Help me understand cost with the SLIKSTIK

[str1der]

I know this is BYOAC and that's what I had planned but I was also looking at the Slikstik. I really love the look of this thing. Everyone keeps saying though that the price is a rip-off. The Classic goes for $434. Here is approximate cost I came up with to build one:

30 buttons................$60
3 COMP Jsticks..........$40
3" Trackball...............$150
Plate for Trackball.....$10
26 ipac......................$40
Spinner.....................$40
Wiring kit..................$17
MDF..........................$20
Laminent..................$20
------------------------------------
Total.........................$397 savings of about $40

Am I missing something here? These prices came from Happs, Oscar, and Ultimarc.

[SirPoonga]

what about profit and man hours for constructing?
Most people don't construct stuff for free.

Mine was probably about $300 total with ebay prices and me building it.

[eightbit]

$150 for a trackball is a little steep. I paid $22 but I got mine for a steal. You should be able to get one for $50-$90.

Why so many buttons? does the slickstick use that many buttons?

Wiring kit, nice but do you need it? Don't you have some wire lying around? Network wire? Speaker wire? Phone wire? Any of those work. The crimper is nice to have around though.

If your going to pay full price for all your parts and do it all at once the slikstick looks good.

[ITrek]

How about:

contact cement for the laminant
roller or brush to put the contact cement on
T-molding
screws
wire wraps
any tools you might not have like a router, router bits, laminant cutter, boring drill bits, crimper...
and of course as already mentioned the labor it takes to build it

[str1der]

Where can you get that good of a trackball for that price?

The Slikstik uses 27 buttons, I was thinking a couple more for pinball.

I would need the wiring kit. Not that much savings anyway.

SirPoonga,
                 That's my point. They don't seem to be that overpriced but everyone says they are. Or is there some secret place where everyone buys parts real cheap. Ebay is just hit or miss.

[SirPoonga]

SirPoonga,
                 That's my point. They don't seem to be that overpriced but everyone says they are. Or is there some secret place where everyone buys parts real cheap. Ebay is just hit or miss.

No, ebay isn't, you have to know what you are looking at though.  I bought all of my stuff on ebay, happy with it all.


Second, www.therealbobroberts.com to get supplies, joysticks, buttons, parts for cheap.  The $50 trackball is the betson imperial.  For my trackball I just watched ebay.  I know what a happ, wico, and imperial looks like.  I picked up a happ shell.  Got rollers from bob, got my black trackball (from the happ atari trackballs) from a dude that one an auction with a bunch of stuff.  I emailed him saying I just wanted the trackball from that auction, I got it for super cheap as he just wanted the buttons.

Sicne the trackball is the most expensive part that's the part you ask the seller alot of questions.  getting replacement optics and rollers if needed aren't much from bob.  

[BASSOFeeSH]

I spent over $400 on mine, & there's not even art/paint on it yet!

A partial list of parts:
- (2) joysticks
- pushbuttons
- 2 1/4" USB trackball & mounting plate(that $155 right there)
- IPAC
- wire
- quick-disconnects
- drill bit (for 1 1/8" holes)
- wood
- screws/nuts/bolts/hinges
- crimper
- mini USB hub(so I only have (1) connection to PC

...

[MrBond]

It really comes down to if you want buy a pre-made joystick, or build your own to your imagination.  Either way you'll probably be happy, but I know I wanted to build mine.  Kind of neat to see what you can do.  I got all my parts real cheap.  My trackballs were free, buttons and joysticks were free, particle board + wood I already had, screws I had, already had a jigsaw...come to think of it, only thing I really bought for my stand alone table top controls was a piano hinge from Lowes.  About $8  
::EDIT:: do'h, I forgot I bought the IPAC for $55...ok still cheap though   ::END EDIT::
Now I'm building an upright cabinet, and yes, I had one already...but it's a Frogger, and I don't really feel like Mameing...er maiming...a classic machine.  $55 for IPac after shippping, 2 joysticks and 20 buttons from xgaming on ebay for $28 after shipping (all black, very cool).  Using the other free trackball...$8 for a 18" marquee light at Lowes, maybe another hinge...terminals about 15 cents a piece...Laminate's going to cost me big unless I cash in on a broken piece somewhere.  Laminate cutting bit for router...Plus cost of particle board.

Sorry...rambling...

My opinion...build your own...you get a sense of accomplishment (and if you look in the right places/know someone, you can get the components much cheaper )

~Mrbond

[spidermonkey]

Ok. Building your own is both fun and rewarding but if you don't think you have the know how or don't have the tools or place to build it then by all means go grab a slik stik. I've seen them in person (philly classic) and they definately are nniiice. I considered one when I first got into this because I thought that it would be just too overwelming to build my own control panel but after hanging around this site for a while all the know how just seemed to sink in. Now I have a completed cabinet and am gathering materials for a vertical monitor cabinet next.(getting off topic sorry) I'm sure the guys probably get better prices then you posted because of the quantity that they order but I highly doubt they're making a killing. Due to experience they've probably cut down their building times and streamlined their techniqes allowing them to save time and money thus increasing their profit but considering what it offers and what it takes to build it  the price ain't bad. One problem I saw was if you wanted to put artwork on it then you would have to take out aaallllll the controls, layout the artwork, apply a lexan protector and then put the controls aalllll back. Depending on the thickness of the surface you may have some routing to do if you want lexan over your artwork too. Don't know what the thickness of there top panel is but if its 3/4"  you've got problems. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't make a decision until you weigh all of the variables. Oh and if you do decide to go the slik stik route and you post a pic of your cabinet don't try to pass it off as a homebrew control panel Us byoac'rs can spot them prefab controllers a mile away . Unless you do put artwork on top then you MIGHT throw us off track. heh heh. Whatever you decide to do good luck and enjoy yourself while doing it
S.M.

[str1der]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I haven't decided what route I will go yet. Like I said I was just trying to figure out if my figures were way off or if people were just exagerating about the Slikstik being way overpriced. I looks like a little of both maybe. Don't get me wrong, I've bought stuff of Ebay before it's just I don't see many deals for trackballs out there. I'll keep looking though. Either way I really like the layout of the Slikstik. Looks a lot like Doughcades setup which I also like. Do you guys see any drawbacks to this layout?

[eightbit]

6 weeks ago there was a glut of trackballs on ebay. They were giving them away. Now they seem to have dried up. You probably need to be patient if you want to get one this way.

[ripzone]

Your prices are wrong. Here are the correct prices!

SlikStik Correct Prices:

Competition Joysticks (2): $26
Ultimate Joystick (1): $13
Ultimate Pushbuttons (25): $42
1 & 2 Player Pushbutton (2): $3.80
Tornado Spinner (1): $90
I-Pac 28 Input (1): $39
3" Trackball w/ PS/2 & USB Interface (1): $150
3" Trackball Plate (1): $7.5
Wiring Kit (1): $17
MDF, Formica, Bolts, Screws, Nuts, Washers (1): $50

Total: $438
Price On SlikStik Website: $434.95

[rampy]

I guess i was wrong in my thinking... the slik stik isn't hugely  over priced.  It's just price more than anyone who doesn't pay retail for components, and has the meager know how to shlop a control panel together.   (hint paying full retail for most items is for chumps unless you are rich person with very little time)

The thing is... building it is half the fun.

The problem is people either rush to finish their projects out of excitement and either use poor technique, wrong tools, or not-arcade durable finish products and their projects don't come out with the fit and finish(tm) 2002 planetjay  (uh-oh where's PJ? =P) of a slik stik or real arcade controller....

There are hidden costs of tools when building your own if you don't have any, or a friend/rental agency that has them...  common arguement there is that if said tools will be handy for other household projects or the inevitable "control panel number 2, 3 and 4"

On other argument for building is that you can piecemeal if you don't have 400 beans and just build a base controller with joystick, buttons and ipac... and stay on the lookout for bargain trackballs/spinners when you have more bread...

Summary: you can add up happs/etc retail selling price till your blue in the face... the real measure of a product is its value (in terms of cost and enjoyment of product/quality of product)...  some byoacers get enjoyment out of bargain hunting and inhaling mdf particles so slik stik is right out for them.

good luck however you choose... but choose wisely...

rampy

PS *shrug* WTF do i know, anyways...?

[str1der]

Ripzone,
                Thanks for the correction. I was just using approximations. I just chose an Oscar spinner instead of the Tornado because that's what I would use if I was building. It's $50 less.

Does anyone know what the edges are like on the Slikstik? Are they formica also or are they just routed and painted plywood?

[Xphile]

Ripzone,
 Does anyone know what the edges are like on the Slikstik? Are they formica also or are they just routed and painted plywood?

"Pre-routed t-molding groove with t-molding installed."

hth..:-)