I have a few people that will pay to have a Mame built for them, so if you want to do it and make some cash,
let me know and I'll forward you their contact info.

I'm not building jack for anyone anymore so it's all yours if you're in the National Capital Region.

Yeahhh

They all say that until they find out how much it costs JUST IN PARTS...  Sparkster had a few like that..  They all think that since they already have the computer running MAME it can't be that expensive to set it up in a cab..

My 0.02$

Mike

Quoted from MrMikeman

Yeahhh

They all say that until they find out how much it costs JUST IN PARTS...  Sparkster had a few like that..  They all think that since they already have the computer running MAME it can't be that expensive to set it up in a cab..

My 0.02$

Mike

Exactly.......then bargain with you for your labour like you're from Bangladesh......just like the originals!
that's why I'm not building squat, so any poor bastard that wants the market, be my guest I'll send
you the business.

Craig  

Why don't you just send them onto a company like this. At least they will get an immediate appreciation for what a MAME system can run them.

http://www.quasimoto.com/quasicade-3.php

Then whatever you quote them will probably seem like a bargain.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Why don't you just send them onto a company like this. At least they will get an immediate appreciation for what a MAME system can run them.

http://www.quasimoto.com/quasicade-3.php

Then whatever you quote them will probably seem like a bargain.

Bravissimo necro!

Amen brother, that's what I'm talkin about....and christ...look at that thing, even a loving mother would put that thing in a basket and drop it on the church steps.

Quoted from MrMikeman

Yeahhh

They all say that until they find out how much it costs JUST IN PARTS...  Sparkster had a few like that..  They all think that since they already have the computer running MAME it can't be that expensive to set it up in a cab..

My 0.02$

Mike

So far, 19 requests since I posted I build them. Number of people who have come back to me after merely stating the cost of the parts = 0.

People tend to severely underestimate how much it costs to build a GOOD mame game. One guy even mentioned to me that my parts price estimate was outrageous (he wanted a very-similar job to what I built for Marty), and said that an X-Arcade cost 4 times less. I agreed, and told him to go buy one, and then spend the time putting it on the cab.

I guess that what doesn't help me at all is that I spend a good 30-45 minutes with the people on the phone CLEARLY explaining what it takes to build a good mame. Sure... buy a crappy cab (50$), put in an old computer (200$) with a piece of plywood inside the cab holding a non-bezeled beige 17" monitor (50$) and screw in an X-Arcade control panel (250$) and you are done. Will it be nice? No. I invest a total of 50+ hours minimum on every mame I build. Add the parts to that, and you get the picture.

You can buy a 10$ pair of sneakers at WalMart... but a friend of mine is a semi-pro athlete that has custom footwear made for him, and it costs him 300$ a pair. See what I mean?

Quoted from Sparky

You can buy a 10$ pair of sneakers at WalMart... but a friend of mine is a semi-pro athlete that has custom footwear made for him, and it costs him 300$ a pair. See what I mean?

Nope... You mean WalMart has sneakers on sale?

I think the analogy was if your a lousy player you can do with a lousy cab and if your feet stink then $10 may be all you want to invest in a pair of shoes.

Quoted from Sparky

So far, 19 requests since I posted I build them. Number of people who have come back to me after merely stating the cost of the parts = 0.

People tend to severely underestimate how much it costs to build a GOOD mame game.

you GO sparky!!! ...that's exactly what I told the last few guys that were "shocked" at the cost.....I quoted him $275 for a fugly one with no computer (fugly was what HE wanted) ....he wasn't "sure", so I said fine, fair enough, go and build it, keep all your receipts, and I reckon you spend $275 in wasted cash alone ,shipping,materials, unecessary parts and hardware, not to mention paint, gas, tools..

...I mean hell, what's a fire-button 1 1/8 drill bit cost? mine was $23 after taxes....

And let's not forget Father Time....If you spread your mame project over a year? sure, you can save $50.

But if you want to play the thing before your diamond anniversary, it costs more, period.  


Sparky, you even offered to build for the cost of parts didn't ya? man,  I was going to ask you, but I thought you'd be swamped already, tell ya what, Let's trade, a quality Mame for the Pac? no joke, no sarcasm,  I know how much work goes into a NICE one.

Craig

Already spend near 600$ in my project (not a real mame) for part only and I'm just starting! (100$ lost just in shipping and I had to buy tools, paints... not in the total...) I plan for 800$ max now..
I do it for me , too difficult to sell for sure..

Anyone ever saw one of these? Maybe a good link to send to these Fast and Furious guy's

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250172502775&ssPageName=ADME<img src=

Thinking about it, don't bother. You take the risk that they might ask you to assemble it...

My 0.03$

Luke

I had a dream last winter to build one, I was thinking that it was easy when I realised the amount of work and the fact I don't know a damw thing in these thing,I flush the project, I can imagine the amount of work involved in this and I don't even dare asking how much it would cost even if I have the computer. But I would realy like to know how much sparky would sell a nice ready to go mame cab with my computer in it (a very nice computer ).I have another idea is it possible to do this in a baby pacman with a swicth for mame or baby pacman in the same box and fitting a bigger screen. Whell even if the price of those two idea will certainly exceed what I can budget for this it would be nice to know these two price...well we never know when desire exceed cash restriction   thanks

Quoted from korgull

But I would realy like to know how much sparky would sell a nice ready to go mame cab with my computer in it (a very nice computer ).

The computer is a relatively minor factor in the MAME cab build. If the computer is already configured, it saves me about 4 hours, no more. I`'s the custom work and hardware that costs a lot.

Keep in mind that a Tornado spinner + a trackball costs as much if not more than your computer, and takes much more time to properly fit on a control panel...

well mine cost arounds the 1300-1500 $ line.. i put alot of time into it.. thats just parts, (cab cost me $300, included NFL blitz, with monitor and all..but made a new control panel, and more.... ) in Etobicoke, Ont. brought it back.... but i'm happy with the final result