A Tough Question?

[ElfShotTheFood]

What reasons do you guys use on the wife/spouse/other to justify the expense and space required for these arc Thanks gade cabs and stuff?  I really need to win the argument of "We don't have enough room for that" and "we cant afford that" and "why do we need that" and "aren't the computers and game boys and ds's and psp's and wii and all the gamepads we allready have enough for one living room?"

This may be something to include in the newbie guide

I have found the answers to all my other questions while digging (much digging maybe excavation is a better term) through this board.   Thanks for all the help

[ahofle]

Get her to play this game: http://www.download-free-games.com/puzzle_game_download/luxor.htm
Once she's addicted, tell her it's 10 times better with a spinner/trackball and an arcade cabinet.  My wife hates video games, but loves luxor.

[ElfShotTheFood]

She does play games,  i already know any cab i build had better play dr mario and or tetris. 

[Apollo]

what about trying the cocktail cabinet route?

[ElfShotTheFood]

A cocktail cab is probably the only option (although i've always liked them anyway)  maybe a few cocktails in a glass before i bring up the subject again

[DarkBubble]

Is it wrong that when I first read the name "ElfShotTheFood", I had the urge to pound the desk and yell "Son of a *****!"?

So far, little expense has gone into it.  I've got an empty cab in the garage, but she hasn't been able to put "her" car in there for a while now.  Her only requirement at this point is that it get cleaned up and not look like the piece of **** that the previous operators had made it.

[Thenasty]

just get what you want, apology comes later 

[FrizzleFried]

Just remind her that Harley Davidson hobbies are much more expensive and take up more room to boot!

[Apollo]

Is it wrong that when I first read the name "ElfShotTheFood", I had the urge to pound the desk and yell "Son of a *****!"?

yeah cool user name

[TOK]

Women are all different, so there is probably no single perfect solution. I just started building mine without any kind of committee meeting, but I also have them here in a room that is all my stuff.  If you have to keep it in the living room, it might result in the compromise/abomination commonly referred to as The Furniture Cab, which is still slightly better than nothing.

I wouldn't dwell on the cost, and keep her out of it. You can spin it that you already have the spare PC to minimize expense, but I'm working on my 3rd cabinet, and I can tell you that every time, the stuff not initially considered like special tools, brackets/hardware and other detail items will nickel and dime you to death. Its nothing to drop $90 for brackets, hinges, paint, paddle bits and other small things you need to work around problems as they arise. It's less and less with subsequent cabs, but the first one is a killer.
 

[ElfShotTheFood]

A for pounding the desk,  those darn elves were always using their speed to go around me and steal all the treasure/potions/keys/food.  nothing better than warrior and wizard blocking a hallway so elf couldn't get past. 

as for keeping her out of the cost of it,,,,,  well she's an accountant.   that makes it really tough.

as for the harleys.  well my dad has an old 60somthing porche engine that he will give me if i ever find a nice old beetle to put it in.   thats about the only thing that would put the arcade cab on hold.

[knave]

Get her to play this game: http://www.download-free-games.com/puzzle_game_download/luxor.htm
Once she's addicted, tell her it's 10 times better with a spinner/trackball and an arcade cabinet.  My wife hates video games, but loves luxor.

It took Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-move to get my wife hooked.  Most evenings it's her idea to go out to the garage and play.  Yes, my cabs currently are in the garage.  While we might have room inside as long as the cabs are kinda grungy they will live in the garage happily enough. 

Since you are asking for suggestions.  see if you can get her to play some of the cool puzzle games head-to-head with gamepads via mame.  if she likes that then shoot for the "PuzzleCade". (lol) With my wife, once I recieved even marginal acceptance Two more cabs appeared.  She didn't say much. And then came Puzzle-Bobble.

Oh and I also made sure that I tackled some of the "honey-do" list items.  Not giving her cause to resent my hobby is always a winning move.

[ChadTower]

What reasons do you guys use on the wife/spouse/other to justify the expense and space required for these arc Thanks gade cabs and stuff?

I paid for the house.

[shorthair]

Get her to play this game: http://www.download-free-games.com/puzzle_game_download/luxor.htm
Once she's addicted, tell her it's 10 times better with a spinner/trackball and an arcade cabinet.  My wife hates video games, but loves luxor.

I thought this would be the case, but I actually prefer the mouse on this game.

elf: you may not realise you have an asset, there. Make it an team and adventure kind of thing, where she can figure the cost of everything, maybe even do the research on the parts, you just have to build it.

Or, if she asks the basic question, just say, 'cos I wanna'.

[deadkenndys1105]

Well my mom hates my cabinets (what im 17 I can still live with my mom).  Right now I have my mame cabinet and a millipede in the basement and im looking into buying a defender and building a second mame cabinet.  She does hair in the basement so she kinda likes them also because they keep the little kids quite most of the time.  I have been collecting classic games for quite a long time now and arcade games was the next step for me.  I have to do quite a bit of talking before going out and picking a game up.  Right now I have a wall that is just for my cabinets and future cabinets.  As long as im paying for them out of my own pocket and I can get them into the basement she will let me keep them.

[shardian]

elf: you may not realise you have an asset, there. Make it an team and adventure kind of thing, where she can figure the cost of everything, maybe even do the research on the parts, you just have to build it.

Never ever, ever, ever, EVER let the spouse handle the funding...well unless you want to be shut down in a hurry. I've gotten several projects in the door because of low up-front cost. It is the extra parts and nickel and dime stuff that kills you in this hobby.

Here is my best example: I could have gotten a complete pacman cocktail minus the boards and a monitor chassis for about $110. The wife said no-way to that. However after talking to the seller, I ended up getting an offer of the same machine, except stripped and the control panels hacksawed out of the sides for free. The wife was all for that. Now the kicker is that it will take  $110 or more to get the machine in full working order again, but the cash is spread out in small amounts over a few months.  Get my point?

[Extreme8]

Just remember the Married Man's Credo;

"It's always easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"

[shardian]

Just remember the Married Man's Credo;

"It's always easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"

If that is your creedo, then you married the wrong woman IMO. You'd be surprised what you can get away with, with a clear conscience I might add, when you ask their opinion first. For some reason, they just like the illusion that you might actually value their opinion/approval. I tell ya its like a secret man-weapon that not many know how to use.

[ChadTower]

Exactly.  You ask for the spousal buy in, and hopefully get it, but if you don't, then you just do it anyway and go with getting forgiveness.

[shorthair]

Ya all are funny. Given where this thread is, I'll leave it at that.

[ElKootcho]

This question is simple. I'm a man working fulltime supporting my wife and daughter and if I want to build a cabinet then I'm damn well going to build a cabinet. Unless it's a financial hardship, why does any adult male (or female) need "permission" from anyone?

[ChadTower]

Because she controls the in and out bits, mostly.

[ElfShotTheFood]

Well the best part is the kids are on my side.  my 4yr old says gauntlet is "the best game ever"  and the 10yr old loves joust.  he was on a merry-go-round recently and was just plain thrilled that it had a chicken for him to ride on. 

[Joystick Jerk]

To be quite honest, some things you gotta just put your foot down about. While everything should be agreed upon in a relationship, it's a sad thing that so many guys seem to get browbeaten into submission by their significant others these days. If you're spending your own money on it and not demanding to put it in the kitchen or something, then you should be able to do what you want with your hobby.

The day my girlfriend says I can't have a cab or two in the den because it clashes with the paint scheme is the day I start thinking about getting a new girlfriend. Luckily my girlfriend isn't the shrill harpy that society seems to be turning our women into these days. The only complaints I get about my current cab is that it isn't getting built fast enough and we have to make due with a PC and X-Arcade stick in the mean time!

[ElfShotTheFood]

Well, i am ordering $150 worth of GroovyGameGear, so damn the torpedoes and here we go.

not wanting to piss off the lady doesn't necessarily mean browbeaten,  its just that her little pink button is a lot more fun than anything that happ or any other company makes.  and we all know if she's unhappy,  the best toy of all gets put away.

[Joystick Jerk]

That's when you one up her and claim you're withholding sex from her as well! Most women think a guy will cave first, but I've found guys can go far longer without sex than a girl can. One of my friends withheld sex for 6 weeks from his girlfriend. She kept needling him about his "suffering" up until week 5, day 4, but she gave in herself.

Guys have more outlets to satisfy themselves, and it's a medical fact that masturbation is a much more pleasurable release for guys than it is for girls.


And hey, I just recieved $150 in GGG product today myself!

[ChadTower]

Guys have more outlets to satisfy themselves, and it's a medical fact that masturbation is a much more pleasurable release for guys than it is for girls.

His name is Joystick Jerk.  I'd just like to point that out.

[shardian]

That's when you one up her and claim you're withholding sex from her as well! Most women think a guy will cave first, but I've found guys can go far longer without sex than a girl can. One of my friends withheld sex for 6 weeks from his girlfriend. She kept needling him about his "suffering" up until week 5, day 4, but she gave in herself.

Guys have more outlets to satisfy themselves, and it's a medical fact that masturbation is a much more pleasurable release for guys than it is for girls.


And hey, I just recieved $150 in GGG product today myself!

Hate to tell you this, but unless your buddy had a woman on the side, he is gay. It's a man rule you know - men DO NOT hold out on sex.

Oh and your key word was "girlfriend". There is a difference between a girlfriend and a wife w/ kids. At that point it isn't really your money any more - we just tell ourselves it is to feel more manly.
:spits and scratches for manly effect:

[Joystick Jerk]

Hate to tell you this, but unless your buddy had a woman on the side, he is gay. It's a man rule you know - men DO NOT hold out on sex.

Oh and your key word was "girlfriend". There is a difference between a girlfriend and a wife w/ kids. At that point it isn't really your money any more - we just tell ourselves it is to feel more manly.
:spits and scratches for manly effect:

---That which is odiferous and causeth plants to grow---. Most guys won't withhold sex because that's their preprogrammed role as a modern "man".

And BS again. Although I probably won't ever get married as the concept is pretty abhorrent to me, if I did, money would still be seperate. The number one thing that starts fights in any marriage is money. Keep it seperate and no fights. My parents, grandparents, and uncles and aunts, were all taught to keep the money seperate, and there hasn't been a divorce yet.

[leapinlew]

Although I probably won't ever get married as the concept is pretty abhorrent to me, if I did, money would still be seperate. The number one thing that starts fights in any marriage is money. Keep it seperate and no fights. My parents, grandparents, and uncles and aunts, were all taught to keep the money seperate, and there hasn't been a divorce yet.

Spoken like a true bachelor...

Perhaps I should kick my wife out of the house cause she doesn't have a job? What a crappy relationship where you keep tabs on who owes who.

Trust me, if you get married you'll learn that each person takes on certain roles. Where those roles intersect is where you often have problems (for example: neither of you likes to clean the house). You very well could end up with a woman who wants nothing to do with finances, hands you her paycheck and is fine living on an allowance.

[ElfShotTheFood]

Definitely don't marry an accountant if you want to keep finances separate.  If you don't mind the money being together than i can highly recommend dating/marrying an accountant . 

I can't remember the last time i wrote a check or actually paid a bill through the mail.   

Getting your taxes done is also very simple.   Here's my w2 honey, where do i sign?

[Joystick Jerk]

Spoken like a true bachelor...

Perhaps I should kick my wife out of the house cause she doesn't have a job? What a crappy relationship where you keep tabs on who owes who.

Considering my current relationship has lasted 6 years, a bachelor I ain't.

And who said anything about "keeping tabs on who owes who"? When you keep the money seperate, you don't have these sorts of problems. I don't borrow her money, she doesn't borrow mine.

And of course you shouldn't kick your wife out if she doesn't have a job, as that's fine with you. Personally, I wouldn't get into a serious relationship with a woman who didn't have a job or was at least studying for a career.