Who here has arcades out on location making some coin?

Parpunk

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Who here has arcades out on location making some coin?

Hello i plan to fix up a couple of old arcades and put a few out on location at some laundry mats/pizza shops etc. and was just wondering who here does it and if they have any tips?

I want to have a good general understanding of how to repair and fix them before jumping into this. I already have a sweet set up for cosmetic stuff (i work at my fathers autobody shop) so i can professionally paint and make them look great, i just wanna get all the technical stuff down first.

But first off im not looking to get rich from this at all (cuz i know it wont happen lol) i work a full time job already, but if a few machines brought in like $10.00 a month it would help pay a phone bill or something and be fun too.

Anyways any ideas/suggestions before checking it out?
 
I think it would be pretty obvious, but expect the games to get hammered.
Scratched, etched in, punched, kicked, attempts at robbing it, etc.

So I wouldn't make the games too sweet before putting them out.
 
Hey Parpunk!


I've talked about this same idea with DreamTR to get his professional advice, and he says he started with 8 machines, I think.

Look at your county/city tax codes and business licensing requirements. Depending on the area you may need more, or less, than that, just to cover the minimum taxes on "coin operated amusement devices" (or whatever wacky language your local municipality uses).
 
maybe i'll just leave my garage door open with the games hanging out, see if anyone plops a quarter in, lol.

Of course there will be an automatic turret to neutralize any would be thieves.
 
I have a game at one of my restaurants. I empty it out every 3 months or so. I pull about $75-100 a month average (around $300 per pull). I wont put any of my nice ones from my "private collection" out there. I bought it sight unseen. The guy said it was an original Galaga non-working. When I showed up after the two hour drive it was just a Galaga in a Taito cabinet (Wild Western under CP overlay). He saw how pissed I was so he let me have it for $50. It had a dead switcher and no monitor chassis but I had extra of both in the parts closet. I just rewired the cab, put a new switcher in it, capped the extra chassis, repainted the cab and said "This is a location game now. And so it is..."

I am also putting my Missile Command CT on location in my other store. My new rule for classics is that it has to pay for itself and its restoration before it can be moved to the house. I'm only allowed to put classics in the stores.

Do yourself a favor and check a few things.

1. No brittle wiring
2. Good functioning coin mechs.
3. Classic game everyone will play (parents will play pacman but not SF etc.)
4. Put a phone number or email address someone can contact you about service on the machine. Otherwise you may have a monitor that has been vertical collapsed for two weeks running when you get there. Hello burn-in!
 
wow 75 bucks a month is ALOT for an old arcade. i was hoping to maybe get 10 to 20 out of one lol. cool man thanks alot for the tips.
 
oh BTW do you guys give a percentage to the business? I would almost think you have to.. for them to allow a machine in their business?

If so how much percentage? i was thinking like 20 percent of what it pulls in? or is that too much/too little?
 
2. Good functioning coin mechs.

Can't stress this enough!

1. Check the chute-to-mech alignment.
Coins sometimes hit mech's mouth and halt.

2. Clean coin path well. I use an orange solvent.
Sludge, hair and debris can slow it down and cause rejects.

3. Adjust the coinswitch wire for an easy credit-up and ensure
you hear it click back to off well before returning to home position.

4. Adjust the coindoor lock cam(s) to provide a tightly sealed door.

5. Make sure the reject buttons do not have broken shafts (plastic models)
and that any mechanical parts are well lubed (metal designs).


You can have an awesome monitor, great control panel and a perfectly
functioning PCB. It mean squat if people can't get a quarter in it.
Your equipment must be solid as a tank before you put it on location
or you are gonna turn people off fast.
 
oh BTW do you guys give a percentage to the business? I would almost think you have to.. for them to allow a machine in their business?

If so how much percentage? i was thinking like 20 percent of what it pulls in? or is that too much/too little?


Most prevalent is 50/50.
You can try to get a higher cut if you are installing expensive equipment
or games that have consumables or pay out a prize.
 
Most places do 50/50 but you can negotiate with mom and pop joints. Avoid chains.

I own both restaurants so I keep 100%. Our home office doesn't care as long as they get half their gumball machine money. "Classics only" was their only stipulation since we are a 50s style restaurant. Gotta keep it somewhat retro. We are a sit in restaurant that serves a lot of kids so its a pretty ideal situation to make the money I do. You'll make much less in other locations I'm sure. I like that I have a location where we can tell a kid not to hit the machine if they get rowdy. It's always in eyesight.
 
im not looking to open an arcade. just put a couple out at places, and get a $15.00 business license lol. Plus if you dont realy make much money (which i doubt i will) then taxes etc. wont be bad. I mean if they were raking in like $5k a month someone would probably notice. But for a few hundred bucks a month, i wouldnt think it would be much of a concern. especially in WV, i think we are rated at like the slowest advancing state. i mean where i live i'm still using dial up! and DSL is impossible to get until they upgrade the lines. lol
 
There could be targeted fees and licenses outside of whatever the tax rate happens to be.

For instance, in my city, if you operate more than 10 machines you pay a $200/year fee, and if you operate 9 or fewer you pay $195/year.

Obviously, if you only deploy a couple of machines, a fee structure like this could put you in the red in a lower traffic area.
 
We have a city here locally where coin-op amusement machines are illegal. Seems that back in the day they were thought to encourage truancy, loitering, and everything that goes with it...
 
awesome thanks so much everyone for all the tips. ill look into all this. i just got some of randy fromms dvds and im hoping they can get me started in working on and understanding all this stuff. thanks!
 
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