How Did You Start Your ARCADE COLLECTION?

[antartica]

Hello Everyone:

By chance, I discovered this forum, when I was looking for info on arcade games and it totally renewed my interest in arcade games. I live in Monterrey, Mexico and from the 85-94 period I was a regular visitor to local arcades. Weekends were spent in tokens playing classic games like Outrun, Hang On, Super Hang On, Turbo Outrun, Ikari Warriors, Daytona USA, Shinobi, Ghost n Goblins, Moon Patrol, 1943, Pole Position, Double Dragon, Rampage, Gauntlet II and many more.
As you can see, I've always been a massive fan of SEGA arcade games.

I've been reading your posts and I really enjoy looking at pics of arcade games you have bought in the past. I am also checking constantly for updates to the construction of the new section in Darth Nuno's lair.

Anyway, I'm sorry if I've already bored you, but I want to ask you: How did you start collecting arcade games? Where do you look for them? Any advise will be greatly apreciated.

Thank you

Gabriel

[Sonic 1992]

Hello, Great to meet you! Welcome to a great lifestyle.. The Arcade Lifestyle!!     

For me, I started collecting when I found my Dragon's Lair back in 1991.  I desperately wanted to have it, so I started calling all of the arcade repair places/distributors..  After buying the game, it cost me about 600.00 (if memory serves me right) to get mine working. (this was for the service & parts for the PR-7820 in 1991)  From there... I just kept looking for my next favorite game... (next I really want Tron, Moon Patrol, Cocktail Asteroids, Space Ace, AstronBelt)

Where to look for them?  Well if you're in Mexico, you're just a short drive from Texas, There is no shortage of classic games here, It's just having the money to get them.  The Arcade Lifestyle is alot of fun, but most of the time doesn't come cheap.     I'm trying right now to pay off some debt from my last gameroom/projects, this is why I have no recent projects or roadtrips!  arrruuggghhh   

My advice, Sock away some cash & hold on to it so when you find that most wanted game in a place you never expected....You'll have the money to get it NOW!!   Also, be sure to ask questions here about a game, Everyone here will be glad to help make sure you don't get ripped off or guide you to a better deal.

Best Wishes for you on starting your collection, and starting your Game Room!  We all can't wait for your first post on finding/restoring your first game!!!  Good luck & happy hunting!!        

[antartica]

Thanks for your tips Sonic! Right now I am saving for some games and maybe in the future I will be able to also have a gameroom. For a start I want to have a MAME arcade, so I can be able to play some of the classic arcade games while I am still saving for individual arcade games.

I also started talking to my wife about getting arcade games. I only told her that I would be getting a MAME arcade, to which she said ok. I have to go slow, or she will go beserk.

I checked a post about your gameroom "Yesterdays". WOW I specially like your Sega Saturn Station since it is my fave console. Really Cool.

[Sonic 1992]

Thank You Very Much!!     

A Mame Arcade is a very nice start!!  It also has many options.. You can choose to make/buy controls to play mame games, to building your own Mame arcade game... The sky is the limit on ideas for your game!  You can even play most classic games on your PC with your keyboard untill you make your game.. (a little hard to play, and wears out your keyboard though) 

Good luck with your Mame Project!!          

[jomm]

To be honest: I don't remember. Ad the end of the 90's, when all arcades were almost gone in my area, I discovered MAME. It was like a dream come true, I rediscovered some old games that I did forget about. And then it all started I guess: first there was mame on my pc, then I've bought a generic cab and transformed it into a mame-cab and it went on, bought a few old game-boards and ... . If I had the spare space I would like to create my own gameroom and buy or recreate some dedicated cabs. But for now: owning some pcb's and my mame-cab is allready a fun thing to have and who knows..., maybe..., someday... .   

[DarthNuno]

Hey, it's a nice topic idea 

Ok, my turn 

Like most of us... crazy about arcade games since I was a kid 

Already in 1991 ... I was really crazy    : I had my own arcade game @ home ... Ok, it was just a generic cab... but at the time, it didn't care about that... I just wanted to play on of my fav' game at the time : Galaga 

Here's few very old pictures of my first arcade game.

First, in my teenager bedroom... ok I know it was a real mess 



I'm was playing guitar like a crazy... and here few pictures before a gig, with friends :





I'm on one picture, and my roadtrip wingman too' 

I had the following boards for this cab : Galaga, Time Pilot, Gyruss & Commando 

I also done an Amiga cab  I've hacked a 'speedking' joystick and hooked its electronic on the real control panel from the cab. The display was the easy part, an amiga output an RBG signal, so it was easy to display the amiga picture on the arcade monitor 
I used to play 'Great Giana Sisters' and 'Toki' on my cab' (powered by the amiga) ... yes  ... no mame at the time 

...but few years later, I sold that cab 

And then... Hey... I've just found back something very fun 

My first website... where you can see how I use to play mame game on my arcade cab... in 2001 ! Have a look at this and don't laugh please 














Lol... I'm a *little* proud of that....  For what and why Because, in 2001... there wasn't arcade VGA or thing like that... and I've done a complete VGA Converter hack, in order to make a real arcade monitor and a windows display working together 

All of this was written at the end of 2001 

Opss.. I didn't explain how I started my collection  ... OK, I'll complete the post l8ter 

...and once again, please... don't laugh