FS Price Check Blast City

[zsuttle]

Hi all,
Sorry if this is in the wrong place.
I have the opportunity to acquire a blast city with a capcom punisher cps 1.5. I'm not terribly familiar with pricing on these units, (I mainly do pinballs). What would something like this normally run, assuming it's fully working and the cabinet it in pretty nice shape?

 

[rewrite]

Punisher alone's going to run you 800-1k.

Blasts somewhere around 1500-2000 depending.

Being in VA and people liking to go "There are no candy cabs on the East Coast" as some sort of made-up justification for upping prices I'd expect they're asking quite a bit more.

Know that the Blast isn't a beginner cab. It's got a lot of parts that are difficult to fix or purchase when they break down (and they do like to break down). Make sure you look at the speakers to see if they're completely rotted out (replacements are not easy), and make sure it has the original monitor if you're paying a lot (though honestly if it has a replacement you're better off from a reliability stand-point.) They also come with 3 different harnesses, so make sure you have the one that suits your needs.

 

[Anselmo]

The Punisher PCB is quite pricey. You want to make sure if it's an authentic CPS1.5 Version (worth maybe $700?) Maybe more) or a CPS2 Conversion. (Worth maybe $250-$350?)

The Blast city is also important to know if it has the original Tri Sync Nanao Monitor or not. That can change the value significantly.
But, assuming the Blast City is All Original ~$2000-$2500 is not out of the question. Knowing if the cab has been recapped or if it has all the appropriate harnesses is also important.

 

[zsuttle]

Thanks for the info, here are a few photos I was given. Are the tri sync monitors as much of a pain in these units as they are in a lot of the 2000s arcade games? (Mario kart GP comes to mind)

 

[BlinG]

Thanks for the info, here are a few photos I was given. Are the tri sync monitors as much of a pain in these units as they are in a lot of the 2000s arcade games? (Mario kart GP comes to mind)

That’s not an original monitor. Looks like a weiya flat screen crt. However that punisher is original and even has the cps1.5 case. Ez $1000 for punisher and $2000 for cabinet.

 

[Anselmo]

Looks like the cabinet was spray painted. I would request better pictures, the bottom plate is white when it's supposed to be chrome. If they just rattle canned it and not cared enough to remove the chrome piece, looks can be deceiving and you can have a really bad finish on the blast. Something to be aware of and help you score a good deal hopefully.

 

[Aurich]

My personal opinion: if you're new to candy cabs don't overpay for a frankensteined Blast City.

At the very, very least, you need to find out exactly what that replacement monitor is. Is it tri-sync still? And decide if that horrible bezel gap from having a flat screen jammed in where a curved monitor belongs will irritate you every single day you see it like it would me.

 

[rewrite]

That’s not an original monitor. Looks like a weiya flat screen crt.

D9200 also doesn't fit properly and you often find in these.

It's definitely been painted. How well you won't know until you see it in person.

My personal opinion: if you're new to candy cabs don't overpay for a frankensteined Blast City.

I'd even go so far as to say "Don't buy a Blast City".


What are they asking?

 

[Clucas79]

If they are asking $2000 or under you had best jump on it. If they're asking $3000 with that cps1.5 on east coast I'd still say that's a fair deal as long as it's 100% working. I'm in Georgia and would never sell my Blast City but if I did it wouldn't be for a penny less than $2500. Hope that helps.

 

[sandman2k16]

Is GndZero just the best kept secret in candy cabs or what? Check him out on Facebook if you're on the East Coast and looking for a cab or three. Really nice guy, fair prices, easy to deal with, steady stream of quarterly orders, etc. Pick up in person (South Carolina), or he'll work with your shipper of choice. $2100 for a Blast City at last check.

 

[Kidkaos]

D9200 also doesn't fit properly and you often find in these.

It's definitely been painted. How well you won't know until you see it in person.

I'd even go so far as to say "Don't buy a Blast City".


What are they asking?

My D9200s fit perfectly fine, no gap. They did come in American Bass Fishing set ups Sanwa es2931s as well....no gap same tube as Nanaos (Toshiba curve)

 

[rewrite]

My D9200s fit perfectly fine, no gap. They did come in American Bass Fishing set ups Sanwa es2931s as well....no gap same tube as Nanaos (Toshiba curve)

Quick google suggests that D9200s come paired with both flat or curved tubes. Learned something today. Flat ones will look like the one here of course (and Wei-ya's, Makvisions, etc.).

 

[Aurich]

I'd even go so far as to say "Don't buy a Blast City".

The bad: it doesn't have the original Blast City monitor and chassis

The good: it doesn't have the original Blast City monitor and chassis

What are they asking?

It's always interesting to me when new users don't just straight up provide this info, and instead ask what something is worth. If you want a straight answer from people just provide the data. Save a lot of time. And really, in this game if you waste time you lose out, if it was actually a deal it's probably already sold.

 

[kazuo]

Is GndZero just the best kept secret in candy cabs or what? Check him out on Facebook if you're on the East Coast and looking for a cab or three. Really nice guy, fair prices, easy to deal with, steady stream of quarterly orders, etc. Pick up in person (South Carolina), or he'll work with your shipper of choice. $2100 for a Blast City at last check.

Not really, he posts here even and we recommend him all the time.

Would second not buying a Blast as your first cab. I'd even go as far as to recommend never buying one. They're dumb cabs, everything about them is bad, aside from the looks

Lastly, for future reference, there is a price check thread.

Good luck!

 

[Kidkaos]

Quick google suggests that D9200s come paired with both flat or curved tubes. Learned something today. Flat ones will look like the one here of course (and Wei-ya's, Makvisions, etc.).

Yeah mine are 100% curved. Same Toshiba tube as what came paired with Nanaos. Just an FYI if you come across them es2931s sanwas too. Same tube just different yokes obviously.

 

[Chron]

So much blast hate in every price check thread that pops up anymore lol! haha yes they can be troublesome but damn guys sharp image repair still fixes the chassis I love my blasts and I think they are some of the best looking cabs. I’ve laid my favorite blast on its back and driven it to different events to share and haven’t had a problem yet it’s a tank. I do think everyone needs to keep in mind every cab is gonna require effort! Good way to learn. I would hope nobody thinks this hobby is as easy as picking up a Nintendo switch from Walmart and heading home to game lol!

 

[Kidkaos]

So much blast hate in every price check thread that pops up anymore lol! haha yes they can be troublesome but damn guys sharp image repair still fixes the chassis I love my blasts and I think they are some of the best looking cabs. I’ve laid my favorite blast on its back and driven it to different events to share and haven’t had a problem yet it’s a tank. I do think everyone needs to keep in mind every cab is gonna require effort! Good way to learn. I would hope nobody thinks this hobby is as easy as picking up a Nintendo switch from Walmart and heading home to game lol!

I used to not have any issues with Blasts but let me tell you, once the issues start, they don't stop! I'm probably going to be selling 2 of my 4 Blasts because it's too expensive to upkeep all 4. I'm gonna sell two, keep two and grab 2 others. Maybe NACs, we'll see. But yeah, Blasts are a p.i.t.a to work on!

 

[GeekMan1222]

I wouldn't exactly recommend a Blast for a first time buyer my self if asked, and im transparent about that, the heart wants what it wants though. The only big down fall to the blast is the original MS2930 and MS2931 monitor chassis's can be a temperamental if they encounter any major faults I personally never a had a ton of issues with blasts during testing time the limited few that did have issues with monitors its a real chore to work with but I manage to get it squared away somehow.

If you were to buy a blast city I would read up on the manual some and make sure you find a spare MS2930 or MS2931 chassis at some point just one if you can.
When you get your cab take 30 mins or an hour and just look at how everything is wired and familiarize yourself with where things are and how they get from point A to point B this is honestly something I would recommend for any new cab purchase anyway.

Outside of that the only thing really about blasts that may create further frustration is the sheer amount of extra wiring and interfacing boards and connectors. The blast city was designed to be highly modular because it was released during a pivotal transitional period in arcade hardware. It was made to run Jamma, Model3 and (Half) JVS by easily swapping some wire harness's around and or adding a IO board for JVS. This basically required sega to add additional looms and a interfacing board. So if and when you ever need to do serious troubleshooting and your not super familiar with all the guts nor want to put in the time to read up on a manual and follow that stuff then your gonna have a really frustrating time until you just sit down and mull through it all. That really shouldnt happen all too often though realistically. The monitors is the big turn off on these cabs, when they are running correctly they run very well though.

Everyone thats bought blasts from me have been really happy with them.

Im not really a blast hater but there's a lot more going on in those cabs compare to some others past or present but they are built well and when they are tuned up and running correctly they just run as expected

 

[Kidkaos]

I

I wouldn't exactly recommend a Blast for a first time buyer my self if asked, and im transparent about that, the heart wants what it wants though. The only big down fall to the blast is the original MS2930 and MS2931 monitor chassis's can be a temperamental if they encounter any major faults I personally never a had a ton of issues with blasts during testing time the limited few that did have issues with monitors its a real chore to work with but I manage to get it squared away somehow.

If you were to buy a blast city I would read up on the manual some and make sure you find a spare MS2930 or MS2931 chassis at some point just one if you can.
When you get your cab take 30 mins or an hour and just look at how everything is wired and familiarize yourself with where things are and how they get from point A to point B this is honestly something I would recommend for any new cab purchase anyway.

Outside of that the only thing really about blasts that may create further frustration is the sheer amount of extra wiring and interfacing boards and connectors. The blast city was designed to be highly modular because it was released during a pivotal transitional period in arcade hardware. It was made to run Jamma, Model3 and (Half) JVS by easily swapping some wire harness's around and or adding a IO board for JVS. This basically required sega to add additional looms and a interfacing board. So if and when you ever need to do serious troubleshooting and your not super familiar with all the guts nor want to put in the time to read up on a manual and follow that stuff then your gonna have a really frustrating time until you just sit down and mull through it all. That really shouldnt happen all too often though realistically. The monitors is the big turn off on these cabs, when they are running correctly they run very well though.

Everyone thats bought blasts from me have been really happy with them.

Im not really a blast hater but there's a lot more going on in those cabs compare to some others past or present but they are built well and when they are tuned up and running correctly they just run as expected

I've found it next to impossible to find a replacement or spare ms2931-s, as well as a buddy of mine and we're both in California, they just don't come up. 2933 or 2934? Those do come up but are 31khz only so the Tri sync is much more sought after, yet temperamental (I have 2 that I can't get right or pnl)

 

[ekorz]

2933 or 2934? Those do come up but are 31khz only

2933 is a tri-sync, but they’re also rare so I’m guessing you meant another 31khz only model