Whoa, Felt like I was on Pickers Last Night

Phetishboy

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I was out for a stroll while my daughter had swimming lessons last night. As I walked, off in the distance I thought I saw an arcade machine. That happens a lot though, and it always ends up being a gas pump or a refrigerator or something. As I got a few blocks away though, I was like, WTF, is that a Video Pinball? Sweet! Got closer and then I finally saw what I had been looking at. It was a Warlords upright. Rang the doorbell (3X) over 5 minutes, and just as I was about to leave, a middle aged gentleman answers the door. I ask about the cab and he says, oh that's been out there nearly a year. It's just an empty cab now. Pretty soon, we're looking through old dirt floor sheds packed with old computer motherboards, jukeboxes and monitors. I even spied an NBA Jam and a Super Mario Bros in a dedicated vs. cab. Now so far you're saying, "OK, I get the Pickers reference." But that's not what I meant. The part that felt most like Pickers was when I'd ask him about what he wanted to get rid of, or if he had a price in mind, he'd just look down and sorta change the subject. It's like he was afraid I might actually try to purchase something or that maybe I was casing the joint to come back and grab what I wanted in the dark of night. I kinda felt the awkward tension and was looking for an excuse to leave. So as I am in the middle of a stalling-for-time-to-come-up-with-a-make-my-escape sentence, my wife calls and says "Where the hell are you? You're son is crying and looking for you." Needless to say I had to abruptly end the 'pick' and go play with my boy. Weird night.

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Although it's cool you saw a Warlords randomly out at someone's house, it be weirded out too if I were the old dude. The game was probably looked at as old junk to him (hence why its rotting to hell outside).

Imagine you had set a vintage Dukes of Hazzard Power Wheels bike outside, because you've had it for 30 years up in attics, basements, garages, lawns, etc. You even let your kids play with it, but the thing was starting to get beat to hell. You set it out front, because, you know it's junk. Some collector of classic 80's kids toys sees it, knocks on your door, starts looking around your place, asking what's for sale. At first your kind of tickled that he is happy to see your stuff, but then the magic wears off after 10 minutes, and you just want to go back to watching re-runs of Alf while sitting in your underwear. Awkward.
 
Although it's cool you saw a Warlords randomly out at someone's house, it be weirded out too if I were the old dude. The game was probably looked at as old junk to him (hence why its rotting to hell outside).

Imagine you had set a vintage Dukes of Hazzard Power Wheels bike outside, because you've had it for 30 years up in attics, basements, garages, lawns, etc. You even let your kids play with it, but the thing was starting to get beat to hell. You set it out front, because, you know it's junk. Some collector of classic 80's kids toys sees it, knocks on your door, starts looking around your place, asking what's for sale. At first your kind of tickled that he is happy to see your stuff, but then the magic wears off after 10 minutes, and you just want to go back to watching re-runs of Alf while sitting in your underwear. Awkward.


Are you trying to give me old man advice? You sound like someone's grampa.
 
Was the Warlords salvagable at all? I guess being outside for year in Minnesota would probably mean no.
 
[EDIT] Comment removed. Didn't mean to offend, sorry. And you're right by the way.
 
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This forum has gone to hell. R.I.P. the fun times.

What were we all supposed to say? Awesome phet! Way to go!

Again... Its cool you found a Warlords. I was only trying to put you in the dude's shoes as a joke. Tsk tsk. So testy today.
 
If I were in the same situation and had room in the garage, I would have knocked ...or called Jawhn. :)
 
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If I were in the same situation and had room in the garage, I would have knocked.

I'm pretty sure most of these freaks would have. I actually bought stuff from him before on eBay, so I know he sells shit all the time. He used to work for the local route operator about 18 miles away. He and I knew several of the same dudes. In fact, I and Chris bought monitors from him about 4-5 years ago. This wasn't some recluse that never sees people, he was just acting really weird, like he wanted to keep the cab as a lawn ornament. Before I left, he did offer to sell me 2 Sanyos, but we never discussed price, cuz as I said, he kept changing the subject. He is out of the business now and doesn't have the inventory he once did. What remains is just going to waste.
 
I would have knocked, but anyone that would leave a cab outside for an extended period of time is probably someone I woundn't want to buy from.
 
If you would have stated you knew him in the first post, my response would have been different. You made it sound like he was some crazy old guy that you had never seen before.

My apologies if you were offended.
 
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