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What should I do with my machine?
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AlanS17:
Hi there, yall. Haven't been on in forever. Haven't been able to afford the hobby laetly so I've been trying to stay away so as not to spend any money I don't have. That is all about to change, though.

I'm graduating college on Saturday, and soon I'll be moving to the Dallas area to work writing software. There's really only one problem. I've got this massive arcade machine with no wheels. I COULD move it, but I would much rather build a better one when I get there. What should I do? Here are the options as I see it:

1) Part it out and keep what I want to build a better one when I get there.
2) Take the whole thing and sell it up in Dallas on Ebay to build the new one.
3) Suck it up and donate it to my fraternity.
4) Sell it to the fraternity (assuming they could actually afford it).

On that note, though, anybody in the Dallas area wanna buy a MAME machine? I've got pictures posted in the old threads. It's a converted Bad Dudes machine with an awesome new panel. Just needs some t-molding around the front and a marquee.

Either way, I want to build a cocktail machine first thing when I get up there, and then later I want to build a 25" machine. (The one I have is 19", but it has a VGA front-mount monitor I really like and would be great for building the cocktail if I keep it.)
Tilzs:
Sell it to your frat or donate it. It'd be probably be more of a pain in the butt to worry about moving it. You could part it out but it seems to me it'd get plenty of future use at the frat so that is probably a good option.

It really comes down to what you want to do. Maybe you can even get a tax writeoff. I don't know if you can get a writeoff for donateing to a frat or not.
hulkster:
hey whats up alan.  good to see you back.  just my opinion, but only donate it if you dont care what happens to it.  oh and congrats on the graduation....i was in the same boat last may!  if i would have donated my cab to my frat, it would beer on it way too much, and i think if you donated it, you would come back in about 4 months, and it would look like crap and probably wouldnt work.  just a thought
AlanS17:
Well I really don't want to haul it all the way up there. All I really want from it are the 19" VGA monitor and the 3" PS/2 trackball. Those parts can be a pain in the butt to find.

If I were to take it up to Dallas with me it would be with the intent to sell the thing. I put about $1000 worth of parts and another $200 in new tools into it and getting some back would be kind of nice. I'm just afraid nobody will buy it and then I'll be stuck with it. What's the demand for these things?

I'm not worried about the fraternity destroying it when I'm not around. I'm just afraid of them calling me next month with "It won't turn on!" or "The buttons don't work!" I don't want to have to provide long-distance tech support. I don't have a particular attatchment to this machine, though. I want to make a better one.

And thanks, hulkster. It's good to be back! Watch out MAME showcase. Here I come! (now that I'll be able to afford it)
NoBonus:
Part it out. That seems to be the most economically sound decision unless you can sell it. I would not give it away though.  It seems like if you gave it away to someone who is not interested in the hobby, they will only abuse it until they feel it is trash then they will toss it and all of the still useful components.  Plus, parts seem easier to move and sell than a completed machine.

NoBonus
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