What's the furthest (metaphorically or literally) that you've gone for something?

[Maverick1978]

Fair price for the SCC-1 but I'm pretty sure you overpaid for the PCjr KQ1. But hey, if you've got the chiclet overlay, all power to you. Most only come with the typewriter overlay as most of the sales were after the conversion to PC/Tandy 1000 and they had dropped the chiclet overlay by that pressing.

In nearly 5 years of watching ebay auctions (and with the admission that it's possible that I've missed a few), I've only seen 5 overlays along with a few sealed copies that MAY have contained them (who knows for sure). Of those, mine was the only time I've seen the chiclet overlay. Most PCjr KQ games I see at auction come with none... I'm not trying to dispute you - I'm pretty sure that I overpaid as well by a relatively fair margin, but I've also seen a like-new KQ with typewriter overlay go for over $180... my typewriter overlay is also like new, and my chiclet overlay has two very slight wear marks where the bend occurred. I'm not kidding myself that I'd "make" anything were I to resell it now or in the future, but for the sake of completing my Sierra collection. Worth it. Even though I cringe a bit at the price

So far as the SCC-1... yeah, those are hit and miss. I've only seen a single bare card in recent years go for less than $130, but I've not seen a single boxed/complete SCC-1 or SCC-1a go for less than the $175 mine went for. Most went for significantly more. Again, not kidding myself that I could sell for more than I paid, but like my LAPC-I and MPU-IMC (microchannel midi - wooooo!!!), I've no plans to let them go anytime soon.

 

[ebaybrad1]

I drove 6 hours each way to pick up my Tempest cocktail cabinet. My first (and only) arcade machine.



I have an asteroids upright. Those xy vector monitors can be a PITA. Have any trouble with your Tempest? The cocktail was a great choice for that machine. I am looking for a couple of others. They will definitely not be vectors. However, alot of my bucket list machines are vectors (star wars, tempest, etc.). I think I will just try to get a williams machine like defender or maybe a robotron...a galaga...a atari xo football...

Ah, maybe you are right, one machine!

 

[DOS lives on!!]

-Most I've ever paid: $155 for my complete Apple IIGS setup
-Most I've ever driven: 5 hours to Richmond to pick up 3 Macintosh LCIIs and two Mac Minis. Also picked up a Briggs & Stratton engine there.
-Most I've ever waited for something: Getting my Packard Bell Corner Computer. I originally saw it on a website in 2008. And if I can find one, the longest I'll wait is to find another of our first Gateway 2000 computer, which was thrown out in 2002.

 

[arrow_runner]

I drove 6 hours each way to pick up my Tempest cocktail cabinet. My first (and only) arcade machine.



I have an asteroids upright. Those xy vector monitors can be a PITA. Have any trouble with your Tempest? The cocktail was a great choice for that machine. I am looking for a couple of others. They will definitely not be vectors. However, alot of my bucket list machines are vectors (star wars, tempest, etc.). I think I will just try to get a williams machine like defender or maybe a robotron...a galaga...a atari xo football...

Ah, maybe you are right, one machine!

The system has a slight 'overheating' issue. I probably just need to reseat the cards but I'm heavily tempted to add a couple fans(without permanently changing anything of course) There is one component with a huge heat sink that gets incredibly hot.

I actually picked this up as an attempt to win a Delorean in the Ready Player One contest Ernest Cline was having. The final challenge was to set a world record on one of a handful of vintage arcade machines. Unfortunately they changed the rules and added 'Joust' for the Atari 2600. Some guy ended up winning 2 or 3 days after I picked up Tempest. I would still like to take a crack at the record though since I really enjoy the game. I'm also considering just outright buying a Delorean sometime in the next year or so...

 

[Flack]

I don't know how fair it is of me to drag arcade games into the conversation, but as far as distances go, if you live in central Oklahoma and you are interested in collecting classic arcade games, you have to be willing to travel. Dallas is four hours south of me. I drove to Hutchinson once to pick up a bunch of jukeboxes which was about six hours each way. I got outbid on a cabinet in Denver once which would have been a 12 hour drive each way. Limiting the conversation to computer stuff, I doubt I've driven more than an hour or so to pick anything up. Most stuff I either bought locally or had shipped to me.

Sticking to classic computers, the most I've paid was probably for either my 1541 Ultimate or the CFFA3000. I think the most expensive arcade game I owned was my 720 machine, which I paid $600 for. Any pinball collector would be able to trump that with any modern working machine.

I've been looking for an MSD-Dual drive since the mid-80s when my friend got his, so whenever I find one, that will be the item I've been searching for the longest.