Giving up pcb repairs

[Shinydaz]

I'm about ready to hang up my soldering iron, it's just not as enjoyable as it used to be and people want ridiculous money for faulty stuff, even bootlegs. Primarily its not about making money, as you can be fixing stuff for days. For me its about getting stuff working and enjoyed again. Buying stuff overseas is just too expensive nowadays. I guess I'll have to take up gardening, swap my iron for some nice gardening shoes

 

[TheDaddy]

Yeh i know mate , I feel the same. I have been concidering thrwing in the towl for a while and just keep a couple of boards I always wanted. Some personal reasons & reasons you menion, I have always had good stuff from abroad and its ni on impossible now sadly. I have 300 or so going to the higest bidder ! lol

Dave.

TheDaddy2022-12-29 20:59:18

 

[Retroman839]

I wish I had been pickin up pcb when it was affordable.

Maybe when inflation comes down
Russia war ends
World peace resumes
And england are welcomed back in to the common market
The pound recovers
Import duty stops taking the piss.
Postman go back to work.
Then we can buy things again at something like normal prices.

Could be a while yet..

 

[Venom]

Unfortunately it is every hobby these days which must have some rich people pushing all the prices up.

I had both my cabinets given to me for free by friends. Also paid 350 for a neo geo of a member, imagine that now !

Did you see that boxed Star Wars Jawa on the BBC programme tonight graded 80% and an estimate of 20K.

Then a feature on celebrity Jonathan Ross who is rebuying all the toys he wanted as a child. When collectors keep several copies pushes up the prices. He had lots of all kind of toys whole room full.

I have a fair few original star wars figuress left , they were played with and have passed to my kids to play with. They sit in a toy box used daily, not on a bloody shelf. I think I have f**k all weapons left mind!

I'd love to get some more loose star war figures for ones I have lost when I was a child, but then I think it just putting all the prices up, and I want the kids to actually play with them ! i am not going to pay £50 for one. I was repairing my action man head's the other day the rubbers rot in them.

 

[80sArcadeGeek]

Hey mate.

I've got around 50 or so boards I was going to send your way when I get to the UK. I've also got some to repair. Take up gardening next year lol.

 

[80sArcadeGeek]

Dave, I am always buying boards.....

 

[sukhbir]

It seems as though arcade boards are like collecting antique furniture where only the rich will buy,but remember there will always be demand in the future for board repairer’s so don’t give up this precious hobby

 

[Retroman839]

Unfortunately it is every hobby these days which must have some rich people pushing all the prices up.

I had both my cabinets given to me for free by friends. Also paid 350 for a neo geo of a member, imagine that now !

Did you see that boxed Star Wars Jawa on the BBC programme tonight graded 80% and an estimate of 20K.

Then a feature on celebrity Jonathan Ross who is rebuying all the toys he wanted as a child. When collectors keep several copies pushes up the prices. He had lots of all kind of toys  whole room full.

I have a fair few original star wars figuress left , they were played with and have passed to my kids to play with. They sit in a toy box  used daily, not on a bloody shelf. I think I have f**k all weapons left mind!?

I'd love to get some more loose star war figures for ones I have lost when I was a child, but then I think it just putting all the prices up, and I want the kids to actually play with them !  i am not going to pay £50 for one.  I was repairing my action man head's the other day the rubbers rot in them.

Few snaps of some of my toys

 

[Phils Arcade]

I was repairing my action man head's the other day the rubbers rot in them.

I've 2 Action Men both in boxes I got as a kid, and both have their heads rolling around in the box, rubbers gone. Was looking to get one intact and make a mould with it, and pour some rubber resin to see if it could be replaced. Great toys in the day.

I would suggest trying not to give up, or repair them on a table in the garden. At least there would be plenty of ventilation when soldering the last of the lead solder.

 

[Phils Arcade]

Few snaps of some of my toys

That's a retirement plan right there, lol.

 

[TheDaddy]

Dave,  I am always buying boards.....

Place your bid son .....

Dave.

 

[Retroman839]

Few snaps of some of my toys?

That's a retirement plan right there, lol.

Retire what’s that?

Retroman8392022-12-30 11:41:01

 

[mysticmonk]

It's all gotten a bit mad.

Pcb repairs are too expensive for someone who can't (not to say its overpriced, factoring in multiple hours and all that). It's just that if you have a game that's worth 250 say, and a repair might cost 150 with no guarantees, you're as well off just buying another one that works. Or more likely, you'll just do without.

Pcbs are too expensive anyway. On the one hand it's great, I've got that game and it's worth loads, on the other hand it also means you won't be getting anymore because they cost loads too. If I could wave a magic wand I'd rather what I have be worth 50% and be able to get a few more games at 50%.

Basically prices/money/cost are killing everything and it's not just little hobbies but the entire shebang, a bag of crisps or a house, all the same problems. The whole blooming economic system is coming to a dead standstill cos it just isn't fit for purpose.

So happy new year

 

[NivagSwerdna]

Pcb repairs are too expensive for someone who can't (not to say its overpriced, factoring in multiple hours and all that). It's just that if you have a game that's worth 250 say, and a repair might cost 150 with no guarantees, you're as well off just buying another one that works. Or more likely, you'll just do without.

If a repair costs £100 single board, £200 dual board with a sensible guarantee policy; because really that's what it would take to be vaguely worth it, then doesn't that make working PCBs far too cheap? If all working PCBs were, say, £500... then board repair makes economic sense?

 

[Lurch666]

For me repairing is just something to pass the time in a more constructive way than messing on the internet for hours.

I can not touch a repair for weeks then start fiddling again with the assortment of PCBs I've never got properly repaired and just buy the odd PCB now and again when the price is right.

Plus I don't have much room left anyway for any new boards but I can never get round to selling any.

 

[mysticmonk]

Pcb repairs are too expensive for someone who can't (not to say its overpriced, factoring in multiple hours and all that). It's just that if you have a game that's worth 250 say, and a repair might cost 150 with no guarantees, you're as well off just buying another one that works. Or more likely, you'll just do without.

If a repair costs £100 single board, £200 dual board with a sensible guarantee policy; because really that's what it would take to be vaguely worth it, then doesn't that make working PCBs far too cheap?  If all working PCBs were, say, £500... then board repair makes economic sense?

That's one way to look at it, definitely.

However that's what I'm getting at about the wider economy, it just isn't going to work out.

If all pcb prices went to a minimum of 500 quid and up, I can tell you now, 90% of people are gone out of the hobby if not more.

Like a builder willing to do build a garden wall for 10 grand based off material costs and the overall cost of a house. Sounds logical, but in the end people will go without, less and less walls, less work for the builder, less spending because its just prohibitive. Standstill.

With prices so high, pcbs or otherwise, its clear that things are grinding to a halt. As someone said to me recently, "I'm getting robbed left, right and centre, so I'm going to rob too". It ain't going to work out.

 

[John Bennett]

It's just saturated. Everything eventually bought up.
Inevitable really. No crime in any of it. You want the boards you played as a kid, you buy them for under £100 a decade or two ago, it'll take a lot more than that to part with them, unless you become financially desperate, hence things grind to a halt.

In a way new folk are better off with Pi's and other stuff. You're not going to get some sort of 80's flashback handling an original PCB, dust and dead spiders have no alluring smell, and the main additional thrill is wondering if it'll work or not since the last time you used it.

But I'm puzzled- isn't it more that you're getting out of buying PCBs to repair? This would be as good-a-time as ever to be into repairing PCBs for other people, especially those who think nothing at buying a £1300 CPS3 system.*

*(if it wasn't a recipe for stress, madness and disaster

).

As always, the classic car market is very similar - 90's Japanese stuff in particular has gone utterly crazy.

 

[69er]

For me repairing is just something to pass the time in a more constructive way than messing on the internet for hours.

I can not touch a repair for weeks then start fiddling again with the assortment of PCBs I've never got properly repaired and just buy the odd PCB now and again when the price is right.

Plus I don't have much room left anyway for any new boards but I can never get round to selling any.

I too have so little space the floor gets full and any flat surfaces are sacred and stuff gets crammed in to the roof in places ..

I love to see other users here collect all sorts like Star Wars action men etc. (ABOVE) as besides vintage Arcadia stuff I collect a few odd collectibles also … thunderbirds and corgi 1:64 superhauler trucks are highly visible round the house. Maybe admin should add a topic zone “ my other collections” there’s a lot of dr who , things where I have delivered games or pooltables one guy had a real stormtrooper and a Dalek when I sold him a video and so much man cave wall art it’s unbelievable tho we do see some of them in “members collections (video games/ pinballs/ bar rooms etc)

Maybe it’s just take a break time …. or end up with regrets as some say .. “ wish I got pcbs when cheap” wish I got cabinets when they were being given away cheap or even free” us oldies have all been there …..

SURELY GIVING UP IS ALLOWING YOUR HOBBY TO DEFEAT YOU maybe you are just a new collector entering a temporary trend HOWEVER with almost 50 years in amusements related repairs my workshop I describe as a place stuff only comes to TO DIE … odd repairs have got shelved so long nobody would recognise the parts I have hoarded.. I have one embarrassing machine moved here in 1985 and was a few years at my previous home location , it’s a 60s bronco wheel of fortune originally big brittania 1d penny only needs a chain drive gear for the arrow to spin and I was a mechanic before I got into electronics

From this I never got rid of any major tools and repair my cars and van. Such things as brake discs and tail lift even major engine jobs immersed in dirty black oil can still achieved. I have my spanners sockets and tools also from manufacturing our puppet machines I have lathe pillar drill sanders and bandsaw tins of car filler to repair break in attempts in the arcade and paints of all types for jukebox glass fronts and kiddie ride animals and toy rides I TACKLE THEM ALL BUT SOME DO TAKE MONTHS AND I DO GET BORED OR UNMOTIVATED IF I HAVE TO MAKE AN OBSOLETE PART OR FIND A RARE COMPONENT Even longer as my bronco machine proves. 40 years on the back burner waiting for about 2 days work OUCH

BUT as you will agree if you have one space invader , pinball , slot item or a room full or any slot machine or even artwork friends relatives and any visitors are in awe amazed you have this hobby only ever seen on holiday at the seaside and you have it in your house My grandkids take it in their stride as standard here but strangers are gob-smacked … funniest tho is still when neighbours go on holiday and see me filling cranes with teddies and carrying buckets of coins across the arcade then say “ so that’s why you have a big truck in your driveway then?” If they only knew or saw behind our closed doors at home

I have tried to retire a couple of times NOT POSSIBLE happily but I have cut down to around 40 machines at home now !!!!!! 69er2022-12-30 15:49:46

 

[Retroman839]

Love it 69er

 

[Chopper79]

Classic cars and bikes, at an all time high. I was offered £5000 for my TZR250 below, and said no. The money would just be spent, and I would never find another with the mileage and condition of mine.

I sold my RD400E in 2000, and spent 20 years trying to find it. One day it popped up on ebay to my shock, but missing the engine and still sold for nearly £5000! I bought it from loot in 2000, for £400! I messaged the seller with my story, but he was only concerned with money.

Chopper792022-12-30 16:25:26