So, I posted a long time ago in regards to the lucrative parts of arcade cabinets, but now it appears that I may be able to nab some 9 cabinets in their entirety. I don't want to load up broken stuff, though. So, what should I look for when perusing this lot past screen burns and visibly broken equipment, I'm unsure what a good method of evaluating them would be.
Any secrets or tips from you cabinet afficianados? I know we have a couple who dabble in these.
Supposedly the lot includes centipede and space invaders. I'm really hoping for a cocktail cabinet of something...
what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
Consoles:GB, Virtual Boy, NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Sega Genesis+32x, Sega Saturn, Sega Sports Dreamcast, PS2+HDD+HD Advance, Xbox, XBOX 360
Re: what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
Depends on what you wanna do with them. Restore or convert.
In either case, monitor is key. It's one of (if not) the most expensive parts of the cabinet. It's certainly the most trouble to work on. Joysticks and buttons are simple switches. Monitors are tens of thousands of volts waiting to kill your ass. Just because you can see a phosphorous pattern on the screen when the monitor is off, doesn't mean it'll be visible when it's on. You'll pretty much have to plug it in and let it run to see.
Now should you be planning on restoring one to it's former glory...
Artwork on the outside can be an issue. You can find repro and NOS artwork on line for a lot of your major games, but you might be hardpressed to find "Rock 'n Rope" artwork (who knows, I pulled that out of thin air... point is though... who knows?). The actual pcb for games are in greater supply than the artwork for said game, usually.
If you're interested in converting it over to another game, or having a generic cabinet...
Look for games in the 1988 and later area. These will have a better chance of being a JAMMA cabinet and not hardware specific. It'll save you some wiring and hassle.
Aside from that, it's kinda easy. Really, cabs are amazingly simple beasts. Little more than a monitor, some switches and some wires. Look for obvious physical damage. You should be able to see the monitor neck board clearly from the back, look for leaking capacitors. They'll probably be filthy, that's not uncommon.
That's about it, really. Bring a good dolly.
In either case, monitor is key. It's one of (if not) the most expensive parts of the cabinet. It's certainly the most trouble to work on. Joysticks and buttons are simple switches. Monitors are tens of thousands of volts waiting to kill your ass. Just because you can see a phosphorous pattern on the screen when the monitor is off, doesn't mean it'll be visible when it's on. You'll pretty much have to plug it in and let it run to see.
Now should you be planning on restoring one to it's former glory...
Artwork on the outside can be an issue. You can find repro and NOS artwork on line for a lot of your major games, but you might be hardpressed to find "Rock 'n Rope" artwork (who knows, I pulled that out of thin air... point is though... who knows?). The actual pcb for games are in greater supply than the artwork for said game, usually.
If you're interested in converting it over to another game, or having a generic cabinet...
Look for games in the 1988 and later area. These will have a better chance of being a JAMMA cabinet and not hardware specific. It'll save you some wiring and hassle.
Aside from that, it's kinda easy. Really, cabs are amazingly simple beasts. Little more than a monitor, some switches and some wires. Look for obvious physical damage. You should be able to see the monitor neck board clearly from the back, look for leaking capacitors. They'll probably be filthy, that's not uncommon.
That's about it, really. Bring a good dolly.
Re: what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
Oooh! Also, ratchet straps and tie downs. Secure it to the dolly. You don't want an upright cabinet moving of it's own accord.
Cabinets are great. They're one of those things where you look at it and go, "This is gonna be heavy" and then you move it and go "Holy SHIT this thing is heavy" and when you finish moving it it's "I can't believe how heavy it is".
It's just one of those things.
Cabinets are great. They're one of those things where you look at it and go, "This is gonna be heavy" and then you move it and go "Holy SHIT this thing is heavy" and when you finish moving it it's "I can't believe how heavy it is".
It's just one of those things.
Re: what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
Yeah, what he siad.
Monitor is the beast, you can salvage some if you know what to look for. Blurry or off colors may be fixed with a capkit (replace all the capacitors). I buy cabs to use them, not restore/sell so I stick the newer ones with JAMMA and hi-res capable monitors. I also have a 28" door on my apt so I need to make sure I can get the damn thing inside.
Monitor is the beast, you can salvage some if you know what to look for. Blurry or off colors may be fixed with a capkit (replace all the capacitors). I buy cabs to use them, not restore/sell so I stick the newer ones with JAMMA and hi-res capable monitors. I also have a 28" door on my apt so I need to make sure I can get the damn thing inside.
Majors -=- Wedoca '22
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shallowgamer
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Re: what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
As far as transporting, am I asking for trouble if I tip the cab over and slide it into my SUV? Will this dislodge the monitor? Is it better to put it monitor side up or down?
Re: what to look for when buying an arcade cabinet?
Being on it's back is OK. You can always double check the monitor bolts and make sure they are tight (or even there). I would remove any board (or carts like MVS) so-as it does not get jostled around during transport.
Majors -=- Wedoca '22