To all those who say it can't be done, I say B.S.!

[Stuffmonger]

I looked through some of my old pictures today, only to find some classic ones that I forgot about. Now, I shake my head at what I did in the name of my arcade hobby, and am glad I have evolved from back then. But, I figure, I will entertain you all with some experiences that I'm glad to ave gone through.

It all started back in 2004, when I started thinking to myself... damn, I want a metal slug game. So, I started to do some research into arcades. I found bob roberts, the neogeo forums and some other technical sites about how to do repairs, and decided to build my own "arcade machine" So, I got to work on it, and made my first setup which included a game, harness, power setup (in a box), coin door, a couple planks of wood with buttons and joysticks installed into them, and a commodore monitor.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/stuffmonger/DCP_0099.jpg
I soon upgraded to a real 25" monitor, and started buying cabs since it was cool, but just not doing enough for me.

Soon enough, I acquired my first candy cab. An astro city from my buddy Matsu.
And people thought you need a truck to haul cabs!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/stuffmonger/cabs/astro1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/stuffmonger/cabs/astro2.jpg

Now, I was really getting in deep. I was still living at my mom's house, and she was starting to get anxious about having arcade machines in the house. So, I came up with a solution...

And you thought you needed space for games
Now, she wouldn't have to look at them. Yes, I really built a bed so that I could store and play arcades under it.

But that wasn't enough for me...
I wanted more...

 

[vintagegamer]

Any chance you could attach the images here, for the photobucket-impaired?

 

[Stuffmonger]

So, after a little while, my bedroom looked like this:

I was running out of space, and wasn't yet satisfied.
So... Time to move out of mom's house finally!
I rented a 2-bedroom apartment all to myself, and had games all over the place.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/stuffmonger/Picture056.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/stuffmonger/Picture059.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/stuffmonger/DCP_0214.jpg
PLUS I had 12 or so games in storage

That's when I took a break from arcade collecting for a couple of years, and brings us into the near past. I bought a house a year ago, moved all my cabs out of storage and into the garage (and game room), and stared honing my collection. Now, I'm not at where I want to be yet, but I hope that my current house is big enough for my desires. The game room is under construction, and I've sold/given away/replaced a bunch of my cabs with one that I am more interested in than generic or junky cabs. Hope you all enjoyed the pics as much as I did.

 

[jehuie]

Man, you've got it bad alright. I have one word for you: Mame.

 

[pookdolie]

Ha - this is great! Most of us have been here, in varying degrees.

 

[Stuffmonger]

The first post's pics.

 

[Stuffmonger]

Second post pics

 

[Stuffmonger]

man, you've got it bad alright. I have one word for you: Mame.

blasphemy!!!

 

[WarLordAG]

How did you get up to that bunk without a ladder, and was it sturdy with no cross support anywhere?

That's crazy.

 

[blkdog7]

Wow, dude! That bunk over the games is craziness! You are one dedicated hobbyist! Kudos!

 

[vintagegamer]

The first post's pics.

Thanks!! I can see now!! I can see!!!

 

[khabbi]

Awesome. This is a fun hobby and a passion for me, and I'm glad I'm not the only one that goes above and beyond to make it happen.

I can't help but notice you are into what I would consider "funky cabs", but hey, I only say that because I'm old school!

 

[vintagegamer]

Man, you've got it bad alright. I have one word for you: Mame.

I think he's done a great job in personal determination. I've had similar hurdles in order to get what I wanted in this lifetime.

I do have to make one critique tho.. Meh, lose the wooden betty-crocker-drawer-face control panels..

 

[vintagegamer]

How did you get up to that bunk without a ladder, and was it sturdy with no cross support anywhere?

All I can say is if he'd fallen thru... GAME OVER MAN. GAME OVER.

 

[likwidtek]

Post some pics of your new space! Also I really like those candy cabs, those are neat looking.

 

[alejandromad]

"Stuffmonger" ... aptly named!

 

[gutsman004]

Should have used the cabs themselves as pillars and threw the bed on top of them.Probably sturdier. And yes,stuffmonger is very much an appropriate moniker.We've all been there though.Good thread!

 

[Mindl3ss]

In a way, I miss living at my parent's place, not paying bills... I would have easily ended up like this... (I had one in my room and two in their garage)

Since I've just gotten back in to the hobby as of this year, I've got two in the house and one in the garage (although it's guts are in the house)

That's an awesome collection. I love the candy cabs, and I'm thinking I may have to track one down, one of these days

 

[fatherpain]

Stuffmonger....I am proud of you, my son. This is a positive first step on the road to arcade addiction recovery. Now sell some more games and stop by to check out my egret2 issue

Tom

 

[cleverlyj]

How did you get up to that bunk without a ladder, and was it sturdy with no cross support anywhere?

That's crazy.

i'd like to know how much you weigh. i'd wake up in a mess of wood splinters and broken cabinet if i put my fat ass up there.