How much does a NG cab cost?

LoneSage

A Broken Man
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I'm going to be bold and go to that old rundown bowling alley and make them an offer for $50, hopefully it still has Magician Lord, The Super Spy and others.

I know it's worth way more than $50, but the people that run it know jack shit about it and what it's true value is.

Thanks for your input, if this goes down well then I'll be on my MVS collecting way...never owned a NGCD, AES or anything, just ports.
 

dogtoy

Haomaru's Blade Shiner
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Well good luck. Just strut into that smokey bowling alley and throw $50 on the counter, and if they won't sell it to you, chain yourself outside the front door in protest of the mistreatment of the Neo-Geo's civil liberties. Think about that Neo, it's basically a slave. It sits there all day, chained to the wall, choking in cigarette smoke and spilled beer, and every once in awhile some kid with hot-dog grease and nacho sauce all over him/her gets their jollies all over the neo's poor joystick for 25 cents. You know it's true, because everyone has seen the poor delapidated Neos sitting in the corner or every bowling alley in the country. I say end the whoring now, FREE THE MVS!!!!! FREE THE MVS!!!!

-DT
(PS- I promise i'm not really insane)
 

FMonk

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When trying to buy from a location, be prepared to offer them about two to three times what the game makes in a month. If you lowball them on the price, they'll laugh at you, since chances are they're still making a fair ammount in quarters. Also, unless you know the game is owned by the bowling alley, chances are the game is actually owned by an operator, which would mean that the bowling alley people have no say in whether it sells or not.

My one slot MVS in a Dynamo cab was 110$ at auction (a pretty fair price IMO, and I regularly attend arcade auctions), and it needed some cosmetic work. If it's more than one slot (which is what it sounds like from the description), I'd offer at least 200$.

It never hurts to throw out a low number though, they may be willing to bite, and it could lead to some hagling that keeps the price low for you.
 

LoneSage

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It's actually 4 slots.

I don't even know if they have it anymore, hopefully they do.
 

Cavalry

INfintido Innuendo?,
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wow, good luck man. if it's still there you just better hope they don't know jack shiz about it. I personally would find a diff. place to buy from because the description dogtoy gave was pretty close to what bowling alley machine would be like. Cigarette infused, stale beer, greasy nacho MVS machine!
 

Nesagwa

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If its in good shape youre looking at 200+ minimum if youre lucky.
 

StealthLurker

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Boy... prices sure have changed. :D I remember when I FIRST started looking into a big red cab and got quotes around $750-1000 USD. Nowadays and depending on what part of the country you're in, you can get them as low as $150-200+. Great time to be an arcade collector.



.
 

LoneSage

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Well fuck, I finally had time to go to the bowling alley. And they still have it.

They just rent it, however.

I was incredibly surprised they actually took the consideration to update the games; Strikers 1945 Plus and Sam Sho 2 are on there now, both of those are games I've been wanting to play for the first time! So when I actually have some change on me I'll definitely go back there and just pretend it's like the early 90s. Good ole nostalgia.

Incredibly depressing to see my childhood favorite, Magician Lord, is gone now.
 

dbarrett0928

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Apr 10, 2003
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good luck

i bought my cab a while back off a man who leased these out to places like bowling allies yet this one was beatiful and he gave me rage of the dragons and mark of the wolves for 700.00....it was a beaut...didnt need any cosmetic work whatsoever, just a wash...nice 2 slot, good luck
 

FeelGood

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whats suprising is they actually rent that thing. unless they are paying like > $30 a month it makes no sense. they could buy their own for a couple hundred and after a couple months they make that back in quarters and its smooth sailing from there.

btw a 4 slot in bad condishion (if its original) is worth no less than $200. prolly closer to $300 unless its really bad. can be upwards of $600 and more for mint land.
 

LoneSage

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It's in pretty damn good condition for a cab that's been at a bowling alley for 13+ years.

Hell, the joysticks aren't even greasy.


I guess it just goes to show how many people play the Neo Geo at a bowling alley and the likes.
 

dogtoy

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I'd still be willing to bet on a good coating of beer, cigarette residue, and nacho cheese. Even if it seems pretty clean on the outside, those three things have a way of seeping in. :glee:

I bought a 1-slot board from the nice tropical climate of brazil (you know...humid, salty beach air, jungles, etc.) When The board came it looked like someone put it into a bathtub full of sulfuric acid for a couple of months and then took it out to see if it still worked.

In all seriousness I doubt that it would be that bad on the inside, probably very dusty. I doubt it has ever seen a hot tropical climate, maybe since they periodically change games they give it a wipedown to get the grease and nacho cheese off. ;)

cheers,
-DT

PS- If you really want to buy an mvs locally you should check the front Marquee of that 4-slot at the bowling alley. Usually most arcade vendors put a sticker on the Marquee with the companies name and phone number and/or address. Using that number (or looking under amusements:vendors or something like it in the phone book) you can should be able to find an mvs for sale. I plan to do this fairly soon also, but I may look for any old cab with a 25" or 29" monitor that I can use for a big red conversion. Something old and unplayed will probably be cheaper than a real big red, but condition and current level of fuctioning will come into play in both cases.
 
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LoneSage

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Ha, naw, I'm not serious into being a Neo Geo owner. Just wanted to see what the guy would say about me buying a NG for shits n giggles (but hell yeah I'd buy it for $50).

Even when I asked the guy if he was interested in selling that Neo Geo, he said "A Neo wha-?"

he was the redneck man, too.
 

mungrin

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I remeber once i was gonna get a 2 slot MVS cab off ebay from some guy in Jersey.I live in NYC so i figured i could just go pick it up.Anyway bid was up to $210 and i was like the only bidder so i was pretty sure i was gonna get it.Nope got sniped.Cab sold for like $211 or something.It was sad,i felt like crying.Even told people i was finally getting my dream machine.SO one day im driving throught Brooklyn and i see this shitty look place that sells like used game machines and merry-go-round stuff.All stuff for amusement.I went in and asked him if he had any Neo-Geo machines.He said"follow me,i got a whole room of em".He takes me to thisk bunker type thing and unlocks it.I see like 15 Neo cabs.All beat up but he says they all work.I asked how much and he said a 2-slot is $1200 and a 4 slot is $1500.I told him id think about it.
Man those arcade people are out of thier minds.Its always better to buy a cab from just a regular person whos trying to make space or moving,it will always be cheaper than buy from these businesses.In thier mind ur buying and investment,in someone elses its just an old toy.
 

dogtoy

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I think some of the mark-up on games has to do with market. You were in brooklyn, and the guy knew you weren't a vendor or a guy with a route so he tried to sell you an mvs at collector prices.

This guy I know with an arcade repair business was telling me about a guy who called up an amusements vendor about 25 miles north of where I live, and got a complete, working 4-slot (monitor, cab, and 4-slot mvs board) for $175.

If the first place you call up gives you some crazy high price... hang-up the phone and try another vendor.

cheers,
-DT
 
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