Is there a market for custom CPs in the $300-400 range?

[ArcadeKO]

I see these CPs on ebay and various sites for like $595 - $695 and personally I don't really care too much for the artwork.

I have been building machines and am thinking about offering up control panels for between $300-$400

so I am wondering is there a market for that? I am guessing shipping would run about $75 with UPS? (just guessing here)

but we could make up some nice CPs with usb/ps/2 connectors that could be dropped right ito a mame cab OR just used as
a PC controller. So is there a market out there for these?

Here are a couple we have made:



a not very good pic of my AvP

*the red circle "after treatment" is because its from a thing about repairing scratched resin

the buttons all light up they look pretty sweet

[BobA]

Might be a market but not here where we all (most) build our own.

[javeryh]

Even at $400 what would your profit margin look like?  The controls + encoder + buttons aren't cheap.  Plus there's materials and your time.  I don't know.

[ArcadeKO]

Even at $400 what would your profit margin look like?  The controls + encoder + buttons aren't cheap.  Plus there's materials and your time.  I don't know.

It's not going to make me rich thats for sure - I am just trying to support my habit -err hobby

[saint]

Might be a market but not here where we all (most) build our own.

I would guess (entirely gut feel, no statistical data) that roughly half of the visitors here end up buying instead of building.

[ArcadeKO]

Might be a market but not here where we all (most) build our own.

I would guess (entirely gut feel, no statistical data) that roughly half of the visitors here end up buying instead of building.

wow - well maybe I will work up a prototype...
maybe I will make a poll

[Epyx]

wow - well maybe I will work up a prototype...
maybe I will make a poll

Keep in mind people are pretty cheap by nature.  There are a lot of others on here that make and sell either full cabs, Bartops or CPs.  My feeling is they don't move very quickly.  I remember tracking Emdkay's sales on Ebay and since December he hadn't sold any bartop kits from what I could tell.  That is almost 5 months of constant Ebay auctions with no buyers. 

I sold my 3 piece bartop on Craigslist within a week but the buyer was only one of two people that called while the add was up so you could argue I just got "lucky".

[Ginsu Victim]

Same poster I used

[Thenasty]

mine

[tjterrill]

I think some might be interested. Especially for a n00b like myself, building a CP is a daunting idea.

[mphuie]

I think a better choice would to be to sell bare (or finished) CPs for much cheaper.  Personally I think a CP for $500 is ridiculously expensive and will only sell a handful. 

Any noob can wire up sticks and buttons to an ipac, but I'd say most people don't have the woodworking skill and/or tools to create a decent CP.

A fairly popular vendor on the fighting games sites is qcfgaming, they sell bare sticks for $25-35.  I bet people would buy a CP for $75-$100. 

[Turnarcades]

In our experience control panels are just not worth the time with pre-fab CNC offerings like the X-Arcade so cheap and established builders like MAMEroom (West Coast Customs) already filling the scratch-built arty panel category with bulk-bought parts you will not find it worth it. No-one makes a fortune in this 'hobby-business' but from experience it's probably not worth doing it if someone's doing it cheaper already.

[tjterrill]

I gotta agree with mphuie.

 I would buy a blank CP box that is already cut with my layout, in a HEARTBEAT. Thats the only thing holding me back right now, is finding the time, and someone with the experience to help me create this box for my CP. The wiring seems simple enough after watching some videos, but its the woodworking that I have no business doing.

[Epyx]

The wiring seems simple enough after watching some videos, but its the woodworking that I have no business doing.

Certainly not trying to destroy commerce but when you try it you will see how easy it actually is.  Many of us could barely hold a screwdriver properly and have learned to cut wood. It really isn't that difficult once you learn to use the tool...sure if you had to use handsaws and chisels but with todays power tools its pretty straight forward.

[Malenko]

Custom CP for $400 or full sized working cab for $250 .........................

[javeryh]

The wiring seems simple enough after watching some videos, but its the woodworking that I have no business doing.

Certainly not trying to destroy commerce but when you try it you will see how easy it actually is.  Many of us could barely hold a screwdriver properly and have learned to cut wood. It really isn't that difficult once you learn to use the tool...sure if you had to use handsaws and chisels but with todays power tools its pretty straight forward.

+1.  Making the CP box is pretty easy.

[DashRendar]

...Easy to build your own, if you have the right tools.

...Easier to buy a kit, if you don't have the right tools. 

[HaRuMaN]

...Easy to build your own, if you have the right tools.

Circular saw, drill are all you need to build a CP.

[leapinlew]

...Easy to build your own, if you have the right tools.

Circular saw, drill are all you need to build a CP.

[leapinlew]

The OP's question is

"Is there a market for custom CPs in the $300-400 range? "

The is yes. Is it enough market to make worthwhile? Thats up to you.

[Ginsu Victim]

...Easy to build your own, if you have the right tools.

Circular saw, drill are all you need to build a CP.

I was about to say the same thing.

[DashRendar]

...Easy to build your own, if you have the right tools.

Circular saw, drill are all you need to build a CP.

...Router, sander, special drill bits, etc.

[javeryh]

I don't own a circular saw - I make all my cuts with my router, a straightedge and a flush bit.  I use a jigsaw to rough cut it and then the drill for the holes... so I guess there is some initial investment in tools to build a CP - but I use the tools for much much more so they are worth it to have anyway...

[ArcadeKO]

Same poster I used

Its the perfect CP art

[Ginsu Victim]

Sick of mine, actually.

[DashRendar]

I agree, I think it's too "busy".  Hard to see the buttons and controls with that background.

It'd be a nice looking poster on the wall at least. 

Oh- and if you are planning on using this $5 Walmart poster for your control panel overlays, the copyright holder might send you an unhappy letter. 

[Ginsu Victim]

I agree, I think it's too "busy".  Hard to see the buttons and controls with that background.

Mine has multi-colored buttons now, and it's even harder to see

[ArcadeKO]

Oh- and if you are planning on using this $5 Walmart poster for your control panel overlays, the copyright holder might send you an unhappy letter. 

I don't think there is a copyright violation unless you are making a copy of something. If I were scanning and printing the thing it might be an issue - but I bought the poster so I don't think there is a copyright issue. Walmart bought the poster and sold it to me. I by the poster and sell it to someone else.

[drventure]

Yeah, I can't see how including a poster that you +bought+ would be any kind of copyright issue at all.

Duplicating it, yeah, but as long as you buy legit copies from a store, you can do just about whatever you want +with those copies+

[MaximRecoil]

I don't think there is a copyright violation unless you are making a copy of something. If I were scanning and printing the thing it might be an issue - but I bought the poster so I don't think there is a copyright issue. Walmart bought the poster and sold it to me. I by the poster and sell it to someone else.

A case might be made for copyright violation, under the derivative works category, but IANAL.

[milkit]

lol yes lets worry about copyright violations of using a purchased poster as display art, but forgot about the copyright issues of having 50,000 roms being played with said art

[leapinlew]

lol yes lets worry about copyright violations of using a purchased poster as display art, but forgot about the copyright issues of having 50,000 roms being played with said art

They were talking about building and selling custom Control Panels. Not MAME machines.

[milkit]

im just saying, in general, the same people that probably say "omg thats a copyright violation" are the same people playing game roms all day.

[DashRendar]

im just saying, in general, the same people that probably say "omg thats a copyright violation" are the same people playing game roms all day.

As mentioned, we're talking about selling control panels, not MAME cabinets.

If someone started a business selling MAME ROMs in some form, I imagine they'd get an angry letter, too.

[dirt]

to be perfectly honnest. i think you need to spend more time in the hobby learning how things are done and how not to make the mistakes that others have made. your cabs scream of someone that does not have any real arcade experience. hang around here and klov for awhile and learn. then worry about trying to make money on us. take this advise from someone who used to build and sell control panels and complete machines.

[Turnarcades]

Being across the pond, I feel it's fair to offer advice to another builder.

In contrast to the above post, I salute the use of original designs. They aren't to my tastes, but at least they're not robbed plans from the 'net. However, you do need to look at certain aspects and build methods before you expand your range. I'm unsure what your sales are like as I don't know what your company size or practice level is, but there are some key things you need to look at to just improve the finish. For example, some of your joysticks look ridiculously short which suggests you are not routing out the recess needed to put the sticks at the correct length. Your marquee mounting and bezel finishing needs to be addressed to either be a little neater or look a bit less 'cheap', whilst the control panel areas need to be planned a bit better so the controls don't look so lost.

Addressing existing design flaws and working out how to improve them for little cost and time is paramount if you want to increase your range as bad practices will carry over and cost you in the long run.