enjoy fixing and playing these games is the reason I got into collecting games. Being able to realize a childhood dream of actually owning arcade machines is indescribable.

I would say one of the things that keeps me going is being able to watch my children have fun playing arcade games which they otherwise would have never even knew existed.
 
I guess it's because it reminds me of the days when I didn't have a care in the world. Along those lines I find that when I'm playing a game all I think about is the game and not the million other distractions I have right now. Plus it's always nice when you pick a new one up and bring it back and then the challenge to get it working again.
 
r3m pretty much hit it on the head. In addition, I just love to tinker... I love (most) of the restoration process. I love the "hunt"... and I love the feeling of the "unexpected" I get when I first bring a cab home and open up the back...when I plug it in... etc.

Oh yeah... and I kinda dig playing the games as well... putting up high scores... even if the only people that are going to beat those high scores is... well... me.

I'll go with this one to save some typing. :) I think I like the tinkering/working on part more than playing them sometimes - to me the game is getting it working. Unfortunately I don't have the time/space/resources to do full out restores right now, unless they're easy ones.
 
Playing videogames was one of the nicer thing I did when growing up as kid, I just loved the arcades and the area around it.
Growing up wasn't all that great and the videogames in the arcades made me escape reality a bit, friends hung out in the area too, there was cash to be made by timming gambling machines or mastering the art of hitting the quarter push machines.
Red light district close by, lots of fun and great escape from home which was a mess at the time, I could stay out all I liked so I gladly did and the center of the city was where I was at most of the arcades were located there and they were awesome!!!
 
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Could it be the countless idiots that post a machine without pictures and then lie about the REAL conditoion fo the machine?

Could it be the hunt for the machine - when once again you get a CL moron responding about a machine that turns out not only does it NOT work but the tube is burned to hell and it's not even a dedicated cab.

Could it be so you can agree to a price to show up only to either be told "it's already sold" or "I just had a guy call and offer me more can you beat his price?"

Could it be the countless replies you get to a CL posting wanting an item and you get several emails from people that can;t follow the directions you've set forth?

Could it be the countless replies for an item you have for sale on CL that ask you questions that you already supplied an answer to in your ad.

Could it be the countless replies for an item you have for sale and people telling you you'll take it and they never show up nor do you hear from them again.

Could it be the countless times you'll have to deal with a person showing up to buy a game for an agreed amount only to have the person tire kick your %@#(*$ and leave without it.

Could it be the countless people that will ask you for delivery?

Could it be the countless SPAM emails you'll get from a CL posting?

Could it be your eBay auction was won by either a no pay, slow pay or the dirty %@#(*$ tries pulling the ole "switcharoo" on you claiming said item was broken. Or they file a claim against you without even talking with you first.

Could it be dealing with people in the same hobby that own everything gold plated and your stuff is worth rocks?

Could it be posting and end up in a "one up" thread?

Could it be the countless headaches the machine will provide you eventually?

I really have no clue why I do this %@#(*$ anymore. Sounds like I have a piss poor attitude ... and maybe I do but everything I've listed above is REAL WORLD FAQ

Pros - drinking beer and hnaging out with your family and friends and watching them enjoy your stuff.

Could it be that someone is just a little bit jaded? I hadn't noticed that about you before. ;)

For me it's all aspects of the hobby...

  1. Finding the games
  2. The excitement of going to pick them up
  3. The excitement of putting it in the game room and firing it up the first time (if working)
  4. The excitement of fixing a game that's not working, or making it work better, or making it look better
  5. Seeing my kids enjoy the games
  6. Having friends over and seeing them enjoy the games
  7. Meeting other collectors
  8. Last but not least, the excitement of playing the games I loved playing as a kid
 
For me it's all aspects of the hobby...

  1. Finding the games
  2. The excitement of going to pick them up
  3. The excitement of putting it in the game room and firing it up the first time (if working)
  4. The excitement of fixing a game that's not working, or making it work better, or making it look better
  5. Seeing my kids enjoy the games
  6. Having friends over and seeing them enjoy the games
  7. Meeting other collectors
  8. Last but not least, the excitement of playing the games I loved playing as a kid

Nicely put! All of the above for sure.
 
You can't beat the experience you get playing arcade games on the real thing. It feels likes its missing something (a lot) when your playing it on the computer, X-box, Wii, PS3, etc, etc.
The art works something worth admiring on it own as well. I love powering up the games in the dark hearing/seeing them come to life. It's sad the games are all under rated by modern day folks...

I love, finding and restoring the games from crappy shape too. It's really rewarding.
 
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