Classic arcade games – The never-ending hobby

Every person has their story. A story of how they started to think about buying a classic arcade game to put in their home, a game they could walk up, pop in a token and play anytime they want. No doubt if you are reading this page, you are just starting down this path to buying an arcade game potentially for your home, but you don’t know what to expect.

Expectation 1: You can’t own just one arcade game

When I started I was originally looking at a Mame machine for my home. There were too many classic arcade games that I loved to choose just one. But as I researched Mame machines, and compared them to owning a Ms. Pac-man (my first foray into collecting) it just seemed like a better fit.

10 games later I have a collection. One turns into 2-3, which turns into fun expeditions, meeting new people, trading, selling, warehouse buys, learning about the history and the hobby just sprials out of control from there.

Expectation 2: You’ll loose some money

In the nearly five years I’ve been collecting, I’ve seen the prices for classic arcade games bottom out. Just before I started, there was another major drop in prices for games. Donkey Kongs and Pac-mans that once sold for $800-$1000+ were now only brining in $400 or less.

It is bound to happen, you will lose part of your original investment. The only way to stave off the bleeding of your money is with a level head, and possibly becoming a reseller of games / cabinets / and parts. Somewhere along the line, you’ll buy that ‘one’ game that you pay too much for, and you’ll never get that money back if you sell it. Just be ready.

Expectation 3: History repeats itself

With every new collector comes the re-juvenation of a cycles of experiences. First, they purchase the first classic arcade game for their home. Then they start to ask simple questions about repairs. Then they start to learn how to identify conversions by cabinet shapes and other manufacturer’s indicators. Then they post about cabinets that seem rare to them, or unheard of, but in fact the old timers have seen time and time again.

Just know that there isn’t too much that hasn’t already been discovered, either in its entirety or in partial, about the history of classic arcade games. Do your research, visit the old newsgroup, befriend an old timer. Just remember to have a grain of salt when someone berates you online for being a newbie. The folks that have been collecting for a decade have seen a lot, draw on that experience.

Classic arcade game collecting – Not for the faint of heart

It’s a fun hobby with a lot of twists and turns. You’ll meet some really neat, knowledgeable people. You’ll also meet some turds. Just like in normal life 😉 But collecting classic arcade games is one of the neatest hobbies around with a succient, rich history that came and went in a heartbeat. The first foray into the next chapter of American entertainment, merged with capitalism, arcade games were not originally to have a shelf life of more than a couple of years. In the end, they became ingrained in our culture!