BYOAC Tokens still around?

[Cero21]

Hey everyone,

I've been out of the scene for years now but recently popped open my arcade cabinet as I realized my old BYOAC tokens would be great as token for some of the boardgames I play.  I have the 2007 BOYAC tokens (still look great but some of my tokens are starting to corrode) and was wondering if the community is still producing yearly tokens?  Can't seem to find anything about it.

Thanks!

[leapinlew]

Dave is still around. Not sure if he's making tokens or not. Lets try to summon him...


SANTORO.... OHHHH SANTORO... PLEASE COME TO BYOAC

[lilshawn]

long story short:

he tried to do another year run and there wasn't quite enough interest in it. he went ahead and did some up anyways (albeit at a slightly higher cost.)  he ended up eating the bill for piles of tokens that people said they'd buy but flaked out. I think he eventually sold them all (small packs of 20 or 50 or something) but it took quite a while.

the next year there was a competition and a design chosen and everything but wan't nearly enough people willing to throw their buck in the ring for a run, so it got abandoned.

nothing since. 

[Token]

In the off chance that anything like this happens again... count me in.

[JDFan]

Perhaps setting up a kickstarter ?? Figure could set up the various reward levels as different amounts of the tokens and perhaps add a second design if certain levels were reached etc. ( Even though it would add a bit of cost to them it would at least have everyone committed to paying rather than backing out so paying the kickstarter fee might be worth it. ) 

[pbj]

In the off chance that anything like this happens again... count me in.

Yeah, that's what everyone else said, too.

[Santoro]

My ears were ringing.  Hm.

Honestly demand is a lot lower since 2008-09 or so and the last few rounds really didn't make me any money.  It's a hell of a lot of effort to do a new design so I probably won't be doing any in the near future. Demand was so low that when my website bit the dust last year I didn't bother fixing it.  I check here every so often, and only a few people seemed to notice.  I still have a few thousand tokens that I will probably wind up dumping on ebay.

I still have the dies for the older runs and could still be convinced to do a rerun of MAME tokens (those were the best sellers overall) if there was a strong indication of demand, but I doubt that will happen.  Times have changed, I do suppose I should look at Kickstarter or something as suggested. 

If anyone else wants to pick up where I left off and coordinate a fresh new run of tokens, I'd be fine with that.  (there was a guy that was going to do a run of fighter-themed tokens a year or two ago, but I think that faded out. )  I'd even buy some new ones if I liked the design.  That said, I'd be surprised if there was enough demand to do a run of 10K tokens.  Pricing for 5K is pretty high, so in my experience it doesn't make a ton of sense. 

[Token]

I still have a few thousand tokens that I will probably wind up dumping on ebay.

PM sent.

[Cero21]

My ears were ringing.  Hm.

Honestly demand is a lot lower since 2008-09 or so and the last few rounds really didn't make me any money.  It's a hell of a lot of effort to do a new design so I probably won't be doing any in the near future. Demand was so low that when my website bit the dust last year I didn't bother fixing it.  I check here every so often, and only a few people seemed to notice.  I still have a few thousand tokens that I will probably wind up dumping on ebay.

I still have the dies for the older runs and could still be convinced to do a rerun of MAME tokens (those were the best sellers overall) if there was a strong indication of demand, but I doubt that will happen.  Times have changed, I do suppose I should look at Kickstarter or something as suggested. 

If anyone else wants to pick up where I left off and coordinate a fresh new run of tokens, I'd be fine with that.  (there was a guy that was going to do a run of fighter-themed tokens a year or two ago, but I think that faded out. )  I'd even buy some new ones if I liked the design.  That said, I'd be surprised if there was enough demand to do a run of 10K tokens.  Pricing for 5K is pretty high, so in my experience it doesn't make a ton of sense.

Sorry to hear things went south.  After playing around with the 2007 tokens again, I'm still amazed with the time and quality that went into those.  Thanks so much for the effort.  I'm sorry things aren't quite the same as they were in the past.

[JDFan]

My ears were ringing.  Hm.

Honestly demand is a lot lower since 2008-09 or so

That said, I'd be surprised if there was enough demand to do a run of 10K tokens.  Pricing for 5K is pretty high, so in my experience it doesn't make a ton of sense.

I'd have to agree with you - figure the old timers that grew up using tokens are giving way to the slightly younger crowd that grew up on the consoles at home, so the experience in using tokens just isn't as strong as it used to be. Figure the younger crowd have no fond memories of hearing the token machine drop $5 worth of tokens or lining up the tokens on the machine for the next play ! - when it comes to a choice between spending $200 on a coin mech/coin door and Tokens for a build or using that $200 to use lighted buttons and adding the 3rd and 4th player setup that will barely ever be used - the buttons win out 

[pbj]

I thought half the reason we built these things was unlimited free play.  If I wanted to agonize over where to spend my $5 worth of tokens I'd go patronize a grubby arcade.

[leapinlew]

I thought half the reason we built these things was unlimited free play.  If I wanted to agonize over where to spend my $5 worth of tokens I'd go patronize a grubby arcade.

On my first arcade, I wanted the whole experience of dropping in a coin but added a credit button just in case. A few games in, I only used the credit button. On my next few arcade games, I wired up the coin door "just in case". Now, I don't even wire up the coin door.

[yotsuya]

Full token play in the Casa De Yotsuya Arcade.

[Santoro]

I'd have to agree with you - figure the old timers that grew up using tokens are giving way to the slightly younger crowd that grew up on the consoles at home, so the experience in using tokens just isn't as strong as it used to be. Figure the younger crowd have no fond memories of hearing the token machine drop $5 worth of tokens or lining up the tokens on the machine for the next play ! - when it comes to a choice between spending $200 on a coin mech/coin door and Tokens for a build or using that $200 to use lighted buttons and adding the 3rd and 4th player setup that will barely ever be used - the buttons win out 

That's actually very true, I hadn't thought about it this way.  I was looking more at the economy, etc, but I think your assessment is just as likely.  Really it's probably both.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I've had buttons for credits for years.  I usually wire up both the button and the coin mech.  But now I'm thinking about plugging those buttons so that I can have more control on what my son (and daughter to be) will be playing.  I don't want them to take it for granted.

I'm thinking I will try to give away tokens as incentives to play later.  Teaches them the value of each token earned instead of unlimited free gameplay.  Kids are too entitled these days, but not my kids.

D