What is the excuse "Not in this Economy" when buying/selling a game?

[TraderSteve]

You also have an aging demographic for this hobby, and it's possible that people are leaving the hobby and not being replaced with new collectors. New collectors coming along are probably more willing to pay more $$$ for their first games.

Collectors may also be reaching their saturation point. Personally I've been buying for the last 4-ish years and I'm honestly running out of room so it either has to be a STEAL or a very specific game for me to bite.

The other thing is this is the type of hobby you get into when things are going well so if you aren't already a collector you generally won't start and if you ARE a collector and are suddenly
living check to check or even tight then this is a luxury hobby, and spending on it is the first thing to drop off.

 

[resipsa]

Even if you pay 1000 or more for an arcade game, It doesn't always mean it's going to stay working. There are some games that are just designed so badly keeping them running is problematic at best. Vector games typically have issues. Galaga and pole position are known to fail. My best advice is find a good arcade tech to keep your games running. Someone who has spare boards that they can toss in while your board is being worked on.
Someone to can do maintenance on your machines.

A friend of mine bought an NBA JAM after I got done with repairing his cab. We went hunting for extra parts. In his cab he has an extra wiring harness, PCB board and power supply plus a monitor board. This was done so that if anything happen the game can be easily repaired by me or by anyone else. It added 200 dollars to the cost of the cab. It was cheap insurance to keep the game running.

what i am saying is i dont mind paying more for higher quality/less issues. and yes i am not a moron. i know these games are 30 years old. i work on trucks that break down after 1 week in service brand new. i am not stupid. i am just saying that i am out of the bargain basement game. and i will pay a tech to fix my games, i already do so i am not a shoo fly! and yes i would be the guy to pay the extra 200 to avoid issues.
thats all i am saying. btw as for looking for another hobby, i have too many to list, but this by far my favorite and most aggravating!

 

[TraderSteve]

One other thing...

"A Down economy" or Buyers market HELPS people get into the hobby. I'm a relative n00b at it, and have some discretionary income but I am by no means rich; the depressed market (and my reliable 12 year old car) has helped me get into the hobby.

If the games averaged around $1000, I would only have my 1 grail game (Ms Pacman Coctail), but the fact that they tend to average much lower allowed me to get an "Arcade" rather than "A game".

Hopefully the lousy economy will encourage new people who were on the fence before (like me). If it's cheap enough they may get "that one game that they loved" and once you get one... that addiction sets in.

 

[bheineck]

It's one thing to just pass on a blurb that you feel the price is too high, but give a good luck in selling the item. It's another thing to really rip someone for a high price. Nobody should be subject to price bullying. If they have a price they want and list it for that. The market forces will prevail no matter what anybody else says it's worth. Some people aren't too concerned if they sell a part or not and so they set the price high figuring if they get a sale, great and if not, still great. So it's really nobody's place to rant on someone's high price, only to give them a general, I think you're a bit off the mark. That's how I feel about it anyway.

 

[ArcRevival]

what i am saying is i dont mind paying more for higher quality/less issues. and yes i am not a moron. i know these games are 30 years old. i work on trucks that break down after 1 week in service brand new. i am not stupid. i am just saying that i am out of the bargain basement game. and i will pay a tech to fix my games, i already do so i am not a shoo fly! and yes i would be the guy to pay the extra 200 to avoid issues.
thats all i am saying. btw as for looking for another hobby, i have too many to list, but this by far my favorite and most aggravating!

I sincerely wish you lived near me. I miss being able to really go all out on a game before selling it. I would gladly completely go through a whole game and then offer a warranty to someone willing to pay in the 1k range. I was able to do that back in the dot-com days of the late 90's. Not so much anymore although I have had a few people that had their own game and wanted them gone through and were willing to pay some decent money.

Same goes for vector rebuilds. People want Amplifones and 6100's rebuilt for $150 ( or less). You simply cannot do a color vector justice at that price. I don't care who you are. A cap kit alone just isn't going to do it for an Amplifone and a 6100 needs a little more than that too if you want it to last. I have had 2 Amplifones sent to me that were sent to someone else and "repaired" first. They both crapped out and were then sent to me. Not to say that something I repair can't fail either, but it was more than obvious to me why these other 2 failed. The hobby was better when the games were more expensive because people appreciated them more.

 

[hasenfang]

After reading this thread, this is what came to mind.

When we purchased our house (years ago) it came with an older hot tub which didn't work. I was able to repair it and get it running again, the wife and I enjoyed it, but it was pretty beat up. It broke again, and was more of an elbow grease thing to get it working again. The unit broke yet again after a year and we decided to stop throwing good money after bad and just get a new one, since we really enjoyed the old one. We looked at the economy ~3.5 years ago and said you know, I would rather hold onto the money. If something happens, who is going to want to purchase a slightly used hot tub? I would rather have the cash just in case.

The truth is, I am one of those cheap asses low bidding all the items I am interested in. I have a good job and so does my wife, we have not been directly impacted by the economic situation (thank god). However, I have friends and family who have been, and I have witnessed first hand how devastating that situation is. When all is said and done, this hobby is just that, a hobby. You need to be smart to ride out this economic situation, because honestly you don't really know if you are going to walk into work tomorrow and they tell you they don't need you any more.

I am keeping my disposable income close and making sound decisions and finding things I am interested in and getting them at a reasonable price. I am trying to get my physical and financial houses in order. I have made a big effort to try and get what I have in full working order and decent condition in case something happens where I need to attempt to sell them. I have room in the value of the games I have purchased because I did buy them "right" when I purchased them, so I can still put money into them and at least break even if I needed to sell them.

Times are very tough out there, and if you don't see that, your just not paying attention. Just one mans opinion.

 

[mhochman]

The Economy is definately tight, but for those of us who are self employed, it can be doubly bad, My wife and I own a small Internet Cafe in a tourist town in Maine, As the economy gets bad, fewer people travel, and those that do cut back on their expenses. Add to that that the wholesale price of Coffee has almost tripled over the past few years and you get a dangerous situation for a small retailer like us. Normally you raise prices to compensate for a raise in cost of goods, BUT, Especially with Coffee, There's only a certain point you can raise prices to, Nobody is going to pay $5 for a cup of coffee, even if that cup cost you 5X more than it did the previous year, Coffee prices are up, Dairy prices are up, the cost of our electricity is up. the cost of our supplies is up. But not all that can be passed on to the consumer without pricing the product so high that nobody will buy it.

We were off almost 20k this past season, And that sure eats into a video game budget.

There is a guy locally, selling a Star Wars Upright, from the photos it looks in good shape, for $1200 18 months ago, heck even 12 months ago, to get that locally and not pay shipping, I'd have jumped at $1200, Now, well, not so much.

These games are like any other Collectible, they are only worth what someone will pay, Are there still folks out there willing to pay $1200-$1800, sure, but the vast majority of us are just not willing to lay out that kind of coin on a hobby right now. Its much like the building owners in this town, Most building leases are in the $50,000-$75,000/year range Building owners have been getting that for years, and they still think they can get that in this economy and have no problem, only they are now seeing businesses failing in their locations year after year, and some sitting empty that would have rented in minutes in the past, They don't understand that in this economy, at those prices, a business can't make enough to pay that, it's a "Well it worked in the past, so it should work now" mentality.

Price your game high, If someone with disposable income wants it, it will sell. Price it reasonably, and maybe you won't make as much money on it, but those of us willing to pay a reasonable price on it will snap it up and you'll have extra cash in your pocket to work on your next project machine.

I guess it comes down to this, Sellers, If you think its worth $1200, Keep it priced that way and wait for it to sell, Buyers, If you don't want to pay $1200 for it, Don't, maybe you'll find it elsewhere cheaper.

 

[TraderSteve]

The truth is, I am one of those cheap asses low bidding all the items I am interested in. I have a good job and so does my wife, we have not been directly impacted by the economic situation (thank god). However, I have friends and family who have been, and I have witnessed first hand how devastating that situation is. When all is said and done, this hobby is just that, a hobby. You need to be smart to ride out this economic situation, because honestly you don't really know if you are going to walk into work tomorrow and they tell you they don't need you any more. I am keeping my disposable income close and making sound decisions and finding things I am interested in and getting them at a reasonable price. I am trying to get my physical and financial houses in order.

I hear you. Fortunately myself and my fiance haven't been fortunate, but there is enough uncertainty around that anyone should be cautious. This is very clearly a buyer's market due to the tough economic times but ironically I have been putting MORE money into the hobby because:

1) I can get really good deals on the games I want
2) They are durable and add lasting value (unlike say a vacation)
3) I should be able to at least break even at the bargain prices I got them for. (again, buy low sell low)
4) They have no "Carrying costs" - IE: If I have the money I buy it once and I'm done. I don't put any in storage, I only have them on when I'm using them so and if If I buy decent machines I don't put a lot into repair. If a machine breaks then I simply don't use it until I have the money to fix it.

Though I feel incredibly bad for collectors who hit difficult economic times and NEED to dump machines just to pay the bills, this hobby is the very definition of a "luxury" and when times are tough it's the first thing to fall off the spending list. Conversely however low prices encourage NEW people to start collecting so ultimately the down cycle can actually help the hobby.

 

[the11thdoctor]

I don't believe there is an economic problem anymore. People are just using it as an excuse to get things cheaper. I make decent money. In the past I would have spent $300+ on a game that needed a little work just because it was a game I wanted. Nowadays, I wont pay more then $100 for a non working game. Not because I am cheap but because there are enough games out there now that if you wait you will find what you are looking for at the price you want to spend.

 

[TraderSteve]

I don't believe there is an economic problem anymore. People are just using it as an excuse to get things cheaper. I make decent money. In the past I would have spent $300+ on a game that needed a little work just because it was a game I wanted. Nowadays, I wont pay more then $100 for a non working game. Not because I am cheap but because there are enough games out there now that if you wait you will find what you are looking for at the price you want to spend.

Well I suppose it depends on the game you want and what it goes for, it also depends on your labor market. In PA we are still near 10% unemployment which in my view is an economic problem. Your market however may be different.

Also I'm of the mindset that I won't pay any money for a non-working game (regardless of the economy). If it breaks after I get it I'll fix it, but there's enough on the market and I'm patient enough that I'll simply wait for a working one to come up. The minute I put it in my arcade I want to play it otherwise I'll pass.

 

[the11thdoctor]

Also I'm of the mindset that I won't pay any money for a non-working game (regardless of the economy). If it breaks after I get it I'll fix it, but there's enough on the market and I'm patient enough that I'll simply wait for a working one to come up. The minute I put it in my arcade I want to play it otherwise I'll pass.

I guess everyone's take on collecting is different. That is what makes this forum fun. I personally think fixing a game or bringing it back from dead is half the fun of collecting.

 

[TraderSteve]

I can see that. I got a restore project for free and it's on my to do list, but for me the biggest part of the collecting, is the parties and the kids re-living the arcade experience that I had as a kid. My son's 4 and a half and have his various friends and second cousins in the under 10 range that have an absolute blast with them and the occasional grandparent that loses HOURS to Centipede, Space Invaders or Ms Pacman... To me that's what it's all about.

Restoration gives me a level of personal satisfaction, but it's really like an 80/20 split. So I'd rather get a working machine that has small issues or cosmetic issues and fix those ASAP so the kids can get playing on it right away. As you said though, there's no "wrong anwser" and I know collectors who flip their machines often because they have the 80/20 split the other way and once they are restored most of the fun is done.

I guess everyone's take on collecting is different. That is what makes this forum fun. I personally think fixing a game or bringing it back from dead is half the fun of collecting.

 

[pinbotler]

Reasons for Doing It

I agree. Had a couple of 18 Year-olds over as I repaired a PS3. Dragged them down to the Cade and "forced" them to play the Atari Football. It was great watching the lil Xs and Os running around and the guys goading each other on. Its the real reason I got into this. Now if I could get my daughters to pinball more! Long live the addiction.

 

[hasenfang]

I don't believe there is an economic problem anymore.

In the past I would have spent $300+ on a game that needed a little work just because it was a game I wanted. Nowadays, I wont pay more then $100 for a non working game. Not because I am cheap but because there are enough games out there now that if you wait you will find what you are looking for at the price you want to spend.

Why do you think more games are available if its not an economic problem?

 

[ArcRevival]

Conversely however low prices encourage NEW people to start collecting so ultimately the down cycle can actually help the hobby.

I disagree. I don't think more is automatically better. The people that want everything dirt cheap are not good for the hobby imho. They are the ones that tend to not care about the games as much since they don't have as much invested in them. Driving prices down=more games parted out ( here I go again). All these guys get the games cheap and then part them out when they can't sell them as they think they will hit the lottery when they put the parts up for sale.

Not everyone that owns games is really a collector in my opinion. A lot are just opportunists.

 

[kspiff]

I agree. Had a couple of 18 Year-olds over as I repaired a PS3. Dragged them down to the Cade and "forced" them to play the Atari Football. It was great watching the lil Xs and Os running around and the guys goading each other on. Its the real reason I got into this. Now if I could get my daughters to pinball more! Long live the addiction.

Finally a hobby that involves dragging 18-year olds down to your basement that doesn't require chloroform, a shovel, and lots of bleach. God bless arcade games. Now where did that roll of duct tape go?

 

[TraderSteve]

I disagree. I don't think more is automatically better. The people that want everything dirt cheap are not good for the hobby imho. They are the ones that tend to not care about the games as much since they don't have as much invested in them. Driving prices down=more games parted out ( here I go again). All these guys get the games cheap and then part them out when they can't sell them as they think they will hit the lottery when they put the parts up for sale.

Not everyone that owns games is really a collector in my opinion. A lot are just opportunists.

I understand where you are coming from, but as a blanket statement I have to disagree. Though there are a number of "opportunists" there are genuine collectors who have more desire and space than capital and this market helps them out too. I am personally one of those "cheap collectors" (My games average out to about $300-$350 delivered) and I have picked up 2 machines specifically to keep them from being parted out. Depressed market prices have helped me get into the hobby and actually have what I feel constitutes "an arcade" rather than only being able to have a few choice machines.

Though I agree that "More isn't automatically better", I think this Hobby is better suited to have "5 people with 20 machines" rather than "1 person with 100". That way the market and market exposure will be broader and hopefully get passed down among multiple generations and families. We are trying to recreate an experience for our kids that more or less doesn't exist any more (or is VERY limited compared to when we grew up) and I think the more people who genuinely are involved in preserving and sharing that the better.

You really have to take the good with the bad, and just hope there's more "good" out there to balance it out.