Anyone know why classicarcadegraffix went under ?

[rlemmon]

I wonder why they closed up shop ? 

[Level42]

It's pretty clear when you read this:

http://www.classicarcadegrafix.com/sunshop/index.php?action=news_template

If I may transcribe that: Not enough market for it anymore...

[leapinlew]

I'll add that the package they shipped me was crushed and the artwork was crushed with it. I sent them an email and they quickly replied that they would resend it out.

about 4 weeks and another crushed box later....

[CheffoJeffo]

This is an interesting occurence ... I have said elsewhere that we are lucky to have some of the vendors that we have and that many operate at break-even or lower levels.

While I don't think anybody would suggest that classicarcadegraffix was a superior vendor in either product or service (I picked up some of their stuff in trades and have heard lots of bad things about service), but they did have some things that were hard to find.

Will they be missed ?

Cheers

[leapinlew]

This is an interesting occurence ... I have said elsewhere that we are lucky to have some of the vendors that we have and that many operate at break-even or lower levels.

This is true... we are lucky. But CheffoJeffo, we come from a time when phone books were your best resource to find goods and services. With the internet, we can form groups like we have at BYOAC. This allows a vendor in Iowa to sell to 100 enthusiasts in each state and be profitable. The internet made the world much smaller and nearly every hobby has benefited from it.

(I'm assuming your in the 30+ range and know what I'm talking about regarding the phone book)

Will they be missed ?

Since I didn't do anything that needed ClassicArcadeGraffix, I won't miss them. If they did some specialty work - I'm sure they'll be missed by some people.

[Level42]

I'd like to get my hands on their Galaxian bezel files

But I don't have 7 grant to buy the whole lot ? Should we do a group-buy ?

[ChadTower]

This allows a vendor in Iowa to sell to 100 enthusiasts in each state and be profitable.

The reality more often tends to be 100 people who say they want the item, and then when it is ready and payment is due, 12 people actually buy it. 

[mmmPeanutButter]

Maybe there wasn't enough money in it for them cause they keep sending things out that get damaged multiple times (it happened to me too) and then they have to replace them.

I mean, pack it right the first time!  This should be a lesson to everybody doing artwork out there.


But once the art arrived undamaged, it was awesome.  So good. 

[More Cowbell]

Add me to the list of people who received damaged items from them. They sent me a cpo in a frankenbox taped together from 4 or 5 smaller boxes. I asked for another and they sent me another one that was damaged. I asked for another one and they finally got it here safely. So I bought one item and they shipped 3. Good business practice in a market with a low profit margine? Probably not.

[ChadTower]

Combine that with the selling of copyrighted material and you'll start to get the picture.  Dude was dark grey area to begin with.

[Kremmit]

I am constantly amazed at the number of businesses that make their living selling things through the mail that don't know how to pack a box.  Saving .02 on tape is not worth destroying a $50.00 order, dumbasses.

[TOK]

They just dropped the price of the "collection" from 7 grand to 1 grand.

[DaFoo]

Speaking of good guys, I just got my Marquee and Bezel from Mame Marquees, and the plexi they cut was about 1/8 to wide.  Anyway Scott send me another cut no questions asked.  I can't believe he make much money on this stuff.

The Bezel came is a tube which seems about the best you could do.

Anyway Mame Marquees has my vote!

http://www.mamemarquees.com/index.php

[loganq2]

I guess I got one of the last orders to come out of classicarcadegraffix and their "service" and "packing" reflected a complete lack of care.

It was like pulling teeth to get any response from them before the sale, and after I'd paid.  And when the order did come it was packed poorly, and the artwork was all crumpled.

I was also disappointed that the bezel (which was printed on thin photo paper) had a "for your protection we didn't cut it" message printed on a white box in the middle of it.

I'd suspect that if they'd done a better job of communication, packing and customer service they could have gotten much more repeat business.

[leapinlew]

I guess I got one of the last orders to come out of classicarcadegraffix and their "service" and "packing" reflected a complete lack of care.

It was like pulling teeth to get any response from them before the sale, and after I'd paid.  And when the order did come it was packed poorly, and the artwork was all crumpled.

I was also disappointed that the bezel (which was printed on thin photo paper) had a "for your protection we didn't cut it" message printed on a white box in the middle of it.

I'd suspect that if they'd done a better job of communication, packing and customer service they could have gotten much more repeat business.

 

More people say what you said instead of compliments.

[loganq2]

I was thinking that my last message really didn't sum up my complete experience with arcadegraffix.com.

I tried to order matching plexiglas for the "bezel" (really just thin photo paper, not cardboard as stated on the website) and marquee, and they took sizes from me and charged me for them.

Then they shipped the order and emailed me afterwards, telling me I should go to a glass shop and get the Plexiglas -- that they weren't selling it anymore. 

It took so long to finally get acknowledgement that my order was coming, plus it was supposedly already shipped, so I probably wouldn't have cancelled at that point, but I would have liked to have been ASKED instead of being TOLD they were just shipping whatever they felt like.

And regarding the paper-thin bezel, I see no reason why they couldn't have printed that on some kind of adhesive backed paper, and applied it to cardboard.  And there is no excuse for taking all of those measurements from me and then not cutting the thing.

I wonder what their "book" and artwork package looks like.  If it's 5 times more organized than their printing business, it's still going to be a mess.

[rlemmon]

I ordered from them twice. both times my stuff arrived in good shape. The sideart/Cpo and bezel were all nicely made with very good print quality but the marquee was a pretty bad scan. It is very grainy. here are pics of my cab with there work.







I hated to see them go but i never had any problems with them other than the print quality of the marquee.

Speaking of marquees a few years ago I bought one from mame marquees and it had a sticky feel to it that never went away (which also made it impossible to clean) . I wonder if there still made like that.  I guess I just have bad luck with marquees for some reason