BYOC Illinois/WI Meet?

[Superdude]

Hey was wondering if everyone wanted to meet up at the FEB 28th Super Auctions Arcade Auction in Millwaukee?  Maybe this would be a good meet.

[daeven]

I might be able to make this one.  I was at the December one but didn't stick arond long enoug to pick something up.

[Sasquatch!]

I don't have money to plunk down on a game, so I'd be going just to look around and hang out (and I'd be driving up from the Chicago area), so put me down as a big fat "maybe".  

[DrewKaree]

WHERE is this being held?  Time, place, cost, please..I hadn't heard of it at all!  I'm broke as a joke, but I'd still like to see what some of these things go for around these here parts

and YA, I know....nothing like waiting til the last minute

[BeefyD]

Did anyone go to this auction? I am also from Chicago, and if my tax refund had gotten to me in time, I would've gone.  But it won't arrive until later this week.

Just wondering, what were the prices like?!?!

[DrewKaree]

I only saw a few things...I was mainly going to check out spacing for controls and to see how they were run after I found out when/where.  

I could only stay for a little bit, had to take wife to work, but I saw slot machines go for ~90-275, a cocktail go for ~100 (?'s about if it worked or not) a stand-up card machine went for 175 to a girl in front of me ..... that was all the "junk I wasn't interested in" stuff that sold.

A Kangaroo went for 275, something else went for 1200 (wish I could have seen THAT, nothing seemed to warrant that price), and I left after the first MAME machine sold ($700).  

Wish I could help out more, if someone else here was there and stayed for the whole thing, HOW MUCH did the dart boards sell for, and were they operational?  They're gonna have one again on the 8th of May, but there's a few depending on your area before that.  I found a link for auctions in your area, but I found this auction by Googling it.  

Here's the link:  http://www.gameroommagazine.com/shows.htm

Mainly, I wasn't looking to buy, just get ideas, and get a rough feel for pricing.  Sorry if this wasn't as much help as it could have been.

As an aside, was that MAME Machine for $700 a good deal for the seller?  2 Joys, 3 (4?) buttons per player with the usual assortment of basic "I won't get sued for having these on this" games.  

[BeefyD]

Thanks for the info. I wanted to go, but looks like I didn't miss much.

As for mame cabs, I've seen peoples cost list, and unless they buy a WG monitor, one can be built easily between 400-500. If you can pump these bad boys out like an assembly line, you can profit nicely.

However, I'm still trying to figure out the best CP layout  

Also, thanks for the info on the next show!

[DrewKaree]

NP on the info.  I wish I had it before....my kid was stressing m about going to it after he found out there was one.  He's more anxious than me to build a Showcase cab so his friends can come over!  He's even given my wife money when his buddies were going to go to the arcade....wants to sink it into the cab so he can SAVE some money!  

I may be going to that one in St Charles, used to work there, so I kinda know the area.  Shouldn't be too hard to find, and if I come home empty handed, I've got a bit more experience.  

[ErikRuud]

St. Charles! That's where I live!

The March 31st-April 1st show is probably at the Kane County Fairgrounds on the west side of town.

The other show on the April 2-April 4 is mostly for slot machines.  I know a guy the sells reproduction slot machines at that show.

[Superdude]

St. Charles! That's where I live!

The March 31st-April 1st show is probably at the Kane County Fairgrounds on the west side of town.

The other show on the April 2-April 4 is mostly for slot machines.  I know a guy the sells reproduction slot machines at that show.

No offense, but that is the crappiest show ever for arcade games.

[ErikRuud]

I'm not offended, it's not my show.

[DrewKaree]

Superdude, he listed two shows.  Do you mean BOTH are the crappiest show ever ( ) or just one?  What is your criteria for defining how crappy a show is?  It's a bit of a drive (1 1/2 - 2 hrs away) and I wanna know if my criteria are the same as yours so I can judge if I should make the drive.  

[BeefyD]

I'll have to try to make the St. Charles show... just to experience it...

Wouldn't mind one of those slot machines, either.. Do you know if they are skill stop? or reproduction "real" slots? May have to see that show, too...

[ErikRuud]

I have never been to either show.

I do know that the slot show at Pheasant Run attracts a ton of people and vendors, because I live on that side of town.  I also know that it is not a good of a show for arcade stuff.  Like I said, i know a guy that does the repro stuff, but I think there is a lot of original stuff too.

I never even notice most of the stuff at the fairgrounds, because I rarely drive by them.

[Superdude]

The show at the Pheasant Room is terrible for arcade games.  There are not many arcade games and they overcharge big time.  They sell illegal mame/bootleg setups for outrageous prices.  The few legal games they sell are marked up way too high.  If your looking for other stuff for the basement/rec room, it might not be a bad place to go.  They have lots of other stuff like signs, beer vending machines, antiques.

[DrewKaree]

thanks superdude, the other stuff (signs, etc) might make it worthwhile for me.  The wife also seems interested to go (I think she's just trying to figure out how much this will COST, since the only answer I ever give her is "shouldn't cost too much").

BTW, I'm guessing you live in the area too?  

[Superdude]

Yes, I live in Naperville, IL.  I think there are a few board members here in the general area.

[BeefyD]

Not far from you at all! Woodridge here...

[DrewKaree]

I lived in Hanover Park for a year and a half.  Had to head back over the line.  I had to get away from those insufferable  Bears fa *ducks* ns....good golf close to me, though!

[Superdude]

BeefyD,
We are lucky, theres lots of good places around here to get arcade stuff in a pinch.  You know about L&M amusements and HomeArcade Inc right?  L&M is nice because you can buy parts there if you need them right away.  

[DougHillman]

I'll add another "Don't go to Pheasant Run expecting to see any worthwhile arcade machines" comment.  In fact, don't go unless you wanna get disgusted and feel like you should stand around informing people of what crappy overpriced junk is being sold.

My girlfriend has been working at PR for about a year and got us comped into last fall's show.  We won't be going to this next one.  I've never seen a crappier collection of beaten up run-down machines being foisted off at absurd prices.  And I mean absurd.  Saw some sorta butchered cabaret thing with controls that barely worked running Donkey Kong for something like $2,000.  There was what looked to be a Ms. Pac-Man (at least that's what was so burned into the screen it was visable from a good 20 yards away) in a badly restored with a $3,000 sticker on it.  No idea if it worked or not.

There was one vendor with some of the nicer looking pre-assembled MAME cabs for sale, but they too were rediculously priced.  A couple others with some terrible ratty-ass MAME cabs that were just embarrasing.  I wish I'd had some www.arcadecontrols.com cards to hand out to everyone who was looking at one of these things.  Explain to 'em that even if they have to buy an entire set of tools and take woodworking classes, they'd be better off building their own.

As has already been said, the show at Pheasant Run is not geared at arcade machines.  It's Jukeboxs, slot machines, and doo-dads like that.  Antique coke signs, barber poles, cigar store indians, etc.  I would figure that there's probably deals to be had amongst that stuff, if that's your bag.


I am going to try and make it over to the show at the Dupage Fairgrounds the coupla days before though.  Haven't been to that one yet, and it ought to at least have much more in the way of arcade stuff.  No guarantee that it's not also gonna be overpriced shoddy merchandise, but I've heard some decent stuff about the show.

D

[Wienerdog]

BeefyD,
We are lucky, theres lots of good places around here to get arcade stuff in a pinch.  You know about L&M amusements and HomeArcade Inc right?  L&M is nice because you can buy parts there if you need them right away.  

Where is L&M amusements, I'm in Downers Grove.  HomeArcade Inc is a nice place for mint rebuilt classics at huge prices.

[DougHillman]

Where is L&M amusements, I'm in Downers Grove.  HomeArcade Inc is a nice place for mint rebuilt classics at huge prices.

HomeArcade is on just offa Ogden correct?  At an intersection with a light, like 1/4 block to the North on the crossroad?

L & M is also on Ogden.  The address I have (which I can't guarantee is correct) is 1908 Ogden.  I've been by there a coupla times, but they've never been open when I'm there.  (I live way up north in the Gurnee area - my girlfriend lives in Wheaton so I'm typically only out there on the weekend or in the evening.)  It's just a little place on the north side of the road.

D

[DougHillman]

I posted a pic of the burned in cab in another thread.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=4;action=display;threadid=17078

[Superdude]

Wow that burn in ms pac is bad.  Any info on that Dupage show?  I'd like to check it out for sh*ts and giggles.  We should have a meet this summer though for arcade people.  I'd like to share some connections I have here.  (Example: I know of a warehouse locally full of campcom bowling machines/super pacs that 50 bucks a piece and are AWESOME for making mame single player verticle dos machines for under 350. )

[DrewKaree]

Superdude, I would be interested in that info.  I'm in WI, but I get down there once in a while, and would make the drive for that stuff.....if you've got the means to drag one up here in May for the Super Auction, I'd be willing to pay you for your trouble as well.