Buying Games from an Operator

Newsgroups: rec.games.video.arcade

Path: spies!sgiblab!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnewse!ofoz

From: ofoz@cbnewse.cb.att.com (steven.s.ozdemir)

Subject: Frequently Asked Questions about Buying Games from an Operator

Organization: AT&T

Distribution: na

Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1993 14:42:43 GMT

Message-ID: <1993Mar5.144243.27684@cbnewse.cb.att.com>

Keywords: basics to buying video games

Lines: 833

NOTES FROM THE AUTHORS

----------------------

The principal authors of this FAQ were Doug Jefferys <dougj@sco.com>

and Steve Ozdemir <ofoz@ihlpb.att.com>. Although we did most of the

writing work ourselves, we couldn't have produced this FAQ without

the help of our loyal reviewers, a few of whom include:

Hedley Rainnie <hedley@iit.com>

Steve Phillips <phillips@tegra.com>

Jeff Turner <jeff@msc.edu>

If we missed any names in that list (and we probably did), let either

Steve or myself know and we'll put you on the list in the next revision.

We'd also like to take a moment to thank those of you who helped us out

but wished to remain anonymous. Your contributions to this FAQ were

highly valuable to us and will no doubt prove just as valuable to the

readership out there...

To our readers: if you liked this FAQ and found it useful, we'd love to

hear about it. While you are reading feel free to hit "r" and send us

a short note saying if you liked what was in the FAQ and want to see more

FAQs like this. Your comments will help us to improve the FAQ and probably

sow the seeds for the creation of more useful goodies in the future.

Finally, this FAQ was created by volunteers. While we've done the best

that we can to ensure accuracy, some of the information in this FAQ may

not apply equally well to all geographic regions. As with anything on

the .net, your mileage may vary...

----------------------------------cut here---------------------------------

----------------------------

FAQ: BUYING FROM AN OPERATOR

Last Updated: 1 March 1993

----------------------------

INTENT AND DISCLAIMERS:

-----------------------

Copyright 1993

The authors hereby grant permission to reproduce and distribute this

document for personal use, subject to the condition that the document

(along with any copyright and disclaimer notices) is not modified in

any way.

The opinions expressed within this document are those of the authors only

and not necessarily those of their respective employers.

This FAQ was created to assist beginning and established collectors by

providing useful information about making deals with the current owners

of video games. Because this hobby can involve deals that can be in

the $1000s, the reader is advised to use the following information

carefully.

This FAQ is provided for informational purposes only. Although the

authors have made every effort to provide accurate information, they

cannot guarantee the accuracy or usefulness of any of the information

contained herein due to the complexity of the issues involved.

The authors take no responsibility for anything arising as a result of

anyone using the information provided in this FAQ, and the reader hereby

absolves the authors of any and all liability arising from any activities

resulting from the use of any information contained herein.

This FAQ is divided into six sections:

SECTION ONE: Where did all the games go?

SECTION TWO: Who's who?

SECTION THREE: Know your operator

SECTION FOUR: Strategies for dealing with operators

SECTION FIVE: Wheeling and Dealing

SECTION SIX: Miscellaneous questions

SECTION ONE: Where did all the games go?

-----------------------------------------

Q: Why can't I find my favourite game anymore?

A: Simple. Your favourite video game doesn't make the operator enough

   money to justify the floor space it takes up. Perhaps you should

   have put more quarters in it when you had the chance.

   Sometimes games are retired due to high repair and maintenance costs

   regardless of their popularity. For example, Missile Command's large

   trackball was known to have problems with pins wearing down, and the

   HV flyback transformer in Tempest's color vector monitor was notorious

   for its high failure rate.

   Regardless of the reason for its retirement, if you want to play,

   it'll be up to you to find your game and buy it. Making this process

   simpler and easier for you was why we wrote this FAQ.

Q: So why couldn't I buy it when it was in the arcade?

A: If you're playing a game on the street, the game is still making money

   for the operator. We'll get into "how much money" in the next question,

   but keep in mind that unless you offer the operator at least three times

   the game's monthly earnings, he won't even consider selling it to you.

Q: What happened to my favourite game while it was at the arcade, and where

   did it go when it left?

A: Here's a rough sketch, based on the authors' experiences, of what the

   first few years of a game's life is like.

   An operator makes money by buying video games for $2500-$3000 and running

   them for several months. Note that there are exceptions: "Hard Drivin'"

   machines, for instance, can cost upwards of $10,000 and will be "run"

   for years...

   After the first week of operation, the operator will probably have

   $200-$400 inside. If a game costs $3200 and the operator gets $200/wk,

   it takes the operator 16 weeks to make back his original investment.

   Anything that comes in after that is pure profit.

   Unless you can offer the operator more than he will make from a machine

   over the next three months or so, you can forget it. This is why you

   never hear of anybody buying new machines from an operator.

   After the operator has been running the game for about 18 months or so,

   the game becomes "old". It doesn't earn much, perhaps only $20-$50/wk

   or so. Since the operator has limited space in the arcade, the game

   will be replaced with a new game when an opportunity arises. The new

   game takes up no more space than the old one, but it earns more MONEY.

   Since the operator doesn't know what to do with the old game, it usually

   gets dragged downstairs or thrown into a warehouse, where it sits unused

   for several years, waiting to be sold, converted, "parted out", or even

   taken off to the dump!

Q: Okay, so it wound up in a warehouse. What happened to it then?

A: The game sat there for some time, waiting to be sold, converted,

   parted out, or dumped.

   Conversion is the process of turning one game into another. Ever

   wonder why you keep seeing the cabinets for some of your old favourites

   with the "wrong game" inside 'em? Conversions are the reason.

   The more specialized the parts for a game are, the less likely they are

   to be converted. The control panel for "Stargate", for instance, has

   zero conversion value. (For those of you who've never seen one, it's

   unique in the video world, containing a two-directional joystick and

   six buttons -- IN ADDITION to the one- and two-player start buttons.

   Moreover, all seven controls were intended to be operated by one at a

   time...) Games with such proprietary hardware schemes such as this

   are likely to sit more or less intact until sold or dumped.

   At the other end of the scale are JAMMA-based games, in which only the

   game logic needs to be changed; the controls and other hardware are

   completely interchangeable. These games are almost always converted

   quickly and re-introduced to circulation.

   The longer a game sits in a warehouse, the more likely it is that parts

   of it will disappear, either for use in repairs ("parting out") or for

   use in other conversions. As the game's earning potential approaches

   zero, or as a lot of its parts disappear, it'll eventually wind up in

   the dumpster.

   Not all of this news is bad news, though. When a game gets converted,

   for instance, its boards are often left over afterwards. This is why

   warehouses can be a good source for boards as well as complete games.

   We'll get into the risks and rewards of buying boards later on in the

   FAQ. For now, let's stick to the sale of complete games.

   The sale of a game can take two forms:

   The games are sometimes taken to auctions and sold to the general public.

   The "general public" includes other operators (who might have fewer games

   in their arcades and still want the game), or collectors (who often attend

   auctions and buy games there). See the Auctions FAQ for details.

   The games can also be sold to collectors who manage to get into the

   warehouse. Getting you into that warehouse, and informing you on what

   to do when you get there, is the goal of this FAQ - How to Buy from an

   Operator.

   If the game is not sold and the warehouse is full, the operator will,

   without a moment's hesitation, throw the old game into the dumpster

   in order to make room for newer retirees.

   Again, the MONEY principle is at work. Newer retirees are more likely to

   command a higher price (more MONEY) when sold, and the operator doesn't

   want to spend MONEY on buying more warehouse space. You will hear more

   about the MONEY principle later.

SECTION TWO: Who's who?

------------------------

Q: Who are distributors? What do they do?

A: Distributors sell new (occasionally used) games from manufacturers to

   operators. Some distributors also perform repair, reconditioning, and

   conversion work for operators.

Q: Who are operators? What do they do?

A: Anyone who owns a video game and makes money off it is an operator. The

   guy who runs your local arcade is an operator. The owner of the company

   which puts games at "locations" such as your corner store is also an

   operator. Even the people who run "Starcade" at Disneyland are operators.

   Operators operate their games at locations to make MONEY.

Q: Now that I know the difference between operators and distributors, where

   should I go to buy my games?

A: Keep in mind that operators consider collectors as small potatoes.

   They consequently dislike dealing with collectors, and tend to avoid

   it wherever possible.

   If an operator is unwilling to deal with you because he considers you

   to be small potatoes, the distributor (who often considers some

   *OPERATORS* to be small potatoes) is going to be even less amenable

   to dealing.

   It is possible to deal with a distributor, but it's *rare*, and since the

   techniques used for dealing with operators and distributors are roughly

   the same, the remainder of this FAQ will concern itself with dealing with

   operators.

Q: Who are the collectors? (Okay, we are... so what do *WE* do?)

A: The short answer is -- *WE* are! What we do should be obvious -- we

   collect video games. Different collectors tend to have different

   objectives. There are three general classes of collectors out there,

   and they are as follows:

   - Beginning collectors who own one or two games and are looking to

     expand. This category also includes the people who have yet to start

     their collections. Although we discuss auctions in a separate FAQ,

     we highly recommend them as a way to get started in the hobby; even

     if you don't buy anything at an auction, you'll at least get a feel

     for the state of the market in your area. And they can be great

     places to meet fellow collectors.

   - Intermediate collectors who own between three to six machines and have

     probably converted at least one cabinet to play more than one game.

     Auctions and get-togethers for bulk buys are common ways of getting

     games at this stage.

   - Serious collectors who own more than six machines and have converted

     several cabinets. Serious collectors are often starting small

     inventories of parts, and they probably sell at least some of the

     games they fix. Most serious collectors acquire their wares through

     bulk buys with operators.

   Remember that these are only generalizations. In your travels, you

   will likely encounter people who fit into more than one of these

   categories. You may also encounter people who fit into none of these

   categories. This hobby is *ABOUT* video games, but it is *NOT* a video

   game in and of itself -- it doesn't matter what "level" you're working

   at, so long as you're enjoying yourself.

SECTION THREE: Know your operator

----------------------------------

Q: What makes operators tick?

A: Very simply. In fact, one word will suffice.

   MONEY.

Q: So this is the MONEY principle, right?

A: Right. The MONEY principle is simple: OPERATORS LOVE MONEY.

   It's a simple rule, but its importance cannot be overstated. MONEY gets

   you in the door, MONEY talks to the operator, MONEY pays your way when

   you're inside, and MONEY can even help you get your favourite game away

   from the operator at the lowest price possible. The strategy section of

   this FAQ will describe all of this (and more) in detail.

   Operators own games for one reason - to make MONEY. If operators were

   allowed to run porno shows on their games in order to collect quarters,

   they'd do it. Operators are not interested in the art of game design.

   They are not interested in the impact that these games have had upon

   society. And they are certainly not interested in packaging up the

   boards for your favourite game and sending it halfway across the

   country - not for you or anyone else.

   Not when he can make several

   times as much money by sitting back and letting players pump quarters

   into his games.

   AGAIN, ONLY ONE THING MATTERS TO OPERATORS -- GETTING THE MOST MONEY

   OUT OF THE GAMES THEY OWN.

   Read that sentence again.

   You and I, however, only want to wrestle our favourite games away from

   these "operators". So how do we do it?

   Suffice it to say that whatever the answer is, it lies in MONEY. This

   should be kept in mind as you read the remainder of this FAQ, and should

   be foremost in your mind whenever you deal with an operator.

Q: How do I contact an operator?

A: If you wish to use the phone, you can get phone numbers from the following

   places:

   - The "Amusement Devices" and "Vending Machines" sections of your

     Yellow Pages directory is the best place to start.

   - See those stickers on games which read something like "For service,

     call 555-5555". Call one of these numbers and see who answers.

   - The sides of trucks seen at auctions sometimes have phone numbers

     and company logos written on them.

   - Go to an auction and put up a posting saying "MONEY FOR JUNK" with your

     phone number on it. It can sometimes work wonders.

   - Replay magazine often has useful contact information. To order a single

     copy, send $5.00 for a "Sample Copy" to:

                  Replay Magazine

                  PO BOX 2550

                  Woodland Hills, CA

                  91365

   If you're physically present at the arcade, start working your way up

   through the ranks. Start with the person behind the coin counter or

   a technician. These "front line" people can give you information on

   what's sitting down in the basement, and may be able to set you up

   with the arcade manager.

   Often a combined approach (visit an arcade, ask a few questions, get a

   phone number, go home and call the next day) is the most effective.

Q: Okay, I've got the phone number, but I still don't seem to be getting

   anywhere. What's going on and how can I do better?

A: Getting the phone number is only half the battle. The whole organization

   of receptionists, technicians and arcade managers is set up to prevent

   people from talking to the operator.

   The reason for this is that *ANYTHING* the operator could be doing would

   earn him more money than dealing with a collector who is only likely to

   spend $100-200. For example, the average operator can take in just as

   much money in a SINGLE DAY by leaving his phone off the hook and letting

   people pump quarters into a row of Mortal Kombat machines...

   If you are in an arcade, keep in mind that (in most cases) only the

   operator has the authority to sell you a video game. The arcade managers

   and technicians generally do not. Although these people are often

   valuable sources of information, you'll usually have to keep working

   at it until you reach the "man at the top".

   One last note. OPERATORS NEVER RETURN PHONE CALLS. (Well, maybe not

   "NEVER", but trust us, it's rare...) So if you manage to talk to one

   and want to continue dealing, you have to take the initiative.

   Some operators have also become "jaded" through deals with beginning

   collectors that never spent much money, expected perfectly-working

   games, and always wanted warranties. If this is the case for your

   operator, expect considerable difficulty in overcoming his prejudices

   if you wish to deal effectively. Sometimes there's just no winning,

   and you're best off trying your luck elsewhere.

SECTION FOUR: Strategies for dealing with operators

----------------------------------------------------

Q: I've made contact! What do I say I'm looking for?

A: Don't be overly specific. Telling an operator that you are "looking

   for Battlezone" simply tells the operator that he can ask any price

   he wants for it - thereby making more MONEY. This is a case of the

   MONEY principle working against you.

   On the other hand, if the operator has no interest in the collector's

   desired item, the collector can often buy it for next to nothing. The

   key is NOT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE DESIRED ITEM. An excellent way

   of doing this is by including desirable items in bulk buys. Indicate

   interest in "oh, some old Atari boards", then buy a pile of them, even

   if half of them are for games you don't really want. The Battlezone

   board will be much cheaper as a result, and you can probably use the

   rest of the boards for parts at a later time.

   The MONEY principle can also be used to your advantage. If you casually

   mention that you're willing to "clear out some space" for him by "taking

   some old games off his hands", you can improve your chances.

   After all, the operator is only going to be throwing the junk away in

   a couple of years. If he sees that he can save on storage or disposal

   costs by selling you something, you're in business. He makes MONEY

   from the sale, and he saves MONEY by letting you take the games off

   his premises.

   The higher the potential for making MONEY, the more eager he will be

   to deal with you. Bulk buys (where you state that you're willing to

   buy three or more games, for instance), are especially attractive.

   Making purchases with cash sweetens the deal still further. He can

   see the MONEY right in front of his face, and he'll want to get his

   hands on it.

   The key is to convince the operator that he wants to sell you the

   goods. Ask him how much it costs to rent/heat the warehouse. Does

   he have space problems? Wouldn't it be nice if a dozen machines

   which he'll never operate again disappeared and several hundred

   dollars CASH appeared in their place? (A hint: emphasize the word

   "CASH", should you elect to bring this question to your operator's

   attention...)

   Ask him why he still has those ancient vector monitors around anymore.

   Ask him if he even has any machines out that could use the parts sitting

   in the pile in the corner. Why pay to keep a batch of Defender boards

   when all your Defender cabinets have been converted to other games or

   scrapped? (A hint: make sure he tells you what is useful *BEFORE* you

   start rummaging through boards, otherwise his list of useful boards may

   grow during your conversation...)

   The whole idea behind this line of questioning is "Mr. Operator, why

   don't you let me take these parts/machines that will not make you any

   MONEY (and which will never be used to repair anything that makes MONEY,

   and which cost MONEY to store or dispose of) off your hands. I'm even

   willing to PAY YOU MONEY for the privilege of doing you this favour..."

   Once you explain things that way (and especially if you suggest a bulk

   buy), you should end up getting a great price. Generally, since you

   can select what to take, about 50% to 75% of the stuff you take will

   be useful or valuable to you. The rest of it will probably be useful

   or valuable to the other serious collectors on the net, so you can

   actually make some money yourself!

   The only problem you will encounter is that you have a VERY LIMITED

   TIME to select all the stuff you will haul off; this is discussed in

   another question.

Q: I'm in the warehouse. What now?

A: Remember those old contests where the "prize" is "a one minute shopping

   spree"? That's what you do. You hurry. Time is MONEY in the video

   game business, and you should know by now what MONEY means to an

   operator. Since collectors rarely have much MONEY and are often

   shunned by operators, if you've managed to get this far, you probably

   won't get a second chance.

   For instance, if you go to an operator and spend an hour and a half

   rummaging through old boards and play-testing half of the machines in

   the warehouse, take down some prices and then leave, the operator will

   probably feel that he didn't get enough MONEY for the time he lost in

   dealing with you. As a result, you will probably not be welcomed back

   for a second visit, even if you *DO* intend to buy this time.

   (To give you an idea of what *WILL* make a visit "worth it" to an

    operator, about the only times we've heard of collectors having been

    invited back for a second visit is when they'd purchased over $1500

    worth of goods...)

   Keep this in mind as you "power-shop". You will NOT be coming back

   for the things that *YOU* forgot, let alone to pick up something for

   somebody else. You have only one chance to pull out as much as you

   can, and you have to do so AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Q: I've made a deal! Now how should I pay for what I bought?

A: This is a simple question. Since cash is about the only form of money

   that operators will accept, you've really got no choice!

   The reason for this is that operators don't have the time or inclination

   to worry about things like bounced cheques or credit cards. Cash is

   simple, direct, *VERY* easy to handle, and gets to the point.

   Cash is good. It helps the MONEY principle work for you, rather than

   against you. Bring plenty of cash with you when you meet with an

   operator, and make sure that it's visible. A fat wad of twenties in

   your shirt pocket is probably as good a bargaining tool as any strategy

   mentioned in this FAQ.

SECTION FIVE: Wheeling and Dealing

-----------------------------------

Q: Which games are most worth buying?

A: This is a tough question. The economics of supply and demand determine

   what is worth buying and how much it should cost. Both change often, but

   a good guide to what was in demand recently is the VAPS membership list.

   If it's popular with VAPS members, odds are it'll be popular among other

   collectors too. Ranges of sample prices have also been sprinkled

   throughout the text of this FAQ and can be used as guides to help you

   in your dealings. (Keep in mind these prices will eventually go out of

   date as the FAQ gets older...)

Q: What parts will be the most useful to me if I (like most people) don't

   have much money or space?

A: Go for monitors, boards, and control panels. Cabinets are large, heavy,

   and difficult to keep around. For the same reasons, and due to their

   high shipping costs, they're also hard to sell to other people.

   If you're buying in bulk, get as many monitors, boards, and control

   panels as you can. Here's why.

   - If you trade equipment with other collectors, you get the first pick

     from the bulk deal and can keep the best stuff for yourself. This is

     the main reason why anyone deals in bulk board buys in the first place.

   - It's much easier to throw in a new board set and control panel on a

     game than it is to rewire a whole cabinet. See the Conversion FAQ for

     more details.

   - Boards, being worthless to most operators, tend to be cheap.

   - You can sell most, if not all of your goods, on the net at a later

     date. This helps your hobby pay for itself and also helps others

     (who may not have the time nor the inclination to do a bulk buy)

     to get the parts for the games they want.

   - You can use extra goodies as a source of spare parts for your games.

     Control panels are especially useful in this regard.

   - If you're dealing in non-working equipment, remember the adage about

     spare parts - "the more, the merrier". Even if you're the type who

     likes to program with a soldering iron, you'll want spare parts to

     swap in and out during the repair process.

   - A control panel and related boards occupy much less space than a

     complete cabinet. This fact will become increasingly important as

     your hobby of collecting games evolves, as you will rapidly run out

     of space for more cabinets.

   - If you're buying JAMMA-compatible hardware, you don't *NEED* anything

     more than the board, since "one cabinet fits all". See the question

     on building your own cabinet for more information.

   - If you're buying for friends, or are far away from home, you cut down

     drastically on shipping costs. See the section on shipping costs for

     details. Compare the volume and mass of a control panel and boards

     with its cabinet. Which would *YOU* rather carry for 500 miles?

   - You avoid the horrible situation of the operator/distributor throwing

     the boards away when you aren't there. The next collector arrives and

     hears "oh, sorry, we threw a whole bunch of those out last month".

     (If collectors got paid a quarter for every time they heard this line,

      they'd soon have more money than the operators...)

Q: What risks are there associated with dealing in spare parts? What

   should I know about buying or selling boards?

A: When buying from an operator, try to resist the temptation to test the

   goods. If a board set is gathering dust in a corner, both you and the

   operator can safely assume it isn't working. On the other hand, if you

   power up a board set and it *DOES* work, you've just told the operator

   that the board set is worth something. Something called MONEY. Something

   you could still have in your pocket had you bought the board set as

   "broken" and tested it at home.

   Once you've gotten your parts home, test them out. If they don't work,

   don't worry. If you have some knowledge of electronics, you may be able

   to fix them. Even if you can't, broken boards can still be sold on the

   net -- there *ARE* people out there who can fix them, so they're still

   worth having.

   If you're really worried about the condition of the boards and are

   willing to pay extra for working boards, you can still ask for testing,

   but keep in mind that if you're dealing in large quantities of boards,

   even the friendliest operator will not have time to test them all. You

   will therefore still be buying boards of unknown condition. They may

   not work even if the operator says they will. Moreover, you are buying

   "as is". If the operator isn't going to let you back in *BUY* a second

   time, do you really think he'll give you a refund on something that

   doesn't work?

   If you intend to sell extra boards on the net, we recommend that you

   start small in order to get a taste of all the hassles associated with

   just breaking even. For instance, everyone will want advice on how to

   hook up the game, and nobody will want to pay for shipping or handling.

   You may also have to deal with bouncing cheques and/or COD shipment

   hassles.

   The point is that this isn't a money-making business. If you could make

   a killing in the "used boards" market, we wouldn't need this FAQ. The

   operators would be selling used boards by the dozen right in the arcades.

   On the other hand, don't let this scare you. The authors of this FAQ

   who have done board deals in the past have always found *SOME* use for

   most of the goodies they've picked up. Keep your wits about you, use

   common sense, and you probably won't go wrong.

Q: I want to deal in whole games. What is a reasonable price for a game

   and/or its components?

A: EVERYTHING depends on where you live, but here is a general guide:

   - Once a game stops earning enough money to justify its floor space, its

     boards are generally worthless to an operator. These games have no

     real value except in terms of what they can be converted into.

     Consequently boards that are more than three years old should go

     for $10-20 apiece if you buy them in bulk.

   - Raster monitors go for $50-100 because operators can reuse them in other

     games. Although the required horizontal sync frequency can differ from

     manufacturer to manufacturer, the required changes to the monitor's

     circuitry are minor. Operators' technicians can perform these changes

     and thereby reuse the monitor.

   - Vector monitors, on the other hand, are practically worthless. Very

     few operators these days feel they can make money from these old vector

     games. Furthermore, since vector monitors operate on different

     principles than raster monitors, nothing on such a monitor is reusable.

     The only value a vector monitor has is its rarity -- operators know that

     collectors want these monitors, and consequently they tend to go for

     $25-50 apiece in bulk deals.

   - Older games (those over five years old) go for $150 to $300.

   - Newer games (between one and five years old) are worth up to $1500.

   - Brand new games can cost up to $3000.

   Note that rare games are an exception. Operators know which games are

   rare and which games are popular. Unless you are making a *VERY* large

   bulk buy (20 games or more), the operator will demand more for these

   games.

Q: So now that you've said all that, what should I buy? Tell me quickly,

   because I'm in the warehouse now and only have about 15 minutes or so

   in which to make up my mind!

A: The moral of the story is:

   - Scarf any old boards you can find.

   - Scarf any vector monitors you can find, especially if you are interested

     in this type of game and are willing to buy or store spare parts. These

     parts are becoming rarer by the day!

   - Scarf any control panels of games you'd like to have, even if the board

     sets aren't there. This is particularly important in the case of rare

     or classic games. If you intend to become a serious collector, scarfing

     control panels of games is a *MUST*!

   - Be wary of buying raster monitors, especially if the monitors are new.

     Ask yourself why the operator is willing to give you a perfectly good

     monitor if he can put it into his next conversion, thereby saving

     himself $50-100?

Q: How much does it cost to ship a video game?

A: Shipping a game costs $150 as a *MINIMUM*, and upwards of $300 if you

   want a reputable company to do it. When people find out that their

   $200 game is going to cost $300 to ship, they buy locally. 80-90% of

   all games traded on the net are bought and sold within a two-hour drive

   of the location of the game.

   If you're buying for a friend, make sure they're willing to pay these

   costs. Otherwise you'll wind up with what they didn't want to pay

   to ship -- and what you probably didn't want in the first place (since

   you were willing to sell and ship it to them in the first place).

   If you want to ship the game yourself, the best method is to use a

   trailer. Trailers cost about $20 to rent, plus the cost of your gas,

   and unless you own a pickup truck, they are by far the cheapest way

   to move a video game.

   A used trailer will cost about $300 and will probably be the most useful

   item in a serious collector's inventory. (The second most useful item,

   by the way, is an "appliance-moving dolly" or "refrigerator dolly"...)

   Always keep in mind that boards, monitors, and control panels can be

   carried in the back seat of your car, so shipping costs are equal to

   the cost of gas and a few hours of your time.

   Also, keep in mind that shipping can be rough on old games. Expect to

   perform some minor repair work if your game has to be carried over long

   distances.

SECTION SIX: Miscellaneous questions

-------------------------------------

Q: Why hasn't anybody started a "locator service" on the net? Why won't

   people buy games on my behalf?

A: Consider the following sequence of steps, all of which would be required

   were such a service to be set up.

   1) Find an operator who's willing to deal.

   2) Get a price on a video game from the operator.

   3) Advertise on the net through the locator service.

   4) Get a reply via e-mail.

   5) Buy the game from the operator.

   6) Work out shipping and handling through the net.

   7) Ship.

   From the middleman's perspective:

   Notice that two visits to the operator are required. If operators tend

   to avoid collectors (because there isn't enough MONEY to make it worth

   their while), what are the chances that our prospective middleman is

   going to get a second visit with the operator?

   If a dozen other people on the net manage to find the game at the same

   time, what are the chances that you (the person making the buy) will be

   the one lucky enough to make the sale? Not very good.

   You will either have wasted the operator's time (because you didn't buy

   the game) and you can forget about dealing with that operator again, or

   you will be the proud owner of a game which you didn't want in the first

   place. (Let's face it, if you wanted the game, you would have bought it

   for yourself and not offered to sell it...)

   From the end buyer's perspective:

   Wait. I only wanted *ONE* game. Now I've got 10 people who want to sell

   me the same game and I can only buy one. That means 9 people who won't

   be very eager to deal with me through the net again because I just cost

   them their contact with their local operator. And I've also gotta pay

   shipping and handling (upwards of $150-200) for a game of unknown quality

   ON TOP OF THE PURCHASE PRICE.

   I suppose I could have asked the sellers to send me a picture of the game

   through the (snail) mail first. But that would have cost more money,

   taken more time, and annoyed more operators. Again, more people unlikely

   to deal with me... (to say nothing of the fact that most of the pictures

   were taken in dark warehouses and I couldn't even see the game...)

   From the net's perspective:

   The problem with locator lists is that not all copies of the list can be

   updated simultaneously. The end buyer may forget to take the game off

   the list - then someone else on the list find the game and get stuck

   with it. Often times, the end buyer will forget to include the cost of

   shipping into their calculations - and back out of a deal upon discovering

   that the cost of shipping exceeds the cost of the game itself.

Q: If "bigger is better", why doesn't the net organize group trips to

   warehouses?

A: Group trips are good ideas in theory, but in practice they turn out to

   be very complicated. If you've ever organized a social gathering of

   net.acquaintances (even if only from your local area), you already

   know what we mean. Now imagine how hard it is to get six different

   people to show up from halfway across the country at a predetermined

   spot - ON TIME - in order to go to the one and only meeting with the

   operator.

   Even if everybody makes it there on time, if all six people try striking

   separate deals with the operator, they'll wind up taking too much of his

   time and the deals will fall through.

   If you *DO* manage to organize a group visit, it's a very good idea to

   make up a joint "grocery list" BEFOREHAND. Everyone involved must be

   prepared to contribute a certain amount of money for a given game; once

   this is decided upon, you can all visit the warehouse and offer ONE

   PRICE FOR THE ENTIRE LIST.

   Haggling over individual games during a bulk buy is a very poor way to

   conduct business. The "one-price-takes-all" strategy will save the

   operator's time, thereby increasing the chances that you'll be allowed

   back at some future date - and will also likely result in a better price

   for the buyers.

Q: Can I build my own cabinet?

A: Yes, but don't expect to save money by doing so. It's somewhat cheaper

   than shipping a cabinet, but it's very time-consuming and the results

   depend entirely on one's carpentry skills. One of the authors has tried

   it -- it cost about $125 and took about three weeks. None of the authors

   have heard about anyone else attempting this feat.

   There may be an advantage to building your own cabinet it you have an

   interest in JAMMA-based games. For JAMMA aficionados, a huge cabinet

   capable of holding 10-20 boards would be of considerable value.

Q: Anything else I should know?

A: Connections and reputations are the key to this hobby. For example, if

   you develop a reputation for being cheap (by buying only things you

   really need and when the pieces are in good condition), you won't be

   invited to go on all the bulk buys because you won't be buying much if

   the warehouse is a dud. On the other hand, you'll always be invited to

   go on the really high-quality buys, because the other collectors will

   know you're likely to buy a lot.

   Keep in mind that you can develop both your reputation and contacts any

   way you like. The collecting community is NOT an "old-boys" network.

   If you develop a lot of contacts, you'll have a reputation that'll get

   you more connections, and so on...