Asteroids cab. Collectors item or not? URGENT

[DarkSoul1]

Guys, I need an urgent reply for this one.

I'm in Australia.

I've been offered an upright cab in quite good overall condition that is an Asteroids original.  The game is in perfect working order.

Seller wants $750 Australian dollars, about $570 US.

Just how popular are these as a collectors item and is it worth the value?

 

I have checked eBay but I'd like well informed opinions from peeps here as they know their stuff.

 

Cheers.

[Sasquatch!]

I'm not a collector, but I would definitely trust eBay to find out the "worth" of a mint Asteroids cabinet.  (And yes, I'm aware of the irony of saying that I would "trust" eBay.  Heh.)

Remember that the "worth" of anything is whatever someone is willing to pay for it.  Sure, we're all arcade enthusiasts here, but remember that you're just as likely to sell it to someone who isn't an "enthusiast".

That was kind of rambling there...hope it made some sense.  

[Ted_Striker]

I have a friend that won an Asteroids on eBay about a year ago.  It was in awesome condition.  He payed $500 USD as I remember.  I have not checked recent ebay auctions for Asteroids so I don't know the going rate.  From my own experiance, I would say for $570 the game better be in fantastic shape (my buddies was near spotless) for that price.  I have seen working, decent condition, asteroids go for 300-400USD at auction.  Prices are relative though.  So it will matter how rare Asteroids is in Australia.  When you search eBay I would filter out US auctions at first to see what they are going for in your area.  Then you will have a pretty good idea what "people are willing to pay" in your area.

[RetroBorg]

DarkSoul1, are you talking about the one in the Trading Post? I would buy that one myself but I don't have the room for my Mame cabinet and Galaxian cocktail cabinet as it is. I reckon go for it.

[NoOne=NBA=]

It looks like a "fair" deal to me.

The questions I would ask you are:
1) Would you like to have an Asteroids machine enough to pay that for it?
2) If you knew that you would take a loss on it when you went to resell it, would that make a difference?

I've never viewed things of this nature (guns, cars, arcade cabinets) as "investments".
You buy them...you use them...you get enjoyment out of them...and then, if at some point the enjoyment factor is not there anymore, you sell them for whatever you can get out of them at that time, and let someone ELSE enjoy them.
There is a value to me on actually USING something.

I've got one hunting partner that just about went nuts one time because he got a scratch on the "collector's edition" Weatherby he was hunting with.
I didn't understand why he would own a gun that he would have to worry about scratching.

In contrast to this, I have another hunting partner that would likely be shot on sight by some "collectors" because he had a gunsmith put a scope on a low serial number Winchester Model 70 (which is a collector's item now).
His reasoning was that "he bought the gun when he was young" (21 and straight out of the Marines), was "NEVER going to sell it" and "had hunted with the thing all his life".
Any  "investment" he had in it, that was ruined by his "hack" job, was his kid's loss once they inherit it.
He is going to USE it until he DIES.

THAT is the attitude I would take, if I were you, in this decision.

[DarkSoul1]

Thanks people!