How much is a working Tugboat PCB worth?
Tugboat? Ever heard of that game? If you haven’t heard of Moppets, then probably not. Its a rare piece for sure and I am curious to hear what you all think the value would be for this PCB.
Interested Moppet arcade collectors? Less than 10
Tugboat is a Moppet game, one of just a handful of different arcade games targeted at children, made by a company named Intrepid Marketing. Targeted at kids how? They are miniature kid sized arcade games and were found in Chuck E. Cheese.
There’s a tiny niche of coin-op collectors who are interested in Moppet games so the value question is certainly an interesting one. Here is the Tugboat PCB, including a shot of it working on a monitor.
I am only familiar with three collectors in total that are interested in Moppets – Handle names: DirkTheDentist, Noice, and Todd Tuckey from TNT Amusements. I understand Todd has a complete collection of all of the Moppet games, and as far as I knew Noice was selling off his due to financial strain. I know Joe M., with a great network and reputation, had a heck of a time even finding a buyer for a HUO Leprechaun; he found no interest locally in a collector sphere as large as Chicago.
Let’s suppose there are some closet collectors who like to play their arcade games on their knees and desire Moppet videos. At best, I can only see a max of 10 people out there having much interest in these games. That’s triple the known audience. But a working boardset is a boon either way, and would be of interest to someone like Todd who would want a backup boardset for a hard to find game.
So what is Tugboat worth?
I think in this market, you’d have one heck of a time selling the board for more than $200, and Tugboat is the third rarest Moppet game (behind Berenstain Bears, Desert Race). Don’t confuse, they’re all stupid rare, Desert Race less than three instances, and Tugboat is about the same, or less than five known total. Anywhere. Chuck E. Cheese did a decent job destroying this segment of history.
However, if you find a non working PCB, then either you have to have the skills to repair it, or pay someone to figure out how to repair it as a one off job. Maybe you can sell a working Tugboat PCB for $250 if you approach it that way.
What do you all think, what is a reasonable value for a working Tugboat PCB? Think of it objectively, not if you personally want it or not.
Here are some similar arcade posts
- What’s it worth? Bally Midway Journey Boards
- What’s it worth? Smash TV Boards
- Classic Childhood Photo of Chuck E. Cheese Arcade Room
- Snap Jack – Boardset / PCB Photos
- What’s it worth? Atari Assault Boardset
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Leprechaun was a Moppet game.
I’ve not seen one in person, they are that small? A grown man could sit and play a Moppet comfortably / see the screen from your recollection?
Leperechan was the only Moppet game I ever remember playing.
Even as a 9 year old, it was quite frustrating to play (I was pretty tall for a 9 year old…). A chiar didn’t even cut it – I was literally sitting on the floor to play.
If I remember correctly, those moppet cabs only stood about 4 or 4-and-a-half feet high. They’re a maybe a foot taller than most cocktail cabs.
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4689
And the picture of the boy and girl in Moppet’s logo really creeped me out, for some reason.
I own two Moppet cabs:
1) is a a Tugboat, that worked before my 1000 mile move.
(Technically I have 2 pcbs, but I think its my harness that is bad (I have a loose wire… but cannot figure out where it goes..)
I really want to get my TugBoat back up and running…
Does anyone have a Manual/Pinout/schematics for Tugboat?
Rob
I think I’ve seen others asking about technical documentation for Tugboat. Certainly worth messaging the guy that was with Intrepid and left a message on either RGVAC or Klov 6-7 years back.
Post back here if you find anything that will help others with their Moppets.
🙂 I think that is me that asks every once in a blue moon.. but I never got a good answer… so I keep my machines in a closet to one day return to life…
Hey guys! I have been trying to find a Leprechaun board, cabinet, etc.. Also, interested in the tugboat as well. Did you ever get the manual you were looking for? Please forward my email to the people you mentioned earlier that had them and were trying to get rid of them.
Thanks,
Mike
I just found an empty solid Tugboat. I’m starting to restore it cosmetically but don’t have a working board. If I can’t find anything for it… JAMMA it is.
@John,
Care you share the story of how you came across your Tugboat cabinet? Were you seeking it out, or did you stumble across it? What part of the US?
I loved that Tugboat game at Showbiz Pizza when I was a kid. I’d buy one in a leprechaun cabinet if someone was selling.
I like the concept of the cabinets, and I love Willis’ illustration work on the artwork – sideart in particular. But since I don’t have the nostalgia aspect personally, I’ve always been challenged with the practicality of the Moppet cabinets and playing the game…
Leave a comment
Your email address is never displayed and cannot be spammed. If your comments are excessively self-promotional you will be banned from commenting. Read our comment privacy policy.
April 15, 2010
Wasn’t “Leprechan” a Moppet Game, too?
I remember playing Tugboat once when I was 9. Those Moppet cabs are TINY!!
Even at that age, I had to sit down on the floor to play it.