Warehouse Ettiquette Tips

Deadly said:
  • Don't make the mistake of over spending just because you want something now.
  • Also don't buy a cabinet just because it's a good deal. When you buy something ensure it's something you want to keep or the next thing you'll know you'll have a garage/basement full of shit that you'll never finish.
  • Cabinets aren't rare nor are they hard to find especially when you have people in this group willing to help you.
  • Most OPS or vending comapnies will want a small mint for each machine. They don;t care that the machine was bought brand new for $3500 and has made them 3x's or more than what they paid.
  • Just get ready to put on your game face and be ready to smack them down and be equally ready to walk away.
  • If you don't have a business card then write your contact info on a piece of paper and hand it to the person telling them if they change their minds to call you.
Sorry to say this has been my experience the last 5 OPS I've dealt with.
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I bulletized Deadly's comments because they are very true. Ops, especially ops that currently have equipment on route, would like to get as close to the price they are going have to pay for a new machine as possible. Think about it, you would too. You have something in storage, probably in a building that is on a long term lease or you bought so it doesn't cost much to keep it. It may never go back out on route, but if you can get enough for it (or a package for a few cabinets), you can buy a machine that will go out on route to put food on the table.

There are exceptions to the above, but most of the big deals are when an op finally realizes that he has 12 storage units full of crap and needs some room or his widow or heirs just found out about the 12 storage units.

Go out there be polite. Ask about his business while you are looking. If he is in a good mood, chat him up. Ask where he places his machines. Ask if he has seen any funny things in his years in the business. Let him know that you are definitely interested in adding to your collection, but you want to start small until you know how long it will take to get something running. Don't ever tell him that you are buying to flip stuff. This is always going into your personal collection.

Good luck. And welcome to the madness.

ken
 
Well the 1st thing you never tell them is you a member here that is a dead give away that you do not want to pay much. Next do not assume you are dealing with a dumb ass and that he does not know the true value of his games. I had a guy come down and offer me 100 bucks for my Star Wars. That was the 1st machine he saw and that was the last machine he saw in my warehouse. And another good rule is to look for the shit that is already in his way that goes 1st and never ask to see a game that has to have 20 games moved just to see it. If you really want a game and it is there make him a good offer and try not to be too cheap because on good games most operators know what their shit is worth do not insult them. And try not to be too big of a gobber when you are they just laugh at you when you leave. And if you read some of my old post you will find one where this PECKER HEAD came down and wanted a couple of games and then didn't get back to me for months and when I sold them he flamed me here and bitched like the little PECKER HEAD he is.
 
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RLEVIN said:
And if you read some of my old post you will find one where this DICK HEAD came down and wanted a couple of games and then didn't get back to me for months and when I sold them he flamed me here and bitched like the little BITCH he is.
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Congratulations RLEVIN you are about to be given the ban hammer award. Victim #5 ladies and gents lol

It's been my experience OPS/retailers are in fact VERY knowledgable. They also have no clue or concept what a game goes for in the general population. So they are inclined to laugh at you or get offended sometimes. We don't understand/agree with them and vice versa. Just try and be nice because you never know what good deals might be had or the hook ups you might get out of it.
 
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leave the flashlight in the car unless you REALLY need it. Leave the camera at home, it's not a cruise. The key two words that you need to use are "right now". What will you take for this game RIGHT NOW. After he replies make an offer, i can give you x amount of dollars RIGHT NOW. Have cash and a truck and be in a position where you dont need help from him. Have a buddy along that can help you load if possible. The easier it is on him, the better the chance for a deal. " You wont have to lift a finger, my buddy and i can load it if you want". If you are buying the game right then and there, and only buying one or two games, you wont need a notepad, or anything else. Cash, muscle and a truck. There is a reason those games are still in his warehouse, he probably wants too much. You are seeking him out, that puts you at a mild disadvantage. Be prepared to walk away empty handed.
 
RLEVIN said:
Well the 1st thing you never tell them is you a member here that is a dead give away that you do not want to pay much. Next do not assume you are dealing with a dumb ass and that he does not know the true value of his games. I had a guy come down and offer me 100 bucks for my Star Wars. That was the 1st machine he saw and that was the last machine he saw in my warehouse. And another good rule is to look for the shit that is already in his way that goes 1st and never ask to see a game that has to have 20 games moved just to see it. If you really want a game and it is there make him a good offer and try not to be too cheap because on good games most operators know what their shit is worth do not insult them. And try not to be too big of a gobber when you are they just laugh at you when you leave. And if you read some of my old post you will find one where this PECKER HEAD came down and wanted a couple of games and then didn't get back to me for months and when I sold them he flamed me here and bitched like the little PECKER HEAD he is.
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Keyland meet RLEVIN. RLEVIN this is Keyland.
 
From my experience.. well stated!

Kevin


ArcRevival said:
leave the flashlight in the car unless you REALLY need it. Leave the camera at home, it's not a cruise. The key two words that you need to use are "right now". What will you take for this game RIGHT NOW. After he replies make an offer, i can give you x amount of dollars RIGHT NOW. Have cash and a truck and be in a position where you dont need help from him. Have a buddy along that can help you load if possible. The easier it is on him, the better the chance for a deal. " You wont have to lift a finger, my buddy and i can load it if you want". If you are buying the game right then and there, and only buying one or two games, you wont need a notepad, or anything else. Cash, muscle and a truck. There is a reason those games are still in his warehouse, he probably wants too much. You are seeking him out, that puts you at a mild disadvantage. Be prepared to walk away empty handed.
Click to expand...
 
ArcRevival said:
i would leave the extension cord in the car too. If he claims a game is working then maybe pull it out to verfiy, otherwise forget it.
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true dat! One warehouse my buddy and I went to, we simply plugged in games into the outlets he had, if needed. Another warehouse we went to, we just didn't care to plug them in becuase we were getting the games for $25 a peice.
 
Make sure the OP is 100% clear that you will not hastle him after the sale about anything related to the games you buy.
 
norton9478 said:
Make sure the OP is 100% clear that you will not hastle him after the sale about anything related to the games you buy.
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+1, my friend works for a vending company that has game installations across three states and every Christmas they get tons of calls for certain pins and games. A few months later they get the same people calling you back to "come and fix this". So he usually just offers the repair jobs to his techs to do it on their own and they keep any money they make. But the point is these companies do sell games to people then get hassled about them when they break so that is a very good idea.
 
norton9478 said:
Make sure the OP is 100% clear that you will not hastle him after the sale about anything related to the games you buy.
Click to expand...

In general, this is very true.

I, however, got lucky with the first vendor in western MA I bought from when I still lived there. Guy was a route op and only very occasionally offered a machine to the public for sale. Bought one (Demolition Derby), and had no problems with it - came with a 30-day "warranty".

But I REALLY pushed my luck when I made a soft inquiry re: having him look at a machine I didn't buy from him. His guys came over, hauled the machine into a truck, took it back to his warehouse, fixed the thing, and brought it back about a month later for a very fair price.

Guy was patient as a saint. I gave out his info once because someone paid me $200 for it; they wanted a Missile Command cockpit he had sitting at a location. They ended up making a deal.
 
keyland said:
Hi All,

Sorry to add clutter to the forum here. I've recently gotten into the hobby and after scratch building a MAME cabinet, I have decided to restore a classic as a second project. Unfortunately in my area there aren't any amusement auctions, nothing close by on ebay, and craigslist is a joke.

The other day I noticed a sticker on a local machine, looked up the operator, and sent them a brief and polite email asking about out of service equipment. I received an equally polite reply this morning.



Long introduction aside, my point is this: I appreciate his offer immensely and would like to go see what's available but I want to be certain to not waste his time or insult him. This is my first visit with anyone in 'the biz' and I'm a little nervous. I know there are 'rules' to abide by when visiting a warehouse and I want to make sure I don't forget any of them. At this point I'm aware of the following general rules:

- Bring a Flashlight
- Long Extension Cord
- Limit Visit To 15-20 Minutes
- Bring A Notepad
- Bring Camera
- Don't trash talk the games
- Don't mention the word 'cheap'

Added From Other Members:
- Bring Money!
- Bring Truck!
- Bring Dolly!
- Be prepared to buy as-is.
- Money talks, but keep some of it hidden just in case you can't make a deal.
- Make sure you're paying a fair price. If the machine is too spendy, you don't have to buy it. Also, see next item.
- Always be polite when negotiating. It may lower your price both on this deal and future purchases.
- If possible, buy in bulk. You will pay less per unit and get more salvageable parts to pay for the cabs you actually want to keep.

Is there anything else important that I'm forgetting before I set up an appointment and see what he's got?
Click to expand...

I would forget these ones.

- Bring a Flashlight
- Long Extension Cord
- Limit Visit To 15-20 Minutes
- Bring A Notepad
- Bring Camera

Sounds like geeky bs to me. Bring Cash and a Truck you will be good.
 
come talk to me. I'm in eugene and I know most everybody down here.

I've got 20 or so right now and I'm sure we could find you a project for cheap. Also, I'm assuming you were talking to Jerry or Jamie at NW vending. Jerry is cool, but be careful with paying too much out there. Most operators in the area want an arm and a leg for games that are in any kind of good condition (they still think of them as money makers).

I find that getting them from private folks is much cheaper and usually you end up with much better games for the money.

Let me know if you want to come by and take a look at everything. I'd be happy to share my (somewhat limited) knowledge. Welcome to the hobby!

(tilt/gateway didn't have anything cheap this year, last year I got a MK4 for $195 though.)
 
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