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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: mrdizle on September 18, 2018, 11:42:14 am

Title: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: mrdizle on September 18, 2018, 11:42:14 am
What is the cheapest full size arcade cabinet, to which I can attach a RPi? I have seen one that is 750, including shipping, for a 32 inch LED unit, full size. Others are over $1000 shipped.
I am looking for two players, 6 buttons and joystick for each.  No special artwork. Thanks.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: javeryh on September 19, 2018, 12:05:20 pm
There is no real way to answer your question without more information...  way too many variables. 

Also, if you are looking at a full sized cabinet, a Raspberry Pi is not a good choice.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Nephasth on September 19, 2018, 12:09:25 pm
Pick up a free one off CL.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Mike A on September 19, 2018, 12:32:25 pm
Try to break out of the habit of asking for the cheapest this or the cheapest that. You will go through your life disappointed in just about everything you buy. Sometimes the cheapest thing is a decent value. It usually is just disappointing garbage. Sometimes the cheapest thing is all you can afford. In that case it is probably better to just go without it.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: keilmillerjr on September 19, 2018, 05:30:49 pm
Golden tee. Depends on year/model and cpo condition, I could talk down a 150$ tag on an old one to 100$. Older ones tend to have like a 13” crt, but if the price is right...
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: leapinlew on September 19, 2018, 07:34:40 pm
I got 2 golden tee cabs for $150 - they needed everything. I built 1 to sell and 1 to keep. This is the one I sold.

Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: jdevane on September 20, 2018, 11:08:50 am
what about this place???  arcadeshop.com anyone ever order a cabinet from them?  they are actually like right up the road from me but I have not be able to get a email response from their site but have never bother calling as I didn't really need anything at the moment.

Their cabinet blanks are priced well and already setup for arcade lcd.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Nephasth on September 20, 2018, 11:53:18 am
they are actually like right up the road from me ...

Go knock on their door.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: pbj on September 20, 2018, 12:35:16 pm
I swear to god... if this is another vendor sock account.....

Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Wzrd0803 on September 20, 2018, 01:14:31 pm
I hope links are ok. If not, moderator please remove the link.

I bought my cabinet from this guy.  I'm currently in the process of painting and assembling it.  It has everything cut for an easy assemble it seems.  It comes with screws to asssemble it too.  He has a bartop version and this upright one which I bought.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Easy-to-Assemble-2p-Cabaret-Upright-Arcade-Cabinet-Kit-w-marquee-holder-HAPP/223150500960 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Easy-to-Assemble-2p-Cabaret-Upright-Arcade-Cabinet-Kit-w-marquee-holder-HAPP/223150500960)

If the mods remove the link, the user is lep1customs on ebay.

Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: jdevane on September 20, 2018, 02:12:55 pm
I swear to god... if this is another vendor sock account.....

It this post was for me...   I'm am not the vendor I mentioned...  I just happen to stumble on them a few weeks back and fired off an email through their site which never went answered...  in the meantime I found a sign shop in my area that has a 5x10 CNC table and was excited to talk about my project so I never followed up with that place...  I have actually had this account for a long time I just mainly troll...
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: luizw81 on September 20, 2018, 03:29:53 pm
I swear to god... if this is another vendor sock account.....

It this post was for me...   I'm am not the vendor I mentioned...  I just happen to stumble on them a few weeks back and fired off an email through their site which never went answered...  in the meantime I found a sign shop in my area that has a 5x10 CNC table and was excited to talk about my project so I never followed up with that place...  I have actually had this account for a long time I just mainly troll...

I don't troll but I do lurk!


Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Zebidee on September 20, 2018, 03:58:39 pm
I swear to god... if this is another vendor sock account.....

It this post was for me...   I'm am not the vendor I mentioned...  I just happen to stumble on them a few weeks back and fired off an email through their site which never went answered...  in the meantime I found a sign shop in my area that has a 5x10 CNC table and was excited to talk about my project so I never followed up with that place...  I have actually had this account for a long time I just mainly troll...

I don't troll but I do lurk!

I just loll about :laugh2:
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: jdevane on September 21, 2018, 11:08:13 am
I don't troll but I do lurk!

Yeah, I guess that's what I meant...
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: paigeoliver on September 21, 2018, 02:27:29 pm
Buying a prebuilt cabinet and then putting a Pi in it is pretty much a guaranteed way to get the worst machine possible at the highest price possible.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Osirus23 on September 21, 2018, 02:52:36 pm
Buying a prebuilt cabinet and then putting a Pi in it is pretty much a guaranteed way to get the worst machine possible at the highest price possible.

I don't even think they stop to think why they're using a Pi. They just assume its the default method of building a cabinet now.

The only time its suitable is if space is a consideration, and in the case of mainframe-size arcade cabinets, it isn't.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Howard_Casto on September 21, 2018, 07:29:00 pm
I think it's because there are images out there where you can get roms on a pi and it up and running without any effort.  I prefer PCs myself but if you are lazy I suppose the pi would cut out a lot of the work. 
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: nitrogen_widget on September 22, 2018, 07:54:09 am
I got 2 golden tee cabs for $150 - they needed everything. I built 1 to sell and 1 to keep. This is the one I sold.

Right now the cheapest cabinet I can find is a black cabinet all chewed up at the bottom. With a control panel and bezel with fish on it and a Mrs pacman marquee.
It has a monitor but it doesn't turn on and the guy won't budge from $300 because he has seen Mrs. Pacman go for $1500 restored. :dizzy:

It must be my area.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: javeryh on September 22, 2018, 02:44:30 pm
I got 2 golden tee cabs for $150 - they needed everything. I built 1 to sell and 1 to keep. This is the one I sold.

Right now the cheapest cabinet I can find is a black cabinet all chewed up at the bottom. With a control panel and bezel with fish on it and a Mrs pacman marquee.
It has a monitor but it doesn't turn on and the guy won't budge from $300 because he has seen Mrs. Pacman go for $1500 restored. :dizzy:

It must be my area.

Just keep looking.  Check Craigslist and eBay or wherever multiple times a day.  I managed to score a gutted Donkey Kong with the coin door for $36 a number of years ago.  Pure luck.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Howard_Casto on September 22, 2018, 11:09:26 pm
You know if you want something specific and you have woodworking skills building a clone is often cheaper when all is said and done.  Jakobud's site still has all the major cabinet designs up.... built my pac-man with it. 
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: nitrogen_widget on September 23, 2018, 12:09:45 am
You know if you want something specific and you have woodworking skills building a clone is often cheaper when all is said and done.  Jakobud's site still has all the major cabinet designs up.... built my pac-man with it.

Yup.
And we aren't even talking mad skills or tools here.
I just used a circular saw and a few clamps to cut both sides at the same time.

Took literally 45 mins. to cut my cabaret cab out of MDF.
cost about $32 for the wood and they didn't charge me to cut it in half.

forever and a day to put it together though. :)
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: javeryh on September 24, 2018, 11:33:18 am
You know if you want something specific and you have woodworking skills building a clone is often cheaper when all is said and done.  Jakobud's site still has all the major cabinet designs up.... built my pac-man with it.

Yup.
And we aren't even talking mad skills or tools here.
I just used a circular saw and a few clamps to cut both sides at the same time.

Took literally 45 mins. to cut my cabaret cab out of MDF.
cost about $32 for the wood and they didn't charge me to cut it in half.

forever and a day to put it together though. :)

I also agree - it will take an afternoon to build a cabinet from a few sheets of plywood if you are semi-competent with the tools.  Then 4-6 months to get it finished!
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: wp34 on September 24, 2018, 11:35:37 am
I also agree - it will take an afternoon to build a cabinet from a few sheets of plywood if you are semi-competent with the tools.  Then 4-6 months to get it finished!

This about made me spit up my coffee.   :laugh2:

So true.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Howard_Casto on September 24, 2018, 02:03:50 pm
Bah 4-6 months.... rookies!  I've got one that's nearly 20 years old and I still wouldn't consider it finished.  The build NEVER ends. 
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: paigeoliver on September 24, 2018, 06:05:53 pm
Bah 4-6 months.... rookies!  I've got one that's nearly 20 years old and I still wouldn't consider it finished.  The build NEVER ends.

Back in the old days I decided on a Friday afternoon to build one for the arcade auction the next morning. Went out and bought wood at around 4 PM, painted it around 11:30 that night. 8 hours from idea to completely working machine. Sold it at auction the next morning.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: Osirus23 on September 24, 2018, 06:16:26 pm

Back in the old days I decided on a Friday afternoon to build one for the arcade auction the next morning. Went out and bought wood at around 4 PM, painted it around 11:30 that night. 8 hours from idea to completely working machine. Sold it at auction the next morning.

Yeah but we can't all be astronauts.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: paigeoliver on September 26, 2018, 07:46:21 pm

Back in the old days I decided on a Friday afternoon to build one for the arcade auction the next morning. Went out and bought wood at around 4 PM, painted it around 11:30 that night. 8 hours from idea to completely working machine. Sold it at auction the next morning.

Yeah but we can't all be astronauts.

However more recently I did a multicade cocktail conversion for a customer and it took me 4 months.
Title: Re: Cheapest full size arcade cabinet?
Post by: lisowskikevin on September 27, 2018, 06:37:17 pm
Try to break out of the habit of asking for the cheapest this or the cheapest that. You will go through your life disappointed in just about everything you buy. Sometimes the cheapest thing is a decent value. It usually is just disappointing garbage. Sometimes the cheapest thing is all you can afford. In that case it is probably better to just go without it.

Agreed. You want top quality switches and joysticks because you want your build to last. You get what you pay for and this industry has lots of crappy sellers. Shop with groovy game gear and ultimarc and you will be happy.