What's your best arcade scores for less than $50

XcALiBrE

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I was reviewing some old posts and I thought, why not check with people and see what they got a SUPER awesome deal on...

I got 3 free scores. I lived in the country and we had to take trash to the "dump". You have to back up and toss it overboard into a huge dumpster they emptied 3 times a week. Anyway, a normal trash run turned into a GREAT find. sitting on top of the random "appliance/couch" dumpster was a REALLY good looking Dig Dug machine. The side art wasn't perfect but it was solid. I asked the dump operator if I could take that out he said sure. I had to call my stepfather as I didn't have a truck then. he pulled down we had to unload a bunch of crap to get to it and open the bin from the side to get it out but we did it. Took it home, plugged it up and it had jumbled characters on the screen. I cut it off, flipped the switch inside the coin door and it worked perfectly!

2nd free score was a Ms. Pac man that had a monitor that didn't work. A local guy that went to storage auctions ended up getting it and said I could have it. Drove 60 miles to Raleigh to get a monitor and plugged it in. Boom! worked great. Cabinet art was all faded but was 100% original.

Final free score was a Nintendo Dual Vs. cabinet. Horrible shape. almost falling apart. It had Vs. Tennis in there and roms for Hogans Alley. worked great. Cabinet made it necessary to destroy unfortunately. but it went to save other machines. :/ can't save them all.
 
Never a free game. Best deal was for Lethal Enforcers for $28 including the juice and tax at an auction. The board wasn't connected. Also the sound didn't work. But still a good gamble.
 
Free and complete Space Duel (monitor worked, board did not), a free K6100 monitor, three free Amplifone HV and Deflection boards, two K6100s for $50 total, Star wars, Dig Dug and Tempest boardsets for $50 total, two converted Tempest cabarets for $50 total, and probably lots of other things I'm not thinking of.

Scott C.
 
Free centipede, free karate champ, free Tron, $50 Dig Dug, free Street Fighter 2...I think another is in there too
 
Slac, that's still a good score. Even if you had to replace the PCB, not bad. There are caps on the konami sound pcb that are atrocious and covered in plastic that can be re-capped and I've heard it can fix the sound issue. I've never done it myself though.
 
Robotron, $27.50 WITH the auction fees. Fully restored, new stencils, new CPO.. The works.

Free Gulfstream EM pin, immaculate and just needed adjustments.

Free Escape from the Planet of Robot Monsters conversion, just needed a monitor rebuild.

Free fully working Aliens conversion in a Ms Pac cab, just needed the CP reconnected.

And its a little above the price threshold, but a PC10 countertop with 10 games (and only 200 plays on the counter) for $125.

Plenty others, but these are just a few highlights.
 
I've had random games thrown in for free on bulk deals.
Not that I can remember any of them in particular. (old age)

I do remember, however, that I got my Mad Planets for $50 (CAD$). One of my better deals. :)
 
Free Birdie King II conversion cab.

Ten free Neo-Geo MVS carts (one of which was a complete Bust-A-Move Again kit).

Free six-slot and four-slot Neo MVS boards.

$50 RoadBlasters cabinet which played blind and was fixed with a cap kit.

Some free Neo-Geo promo posters.

Slightly over requested limit, but $75 dedicated Sly Spy and $75 dedicated Vapor Trail. (Vapor Trail was the first game I ever fixed, and I will never sell it.)

EDIT: Forgot a broken $50 Centipede cabaret at a rummage sale (traded for a working Golden Tee 2004 cabaret); a $25 Neo Goldie at a recycling center (needed new monitor; sold the installed Metal Slug X for $50), and a $50 Tron cabaret from the same place.
 
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I got a Contra for $50. No PCB but the monitor and PS worked great. Got a Phoenix off a fellow KLOVer for $60. Recapped the monitor and cleaned the edge connector and it worked perfect.
 
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