Stuff found hidden in arcades I bought

[dre-w]

One thing I love about collecting arcades is finding things hidden inside them.  Sometimes the find may reveal a little history about its past, where it's been or what it's endured.. and sometimes the find is just pretty random..  (I've heard a few)  Usually I find items in the coin box or just around the bottom of the cab but not all the time.  Check it out

My Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja arcade had a lock on the back door that needed to be drilled through.  This awaited me at the bottom.
(can read more about this here  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=100305.0 )


Bought a Arkanoid cab sometime ago.. the coin box at the bottom had never been opened by the previous owner so I broke it open.  Looks like he missed out on a good time.
(can read more about this here  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=89837.0 )




The Outrun arcade I'm currently working on had some mint 1967 quarters scattered around on the bottom.  Plus a couple of these tokens from the Century Starcade..  which would probably explain all the soda spilled all over the machine.
(can read more about this here  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=100273.0 )



I have 2 Top Skater machines.  One I bought for only $400 and was working but missing a bunch of stuff.  The other one I bought for $100 was non-working plus really beat up and rusted like it had been sitting under water.  Ironically everything that was missing from the good one, the bad one had.  So I bought the bad just for the parts I needed.  Now it's 100% fully restored (will post this soon under restorations)

The good one had an extra power cord in the coin box. 

When me and some friends were trying to get the huge monitor through the front door, we needed to take the tv out of the bottom compartment it sits in.  We found a bunch of these really cool SEGA GAME CARDS hidden underneath it..  I tried to look up more info on what STAGE35 is but couldn't really find a lot of info on it.. probably something cool I missed out on.  But yeh I got a buch of them if anyone wants any.



The bad one was so rusty all over and this would explain why.. found it in the coin return slot 

The Bay Arcade in Balboa Beach..  The air alone over there is enough to eat away at it from the salt water.

There's been some other stuff I've found like stickers, markers, etc. but yeh that's all I have for now.  Anyone else find anything cool in their arcades??  I would love hearing or seeing other peoples findings

[SavannahLion]

The very first cab I ever picked up was mis-marked on Craigs as a Super Hang-On (it was a Hang-On) sans monitor and sans PCB. When I picked it up, not only did it have the Hang-On PCB, there was also a Choplifter PCB that was just sitting in there. No idea if it works though. Still haven't located a 19" monitor for it though.

Another cab I got had a Happ joystick inside missing the Cherries.

Another sported a couple of, unfortunately, moldy manuals to SFII and some other game. Same cab also happened to have a couple of the security wrenches for the screws used to hold the metal trim in place. Exactly the tool I needed

Don't have much beyond that.

[HaRuMaN]

Someone here, I forget who, opened a cab up and found a black widow spider inside...   

[shardian]

The most exotic thing I have uncovered is an ant colony behind a marquee. I could almost hear them screaming "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! SAVE THE BABIES!!!!" As I blinded them with the sun and started firing cleanser at them.

[Koolbrez67]

I found 27.50 in quarters on a rampage arcade I got for free. It also had 5 packs of unopened base ball cards from 1989.

[SirPeale]

RE: this photo: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y155/dre-w/COINDOORBOX2.jpg

I'd like to see more photos of the whole cabinet.  From the bottom this looks like a cab that I've got, which currently houses a Q-Bert bootleg.  If it's the same cab, I'd like some shots of the bezel retainer - it's missing on mine.  I fabbed something, but it didn't work.

[Pinball Wizard]

When me and some friends were trying to get the huge monitor through the front door, we needed to take the tv out of the bottom compartment it sits in.  We found a bunch of these really cool SEGA GAME CARDS hidden underneath it..  I tried to look up more info on what STAGE35 is but couldn't really find a lot of info on it.. probably something cool I missed out on.  But yeh I got a buch of them if anyone wants any.

I'm interested in getting one of those STAGE35 cards if your still willing. Just PM me with more info if you would.


The first thing I did was that I bought a Pole Position and left it sitting for 2 years with all my other projects. One day going through ripping off locks that I don't have keys to and broke into the coin box. Found $60 of quarters and only paid $40 working!!!

The other thing I did was that I bought a cabinet for 5 dollars with a 29" screen in it knowing that I'd get something out of the monitor. Found out it was a VGA monitor that is 29" and was wonderful for mame, steady picture, good colors, and CHEAP!!!

Other than that I've found some old manuals in cabinets and full board sets before but never anything that is rare or something.

[RayB]

No cool stories from me. $10 in quarters all jammed in the coin slots of a $90 Punch Out.  A complete documents package for Centipede inside a $50 Centipede cabaret (by complete I mean it had G07 manual, tech notices, atari coin door stickers, etc. But it was all for regular upright Centipede. Weird.)

Oh, the converted Robotron cabaret had lots of foam pieces and bubble wrap. They were in there to hold the circuit board in place.  

[dre-w]

When I picked it up, not only did it have the Hang-On PCB, there was also a Choplifter PCB that was just sitting in there.

Sweeet nectar!  That's so funny because today me and my friend from work were on the subject of one-upping people and he said he recently bought a neo-geo cab and it had an extra pcb sitting inside, I think he said it was bases loaded or some baseball game.

Someone here, I forget who, opened a cab up and found a black widow spider inside...   

Haha!  I've always been afraid of that.  Finding a black widow spider.. or black widow by atari inside..

The most exotic thing I have uncovered is an ant colony behind a marquee. I could almost hear them screaming "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! SAVE THE BABIES!!!!" As I blinded them with the sun and started firing cleanser at them.

that was the funniest thing I've heard all day

I found 27.50 in quarters on a rampage arcade I got for free. It also had 5 packs of unopened base ball cards from 1989.

Just money and the random small tool.  Best I ever did was ~$33 in quarters on a $75 cabinet.

Man you guys came up on some good coin!  I only found $1.75 in one of my cabs..  booo..

I'd like to see more photos of the whole cabinet.  From the bottom this looks like a cab that I've got, which currently houses a Q-Bert bootleg.  If it's the same cab, I'd like some shots of the bezel retainer - it's missing on mine.  I fabbed something, but it didn't work.

Sure thing.  Here you go



Those pictures are old from when I first got it, it's all fixed up now but I just haven't uploaded them yet.  Hope those help.  If you need more just let me know what's good

I'm interested in getting one of those STAGE35 cards if your still willing. Just PM me with more info if you would.

Sure thing, I only have a couple left.  Nice find by the way in the Pole Position coin box!  Wish I had your luck.

the converted Robotron cabaret had lots of foam pieces and bubble wrap. They were in there to hold the circuit board in place. 

[SirPeale]

Hm...now that I have a closer look yours looks like a converted Taito cab with conversion artwork on it.  Here's mine:

http://www.pealefamily.net/tech/arcade/?cat=36

[MaineEvent]

Bought a Arkanoid cab sometime ago.. the coin box at the bottom had never been opened by the previous owner so I broke it open.  Looks like he missed out on a good time.

Well, I certainly hope you contacted the authorities immediately upon finding the illicit substance!
They could have dusted for prints and possibly traced back to a culprit through the DNA on interlocking zipper of the Zip-Lock bag....I know that whenever I send weed to California through arcade machines I always .....aahh nevermind

[daywane]

Vintage / clasic herb 
  I never get so lucky. most I have found was a Bees nest (live one at that)

[Q*Bert_OP]

Hmmm...worst things I've found in cabs are usually brown recluse(s), rats, scorpions, and other pests...the best thing I've found was $600 in quarters in the coin box of a game I was destroying. It was in a redemption piece by Atari called Hoop it up.

[Ed_McCarron]

Floyd?

[SirPeale]

Hmmm...worst things I've found in cabs are usually brown recluse(s), rats, scorpions, and other pests...the best thing I've found was $600 in quarters in the coin box of a game I was destroying. It was in a redemption piece by Atari called Hoop it up.

Hoop it Up is fun!  Why'd you destroy it?

[dre-w]

the best thing I've found was $600 in quarters in the coin box of a game I was destroying. It was in a redemption piece by Atari called Hoop it up.

daaang $600!  Hoop it up!  Big BALLER!!!

[MaineEvent]

HOW DID SOMEONE NOT KNOW THERE WAS $600 IN COINS inside???
Or was it a wad of bills?
I want to by more cabs, just to find secret treasures now!

[Q*Bert_OP]

HOW DID SOMEONE NOT KNOW THERE WAS $600 IN COINS inside???

Hoop it Up is fun!  Why'd you destroy it?

This game came from a skating rink. The owners had bought some games from an operator that was going out of business. The worked for a little while, then some of them quit working. Several years passed, and they couldn't find anyone to fix the games, so whatever was broken was put outside behind the building in an old mobile home that was being a makeshift storage shed. Several more years passed passed...the shed had become very dilapidated, and the roof leaked. Most of the games became water damaged.

Fastforwarding to 2008...the owners of the skating rink mentioned, who have known me for many years, find out that I fix arcade games. At this point, there are only 6 games left inside the building, only 2 work. I was asked to help them fix the games inside, and that if I wanted any of the games outside, I was welcome to them.

Skipping over the actual repairs, I managed to get 8 of about 15 games out of the outside building. The building had become very dangerous to walk through, especially where the floor had collapsed. The games I couldn't get were a Stern Galaxy pinball, and an electronic Joker Poker. Also left behind was a Sprint II B/W vid. It was too far back to safely get.

</rambling>

Anyways the Hoop it up was one of the last games to go into the shed. The owners had lost the keys to it and never emptied the coin box. It was out of order for a long time, and they didn't think there was very much money in it, so they said to just keep whatever you find in the games....so I did

The reason it was destroyed...well...as I mentioned, this shed had a roof leak and collapsed floor...the game was heavily water damaged along with nearly all the machines I pulled out that I parted and demolished...


So...if anyone needs Hoop it Up parts...LMK...I have everything except the coin door and the control panel.

[forty4420]

OMG, Downtown Brown.....

That has got to be the nastyist looking pot I have ever seen...


Hope you didn't try to smoke that stuff.....

[dre-w]

Hope you didn't try to smoke that stuff.....

[Paladin]

I found the pipe that goes with your stash!  I picked up a Joust cab that had gone through several conversions to make my multi Williams.  When I was checking it out at the guys house, I found a pipe behind the coin box.  It looked like it was home made out of that colored clay stuff - Fimo I think it's called.

I didn't know what to do.  Several things went through my head like: 'Dude, I found your missing pipe' and 'Uh, do you have kids, cause if you do you might want to see this'.  In the end I didn't say anything, and just tossed it after I got home.

Cab before and after for those interested:

[dre-w]

Several things went through my head like: 'Dude, I found your missing pipe' and 'Uh, do you have kids, cause if you do you might want to see this'.  In the end I didn't say anything

   You should've that would've been classic!

I did.  Called him up and asked if he forgot where he put his stash..  "Huh?, don't know what you're talking about,  never looked in the coin box before, had the cab for 10 years, my wife and I aren't into that kind of stuff"  I was hoping it was his so then I could sell it back to him or trade it for one of his other cabs he was sellin   ...so if what he was saying was true.. then, this herb is from the 90s!  Anybody do Arkanoid.. I hear that's what the kids are callin it nowadays..

[Smeghead]

When I bought mine I found a secret gateway to a snowy land where a giant lion ruled the lands

[SavannahLion]

When I bought mine I found a secret gateway to a snowy land where a giant lion ruled the lands

Yeah, I found one when I bought a wardrobe. Discovered someone else already wrote that story so I just gave it to my ex. I hope that ---smurfette--- fell in and never found her way out.