Arcade games and memorabilia... as antiques?

[APFelon]

Okay, classify me as geeky or effeminate or whatever, but when I get a chance, I go antiqueing. I rarely buy anything; I just think of it as a trip to a museum and I have a lot of fun with it. Most recently, I went to an antique show at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Since it was a "show", vendors brought out their best items I got a look at what the Midwest antique dealers considered "good stuff".

Aside from an occasional oddity or war poster, most of it was... well, high priced yet junky. But I did notice that a LOT of merchandise was walking out the door with happy buyers. It made me realize that many antique seekers / collectors probably have a LOT of disposable income (unlike flea market customers).

I talked to the women at the door about the "appropriateness" of vintage and not-so-vintage arcade equipment in relation to their shows. She said that '80s items were "hot" and they would allow it in their shows. This got the gears goin' a bit.

I thought about the feasibility and profitability of setting up a booth at an antique show, or  leasing a booth at a high-traffic antique shop. Arcade related games, posters, promotional items, consumer products (Pac Man bedsheets and the like), trading cards, marquees, mini-cabs... all could be sold at a premium price.

In order to ensure against the booth becoming a "play area" for children and the like, keep the coin mechs IN for testing purposes. Sure, they can try out the pinball or video before they buy, but it'll cost them 50c for the privilege.

Games could also be sold on consignment from local arcade routes and vendors, or collectors like ourselves. For example, am in good standing with a local vendor with a large showroom with things for sale. Instead of buying them outright, I take a few of the pieces to a show and sell at his asking price with a 10% (or so) tacked-on commission for me. This way I can have a virtually limitless "warehouse" of games, and if my gambit pays off, a high margin of profitability.

What do you guys think?  I am seriously thinking about giving this a go and sinking my time, money and effort in to it.  I am most interested as to why it WOULDN'T work and that I would be wasting my time with it, simply because I can't find a downside... yet.

Thanks for reading that in its entirety.

APf

[RayB]

Maybe, but you might end up with alot of Mortal kombats and other 90's stuff, which you'll be told don't belong at such a show.

As for goods, (pacman blankets, mugs, etc) yeah, if they are original. If you're talking new merchandise you might again get the evil eye from other vendors. If you're talking old goods, the question is where would you find that stuff and enough of it to keep profitable booth going every week?

 

[Chris]

I would thing electromechanical games from the late 60's and early 70's would be more appropriate... anything with an appropriately retro look.  I don't think any videogame that was in color would be of interest to most antiquers.  Old pitch and bat baseball games would probably work really well, though...

[Bones]

RayB might have a point.

Even if profit is not your motivation, there is a finite supply of this stuff and re-stocking will likely be an issue.

Good luck though, it sounds like a great idea!

[bioart]

I'd love to see more arcade cabs at flea markets and the like... there's a big flea market in Sturbridge (MA) and I have to go there with the wife sometimes.  I've never seen anything interesting there.... now, if there where cabs/arcade stuff, I'd be much happier following her

Art

[j123vt_99]

one problem with having games at antique shows is often the antique shows are outside in the middle of some field... you would need to power the units to really show them and if it rains you are screwed... of course you can purchase supplies (tent, generator) to avoid this, but it could be a pain... also you will want to have a few cabs and transportation can't be cheap for all those

[romperwomb]

I think this is a cool idea.  I have a few "Antique Malls" in my area, that were old Mills / factories converted to several floors of neat old junk.  The basement floors are usually the flea market type Jeff Gordan memorabilia and McDonald's toys, but the uppers sell real antiques at real inflated prices.  They rent floor space to different vendors and if I had an in with a local vendor as you do I'd set up an Arcade Shoppe in a heartbeat.  You don't even have to be on site or pay anyone to watch your stuff - they take the tag off of the item they want to the register and pay for it.

A place like I described not too far from me "The Old Sled Works" http://www.sledworks.com/ helped put together the Hershey Gameroom Expo.  Looks like they have a lot of old Pinballs and Vintage coin-op stuff.  I know that stuff goes for a mint.

[krick]

A few years back, I remember TNT Amusements having a booth at the big antique convention that they have in Atlantic City, NJ every year in the convention center.