Want to buy an Arcade Machine...But how?

[Uncle Duke]

I was just wondering what the prices on classic common arcade games were. I want to get an Asteroids cab. But I do not have alot of money. And I do not know where to get one. Whats the cheapest you can get one and where? If I can get the cheapest price on a used one somewhere, I might be able to talk my dad into buying one.

(doubt it, but hey, luck might strike me once.)

[CaliColts]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1086872757

 

This should give you some idea...

[AtariKen64]

go to bars, or if your not old enough 7-11s and the like that would have afew arcade games and ask them (the owner) where they came from. theyll ususally come from a distributor that leases them out and split the coin box 50/50

 

most places will speciallize in the things that make the most money like poker machines especially as well as newer arcade games. but most likely there might be a pac man or asteroids thats been sitting doing nothing and might strike a deal.

 

thanks to my mom knowing her distributor very well, i managed to get a super pac man game for NOTHING!!, in 1986

[dwh]

OUCH! Only a year ago these arcade games were going for $500, now they want $1600 reserve prices.If you know electronics and could piece these games back together, you could do it much cheaper;but if you are like me,and don't know jack,then you gotta pay for the fully assembled & functional game...You can piece together these by buying the electronic boards/inst manuals/side art/button overlays/joystick-button units/cabinets...then put it all together.Good luck!

[Varan]

Plethora of links can be found here:

http://dmoz.org/Games/Coin-Op/Arcade_Games/Cabinets/

[King Asmo]

Does anyone know of a good place to get working arcade games in the Toronto area? My girlfriend and I are looking to add one to our loft there.

 

Cheers,

 

KA

[jim]

All I can say is keep looking and don't pay too much. They are out there cheap. I got my first one several years ago. A Star Castle for $25.00. It was dead but complete/nice shape. Got it home cleaned the circuit breaker on the PS and it's been working fine ever since. Got my next game for $25.00 as well. Altered Beast. The cabinet was gutted and all the parts were in a box. Replaced the original PS with one from a PC and it's working fine. The most I have ever paid was $130.00 each for a working Frogger, Phoenix, and Xevious. Got a Pole Position, Defender, Zaxxon, and Gunsmoke for a trade on some test equipment I had about $50.00 total in. Got a Pleiads working fine for $100.00. Got a working Magic City pinball machine free all I had to do was drive about 60 miles to pick it up.

 

Just picked up a Defender and SeaWolf last weekend for $100.00 total. Both were dead but some chip reseating/cleaning got them both working.

 

Keep looking. Just when I think I won't find anything else I come across one for a great deal!

[King Asmo]

Thanks for the advice!

 

How do you make most of your finds.. auctions, ads in the paper, word of mouth, etc?

 

KA

[Turnspike]

Plethora of links can be found here:

http://dmoz.org/Games/Coin-Op/Arcade_Games/Cabinets/

 

Mmmmm, Plethora. Those go good on a cracker with some cheese.

 

Anyway I picked a Do Run Run! cab for $40 from some guy who was cleaning his garage out. There was no video, but the audio was working so you could hear the game running. I found out the monitor was an Electrohome G07 (very common), found the schematics for it (along with a troubleshooting flowchart), and now I just need to order $40 worth of parts to fix it.

 

I was listening to an on-air swap shop radio show and the guy called this thing in, wanting $75 for it. The next day he was desperate, offering $40, so I jumped on it. Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time.