Would you buy something broken for decoration?

[diskoboy]

Has anyone here willingly bought something, even though they knew it didn't work just as decoration or a conversation piece? Not full price, of course...

Like for example - I have a R.O.B. that I keep in my room as decoration.
(and no, it's not for sale - you wouldn't wanna buy it anyway. Keep reading.. :) )

Cosmetically, it's in very good shape. But I left the batteries in the holder for a little over a decade. Therefore, the PCB is almost completely dissolved. But just by looking at it, you'd never know anything was wrong with it.

I also had a friend who bought my non working Virtual Boy and my 2 games for $25. I told him it didn't work, and he didn't care. He just thought it looked cool.

[Mark III]

Bought this famiclone just to display:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c314/River_Raid/scan.jpg

Was planning on souping it up, maybe putting some blue or green LED's for the eyes and making it some kind of hat. But it only works with the crappy wireless controller it originally came with that I don't have. Also I didn't want to because I'm you know... lazy.

[Technosis]

Yes, especially where handhelds are concerned. Some old handhelds are nearly "unplayable" even in mint shape, but look great as "eye candy".

[damerush]

for some reason i cant stop buying broken controllers and spray painting them gold, always gold.

[Nebagram]

I'd be tempted by something really quirky like a ROB if it was broken, but if it's a game or console, no thanks. I actually want to be able to use it to have fun.

[Steve W]

I bought a Philips 'Scuba' brand VR helmet without a power supply (and no clue what kind to hook up to it) just to put on top of my entertainment center on one of those styrofoam heads, just to look cool.

[Kuros]

I have a R.O.B. that I keep on my desk at work.

I may add in some other stuff, like my Star Fox Adventures Bobble Head.

[AMG]

Has anyone here willingly bought something, even though they knew it didn't work just as decoration or a conversation piece?


If the price is right then absolutely.

[wallydawg]

I got a Yoshi Mart Kart RC Car. I don't know if it really is broken or not but it didn't come with the receiver.

[sisko]

ROB here as well. It was stashed away in a random garage somewhere in Ohio for the better part of 15 years. As result, it was missing many components and the guts are pretty rusted, but it still looks decent.

Not bad for $.25 :)

[PallarAndersVisa]

i have a broken psx and a broken saturn that i use as door stops, couldnt be happier with them!

[cyberfluxor]

My Atari2600 has had a bad circuit for over a year and needs replacement. I keep it to have it for show and to one day replace those components that blew on the board.

[Push Upstairs]

Depends, but I wouldn't put it past myself.

I currently have a gutted Dreamcast that serves as a tissue holder.

[Pantechnicon]

I wouldn't pay tons of money for something broken if it was only going to be decor, but I certainly would do it if I could come up with some creative way display it. And while I have yet to pay for something I know to be broken for this reason, I have in the past made decoration of things I found to be broken (I get it from my father, who never throws anything away).

My best example is probably a collection of defective carts, stripped from their shells, I had decorating my cubicle wall at an old job. I had various 2600 and 5200 cart PCB's from different manufacturers all hanging on the wall like mounted butterflies. Kind of cool, but only to me.

[qbertandernie]

i have a closet full of video game 'doesnt work' stuff...i hope to find people like yourselves when finally i get into clearing it out!

what is it with r.o.b.s? mine doesnt work either, and i bought it just because its cool. about the only other thing i use for decoration is a broken ps1 that i made a clock out of, with the controller buttons as 12, 3, 6, and 9.

and id certainly buy the penguin famiclone for decoration! id call it the 'famiguin' or something stupid like that though.

[NES_Rules]

If it's cheap enough I'd buy something, but I certainly wouldn't pay full price for something that is broken just to use it as a decoration.
I did by an Atari Video Pinball system in the original box, that I knew had a busted AC power cord, just because I knew it would look sweet sitting on my shelf and because it was $5.

[rolenta]

I'll definitely buy a non-working system as long as the exterior looks good if it's a system that I don't have. In Phoenix I try to use photos of my own systems so if it doesn't work, it really doesn't matter as far as the book is concerned.

[shawnbo42]

I usually buy anything broken, as long as the price is right. (free is good)Considering that I spend my days rebuilding/repairing arcade machines, I figure if I buy enough broken R.O.B.'s, like anything else, I will be able to (when I get around to it) put something together that works.

[Retsudo]

No. I have better things to with my money.

[DarthKur]

I do it all the time. Especially when I get stuff free or close to it at my local thrift stores. I just can't help myself. :D

[Mark III]

and id certainly buy the penguin famiclone for decoration! id call it the 'famiguin' or something stupid like that though.
Actually I prefer "Penguicom"