Funding the addiction

[reptileink]

Without getting into personal finances, I am wondering how most of you fund your addiction?

Is it mainly from buying and selling cabs/parts?

I am sure some of you all are financially stable in order to fund your passion, but aside from that, I am scouring every local website/newspaper/ebay trying to find some cabs and they seem either way over priced, or maybe I just don't realize that a Ms Pac Man can fetch $1700 or more on Craigslist. 

Just curious how a middle class guy with 3 kids and a mortgage can get/find cabs on the semi-cheap, or how you guys do it?

[Token]

Occasionally I entertain the idea of expanding beyond the single MAME cab with a few dedicated machines. Then I remind myself that my children need food more than I need another cabinet.

Someday perhaps.

But there are ways, I suppose.

[harveybirdman]

I just spend like 100-250 bucks a month give or take for the better part of 2 years...  the sad thing... I have almost $100 in wiring harnesses alone....

[HaRuMaN]

Slinging bartop kits.   

[Dal1980]

I think it's about careful planning. If you've got something to play the games on like a laptop or a desktop then the cab can be a steady project that has no time restriction. I missed this point prior when I just put my first cab on tick. I honestly would have enjoyed the journey of planning and building it as much as the end result and I was impatient (and paid dearly for my impatience). Finding the best deal and buying one thing at a time has got to be the best way. Obviously if your wanting to refurb an exiting cab then you need an initial out lay for the cab itself. I don't know where these things go to die but I'm sure there's plenty of devoted sites that have graveyard cabs ready for refurb projects.


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[reptileink]

Yea, I check Craigslist about 2-5 times a week hoping to stumble across a deal. I got my first gutted cab this way (for free!)

There is a pizza joint I love to go to that has a cool pinball (theme escapes me) and a Law Enforcers that are ALWAYS unplugged. Always want to make him an offer (mostly on the pin), but don't want to insult him with my cheap low ball offer...lol. 

The guy I got the gutted cab from had an entire basement set up as an arcade (complete with castle wall paint job...lol). I wish I would have kept in touch with him because this guy burns through cabs left and right.

[kooky]

I have more experience fixing arcade cabinets than I do building out a new one, so when I do have free time I try to find old cabinets and fix/flip them.  A lot of my friends and relatives know I work on these - and even people that have MAME cabinets need hardware or software need help sometimes. 

If someone sees an arcade cabinet on the side of the road (New York picks these up at the curb) I usually get a text or call from someone who drove by.

Also it never hurts to ask.  If you head into a bar/restaurant/pizza place that has an arcade cabinet in there in bad shape (or powered off) ask the people who work there about it.  I got a Ms. Pacman cocktail for $100 a few years ago that I sold to a friend for way more than that.  It needed nothing just a cleaning from all the food grease.  A lot of these machines are available because nobody actually plays them anymore.

[Jamesbeat]

I decided to buy an old cab to convert to mame, as this seemed to be the most economical route.
That was until I actually tried to find one. Every time I search Craig's list, I find loads of suitable cabinets. For a minimum of $700.
I guess it must be a geographical thing, and I just don't happen to live somewhere that has an abundance of old arcade cabinets.

I drove by a thrift store a couple of months ago and did a double take- there were two arcade cabinets in there!
Needless to say, I turned around immediately and went inside.

Two arcade cabinets, both in poor condition, sold 'as is', with many missing parts, one with heavy water damage, both $700!
I can only assume the store checked Craig's list to see what they were worth.

I got interested in building a mame cabinet as a result of a raspberry pi experiment, so I had all of the guts ready to go but with no cabinet. I was throwing away a dresser one day, and when I looked at the dismantled boards, I thought 'hey, I could build a bartop out of this!'.

Now I know I really will use an arcade cabinet, I am gradually acquiring the parts I need as finances allow.
There's no rush, because I have my ghetto bartop to play for now so I have breathing space.

It's only really expensive if you want to buy everything all in one go, otherwise you can spend $20 here, $50 there etc until you have everything you need.

As for collecting fixer-uppers and flipping them, you probably can do that, but not where I live.

[yotsuya]

Networking. Get to know local collectors. Don't pass yourself off as a dirty MAMEr. I've gotten two cabinets free, paid $50 for TWO empty cocktail cabs, and so on. Last free thing I got was a payphone for my gameroom, which was a hit at my Christmas party this weekend.

Oh, and they give me these great deals because they know I'm not a flipper. I sold someone one of those cocktail cabs for $25 because it was the right thing to do. Maybe I'm a sucker, but I don't do this for $$$.

[pbj]

Back when I was still buying, I just set e-bay to search for "Arcade" or "pinball" within a 200 mile radius.  Suppose you could do the same with Craig's List, but those free ads mean lots of people with lots of time and no money are harvesting pen pals.  The live auctions have been nothing but a complete waste of time in my experience.  Are those even around anymore? 

I haven't really found the "make friends" angle to be all that lucrative.  There's been a few instances of "I bought a trailer load worth of games and there's a couple on here I don't want...." but that's about it.

It also helps if you actually own a truck.  I tried GIVING AWAY a pinball machine on this forum and had an inbox clogged with idiots that wanted me to deliver.  Loved the one that told me, he "couldn't spare much cash" when I said no free delivery. 

I really thought I had seen everything.  Apparently not.

 

[Jamesbeat]

Yea, I check Craigslist about 2-5 times a week hoping to stumble across a deal. I got my first gutted cab this way (for free!)

There is a pizza joint I love to go to that has a cool pinball (theme escapes me) and a Law Enforcers that are ALWAYS unplugged. Always want to make him an offer (mostly on the pin), but don't want to insult him with my cheap low ball offer...lol. 

The guy I got the gutted cab from had an entire basement set up as an arcade (complete with castle wall paint job...lol). I wish I would have kept in touch with him because this guy burns through cabs left and right.

Was it this guy by any chance?

[vwalbridge]

Something I learned really quick about this hobby:

At some point it's going to cost REAL money or REAL time.  (Pick one, but oftentimes it's both)

I don't care what anybody says...at some point in this hobby you are going to have to shell out some real cash. One can only get lucky with so many free craiglist ads and hand-me-downs from friends. And even if you do score that free CRT or that really cheap cabinet shell...you are still going to have to spend the time and money to rehab them back to some level of working order.

So even if you get something free, it's still going to take you time to make it work. I dunno, for me time IS money so I loose either way. 

@reptileink  Sorry, the above didn't answer your question but for me I got nothing special. I fund the hobby the same way I would fund anything else. I work my 9 to 5 job. 

[yotsuya]

Something I learned really quick about this hobby:

At some point it's going to cost REAL money or REAL time.  (Pick one, but oftentimes it's both)

I don't care what anybody says...at some point in this hobby you are going to have to shell out some real cash. One can only get lucky with so many free craiglist ads and hand-me-downs from friends. And even if you do score that free CRT or that really cheap cabinet shell...you are still going to have to spend the time and money to rehab them back to some level of working order.

So even if you get something free, it's still going to take you time to make it work. I dunno, for me time IS money so I loose either way. 

@reptileink  Sorry, the above didn't answer your question but for me I got nothing special. I fund the hobby the same way I would fund anything else. I work my 9 to 5 job. 

Good points.

For me, I keep the costs down with networking, but yes, I do have to buy parts, paint, etc. I do it on my spare time, so I don't consider that a cost.

[paigeoliver]

I built up most of my current collection while unemployed and while I didn't keep records I know my total cost for 25 games and 2 sheds full of monitors and parts was significantly less than zero.

What really helps is first and forement is that I know what I am doing. While I am not really a boardset repair guru I am an overall expert on the hobby to the point that even if I see something I have never heard of that I still know what it is.

Second, I have a flatbed truck. It can hold 8 games with room for a row of parts boxes, plus more parts in the cabinet.

Combine that with two basic strategies. The first is to make contacts with the big boy collectors in your area who have money and not time. When one of those guys finds himself a haul you can do the pickup for them (particularly important with time sensitive pickups), and they will cover your gas and toss one one of the games your way. I have done that at least 10 times.

Second strategy is look for listings of multiple games on craigslist (usually broken) that are out in the middle of nowhere. You will have no competition for them. "Looks like the guys who got here before me already got all the good stuff. I would hate to waste the trip out here, so how about I load up everything that is left, and give you "X" for it". Where X is relatively low amount of money with plenty of room to negotiate upwards.

More general tips.

Don't waste your time trying to buy games off location. The odds are so stupidly slim that you would literally get much better results just driving around on a nice saturday and looking in open garages that you pass.

If you are buying games out of a basement or house where people played them then you are a collector who will give the games a good home and will love them and hug them forever. If you are buying games left over from any sort of business then you are also a businessman who can only pay X for these machines or else you won't be able to turn a profit once they are repaired.

Auctions can be hit or miss (and may never even happen where you live) but when they hit, they hit hard. I once brought home 8 games on the truck and actually went home with money in my pocket because I resold a game in the parking lot for more than I had paid for the combine 8, and then promptly got another game free to replace that one from someone who had bought too many and couldn't get them all on their truck (they just pulled the board and gave me the rest of the machine).

[reptileink]

Yea, I mean, I work and what not, but it seems every time I pop over to the restoration section, someone "just picked up a beauty".

I guess it's more conversation fodder than anything. Not honestly looking for ways to do it for free. Just curious as to how you guys get into some of these deals and the strategy or luck behind it.

I am not looking to be a "flipper", but would flip a cabinet if it meant securing one I wanted in the collection. I have always tried to "fund the hobby"  by the hobby to get what I really wanted (be it a rare action figure, video game, etc). I understand that this is most likely one of the more expensive hobbies to get into. It's not like buying .99 Hot Wheels cars on a Saturday afternoon, lol.

Some great tips here guys (and girls?), and something to think about. I own a mini van, so not like I can run 400 miles to pick up more than 1 cabinet, but maybe I should broaden my location.

I am in Rhode Island, and there doesn't seem to be much of a presence here aside from the one guy I mentioned previously. (Can't use Youtube at work, will check later)

[Aceldamor]

Interesting topic.

I personally have a bit of monthly income that I set aside to cover expenses. I think the great deal and whatnot that you get by knowing people, etc. is relevant when you want to collect. If you're a resto/collector then you'll find those circles and people will come to know you that way and give you the deals because they know you aren't going to flip it, or pay it forward to someone who will if you can't...unless of course it's prearranged.

I've only recently decided to jump into the collecting/restoring piece (heavily influenced by some members here that do so.) so i'm excited to get my feet wet there and start utilizing some local resources/knowledge. I would hope to benefit from some of the benefits that Yots mentions about a communal love for the games and an understanding that some do it for the love, not the money.

I'd be interested to know more about the flipping piece though. It's such a niche market that I would wonder if there actually Is a market for it. Are there a lot of people with disposable income that would buy the non "mainstream" titles? Are there hardcore collectors that aren't interesting in the resto part of the hobby? If so, wouldn't most already be lined up with someone in the resto community to do their work?

[pbj]

Don't waste your time trying to buy games off location. The odds are so stupidly slim that you would literally get much better results just driving around on a nice saturday and looking in open garages that you pass.

People like you are the reason my garage door stays shut.  :-P

[reptileink]

Youtube link above has got NOTHING on the guy I met. The guy I met has a full bar, and like 3 ROOMS in the basement (one all pins). It was honestly kinda creepy/dungeon type set up...lol. I was nervous when the guy was like, "wanna see my basement?" ....lol. Funny thing is, he rents the top 3 floors and just hangs in the basement with his buddies drinking and playing video games.

Back on track, I am sure there are collectors that don't want to have to bother with resto or even fixing up machines, but just want to collect them. Kind of like people who buy sports cars and have a mechanic on the payroll.

I guess my situation is a combination of things. Justifying the cost when money could be used for the kids/house/cars/etc. Plus the fact I really don't have a game room, or room even in my house for arcades (hence one in the garage that I can't play in the winter)

This isn't our "forever home", so I am hoping the next house will either have room or space to expand.

[Aceldamor]

Don't waste your time trying to buy games off location. The odds are so stupidly slim that you would literally get much better results just driving around on a nice saturday and looking in open garages that you pass.

People like you are the reason my garage door stays shut.  :-P

+1

[Aceldamor]

I guess my situation is a combination of things. Justifying the cost when money could be used for the kids/house/cars/etc. Plus the fact I really don't have a game room, or room even in my house for arcades (hence one in the garage that I can't play in the winter)

You could always gauge your kids interest in helping you restore/build and factor that into a budget as "fun time".

I have the full gambit of expenses as well, but I tuck money away for my hobbies every paycheck. Sometimes that is for analog gaming, sometimes it's for digital gaming. Sometimes it goes back into the pot for family vacations. I just happen to be in a place where I have the luxury of some disposable income after all expenses are taken care of.

Space is a bit of an issue for me as well. I currently have my pinball and consoles in my loft, with plans to put my mame cab up there as well. With the decision to start collecting, my "game room" is likely going to be my 3rd car garage, as i'm not lugging full cabs up the stairs....especially the driving one 

[yotsuya]

Interesting topic.

I personally have a bit of monthly income that I set aside to cover expenses. I think the great deal and whatnot that you get by knowing people, etc. is relevant when you want to collect. If you're a resto/collector then you'll find those circles and people will come to know you that way and give you the deals because they know you aren't going to flip it, or pay it forward to someone who will if you can't...unless of course it's prearranged.

I've only recently decided to jump into the collecting/restoring piece (heavily influenced by some members here that do so.) so i'm excited to get my feet wet there and start utilizing some local resources/knowledge. I would hope to benefit from some of the benefits that Yots mentions about a communal love for the games and an understanding that some do it for the love, not the money.

I'd be interested to know more about the flipping piece though. It's such a niche market that I would wonder if there actually Is a market for it. Are there a lot of people with disposable income that would buy the non "mainstream" titles? Are there hardcore collectors that aren't interesting in the resto part of the hobby? If so, wouldn't most already be lined up with someone in the resto community to do their work?

The flipping piece occurs when someone buys a nice cab and throws a 60-1 in it to make a quick buck, effectively killing the original machine. The main guy here in AZ I know won't sell you a cab if those are your intentions.

[reptileink]

Yea, I am all about the original restores, not the "stuff 1,000 games" into a P.O.W cabinet and throw it on Craigslist...lol. I made that mistake with my first cab. While I love having a ton of games to choose from, going forward they are either going to be original restores, original replicas, or specific themed bar tops. I have a few in mind with only select games to fit the bartop (ie: Wrestling, Spiderman, etc)

I wouldn't DARE try and sell a MAME machine unless the client signed off that I am not responsible going forward for PC/TV issues, blah blah blah.

But we're getting a bit off subject.

[vwalbridge]

The flipping piece occurs when someone buys a nice cab and throws a 60-1 in it to make a quick buck, effectively killing the original machine.

There was an old saying I heard here a while back that relates to this thread:  "You always pay the most for you first one"

I probably paid too much for my fugly DK but I wanted to save it from a guy about to turn it into a 60-1 (or part it out) if he didn't sell it for a certain amount. The extra money didn't matter to me. It mattered more to me that I didn't see an original DK blown to bits.

[yotsuya]

The flipping piece occurs when someone buys a nice cab and throws a 60-1 in it to make a quick buck, effectively killing the original machine.

There was an old saying I heard here a while back that relates to this thread:  "You always pay the most for you first one"

I probably paid too much for my fugly DK but I wanted to save it from a guy about to turn it into a 60-1 (or part it out) if he didn't sell it for a certain amount. The extra money didn't matter to me. It mattered more to me that I didn't see an original DK blown to bits.

Right. That's why I've taken on cabs destined for the dumpster. I'd like to save them all.

[Aceldamor]

Interesting topic.

I personally have a bit of monthly income that I set aside to cover expenses. I think the great deal and whatnot that you get by knowing people, etc. is relevant when you want to collect. If you're a resto/collector then you'll find those circles and people will come to know you that way and give you the deals because they know you aren't going to flip it, or pay it forward to someone who will if you can't...unless of course it's prearranged.

I've only recently decided to jump into the collecting/restoring piece (heavily influenced by some members here that do so.) so i'm excited to get my feet wet there and start utilizing some local resources/knowledge. I would hope to benefit from some of the benefits that Yots mentions about a communal love for the games and an understanding that some do it for the love, not the money.

I'd be interested to know more about the flipping piece though. It's such a niche market that I would wonder if there actually Is a market for it. Are there a lot of people with disposable income that would buy the non "mainstream" titles? Are there hardcore collectors that aren't interesting in the resto part of the hobby? If so, wouldn't most already be lined up with someone in the resto community to do their work?

The flipping piece occurs when someone buys a nice cab and throws a 60-1 in it to make a quick buck, effectively killing the original machine. The main guy here in AZ I know won't sell you a cab if those are your intentions.

Oh, I don't plan to flip cabs Yots.

My interests were in theory only. The goal is to hopefully be able to find some of the cabs I loved playing as a kid and restoring them the the best of my ability. There are some that I would probably fab from scratch like others have done here (Nintendo cabs) but I wouldn't sully a good restore opportunity with a 60-1. Hell I wouldn't MAME a cab that I could get a good resto from, I'd rather fabricate one from scratch.

[yotsuya]

Interesting topic.

I personally have a bit of monthly income that I set aside to cover expenses. I think the great deal and whatnot that you get by knowing people, etc. is relevant when you want to collect. If you're a resto/collector then you'll find those circles and people will come to know you that way and give you the deals because they know you aren't going to flip it, or pay it forward to someone who will if you can't...unless of course it's prearranged.

I've only recently decided to jump into the collecting/restoring piece (heavily influenced by some members here that do so.) so i'm excited to get my feet wet there and start utilizing some local resources/knowledge. I would hope to benefit from some of the benefits that Yots mentions about a communal love for the games and an understanding that some do it for the love, not the money.

I'd be interested to know more about the flipping piece though. It's such a niche market that I would wonder if there actually Is a market for it. Are there a lot of people with disposable income that would buy the non "mainstream" titles? Are there hardcore collectors that aren't interesting in the resto part of the hobby? If so, wouldn't most already be lined up with someone in the resto community to do their work?

The flipping piece occurs when someone buys a nice cab and throws a 60-1 in it to make a quick buck, effectively killing the original machine. The main guy here in AZ I know won't sell you a cab if those are your intentions.

Oh, I don't plan to flip cabs Yots.

My interests were in theory only. The goal is to hopefully be able to find some of the cabs I loved playing as a kid and restoring them the the best of my ability. There are some that I would probably fab from scratch like others have done here (Nintendo cabs) but I wouldn't sully a good restore opportunity with a 60-1. Hell I wouldn't MAME a cab that I could get a good resto from, I'd rather fabricate one from scratch.

Oh, I know you won't, but the local collector circle I run with here are real preservationists. That's why we have the repair parties - to learn and to restore.

[DudeRegular]

I got most all my stuff from Craigslist and the auction that runs every few months in Winston-Salem. I actually just bought my most expensive and first working machine for $225. It is a 1945 Strikers II with a decent 25 inch monitor in vertical in a dynamo cut corner. Everything else was busted, converted, or gutted for the most part. I did put quite a bit into my MK machine. I will be a little more careful on a resto next time. Really as far as funding its just buying things here and there and slowly checking things off the project list. Fix a monitor here, new joystick there, bondo some holes, then maybe some t-molding.

[harveybirdman]

It is a 1945 Strikers II with a decent 25 inch monitor in vertical in a dynamo cut corner.

That's a bad ass cab 

[opt2not]

I used to create art for people building cabinets here, the commissions were long, but they paid for my hobby spending. I don't offer that service anymore. Luckily my arcade spending has died down in the last few years. I'm almost at the point where I don't really need to spend much on arcade hobby stuff.  Just the odd piece of hardware here and there.

[mgb]

I was funding my hobby stuff through side work with home AV, security & CCTV
And I was doing a lot of arcade and general electronic repair. I had a couple commercial arcade accounts that boomed a bit at one point.
Now a days I'm doing a lot less of the game repair just because of time and what not.

[DudeRegular]

It is a 1945 Strikers II with a decent 25 inch monitor in vertical in a dynamo cut corner.

That's a bad ass cab 

I have been wanting something to play shmups on. The kids are starting to like them too. They play ok on my mame cab, but its just not the same on a horizontal screen. I figured a dedicated would be a good place to start. Plus its a dynamo so tons of flexibility to change it up.

[Rick]

I build and sell fight sticks, bartops, cocktails, full-size cabinets and arcade parts. That being said, my personal collection includes... <wait for it> ...a fight stick. One of these days, maybe I'll build myself something more substantial.

[yotsuya]

I build and sell fight sticks, bartops, cocktails, full-size cabinets and arcade parts. That being said, my personal collection includes... <wait for it> ...a fight stick. One of these days, maybe I'll build myself something more substantial.

[Rick]