Author Topic: Going to auction, March 5th...anyone, anyone? Update (Read 3413 times)

stellarola · « **on:** February 12, 2005, 08:01:28 pm »

Yo guys, come March 5th, there will be a game auction held in Knoxville, TN. Wondering if anyone of you all will be showing up. Also this is my first auction I'm going to, so if anyone has advice....do tell. I WILL NEED IT!

quarterback · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2005, 09:17:50 pm »

Quote from: stellarola on February 12, 2005, 08:01:28 pm

Yo guys, come March 5th, there will be a game auction held in Knoxville, TN. Wondering if anyone of you all will be showing up. Also this is my first auction I'm going to, so if anyone has advice....do tell. I WILL NEED IT!

dabone · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2005, 11:46:52 pm »

Usually the knoxville auctions take FOREVER....

Eat before you get there, take a flashlight, extension cord, notepad (to record the results for the rest of us!! (actually to take notes on the machines you have interest in). You will have to fill out a form to get a buyers number, and I believe they require you to show your drivers license.

I've been going to the knoxville auction off and on for 10 or so years, and have always found something that i'd like to take home.

Later,
dabone

stellarola · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2005, 01:04:47 am »

I'm actually looking for 2 to 3 cabinets. Specifically: Dedicated Neogeo 2 or 4 slot, Mortal Kombat style cabinet...so I can use it for mame (was really looking for a conversion with street fighter button layout) and if at all possible a Jap candy cabinet. Just out of curiousity....how much does say any of these cabs usually go for at an auction?

-Ben

dabone · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2005, 10:24:23 am »

I've got a super high impact football in Chattanooga if you don't find anything
at the auction.

25" k7000 monitor, capped about 10 months ago.

If you're interested drop me a line..

Later,
dabone

tommy · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2005, 12:57:36 pm »

dont bring your rent or motgage money with you

quadmasta · « **Reply #6 on:** February 13, 2005, 03:55:47 pm »

Quote from: stellarola on February 13, 2005, 01:04:47 am

I'm actually looking for 2 to 3 cabinets. Specifically: Dedicated Neogeo 2 or 4 slot, Mortal Kombat style cabinet...so I can use it for mame (was really looking for a conversion with street fighter button layout) and if at all possible a Jap candy cabinet. Just out of curiousity....how much does say any of these cabs usually go for at an auction?

-Ben

I'm workin on a group buy for 29" candy cabs if you're interested. Check out the tread in buy/sell/trade.

hulkster · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2005, 04:58:22 pm »

Quote from: stellarola on February 12, 2005, 08:01:28 pm

Yo guys, come March 5th, there will be a game auction held in Knoxville, TN. Wondering if anyone of you all will be showing up. Also this is my first auction I'm going to, so if anyone has advice....do tell. I WILL NEED IT!

stellarola · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2005, 05:38:09 pm »

Can anyone who has been to an auction tell me what they bought and how much they spent on it? I really want to know how much to bring. I was thinking about bringing like $400-500. Anyone?

-Ben

Brian21157 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 13, 2005, 08:29:48 pm »

Prices at game auctions can vary pretty greatly depending on how many people show up and how many machines are there. If it's not too crowded your $500 should give you alot of options for a nice cab.
I bought a 4 player Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cab in excellent shape, prob. 9 out of 10, only minor scratches on the sideart, 25 inch monitor, and paid $450. On the other hand I've seen people pay 8 or 9 hundred dollars for cabs in poor shape because they got into a bidding war with a couple of other people. Popular machines like Galaga, Pacman, Tempest and the like will go very high regardless of condition. The best deals, albeit not the best machines, will be towards the end of the auction. A couple of years ago here in MD I got a Mr. Do and a Super High Impact Football for $20 each and a Golden Axe for $50 near the end. All in decent shape and fully functional. Makes for along day but could pay off for you. Hope this helps a little.

stellarola · « **Reply #10 on:** February 13, 2005, 10:51:27 pm »

I guess at the end of the auction....people have no money left over..

Daniel270 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 13, 2005, 10:53:06 pm »

I wish I had the means to go.... I'd definitely be on the lookout for a Gyruss cab...

stellarola · « **Reply #12 on:** February 13, 2005, 11:35:02 pm »

I was actually looking to spend like $4-500 on like 2-3 games, maybe more.

quarterback · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2005, 11:45:10 pm »

Quote from: stellarola on February 13, 2005, 10:51:27 pm

I guess at the end of the auction....people have no money left over..

I don't think it's the money that runs out as much as it's the patience. Really, it makes for a really long day of standing around trying not to spend money at the overpriced snackbar... really.

krick · « **Reply #14 on:** February 14, 2005, 12:05:13 am »

Just for reference, I paid $250 including all auction fees for my cabinet at an auction in Cherry Hill, NJ...

http://mame.3feetunder.com/

It's a completely working CPS2 game (GigaWing) and features a 25" monitor and a 4 player coin door.

Of course, I've been told that there are more arcade games per capita in NJ than any other state.
This may have some effect of the prices they fetch at auction around here.

stellarola · « **Reply #15 on:** February 14, 2005, 12:40:40 am »

You make the auctions sound like torture....sounds like a blast!

stellarola · « **Reply #16 on:** February 14, 2005, 12:42:02 am »

Quote from: krick on February 14, 2005, 12:05:13 am

Just for reference, I paid $250 including all auction fees for my cabinet at an auction in Cherry Hill, NJ...

It's a completely working CPS2 game (GigaWing) and features a 25" monitor and a 4 player coin door.

Of course, I've been told that there are more arcade games per capita in NJ than any other state.
This may have some effect of the prices they fetch at auction around here.

Man I want a cabinet that are like those! I want the large style 25 inch cabinet with the capcom overlay.

stellarola · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2005, 12:58:11 am »

Ok, I wish they had time zones for when the stuff will be auctioned off so I could get a bite to eat or something. I live 3 1/2 hours away from Knoxville...so I guess I would have to leave really really early. Then I wouldnt even get home til really really friggin late. CRAPOLA!

-Ben

quarterback · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2005, 12:59:15 am »

Quote from: stellarola on February 14, 2005, 12:40:40 am

You make the auctions sound like torture....sounds like a blast!

quarterback · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2005, 01:06:08 am »

Quote from: stellarola on February 14, 2005, 12:58:11 am

Ok, I wish they had time zones for when the stuff will be auctioned off so I could get a bite to eat or something. I live 3 1/2 hours away from Knoxville...so I guess I would have to leave really really early. Then I wouldnt even get home til really really friggin late. CRAPOLA!

I left 'early', before they even got to the 2nd half of the upright cabs.

Raven.. · « **Reply #20 on:** February 14, 2005, 02:27:17 am »

The SuperAuction here in Dallas is usually interesting. It takes forever though! They screw around and jack up the prices before coming back down to the actual bids for most of the day. The best deals are had around 10pm -12am (usually ends about 1:30). That's when you get $1-$25 cabs.

You really should take an extension cord because they sometimes don't have enough power strips to go around. Pack an ice chest with drinks and bring some snacks with you. When they start selling th eredemption machines.....go out to get some real food.

Remember to add the buyers premium and sales tax to what you are bidding. That can increase your cost by 20%!! I found that out the first time when I ended up spending $100 on 2 games.

If you win a Neo Geo......take the cartridge out IMMEDIATELY! People steal them when you aren't looking. Same thing with a Capcom CPS-II system.

stellarola · « **Reply #21 on:** February 14, 2005, 02:55:30 am »

You all make me want to stay farther and farther away from these auctions. Sounds like they add hell of a lot of taxes on top of what ur buying and other crap. People steal ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, sitting around all day. Makes me a little...unsure, so to speak, of going.

quarterback · « **Reply #22 on:** February 14, 2005, 12:10:50 pm »

Quote from: stellarola on February 14, 2005, 02:55:30 am

You all make me want to stay farther and farther away from these auctions. Sounds like they add hell of a lot of taxes on top of what ur buying and other crap. People steal <auto-censored>, sitting around all day. Makes me a little...unsure, so to speak, of going.

Nobody's even mentioned the fact that the owners of the cabs (frequently the auctioneers themselves) will bid on their own items so you don't get anything 'too' cheap.

albrigsr · « **Reply #23 on:** February 14, 2005, 11:18:12 pm »

Stellarola,

Have you sent my Xbox yet? Send me a PM!

Tailgunner · « **Reply #24 on:** February 15, 2005, 04:56:59 am »

I generally go to the Winston-Salem auction, which is run by the same company as the Knoxville auction. Since they tend to group stuff by type, there will be time to go grab food off site while they're working through things you have no interest in. Another way around the snackbar prices, bring your own.

I take a cooler and snacks and wander out to the parking lot while they're auctioning the stuff I'm not going to bid on. I tend to be more interested in the last row stuff, so I'll take several breaks during the day so I'm not dead on my feet when they finally get to it.

If you've never been to one, plan on going early to see all the stuff and to play all those classic cabs you can't afford. If the cabs you're after aren't in the last row, you can pay, load up and leave as soon as the crowd is out of the way.

VooDoo · « **Reply #25 on:** February 27, 2005, 01:20:02 pm »

Myself and 2 others from Atlanta are going. Should be fun, but I have not been to a game auction before. I have been to others and shill bids are not uncommon. Even at very high end auctions it happens, what do you think some of those "phone bids" are.

APFelon · « **Reply #26 on:** February 27, 2005, 01:47:06 pm »

Quote from: stellarola on February 14, 2005, 02:55:30 am

You all make me want to stay farther and farther away from these auctions. Sounds like they add hell of a lot of taxes on top of what ur buying and other crap. People steal <auto-censored>, sitting around all day. Makes me a little...unsure, so to speak, of going.

Don't! I LOOOOOVE going to auctions. Sure, there is some "down time" as they sell off the chaff, but I always use that time to play the games and whatnot.

Don't let this forum trick you into thinking that we are representative of the arcade vendors / collectors as a whole, though. There are a lot of slimeballs that go to these auctions as well. Some will sabotage machines that they want so it goes for a lower price, steal errant quarters from the bottoms of machines, shill bid and the like. For the most part though, it is a civil day. If anyone messes with your stuff, just confront them. Most unethical vendors are sneaky, but not toughguys.

Or, just go to have a look and see what goes on. Nothing says you have to buy anything. Sometimes I leave auctions empty handed, and that's just fine. If you need to get your "auction legs", then so be it.

Good luck and have fun with it!

APf

paigeoliver · « **Reply #27 on:** February 28, 2005, 01:39:44 am »

As for the shill bidding, that is the way reserves work in arcade auctions, you simply bid your own machine until it reaches a price you are comfortable with. Most of the machines don't have this happen, but the machines owned by auction employees (and auction employees ALWAYS own about 10 or 20 percent of the machines) simply aren't going for anything less than top dollar. At superauctions it is often buyer number 222 who is the employee buyer.

I have never personally bid on my own machines, but several of them I have come close on. There would be a lot less equipment if they didn't allow buy backs, as many people aren't going to risk bringing a choice piece of equipment only to have it stolen for almost nothing.

Game sabotage happens, but it is not as common as you would think, it actually tends to happen before the auction (the day before when people are dropping off games), it is more of a hazard for sellers than it is for buyers. But it often just backfires as the seller will show up the next day and either fix the game or buy it game.

Also, you can't walk into an auction expecting to get any particular item, because you will probably end up disappointed. You have got to just go in there and go with the flow. There usually are not enough Mortal Kombat or Konami 4 player cabinets to go around. All the mamers want them.

If you are looking for a Mame project then take careful note of the control panels of the machines, because a machine with a metal panel and controls you don't like is going to be a nightmare to redo. Converted Defenders are usually the easiest Mame conversion, they have a monitor shelf and the control panel is a flat piece of wood. In general if you are looking to mame then look for a pre-existing streetfighter layout or a control panel that is a flat piece of wood.

Also, the preview period is a good time to match up cabinets. Like it is a good time to sniff out the cabinets that play blind and the ones that boot up to garbage. A quick monitor swap between the blind game and the garbage game gets you a fully playable game, and another cabinet suitable for something.

I usually fill up my truck, but I bought nothing at the last auction. There were only a couple items I really wanted, one was a dedicated 2 slot neo with a one slot board (Football), it was really minty, but it sold before they got to my mame cabinet and I simply couldn't bid on any high dollar items like that until I knew how much I had to work with. The other was a Midway caberet with converted to trivia in really nice condition that booted to garbage. I bid $50, someone else got it at $75. I simply didn't want to be in $120 (with fees) for a Mini cabinet that I was still going to have to sink another $50-$75 into (I would have made it into vertical Jamma).

fredster · « **Reply #28 on:** February 28, 2005, 04:23:19 pm »

I'll be there. I have 3 or 4 games to sell.

This will be a good one to sell at. It's TAX CHECK TIME.

I will sell these and buy junk, because the ones I'm selling were junk once but now are nice.

I'm bringing a Ms Pac, a galaxian, and a Raiden. I might get me a pinball if there's one that's interesting, if not, I'm off to the last row at midnight!

Last time I was there there were dudes giving away games then. They bought too many and couldn't load.

It's at a new location now.

I never had to shill bid. I just love to buy and sell games. Lots of those guys do it. I seen one guy buy his back twice. He bought it and then was p.o'ed and tried to sell it again.

I like the dead ones. They are the real buys. I've had two or three that a fuse was out, or the cord was bad.

And parts, lots and lots of parts.

quarterback · « **Reply #29 on:** March 06, 2005, 01:33:09 pm »

So what'd you guys get?

oldsage · « **Reply #30 on:** March 06, 2005, 05:11:56 pm »

Oh, man! And thinking i was at the cinema last night! This is only about 3-1/2 hours away!!! Oh well... I probably wouldn't have bought anything even if i would have came...

fredster · « **Reply #31 on:** March 06, 2005, 05:49:19 pm »

I sold a 9 in 1, a MsPac Caberet, and a Raiden.

I bought an arkanoid cocktail, a Moon Cresta cocktail, 3 golden tees (2 '99s and 1 2K), some vs slolam game ($10, it worked), a broken touchdown fever, a broken Space Duel, and an Assault.

I got 5 used monitors, one was kinda new.

quarterback · « **Reply #32 on:** March 06, 2005, 06:02:15 pm »

Willing to share any price details?

fredster · « **Reply #33 on:** March 06, 2005, 06:20:47 pm »

Sure,

There were hundreds of items. I didn't watch every item go. I'd be happy to answer specific questions, but the auction lasted 12 hours and had 2 lines running up and down isles.

I can give some general prices and observations. My Golden tees were in the $300-$350 range. Ms Pacs were in the $350-600 range, etc.

I might note that there were two vendors setup there. One was selling a ULTRACADE looking "time machine" that was the baddest Mame machine I had ever seen with a franken panel from hell. It was over 4 1/2 long, and the cab was like a show case cab. I didn't stop to ask the price, but we were talking $4000 plus one guy told me.

Betson Imperial was there, threatening to call Namco over all of the 4 in 1's. Sour grapes there. He was selling monitors and parts. I hope they don't invite him back.

I saw about 2/3 of the auction go. Nothing really nice. The classics were skimpy. No Asteroids, only 2 stargates in any kind of condition. One dig dug with bad sprites, a qbert that wasn't even right. No Pacmen, only a couple of new ms pacs.

I did see something interesting. It said "ultracade" on the CP but it was some kind of old BAD DUDES cab that was running Daphne or some such laser disk emulator on it. It had space ace and Dragon's lair on it. It went for $350, if indeed it actually sold.

Pins all over the place, I don't watch those much. None were where I'd want to buy one. They went high and low, but the low ones were not working very well. They had a new one in the box, and it went for $3900, which was wierd, because I don't buy a cardboard box for $3900 myself.

quarterback · « **Reply #34 on:** March 06, 2005, 06:32:00 pm »

Quote from: fredster on March 06, 2005, 06:20:47 pm

Sure

Thanks. I just like to keep up with what's being bought and sold and it's fun to know what people are spending on big cardboard boxes

Interesting that Betson was there and threatening to call Namco

fredster · « **Reply #35 on:** March 06, 2005, 09:54:40 pm »

Did Stellarola go?

VooDoo · « **Reply #36 on:** March 07, 2005, 10:06:12 am »

Quote from: fredster on March 06, 2005, 05:49:19 pm

I sold a 9 in 1, a MsPac Caberet, and a Raiden.

I bought an arkanoid cocktail, a Moon Cresta cocktail, 3 golden tees (2 '99s and 1 2K), some vs slolam game ($10, it worked), a broken touchdown fever, a broken Space Duel, and an Assault.

I got 5 used monitors, one was kinda new.

Dang, my buddy bought your MsPac. I alsmot did myself but didn't want to bid it up to much because all of the the greedy seller were around

Really nice one by the way, did you do the upgrades to it?

Thanks for bringing some nice stuff for us to buy.

fredster · « **Reply #37 on:** March 07, 2005, 12:44:08 pm »

Yeah, I did. I hope you enjoy it.

VooDoo · « **Reply #38 on:** March 07, 2005, 01:06:56 pm »

Yes he was very happy with the machine and the work you did to it. I watched his little girl (4 y.o.) play it for some time. She can almot clear the first board

Thanks.

Overall a nice auction but a very strange mix of machines. Very few classics and some very high bids on junk cabs but some very low prices on ones worth more. I picked up a JAMMA cab (now double dragon) for $45 in good shape but watched a non-working beat to all h*** classic for over $200


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Author Topic: Going to auction, March 5th...anyone, anyone? *Update* (Read 3413 times)

tommy

Author Topic: Going to auction, March 5th...anyone, anyone? Update (Read 3413 times)