I'm going to a Super Auction!

[AlanS17]

Well it looks like I'm on my way up to the Dallas area after I finish up this semester to visit my brother. While I'm up there I'm going to go to one of the auctions listed at:

http://www.superauctions.com

For those of y'all that aren't familiar, it's an auction strictly for arcade machines. I'm really excited. I want to get a cheap Midway cabinet. (It's like that kind used for KI and MK).  That is my dream machine. I already have a KI but it's too nice to MAME. And I have a MAME machine, but it's a 19" old school Bad Dudes conversion.

Another good thing about the auctions... free previews! They show them off for a few hours before the auction starts so people can see what they're interested in. (You can't buy a broken arcade.) So they set (at least alot) on free play and you go to town!

Is anybody else planning on going? My brother went to one in the sumjmer, but I've never gone. Anybody else here been before?? I'm super excited!!!

(Who else here is even in Texas?)

[Chad]

I'm right here in Dallas TX.

[AlanS17]

Ever been to one of those auctions before?

[kspiff]

See you there.  If you mean the auction in late May, I'll be taking a vacation to go to it.

Never been there before, though.

[Xphile]

Well it looks like I'm on my way up to the Dallas area after I finish up this semester to visit my brother. While I'm up there I'm going to go to one of the auctions listed at:

Make darn sure you read this thread entitled "dallas auction Shenanigans"
(Especially the parts about Mr. Do Rag shilling his vids.)

http://groups.google.ca/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off&threadm=XTQca.119218%24S_4.70833%40rwcrnsc53&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26selm%3DXTQca.119218%2524S_4.70833%2540rwcrnsc53

have fun..:-)

[kspiff]

Oh, that.. I've read about that guy several times.. I'm well aware of what to look for, though, myself, and also don't plan on buying any totally stripped/MAMEd cabinets (which are his specialty).  If I couldn't check the game out thoroughly beforehand, I wouldn't waste my money.. and if I end up going home with an empty truck bed then so be it *shrug*..

[Xphile]

Oh, that.. I've read about that guy several times.. I'm well aware of what to look for, though, myself, and also don't plan on buying any totally stripped/MAMEd cabinets (which are his specialty).  

actually, I've only heard of the 3 mame cabs he had, he usually has dozens of cabs total at any given auction..

I think Paige says it best regarding Mr Do Rag:

"He exists for the sole purpose of stealing from you. He brings many games to auctions, and bids on them himself. "

and regarding  superauctions:

"The Super Auctions auctioneers are a couple of dishonest thieves as well, I have seen them bring a game up to $300 from $100 without a single person bidding, and then have to drop it back down to $50 because every bid from $100 to $300 did not exist."

read all about it ( and see the pic of Mr. Do Rag :-) at the bottom of this page.

http://paige.onecloud.org/arcade/auctions.html

[Pipercub]

I went to the Auction Game sales that was held in Baltiore MD, but the company is based in TN. I saw them do some of the same foolish crap at that auction, bids going real high real fast and nobody was holding up their sign. I saw them do a few games where they outran the crowd and went on to the next game as if it had sold.

Some games went up to stupid prices, games like POW and other stuff nobody puts on a route or wants for home. Then some stuff like a BIG 4 player cabnet with a large monitor that clearly had a bad power supply but not much else wrong with it went for next to nothing.

[paigeoliver]

Big stuff often goes REAL CHEAP. For several reasons. First off no one wants to lift the stuff. Secondly, it is often hard enough to convince the wife/parents to let you bring home a 19" cabinet, much less a 27" one, or a Dual Cybersled or Full Motion Afterburner cockpit. BTW, oddly enough, spouses/parents will usually agree to a cocktail easier than anything else, despite the fact that one cocktail eats up as much square footage as 3 uprights (because of the chairs you need).

Next thing, is dead games go for really cheap, unless they are A list classics, or nearly brand new. Middle of the road dead games go for nearly nothing because no one wants to mess with them (and more than half the people at the auction have no idea that normal people can repair games anyway)

Lets say my truck can hold two games, sure I might waste one of those spaces on a non-working Galaxian, but I sure am not gonna be dragging home a dead Crime City unless there was nothing else at the entire auction to be had.

Finally, most dead games usually only have one major problem, because once one thing goes, the game goes out of service, preventing other things from happening. BUT, unscrupulous sellers will sometimes swap in a bad monitor into a game with a bad boardset, maybe even a bad power supply too. Leaving a potential buyer with a game that NOTHING works on.

[JoyMonkey]

BTW, oddly enough, spouses/parents will usually agree to a cocktail easier than anything else, despite the fact that one cocktail eats up as much square footage as 3 uprights (because of the chairs you need).

This is so true. My girlfriend only agreed to let me build a cocktail cabinet because I promised to make it 'look as good as real furniture' and usable as a coffee table in our living room. It's lower than a regular cocktail and about 6" wider (coffee table size) and turned out great.

I'll probably go to the superauction in Boston in early June, I know I won't be allowed to take anything home (yes, thats right - I'm completely ---smurfette----whipped), but I want to see 'Mr.Do Rag' in action. Sounds like a total scumbag. Maybe I'll bring a few friends with me and, ah... I dunno, maybe this Mr.Do Rag might have himself a little 'accident'.