Why are games so cheap in California?

Trashman677

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Just wondering why all you guys in California can get games so cheap lol. It's hard to even find a Neo Geo under $600 in Colorado. Be in California I see them for $200-$300 bucks. I need to move to Cali lol.
 
Ugh, when it comes to California they just get everything. It's like they have a plethora of candy cabs just laying around. Bastards!
 
Not in the case of Ms. Pacs and Galaga. :(

Not true. You just haven't been in it long enough. I grabbed a 8/10 Galaga that cost me $250. I grabbed a 8/10 Pac with a board issue for $75. I've only been in the hobby for a little over 3 years so I'm sure other guys can share their steal-of-a-deal stories. But I guess that happens everywhere and it just seems like it happens more in CA. Though, I just picked up a HUO Mappy for $375, so that isn't helping to invalidate this claim. :D
 
The economy in California went skyrocketing and high-tech people bought huge homes and filled them with toys (like arcade games). Then the economy collapsed and people found themselves out of work, losing their homes and people started dumping the toys, effectively flooding the market. We are still surrounded by foreclosed properties and I think that's part of it....people just can't afford them like they used to be able to so the price has fallen.

Plus there were a LOT of arcades around here back in the day so the inventory is pretty high anyway. Funny you mentioned the Neo Geo since I just picked one up today....
 
At least 15 ms pac cabs to choose from down in Santa Maria.

I meant it's hard to find one cheap. I'm not saying it's impossible to find one or impossible to find one for cheap (heck, I got a Ms. Pac in really amazing shape for $100).
 
I can't speak for other areas of the country but based on what I've read as well as personally experienced, California simply had more games and arcades that most other states and for some reason they outlasted the arcades in other states. It had to help that both Atari and Chuck e Cheese were started in California.

Even to this day I view California as an "entertainment" state where people spend so much money on entertainment that it creates enough jobs to keep the cycle going and can keep a large group of people making a living from simply providing a service rather than an actual tangible thing. I think in this environment something like an arcade has a longer shelf life.

While I hear from many people that there are no real arcades in their area left I can think of at least 4 within 20min drive of where I live. Now these are of course modern arcades with modern games but they are arcades none the less. I'm not counting the chuck e cheese close by my house or the bowling alley with the good size arcade in it either. I would even argue that the arcade never died in California. It changed and certainly became less of what I want out of an arcade but they are still here.

I really just think we had more games here and maybe even more people that had an interest or saw some value in them when the games were retired from the arcade floor.
 
You all have good points guys. I guess since I just got into the hobby I havent seen all the prices. Plus Colorado never had alot of arcades. I hope some day I can find that Ms. Pacman for a $75 lol. I think I should just hook up the trailer and plan a road trip lol.
 
I was there in '82. Spring Break 6th grade did the Disneyland & Hollywood thing with the family. Mom still recalls (and looks :confused: doing it) that I spent my granted $100 entirely on arcade games, coming home with absolutely nothing to show but a booklet I bought at Movieland Wax Museum. :D And $100 was something in them days.

The Golden Age in the Golden State. Disneyland had an arcade that had 4, 6, 8 of EVERYTHING. We stayed at the hilton in Anaheim and it had an arcade half as big as the biggest I knew in Houston (including the only Lunar Lander I ever put a quarter in [and I put a bunch in it]). I skipped as many rides for the arcade at Knott's Berry Farm as I did at Disneyland. It seemed like every restaurant, convenience store, and bus stop had 3 or 4 GOOD games. In my memory the greater LA area was nothing but money, palm trees, Porsches, the smell of oranges, and video games.

I've been back twice so far. Next time I'll be looking for that Lunar Lander.
 
Well guess where the video game capital of the world really is? I don't buy that claim of Ottumwa at all... (population 25,036 LOL)

Consider all of those Arcade companies that sprouted around this area... lots of machines came out of the Bay Area... Chicago was pretty big also.

There's a large inventory of machines in CA. None of the large operator warehouse finds are here any more although... That's where it sucks to be in CA.

among my bargains were...

$125 Ms Pac
$50 Arkanoid
$125 Mappy
Trade HS1 SF2 (for an old digital camera)
Free MVS 4-25v3
$50 converted MB WB
$75, $50 Double Dragons
... and lots of cheap/free empty cabs along the way.
 
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Well guess where the video game capital of the world really is? I don't buy that claim of Ottumwa at all... (population 25,036 LOL)

Consider all of those Arcade companies that sprouted around this area... lots of machines came out of the Bay Area... Chicago was pretty big also.

I think it had to do with the climate. And of course, they pumped all those machines out in the Bay and Chicago. Everyone that worked there probably owned one, or played the hell out of them, then owned one.
The deals in the Bay are almost too much to keep up with. Just tonight..Bagman $200, DECO Burgertime $100 not working, Eyes $250.
Minnesota, Texas, Chicago/Wisconsin, and the North East seem to have a bunch of activity. Florida certainly seems to love the games as well, but I figure arcades are like cars. If you want a rust-free, 1984 Lebaron......for cheap... Where do you go? California.

1984lebaron.jpg
 
cheap games

It also makes selling them a bitch. I've learned to hold out for the deals, I was able to pick over an operator and got 25 games for $100 each.
 
Sure we all get great deals from time to time but please don't buy into the notion that everything in CA is cheap. That's ridiculous.
 
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