Old thread but I have my own story of getting a New Geo around 1997 in the UK, I was 12 years old. There was no arcades near me so I had never heard of Neo Geo really. My cousin's friend's family ran a game shop and they stocked Neo Geo stuff, the market must have been really niche around here honestly.
I ended up buying an N64 from a kid at school with saved up birthday/Christmas money. I forget how much but a good deal, it had no box etc but in 1997 N64 was very desirable for kids around our age. The kids older brother had got a playstation which they preferred so sold me the 64.
Soon after, my cousin, through some deal ended up with a neo AES and a few games from.yhe family who had the game shop. Fatul Fury Special, AOF and a few more. He had tried to use it but it only displayed black and white, probably due to his crappy pal TV, not sure.
Anyway, he then wanted to get driving lessons so offered me a trade of the Neo for the N64 be sure that would be easy to sell at the time to pay for his lessons. I borrowed the Neo not knowing much about it and fell in love with it. I spoke with the kid (older than me, same as my cousin) who had it originally (his family owned the game shop) and he was like WTF, take it and told me a bit about the system. He gave me some printed A4 stuff from their shop showing prices and explained it all came from Japan.
Shop was called acme games in Gravesend, I remember much later learning it is mentioned in the early Neo Geo newsletters.
I took the trade, my cousin got driving lessons, everyone at school thought I was out of my mind trading an N64 for an old 2D system nobody had ever heard of, part of me thought they were right at the time.
No regrets.