Yes, you can do it cheap if you try.

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paigeoliver:

--- Quote from: anthony691 on June 17, 2003, 04:17:26 pm ---What condition is the origional 4 way in? I might want to buy it...

--- End quote ---

The original 4-way is already sold in a lot of assorted parts (along with the audio amp).

The computer really was free. I traded a cabinet that I got free for some Sega Turbo parts, which I traded for the computer.

I will likely use the monitor to revive a dead/missing monitor game sometime in the future (if I don't sell it first). The thing looks new, it really is easily a $100 monitor.

Judging from what I have sold other oddball control panel overlays for, this one should be a $10 item also. (Actually fits all Artic Mini/caberet cabs, they all used that same spaceman overlay).

Anyway. Even discounting all the leftover bits, I still spent pretty much hardly anything on this bad boy. I wish my other one was that cheap.

Wade:
paigeoliver,

Maybe your list isn't as biased as I thought. :)

I guess your story is a good example of how getting into coin op arcade games as a hobby is of great benefit to anyone building a Mame box. There are lots of arcade games out there for free or close to it, and there are lots of salvagable parts (not just the cabinet).

Wade

ilsiu:
I think 2slk and Mike raise good points about the book-keeping practices shown in this thread.

The main point of contention is the distinction between cost and value. The expense lists here are combining the two when they represent different things.

Cost is the how much money I would have to spend, period. For example, let's say I wanted to make a cabinet exactly like the Artic mini-mame. Let's assume I had to start from ground zero - I have no old computers/monitors/hardware. I could acquire all the necessary components in three ways:

1) Buy them (new or used)
2) Trade something for it. In order to do this, I need something to trade; the cost would be whatever I paid for the item I'm trading in.
3) Gift or donation. If someone wants to give me something, then the cost is zero.

Going by (1) and (2), I seriously doubt I could assemble Paigeoliver's system for $125. (3) is the wild card - it seems that some people are very talented in finding free stuff (unfortunately, I'm not one of them).

In terms of value, let's say that I had an old Pentium 300 lying around. If I tried to sell it, I'd probably get $100 (just a round figure), so the value is $100. But I had to originally pay $1000 to acquire it in the first place - the cost is $1000. (Hopefully I got at least $900 worth of use out of it.)

It works the other way too. Let's say someone donated a brand new WG9200 monitor to me (it could happen ;)). The cost is zero to me, but if I wanted to sell it, I'd place a value of $500 on it.

I'm always interested in seeing how inexpensively people can put together MAME cabs, but I'm a litttle skeptical that these lists aren't a indicating the true cost. Still, I think that it's possible to put together a very nice MAME cabinet for less than $500 - you just need to be aggressive in finding salvage.

Regards,
I-Liang

SirPeale:
All right, let's see how mine comes out. I, being the ultimate cheapskate.

Cabinet: a six pack ($6.99)
Computer: $15 to replace the motherboard (everything else I salvaged from stuff given to me)
KeyWiz: $41 (included shipping)
Joy/Buttons: $0 (raped off a few old CPs given to me)
Power Strip: $5
Wire: $0 (salvaged CAT-5 from a dumpster diving expo)
.187 Female connectors: $10 for 100
Black 3/4" T-Molding, 60': $25
19" Monitor: $89
--------------------------------------
Total so far: $189, not including gasoline, tolls and time.

This is just for a playable cabinet. I haven't painted it yet. I'm waiting for a really good sale on matte black paint.

MikeW:
Mine weighs in at the $500 mark but is fairly well equipped for $500 (: If I had to calculate value, it would be much higher obviously. Probably around $2000

Cab: Built 2 from scratch. 2nd guy was not handy so the agreement was that he purchase the materials and I build them. $0 cost to me.

CPU: Had a 1.4Ghz PC that was given to me. $0 cost to me

CP: Purchased a SlikStik Classic for $450. Worth it to have it built for me for $100 more than I could buy the parts.

Monitor: NEC Multisync 27" monitor that does 15,25 and 31.5 Khz. This monitor ROCKS!!!! $50 from brother in law. He got a steal on buying 3 of these used from a local A/V rental store.

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