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Dream come true(warehouse raid video)

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paigeoliver:

The video is 6 years old. I promise you that the place is either already clear, or the owner wants unrealistic prices for the equipment. It is more likely that the place was clear within a week or two of that video being shot.

And actually, you don't even NEED to be the guy who makes the finds. Just knowing the guys who make the finds is usually more than enough. I have never been to a warehouse raid in my life. But I had buddies who made the finds. The fact is that their wives were not going to let them bring home 90 games. Buddies who make the finds can be almost as good, and they usually end up doing all the legwork. Sure, you might end up bringing home a Space War instead of a Star Wars, but Space War was a pretty sweet game.

Back when I was really into collecting my various collector buddies of the finding type located lots of games for me. As often as not the serious collector guys don't have the room for everything they find. There are about 400 different classic era games worth owning, and almost no one has the room to actually have all of them.

So when the serious collectors make finds they have to prioritize. Just being an acquaintance can really help out. They might only be able to swing taking home one game, but they FOUND a Speed Freak, a Pooyan, and a Turbo. They will probably grab the Speed Freak, but they don't want the Pooyan and the Turbo just to sit there, so they will pass them on to their friends. I have even got phone calls that went like this "Hey Paige, this is John, I'm in this place, no, no, you don't need to come down here (John is guarding his source), but they have (list of 20 games), and the guy wants $75 each for them, I have room on my truck for one more, what do you want? You can meet me at my work tomorrow to pick it up.".

See, in the example given John set me up with something. He guarded his source because he wanted to sneak as many games under the wife's radar as he could. He knew that I was a crazy bachelor, and if he just gave his source away then I would go get ALL OF THEM, but he still let me in on the action.






--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on March 11, 2007, 11:35:43 pm ---My god there were HUNDREDS of games...dozens of pinballs,  pool tables,  parts,  equipment.  What in the hell was the purpose of that warehouse?  I mean ---Cleveland steamer---,  all the dust on everything...did the owner just die or something?  I'd LOVE more info on this "warehouse"...hell,  i've NEVER been to a working arcade that was that huge...



--- End quote ---


thefreakhouse:

But a geek can still dream....

Both my wife and my jaws we're dropped watching this. I've seen it before but it still conjures awe in me.

A few days ago my wife found an online article about guy bought a farm in Portugal. When they went into the barn they discoverd a large collection of vintage european sports cars all coverd in thick dust.

As a teenager there was an abandoned building in the small town where I lived. It hadn't had anyone operating in it for a decade or more. We snuck in once and discovered a wherehouse filled with original marquees and signs from buisnesses dating back to the 50's and 60's.  (A&W, Standard, Sambo's, etc) all still in their shipping  boxes. Sadly, the building burned down a few months later.

I am sure many of us who appreciate old arcade machines would die for an opportunity like this...and I have hope there are still a few forgotten gold mines sitting out there....and I'll still be looking for them.

bfauska:


--- Quote from: paigeoliver on March 12, 2007, 12:12:19 am ---...you don't even NEED to be the guy who makes the finds. Just knowing the guys who make the finds is usually more than enough...

--- End quote ---

I just want to let everybody know that if they ever need somebody to help rescue a warehouse full of cabinets in the western half of Washington state... that I will be there for you.  It would be difficult, but if you NEEDED somebody to take some surplus games off your hands I volunteer.  Really.  I'll be there FOR YOU.  :angel:

I suppose if it's OK with anybody around me, I may need to ask your assistance sometime.  I hope it never comes to it, but heaven forbid I happen upon several hundred (or even dozen) arcade machines, I may need to seek help, and I feel like I could ask here.


Here's to each one of us someday having to take on the daunting task of finding homes for oodles of hidden cabinets  :cheers:

Later,
Brian

ahofle:

Man I don't know whether to classify that as a dream or a nightmare.  Dream if I could just buy the whole warehouse.  But trying to pick one or two games from that amazing lot would drive me to insanity.

SavannahLion:


--- Quote from: paigeoliver on March 11, 2007, 10:38:56 pm ---Even if the owner owned the warehouse free and clear it still doesn't make a lot of financial sense to store $30,000 worth of games in a warehouse for 11 years (I guessed pretty high on the price). Even at $300 a month the owner would have gotten $40,000 in rent during that time period. Probably a lot more since I was VERY conservative on the rent.
--- End quote ---

At $300 a month in rent, I would live in that warehouse. In my old home town, it isn't uncommon to have people living in old rail cars, above heavy equipment garages. Heck the school district even attempted to sell an old school building (the school I went to!) and the guy offering to buy it wanted to convert it into a home. The district pulled out of the deal when they realized they would lose funding from the State.

Of course, it probably depends on a lot of other factors and relative rents/mortgages. I live in a house with an $1800/month mortgage. I lived in an cottage where my rent was $575/month. Finding a cottage for rent at that price that isn't in the slums is next to impossible. Having a mortgage like that for a small house is common. I can safely bet that the cost of renting a warehouse of that scale in this city isn't going to happen.

If a warehouse in this city went on the market, filled with arcade machines, for $300/month, I'd ---smurfing--- hump it.

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