So I just missed out on a FREE Centipede

[tophatne1]

A guy down the street from me listed one for free in the Classified paper that doesn't come out until tomorrow and I still missed it. I tried calling him all morning and finally got him at lunch time while he was on his way home to call me. He was going to tell me to come pick up the game, but when he pulled into the garage it was gone. His wife had given it away. 

He did however tell me the whole story of how he got the game and how it was in perfect condition blah blah blah which made me feel even worse about missing out.

My most wanted game 5 minutes from my house for FREE and I still miss it even when I'm all over it!

I'm hoping to get my first real working game someday. It's been 2 years of searching.

Don't really know where I'm going with this. Just had to get it out!

[shardian]

Dang, that sucks big time. Hate to make you feel worse, but odds are that will never happen again.

Happened to me with a Space Invaders at my Church. They put it on the curb for trash pickup the day before I inquired about it.

[ChadTower]

Last year an old lady less than half a mile from me had her grandkids put up a vague post on RGP about "an old pinball machine that has been in our basement 30 years ... doesn't work ... first reasonable offer...".

Turns out she had a Gottlieb Knock Out in gorgeous shape under 30 years of dust, a highly sought after EM with playfield animation worth thousands...

...no, I didn't get it.  And I could have walked it home.

[tophatne1]

Dang, that sucks big time. Hate to make you feel worse, but odds are that will never happen again.

I know, I know...

Maybe in 5 years when the kids are in school all day my wife can get a full time job so I can start having some money to get the games I want without having to pray that someone is going to give them out for free.

[tophatne1]

I should probably just finish the MAME cab I started 2 years ago to at least have something to play on. Every time I think about starting work on it again I see better hardware and better examples of things i should have done. The second guess myself right out of doing it.

[ironmichael]

Not quite "free" but not a bad price either...

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/clt/447195091.html

[ChadTower]

$750 for a Centipede is pretty high... if you don't need one that's as minty fresh as that one you can go much less expensive.

I bet I know the guy selling that, there are only so many collectors who can do that work in this area.

[Level42]

Cambridge ? Mark S. ?

I paid €300,- and mine has a (still) non-working PCB and monitor and needs a new CPO, and a track-ball rebuild...but hey, this is Europe, this is The Netherlands. How many Centipede's can there be here still ? Especialy in a otherwise almost perfect condition.....

I've got too many games to work on

[BrentRadio]

Well according to the high score, MCS, I would say it's Mark Spaeths Centipede...

[FrizzleFried]

...and that is a nice cabinet & a damn good score.  I have a hard time hitting 60K on Centipede.

[ARTIFACT]

ARG I *JUST* missed a $50 asteroids... MINT

I literally JUMPED on the ad when it was posted, and the guy told me that 15 other people had already called and/or emailed... Just within the first 10 minutes.