This past weekend I embarked on an epic arcade journey. Well, not really epic, but a journey nonetheless.
It started last week. I put in an offer on KLOV for a Vanguard control panel. A guy had one for sale in Minnesota. He just happens to live a few miles from a high school friend of mine.
This is the deal that came together.
I picked up a pinball machine for the Minnesota guy in suburban Illinois. I delivered it to him in Minnesota. I paid him 550.
In return I got:
A working Vanguard machine in a pretty ratty but salvageable cab.
An Eagle machine in a pretty decent cab that plays blind. It coins up and you can start a game and play it.
A Time pilot cab in salvageable shape.
A no burn, working 19 inch CRT.
Original manuals and schematics.
I headed up to Minnesota on Friday. I got a room in Minneapolis because I contacted Vigo and he agreed to meet up.
We went to a Barcade called The Up Down. We had a freakin' blast.
Vigo gave me a 33 inch CRT that may work or it may be a boat anchor. I hope to return the favor someday.
More people should try to reach out to other members. It is well worth the effort.
I left Minneapolis in the morning to drive 1.5 hours to my friend's house.
The KLOVer agreed to meet me at my buddies's house. It doesn't get easier than that. He was a really nice guy. His family owns a funeral home. We used a casket cart to move the cabs around.
After that is where things went wrong. Uhaul screwed up my reservation on Saturday. It is a small rural area so they were having trouble getting a trailer for me. I had to wait until Sunday.
Early Sunday morning I got a call and a friend urgently needed help back home. It is a long story, and it is not mine to tell.
I had to head back home immediately. So I packed up the Vanguard cab and my CRTs in my minivan. I had to leave the other two cabs with my friend in his garage. I will get them next time I go up there or he comes down here.
I am terrible at remembering to photograph stuff. I forgot to snap a pic of Vanguard.
I am really glad Vigo agreed to meet me. You always worry that these things will be awkward. We were talking like old friends right away. Gobs of alcohol probably helped that along.
This kind of stuff is what I like most about the hobby. I enjoy building and troubleshooting, but meeting new people is the best part.