1981 Centipede Machine

[nateobomb]

I have an original 1981 Centipede Arcade machine. I would like some suggestions on what the value of it is.

It is very clean. Except for a couple scratches on the control panel and side panels, it looks like it has been in storage for 24 years. It has the original instructions still stapled to the back board and it also still has the metal sticker with the model and serial numbers on it. No water damage/warping. The games video, sound and controls work pefectly and are very clean (ball is a little dirty). Monitor does not work very well. Sometimes it will not turn on, When it does it is "squished" together in the horizontal. Monitor has no burn in.

PCB and electrical is in very good shape. No visable burns on chips. All wires look new. If you have seen pictures of the insides of these as they were shipped..thats what this looks like. It has never been modded.

The only thing missing is the actual coin mechs. The doors and all electrical are there and working. Coin drawer is included.

I was thinking of selling this on ebay starting at around $300.

I live in zip code 95453...for shipping.

[MrArcade]

If you want to know what it is worth on ebay....search the ended auctions and see what they have been bringing.

[nateobomb]

Except that basically 99% of them are working...they do not have a bad monitor as this one does. I dont repair monitors so i do not know what portion of the total price it is worth. It might be an easy/cheap fix..it might not. Would someone want to buy a cab/pcb without a monitor???

If you want to know what it is worth on ebay....search the ended auctions and see what they have been bringing.

[paigeoliver]

It will sell like that just fine. GO ahead and list away.

Take good pictures and you will be able to start it out for a dollar and still get a great price.

[AlanS17]

I don't know if I got a deal or if this is what it's really worth, but I recently bought an intact Space Invaders Deluxe on Ebay for about $130 because the monitor wasn't working. I don't know if that is just what the game is worth or if I got a deal, though. I think I probably got a good deal, though. I don't know if that helps or not.  

[RayB]

When you say the monitor has no burn-in, did you remove the front glass to check? It's probably tinted and hiding the burn-in. (Or does Centipede not use tinted....??)

[AlanS17]

I don't think it uses tinted glass. However, burn-in doesn't really matter if you can't see it, right? If tinting hides it then there ought not to be a problem as far as that goes.

[RayB]

I don't think it uses tinted glass. However, burn-in doesn't really matter if you can't see it, right? If tinting hides it then there ought not to be a problem as far as that goes.

No, but in terms of estimating the value of a monitor, burn-in DOES matter. A 20 year old monitor with no burn-in has obviously seen alot less use than the one with heavy burn-in.

~Ray B.

[AlanS17]

I don't think it uses tinted glass. However, burn-in doesn't really matter if you can't see it, right? If tinting hides it then there ought not to be a problem as far as that goes.

No, but in terms of estimating the value of a monitor, burn-in DOES matter. A 20 year old monitor with no burn-in has obviously seen alot less use than the one with heavy burn-in.

~Ray B.

While burn-in may be an indicator as to how many hours a monitor has been left on, a monitor with burn-in may still be newer and more reliable it's non-burned-in counterpart. Just like a car with a jacked bumper might still run better than another with engine trouble. Burn-in is merely cosmetic damage, and if that cosmetic damage doesn't bother you then it's really not much damage at all.

[AlanS17]

Speaking further on the subject of burn-in, a monitor with burn-in is obviously worth less than one without, but if it's installed in a game and you can't tell, then the game itself shouldn't be worth less than one with a clear monitor.

[RayB]

While burn-in may be an indicator as to how many hours a monitor has been left on, a monitor with burn-in may still be newer and more reliable it's non-burned-in counterpart. Just like a car with a jacked bumper might still run better than another with engine trouble. Burn-in is merely cosmetic damage, and if that cosmetic damage doesn't bother you then it's really not much damage at all.

Apples to oranges. You're should be comparing a car engine with engine damage due to age/use, to a car engine of same age with less engine damage due to less use.

[AlanS17]

Why? Burn-in is cosmetic. If it doesn't bother you then it's not a problem. A faulty monitor that may or may not come on... now there's a problem.

[RayB]

Obviously a monitor that DOESN'T WORK is ALSO worth alot less! DUH