[edit: changed title of thread from "...to start an arcade" to "...to buy video games" for more clarity]
Hi everyone here at KLOV. This forum seems to be filled with lots of experienced and helpful people so I am going to try posting here to see if I can get some insight. I would like to one day start an arcade. Now I don't know how far I will be able to go, but I'm going to try my darndest to make it. I've been told that before trying to get a loan, the more arcades you start out with on your own, the better off you will be. So is there a method you all can share with me for getting arcades at good deals? Any tips or anything would be most helpful.
My experience is very little, but I do have passion. Just now, I bought my first arcade from Ebay, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for $740.00 total. Was this a good deal? Might it be cheaper to buy parts, like say, a cheaper cabinet, and a PCB seperately? Is this a good idea or could it be improved some way? And I also just saw there is a section for buying and selling arcades on this forum that looks really cool
would that be better or a good addition to Ebay?
Thanks everyone.
Re: Cheapest way to start an Arcade?
Hi everyone here at KLOV. This forum seems to be filled with lots of experienced and helpful people so I am going to try posting here to see if I can get some insight. I would like to one day start an arcade. Now I don't know how far I will be able to go, but I'm going to try my darndest to make it. I've been told that before trying to get a loan, the more arcades you start out with on your own, the better off you will be. So is there a method you all can share with me for getting arcades at good deals? Any tips or anything would be most helpful.
My experience is very little, but I do have passion. Just now, I bought my first arcade from Ebay, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for $740.00 total. Was this a good deal? Might it be cheaper to buy parts, like say, a cheaper cabinet, and a PCB seperately? Is this a good idea or could it be improved some way? And I also just saw there is a section for buying and selling arcades on this forum that looks really cool would that be better or a good addition to Ebay?
Thanks everyone.
Hello Mike and welcome to the madness.
I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but what you are considering taking on is a losing proposition. There is a reason why there are few arcades out there and even those are closing their doors.
Bottom line is that if you are super rich and can support running an arcade with your own personal dough and you want to do it for the "fun"... go for it. If you expect to make money and a living doing it, run away... fast.
The vast majority of arcades out there are losing money hand over fist. The only exceptions are the Dave and Busters of the world that have the $$$ backing and use their facilities to make money other ways (restaurant, bar, bowling, miniature golf, go-carts, water slides, etc.).
This question you ask has been asked more times than I can count on these forums and, unfortunately, the answer is always the same. Don't do it.
Re: Cheapest way to start an Arcade?
Easiest way to understand is numbers
Say you paid $350.00 for a machine
.25 a play
Yeouch - a hell of alot of time/plays just to get your initial investment back out of it
Now you have your overhead (IE rent, utilities, wages, cleaning supplies, isurance).
I would say (and have seen it many times) to have an arcade is a great idea as long as the business isn't an arcade. Pizza joints seem to do quite well with games. However most kids don't want Ms Pac and the likes. So you better plan on installing games that were made within the last 3-5 years and go back to the math now. Let's say $ for a game @.50 a play. Not oog - not good at all.
Re: Cheapest way to start an Arcade?
Hey guys, thanks for the input and advice. Yeah, I kinda agree that it will be like that as I've been reading that it just doesn't work anymore as a business. It's cool though. Either way, I've always wanted to own all my favorite arcades. I've got to do this one way or the other so if it doesn't work out I'd be happy to make a hobby out of it So any more advice for just getting as many as I can for the best prices?
Long story short, please save the "don't do it" advice. I'm really asking for help on buying arcades.
Re: Cheapest way to start an Arcade?
Learn to work on them!!!! Is the easiest way to get A 500$ game for 100$. It might be as simple as a fuse, or a bad board. But if you can trouble shoot games its easy to get them cheap!!!
As far as your Mortal Kombat 735$ is a little high for me, but im a cheap ass...350-475$ is more like it for me!!
Last I have a few games on route!! About 20 to be exact!!! I have some ddr's and even a pacman out there..I work the deal with the owner that he pulls all permits ,and is responsible for damages...He gets a better cut that way...I do a 60-40 or a 70-30 on the ddr's. I like to see all the kids/adults enjoy games like i did when i was a kid!!!
THE HOME GAMING SYSTEM KILLED ARCADES!!!!
Don
Re: Cheapest way to start an Arcade?
I'm still running a route but it's super hard to make any money at it. I have about 10 accounts I built up from scratch and last year I tried to open an actual arcade at a smaller mall in Sacramento and was told NO. I contacted the big malls in Sacramento that are losing businesses left and right and still was told NO. (westfield malls)
I thought about opening up something in Downtown Sacramento until I found out they charge $500-$600 for an arcade permit, you have to get approval from the police chief, you have to have a background check and be fingerprinted, etc..
The games can be had for $300- apiece and my estimate was about $15-20 grand to buy equipment. You'll need to have more for overhead and be able to keep it open for at least 6 months on your own cash.
With the economy the way it is you would have a hard time for sure. On my route I have 44 games or so and they break all the time. Yesterday I pulled in about $220 profit in one place and today another $100. That's in one month for each place.
Anyway it's not that we wouldn't like you to succeed at what you want to do but most of us already though of it and some started to do it like me and found out the hard way. I have at least 20K into my business and I'll either go into bartop machines in bars or something like that or sell off my route soon. It's not really worth it for the money involved.
I think where to get games has been covered fully, you just need to have an ear and eye out for them. Networking works wonders, just driving around sometimes you can find them. I picked up a free Asteriods one day just driving around.
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