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Felixthegamer
04-06-2007, 08:19 AM
I saw an ad for a Galaga machine on Craig’s list and it is local. Not only local, but same suburb that I live in. Must be fate, I thought, as I fired off an e-mail asking about condition, side art and marquee. This afternoon, I get a reply saying the machine is in great shape and his name is Jeff and to call this evening.
We tried calling a few times and nothing, but my wife finally got through. Jeff was friendly and nice. He gave us his address and we drove over. It took, maybe, five minutes to get there. I notice a for sale sign on in the yard and Jeff had mentioned he was moving. There was even one of those real estate locks on the door. My wife and I don’t even get to ring the bell and he answers.
“Hey there, like Galaga? So do I,” Jeff said with a laugh. I notice right away that there is nothing in the living room and worry where the machine might be. Surely not down those narrow steep steps. Sure enough, he led us downstairs. There it is, sitting off to the side, my holy grail, my dreams of dreams, a Galaga arcade machine!
I spent countless hours and quarters playing this game. It is my favorite video game ever created. I have many fond memories. The only time I have visited arcades in recent years is to play Galaga. The arcade that had one closed down last year though and I have been getting my fix through Namco classics. It is fine and all, but nothing is the same as the real
The machine looked great. The marquee glowed, the side art is also flawless and everything worked. It went through the start up cycle and that familiar tune played. I started playing and the joystick was just right and the buttons too. I knew this was meant to be. I turned around and said, “We’ll take it!” I am not sure why I said we because this game is much more for me than my wife. I handing Jeff the cash and we worked out how to get Galaga to the suburban.
I had bought a hand cart with a strap in anticipation of the move. Unfortunately, I was not ready to go up steps. Jeff and I worked the machine onto the cart. He strapped it in and we lined it up with the stairs. It was elected that I was to go first and pull the cart up while he pushed. I pulled with all my might, but I was wearing flip flops and my jeans were giving me trouble too. My foot ended up under the machine and I got it out, but I never recovered.
My legs were almost all the way under the cart as we were half way up. I was out of breathe, pale faced and sweaty as heck. My hands hurt and I could do no more. The machine slipped once and Ambie tried to help. It slipped again and Jeff moved. Galaga crashed into the wall and Jeff eased it down the steps. Jeff was worried about me first and then the machine. It felt like I was having a heart attack. It felt like an elephant on my chest and I almost fainted. It would take me half an hour to recover.
We checked the machine as Jeff worried. It fired right up and worked like a dream. Jeff called a friend, who never showed up. He called another friend who did show up. It took thirty to thirty five minutes though. We talked, joked and laughed about the mishap. It was embarrassing to me though. I fucked it and thankgodtochrist, nobody was hurt! We stood out on Jeff’s porch in the cool evening breeze. Eventually, his friend showed up.
Jeff and his friend took the top this time and I offered little support on the bottom. In no time, Galaga was upstairs. It was plugged in for one last test and passed! Jeff and his friend wheeled it out to the suburban and loaded it in. I am forever grateful for their help. As I started backing away I heard Jeff say to his friend “Want to come in for a beer?” His friend said yes and that is the last I'll see of either of them.

The story of how it got into my house is much more mundane and not worth noting. Here are some fotos though,. It is in decent shape, but no perfect. I am happy with it though. It has a large scratch on the left side, but all other scratches and such are small

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/mar.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/monitor.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/joystick.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/front2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/front.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/side1.jpg]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/side2.jpg

agbulls
04-06-2007, 09:38 AM
If this is the machine I think I saw on Craiglist then you probably paid under $200...a helluva steal!

Nice cabinet. You'll have to take some more pictures that give a better idea of its overall condition. Again, congrats!

Pop Culture Portal
04-06-2007, 10:40 AM
Awesome story!

diskoboy
04-06-2007, 11:49 AM
Damn nice looking machine! I was so thrilled the day I brought my Galaga cocktail home from Atlanta. Everyone I drove by that recognized the machine kept doing double takes as I drove past.

The good thing about Galaga uprights is they're soooooooo easy to restore. Just a coat of black paint (or just touch up the scratches), new stickers (which you definitely don't need) and there ya go!

Flack
04-06-2007, 02:54 PM
That is a great story and a great looking cabinet -- congrats man!!!

I too know what it's like to do something stupid like that. Once I drove about twelve hours (round trip) to pick up my Heavy Barrel cabinet. When I got home I was moving it out to the arcade and ended up dropping it in the yard. I tried to stop it from falling so I grabbed the side and ended up riding it down and then flying over the top of it when it hit the ground. That's the day I discovered (the hard way, like yourself) that these things are built pretty tough!

If you paid anything less than $600 or so for that cab you got a great deal.

XYXZYZ
04-06-2007, 07:47 PM
Congratulations man, you must be a pround new daddy!

I remember the excitement of moving my first cabinet around (NEO GEO) and that feeling of newfound respect for their size and durability. They feel so... industrial strength, know what I mean?

Borman
04-07-2007, 09:49 AM
Awesome story :) Just imagine trying to move a dual-screen Playchoice 10 cabinet into the house. Now that was heavy!

shawnbo42
04-07-2007, 10:02 AM
Nice pickup on the Galaga machine. Looks to be in great shape for a machine as old as it is. Worst experience I ever had was when I used to work for Namco (not the swimming pool company), and I went to pick up a MKI converted to Tekken 3 (when T3 was still a money-maker). Anyways, long story short, the moron manager at this location didn't bother to strap the game to the cart, loads it sideways, and basically pushes me out the door. ("Sign here, gotta get back to work, lots to do, oh, btw, bring back my hand cart....). So, I get the machine down the freight elevator, bring it out to the parking lot, and, as I go to let it down, the hand truck goes down, and the machine keeps on going....Made a hell of a bang when the side of the cab hit the pavement, sounded like a gunshot! (Especially in THAT neighborhood) I'm surprised people didn't hide behind their cars! lol. Anyways, the cabinet was basically sound, couple cracks in the wood, magnet came off the speaker, and whacked the back of the tube. Put in a new monitor, some glue and wood screws, a speaker, and she was back in business. Lesson learned after that though, check to see if the other idiot did his job....Of course, I should've checked as well, so who's the idiot now?! Anyways, that's my little horror story.....Unless you count the one trying to roll a 50" TV with an Alpine Surfer marquee on top with only THREE wheels on the TV (and it's top heavy.....you get the idea)

Flack
04-07-2007, 03:01 PM
Awesome story :) Just imagine trying to move a dual-screen Playchoice 10 cabinet into the house. Now that was heavy!

Never had the pleasure. When I got my dual Playchoice cabinet to my house I realized it wouldn't fit through my arcade's doorway. :/ It sat in my garage for six months before I ended up reselling it.

Borman
04-07-2007, 03:29 PM
I almost died lifting it up our 4 or 5 stairs, even with 2 other people. I still need to fix the damn monitors in that thing though

Felixthegamer
04-30-2007, 12:46 AM
The bug had hit me hard. My wallet is weeping a bit and I need more room already, but I love it. I never thought I would be able to collect arcade games. It feels right playing Galaga with a joystick and monitor instead of a controller and TV. I don't think I have to explain it to anybody here because you all know how I feel. None of these are in perfect condition, as I expected for the prices I paid. Dig dug is in the worst shape. They all play fine though. I think a perfectly fine game would be wasted on me as all the arcades I was at growing up, the games had cosmetic flaws. It makes it feel more real to me. That being said, the marquees and side art are in good condition. No huge flaws, some small scratches here and there.

There are only two local arcades left in town and one is in that part of town you don't want to visit and the other is all more modern games. Now if only I could find Joust and Burger time I could be quite happy....

By the way, I am missing some fotos here because I was resizing them and the program quit on me and I didn't feel like going back and re-doing some.

X-men 4 player
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0681.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0680.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0678.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/xmenright.jpg

Breakout
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0616.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0620.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/breakout.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0621.jpg
It has several scratches on the metal

Felixthegamer
04-30-2007, 12:47 AM
Broken in two as too many fotos in the first


Dig Dug
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0631.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0632.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/digdug.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0705.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0706.jpg
Some bastard put a hole in it. It is decent sized and noticable

Galaga '88
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/COLLECTIONS/100_1058.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/COLLECTIONS/100_1060.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/COLLECTIONS/100_1059.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/COLLECTIONS/100_1056.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/COLLECTIONS/100_1061.jpg

Felixthegamer
04-30-2007, 12:47 AM
One more. I hope all the fotos don't cause any problems for anybody

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0709.jpg
The wife playing X-men. She claims that and breakout! as hers

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/ht/HPIM0625.jpg
A gaming chair/stool I found at target. Works nice for my fat ass

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v198/sweetamber/COLLECTIONS/100_1066.jpg
A quick shot of most of the family. Breakout! is in the corner next to the fireplace per my wife's request.

diskoboy
04-30-2007, 04:54 PM
Damn nice Breakout!! I haven't seen a Breakout machine since the early 80's. Does it work?

Looks like the previous owner got mad at his Dig Dug machine, and shot it :)

Felixthegamer
05-01-2007, 07:49 AM
Damn nice Breakout!! I haven't seen a Breakout machine since the early 80's. Does it work?

Despite the cosmetic damage to some of the machines, they all are in working order, thank goodness too because I wouldn't even know how to begin to repair anything yet