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Arcade Cabinet: Yes or No?
thunderswine
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I'm browsing my area's Craigslist for apartments and somehow end up in the gaming offers area. Right in the middle of the usual selections of overpriced oXbox game collections and Nigerian Princes trying to offload their PSPs, I come across what seems to be gold.
A gentleman is wanting to get rid of a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, but he is not sure what he wants for it aside from a vague mention of newer games or a computer. I e-mailed him and put an offer on the table (a 40gb PS3 and a 19" TV that is no longer getting much use) and he said he'd take the trade. Great! Maybe?
First of all, does anyone here know if that trade sounds fair? I've googled the cabinet and ran across primarily DK/DK Jr + Mario Bros cabinets that go for $2000-$3000, but they are new and I haven't found a price for a used DK machine so I'm not sure what the value of it is.
Second, I've never owned an arcade cabinet before. Are there any very obvious things I should be looking for when I go to check it out? I want it pretty bad, but not if I'm going to be having to repair it shortly after getting it home.
Any help is definitely appreciated, I know most of this stuff could probably be googled up but maybe someone here knows something I wouldn't think to search for.
A gentleman is wanting to get rid of a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet, but he is not sure what he wants for it aside from a vague mention of newer games or a computer. I e-mailed him and put an offer on the table (a 40gb PS3 and a 19" TV that is no longer getting much use) and he said he'd take the trade. Great! Maybe?
First of all, does anyone here know if that trade sounds fair? I've googled the cabinet and ran across primarily DK/DK Jr + Mario Bros cabinets that go for $2000-$3000, but they are new and I haven't found a price for a used DK machine so I'm not sure what the value of it is.
Second, I've never owned an arcade cabinet before. Are there any very obvious things I should be looking for when I go to check it out? I want it pretty bad, but not if I'm going to be having to repair it shortly after getting it home.
Any help is definitely appreciated, I know most of this stuff could probably be googled up but maybe someone here knows something I wouldn't think to search for.
thunderswine on
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If the cabinet is in a condition you are willing to accept then go for it.
For what to look for, that I don't know.
Dk? I've seen them worth a decent amount. What you want to make sure it isn't broken. Any time an arcade machine is broken, its worth less. Far less.
RGVAC is a good place to go if you need help (Rec.Games.Video.Arcade.Collecting) But imho? Go check it out. Playtest it. If he won't let you playtest it and see the arcade board and internals then
DO NOT BUY IT. If it looks good and works. Its a fair trade then.
I would say the ps3 40gb is a fair trade. The problem is. these cabinets are HEAVY. You will need help moving it, and getting it from place to place.
You could get away with letting it run for awhile but if you aren't comfortable diagnosing this stuff and mucking about with arcade boards, its likely you will not enjoy the arcade machine experience.
If you really want it, Go make a post on RGVAC and find out what collectors get into and how much they deal with these machines.
If its any consolation, I know what thats like. I bought an asteroids deluxe machine. Worked for awhile and then decided to not work for me. Had to reflow some header pins on one of the boards so I could get it to work. Now it apparently isn't working at all over at my brothers apartment. Board issues? I don't know if it plays blind or what but damn, if it isn't a pain occasionally.
Its a serious pain in the ass but that's how it rolls. I may just get all of the boards serviced by someone who solders better then I do and call it a day.
As has already been typed, arcade cabinets are heavy. Do you have your own place? Rent or own? I ask these things because if you are not at a permanent residence, these things are absolute Hell to drag around from apartment to apartment. I have been moving form place to place with 4 of the damn things for the last 6 years and I can honestly say that I regret every pound.