The REAL place to find games

[paigeoliver]

To everyone looking for games, distributors and operators are the wrong places to look. Most of them don't have crap anymore. The places to get them are other collectors, classified advertisements, auctions, game resellers, and people you already know.

For other collectors look on rgvac, klov.com, and here (in that order). Use google to search RGVAC for the name of your city or state, then contact posters who live in your area to see if they have anything or know anyone who does.

Check the local classified ads everyday. Games usually pop up pretty regularly.

Not every place gets arcade auctions, but many places do. So go if you can.

To locate game resellers search ebay for local games, and see if anyone in your area is selling more than one. Contact the people who have multiple games for sale, and see what else they have. Those guys usually have tons of stuff, and often don't want to deal with dead conversions because they aren't worth the labor involved in fixing them. Dead conversions are perfect for Mame.

Also tell everyone you know that you are looking for games. Most people don't have any, but many of them know someone who does. If you tell enough people you will find one.

Also, don't forget to simply search ebay, sometimes things do go for reasonable prices there.

Here is the real numbers as to where Dave and I have picked stuff up. I probably forgot a few, but you get the idea.

Operators/Distributors -  ZERO games
Word of mouth - 10 games
Ebay - 4 games
Classified ads - 7 games
Auctions - 9 games
OTHER COLLECTORS - 15 games (4 more on the way)
Left for dead - 1 game

Everyone trys to call operators, they are pretty much running dry as a source. I only know one guy who ever has any luck with this, and he brings a big wad of cash with him and always pulls out multiple games (but it always seems to be from former ops, not current ones). But even he says that scene has almost dried up. People have been doing that for like 15 years now, there really isn't much left.

[Stingray]

To locate game resellers search ebay for local games, and see if anyone in your area is selling more than one. Contact the people who have multiple games for sale, and see what else they have. Those guys usually have tons of stuff, and often don't want to deal with dead conversions because they aren't worth the labor involved in fixing them. Dead conversions are perfect for Mame.

This is exactly how I located the cab I bought last Saturday.

-S

[greywolf22]

PaigeOliver,

This is really great information, especially for people who are new to the arcade scene who are looking for a good machine to mame, but have no idea where to start.  Thanks for putting this together.  

[Dave_K.]

One of the last places I've seen to get good deals is from mom and pop laundry-mats (or pizza places) that have 1 or 2 games.  They are usually hurting for money, and have already made back the cost on the games themselves.  Also most places I've seen have games which are broken/not working anymore and the owner doesn't know what to do with it.

[MinerAl]

Don't forget the odd thrift store.

I got a semi-working complete nearly-perfect Tron machine for $12.50, and a complete non-working Atari Football for $40 from thrift stores.

You have to actually go to the stores.  It's just not worth trying to explain over the phone to the counter grandma that you aren't looking for a console.  

Generally the big-names like Goodwill and Salvation Army are more picked over.  Go for the local charity stores.

[Sephroth57]

thrift stores with full sized arcade machines?? what the hell kind of thrift stores are those and where do you live?

[bigmoe]

Great info paigeoliver, thanks!

I've seen several folks refer to it, but...what/where is "rgvac"?

[JamesS]

RGVAC is a newsgroup.  

rec.game.video.arcade.collecting

Also RGVAM Marketplace

[bigmoe]

Very nice, thanks.

[JamesS]

No problem.  I am still new to this myself.  Glad to actually be able to help someone for a change =^)

[Jakobud]

Don't forget the odd thrift store.

I got a semi-working complete nearly-perfect Tron machine for $12.50, and a complete non-working Atari Football for $40 from thrift stores.

Holy crap are you kidding me?? I saw a Tempest at a Thrift store once but they wanted like $300 or something.

[Stingray]

There's a Frogger for sale in a little Ma & Pa store down the road from where I live. They want $400 for and since I've never seen it working I can only assume it's broken. Nuts!

-S

[JamesS]

Well you could talk to the people.  They may not realize that the machine is not worth it.

I saw a Ms. Pacman in a Pawn shop one time about 6 months ago and I would swear they had a price tag of 1000 dollars for it.  And I do not even think it worked.

[Lilwolf]

There is something about going in with 100 bucks in cash..  Lay it down and ask.

They might have a pricetag of 300+ on a cab... but if you have cash... and it doesn't work... its probably going to be yours...

Or say, I'll be back in a week... with the same cash.  It will probably be yours then (or it really was worth the money)