should i buy this cabinet?

[MoonDog]

Obviously there are a lot of factors to consider here so I'm really just asking for opinions.  I found a cabinet for sale locally that looks like it might be a good candidate for my first MAME cabinet.  I am totally comfortable building one from scratch, but I have so many other projects on my plate right now that I think buying a used cab might be better idea.  In the long run I'm guessing it might be cheaper as well.  My budget is pretty tight at this point.

The price is $100 and the monitor doesn't work.  I have all new controls so I don't need the existing ones, but if they are in good enough shape I'm sure I'll use them for something.



http://dxgames.tripod.com/forsale.htm

[MoonDog]

for reference, it will probably be playing mostly classics.  i pretty much switched to pinball about the time that the fighting games came into vogue.  who knows what i'll end up playing when i have my own cabinet though.  

[Superdude]

Looks beat to hell.  Offer'em 25 bucks for it. You can get a fully working cab in decent shape from namco for about 100 bucks.

[Snarbald]

Does it still have the MVS board in it?

[MoonDog]

Does it still have the MVS board in it?

no board.

[Snarbald]

I wouldn't pay a hundred bucks for it then.

[AlanS17]

Well the control panel overlay looks pretty beat up, but the rest looks decent in the picture. Still, $100 for a semi-generic cabinet without working monitor seems like alot. If you don't want the monitor anyways, ask him what you can get for it without it. Maybe he'll drop the price some. If the MVS board is still in there and working then that board is worth something. If he can't verify that it works, though, you should probably assume it doesn't.

[greywolf22]

I guess it also depends on where you live, and how likely you are to find a cabinet.  If the cost of driving around looking for a cabinet (not so much in terms of money but in terms of time) is more then what he is asking and you feel the cab will suit your purpose then that's one thing.  However, I do agree that $100 seems like a lot for an empty cab.  

[MoonDog]

I live in Seattle so I'm guessing the chances of finding something better are fairly good, but this was the best I found so far.  I agree that the price seemed a bit high (hey actually quoted me $90).  I was looking in the $25 - $50 range, but I was also expecting to get something completely gutted.  I'll probably go take a look at it still, but I'll certainly keep my eyes open.  My search has only just begun.

[RayB]

If the monitor is not repairable, then this guy is basically using you as an easy alternative to having to drive to the dump to ditch the dead monitor.    Imagine this cabinet with NO monitor in it. It's basically an empty hulk. When you look at it that way, you can see that $100 is a bit steep.

[Tilzs]

Don't pay anymore than $75 that is for sure $50 is even a fair deal. You may or may not be able to repair the monitor. He may think the monitor is repairable but if you don't want to mess with it, then let him keep the monitor.

In the end though if it is worth $100 to you then pay $100. I wouldn't however.

[BLACK KNIGHT]

Seems way too pricey to me.  I bought one for $30 with a working board in it.  I would keep looking and check to see if there are any arcade auctions in your area.  I bought a completely working arcade game with a perfect working monitor for $30 after tax and all at an arcade auction.

[Gunstar Hero]

With no board and a dead monitor it's worth the price of about 2 sheets of MDF and a little plexiglass... I'd as maybe $50 bucks at the high end.

[Dave_K.]

With no board and a dead monitor it's worth the price of about 2 sheets of MDF and a little plexiglass... I'd as maybe $50 bucks at the high end.

Well add to that the over/under coin box with working coin mechs (worth over $90 alone), 2 ultimate joysticks, and 10 buttons with microswitches....and the $100 total price looks a little more reasonable.  

[AlanS17]

With no board and a dead monitor it's worth the price of about 2 sheets of MDF and a little plexiglass... I'd as maybe $50 bucks at the high end.

Well add to that the over/under coin box with working coin mechs (worth over $90 alone), 2 ultimate joysticks, and 10 buttons with microswitches....and the $100 total price looks a little more reasonable.  

Well the controls are used and a machine without a coin door wouldn't even be worth the $50. It's the coin door that already makes it worth anything at all.

[tshizzle.com]

i paid $150 for an empty cabinet, after searchin for weeks and not finding anything under $300, I have NO idea where you people are getting off sayign $100 is too much

[AlanS17]

I bought one for $50 in a place where the only arcade operator for a 3hr radius was total jerk... and he still gave it to me for $50. Unless you got an incredible cabinet, you paid too much, too.

Sorry to say, but I've bought 7 or 8 fully working machines for less than you paid for that empty cabinet.

[greywolf22]

Yeah, I paid $75 for my empty cabinet...but I live in Tucson so getting something local can be hard to come by.  And mine had a coin door, and was made of Plywood, and was already stripped so it was perfect for what I was looking for. So I didn't mind paying $75, again just depends on your options, what you are looking for, and what all of that is worth to you I suppose  

[Dave_K.]

With no board and a dead monitor it's worth the price of about 2 sheets of MDF and a little plexiglass... I'd as maybe $50 bucks at the high end.

Well add to that the over/under coin box with working coin mechs (worth over $90 alone), 2 ultimate joysticks, and 10 buttons with microswitches....and the $100 total price looks a little more reasonable.  

Well the controls are used and a machine without a coin door wouldn't even be worth the $50. It's the coin door that already makes it worth anything at all.

Sorry but I don't agree.  Even without the coin door its worth at least $50 maybe more.  You are paying for a fully assembled cab with molding and plexy, and florecent light, monitor bezel, and casters...all these little items add up to an unforseen cost for people building on their own.  

Alan, just because you can score good deals doesn't mean everyone else is as lucky.  

[AlanS17]

You disassemble my car that won't start and sell every part and you might make $2000 from it, and certainly trying to build it from scratch would cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the car is worth probably close to $1000 because it's less-than-stellar. Do you see what I'm saying?

[SirPeale]

Alan17 is right, and Dave_K is right too, each in a different respect.

Partswise, the cabinet is worth more, and could be parted out for likely about the $100 that is being asked.  Just remember, though, that those parts *are* used, and the value drops dramatically.  $90 for a coin door?  New, sure.  That's kinda rough (but not too bad) and would need some work to get it nice.  The controls?  I'd likely strip them out, toss them on eBay and use that money to but some new stuff.

By itself it's worth around $50.  It's got a 'dead' monitor in it, and depending on what's wrong with it (for all we know it just needs a fuse replaced) it's worth the gamble for $50.

If it had a working monitor it'd be worth the $100.

[MoonDog]

I appreciate all the discussion here!

I was thinking along the lines of Dave_K when considering this cabinet.  I figured $25 - $50 could get me a completely empty cabinet.  Some of the extras here such as coin door, potentially fixable monitor, etc. might make the difference.  From what I'm hearing, that's probably not the case.

Acording to the seller a cap kit will likely fix the monitor (which he would sell to me for $10), but he said it was dim when it went out so I'm guessing it's not worth the effort.  I've already got a several dead PC monitors and TVs that I'm going to have to pay to have disposed of, I don't need another.

I agree that it is still less expensive than building one from scratch, but on the other hand it's not a new, built from scratch, cabinet.

[SirPeale]

Acording to the seller a cap kit will likely fix the monitor (which he would sell to me for $10), but he said it was dim when it went out so I'm guessing it's not worth the effort.

Can you find out what kind of monitor it is?  If it's a G07, there's tons of info on this monitor, and yes it would be worth it.  Either way, you could take this monitor and sell it if you can't get it working.  Someone will buy it.

[Tailgunner]

A completely MDF cab is pretty much worthless, they don't even make good firewood. The CP, marquee, JAMMA harness, coin door, bezel, and power supply are all usable (or ebayable) bits and their combined value are what the cab's actually worth.


On the other hand, $50 will buy you a complete working game at auction, I've bought three for less than that. $25 will get you your choice of several empty cabs at auction. Since they can't power it up monitors in empty cabs are assumed to be broken. (If the monitor worked, the operator would have likely pulled it to keep as a spare, or at least pulled the chassis board.) This one would end up in the last row, and would likely sell for minimum bid.

[tshizzle.com]

well I should clarify, I paid $100, plus $50 shipping for a Nintendo Mario Bros with no monitor.  Beat up worse than that Neo Geo though

Guess maybe I overpaid a bit after reading this thread, but I couldnt find ANYTHING down here in the Miami area local.

[pointdablame]

Well that cab was worth what it was worth to you then.  As a rule, I'd say that cab is expensive at $100, but if you thought yours was worth it... don't worry about it.

[AlanS17]

well I should clarify, I paid $100, plus $50 shipping for a Nintendo Mario Bros with no monitor.  Beat up worse than that Neo Geo though

Guess maybe I overpaid a bit after reading this thread, but I couldnt find ANYTHING down here in the Miami area local.

Finding dead machines is really hard to do. Nobody leaves dead machines just lying around. Finding people to sell them though, isn't as hard. Check the yellow pages under "Amusement Devices". These guys are arcade owners and arcade machine route owners. They will always have at least a couple bum cabinets taking up space.

Just don't tell them it's for MAMEing. Those that actually know what it is don't like the idea. They typically don't care about the machine - they just don't like the idea that they will never see another quarter from you (can't blame them for that).

These days, the Midway cabinets seem to be prime for converting and classic cabinets are horded like precious matel. However, finding an old generic cabinet or converted 80's fighting game isn't too hard. The operator here on the TX/Mexico border had a warehouse full of empty cabinets taking up space. He was happy to make room, and we really are in the middle of nowhere. The largest major city is a 3hr drive north.

[MoonDog]

well, i just went and looked at two FREE cabinets!  as to be expected they were in pretty bad shape though so i decided to pass.  the better of the two was just too big (three person driving game).  the arcade owner that offered them said to call back later in the week and he may have some others for sale.

i did end up with a couple free control panels though complete with buttons and a couple wico joysticks (one leaf).  

[Tailgunner]

Sounds like you're on the right track. Before long you'll have the perfect cab for MAMEing, having spent very little money, and whoever owned it will be happy to have it no longer taking up space in their warehouse.

[itismejs]

well I should clarify, I paid $100, plus $50 shipping for a Nintendo Mario Bros with no monitor.  Beat up worse than that Neo Geo though

Guess maybe I overpaid a bit after reading this thread, but I couldnt find ANYTHING down here in the Miami area local.

Finding dead machines is really hard to do. Nobody leaves dead machines just lying around. Finding people to sell them though, isn't as hard. Check the yellow pages under "Amusement Devices". These guys are arcade owners and arcade machine route owners. They will always have at least a couple bum cabinets taking up space.

Just don't tell them it's for MAMEing. Those that actually know what it is don't like the idea. They typically don't care about the machine - they just don't like the idea that they will never see another quarter from you (can't blame them for that).

These days, the Midway cabinets seem to be prime for converting and classic cabinets are horded like precious matel. However, finding an old generic cabinet or converted 80's fighting game isn't too hard. The operator here on the TX/Mexico border had a warehouse full of empty cabinets taking up space. He was happy to make room, and we really are in the middle of nowhere. The largest major city is a 3hr drive north.

I told the arcade guy I wanted a cabinet for MAMEing and he said they had sold a bunch of cab for mame. The guy even helped me pick out a good one.