Road Dog Amusements - An Arcade Route and Arcade Services company based in NorCal

[yoooooon]

dude, you are a LEGEND!!!!
much

 

[KaPH33n]

I got a call yesterday from a potentially new location. I went by 45m later and talked it out with the manager, and got the go ahead to bring games there. I took the first load in today and set up an impulse plush crane, stacker, and the fast and furious drift cab I fixed up recently. This is my 16th location now, and it's a really nice spot. It's busy and part of a huge shopping complex. I have a feeling this is going to be a killer new spot for me. There's going to be some games by the front and then a whole dedicated game room in the back. I am thinking it will take about 10-15 pieces to fill this location out.

They need to move the tables out of the game room once I get more games installed. I'm doing a captain's run tomorrow and I'm picking up some air hockeys and other equipment. I found a change machine for it down in Fresno and I have to grab it on the way back.

It's super close to my shop, so I will be able to service it easily and regularly. It's a skill and a talent to build out game rooms from scratch! I have definitely learned a lot in the past 2 years of operating. I know what earns now.

 

[KaPH33n]

I have been busy nonstop for the past 3 weeks! I took a truckload of games to CAX, rebuilt a game room after the restaurant did a remodel, helped a buddy move a couple games, then took him 3 of my games to borrow, then started setting up a brand new loc, then did a captains run loaded both ways, then kept rounding up stuff for my new location. Needless to say I’ve been a literal Road Dog. Gotta keep on truckin’!

I could only attach 10 pics so here’s some of the games I moved around this month. When I think my new loc is set up I will make a post for that. I am finishing up restoring the Titan Air Hockey for them now.

 

[hoagtech]

Is that your box and liftgate?

Thats a nice one..

 

[KaPH33n]

Is that your box and liftgate?

Thats a nice one..

nah bro, I'm not baller like you. I rent trucks from Ryder. I get a commercial rate though, which helps. The pickup truck with liftgate is mine though. I've used that thing to move a lot of stuff around.

 

[hoagtech]

nah bro, I'm not baller like you. I rent trucks from Ryder. I get a commercial rate though, which helps. The pickup truck with liftgate is mine though. I've used that thing to move a lot of stuff around.

Lol. I wish I owned the ripped roof box truck.

I technically have no box trucks too. Here's hoping for a corporate discount plea purchase. When they bought my i7 Pc's they sent them to the scrapyard unfortunately. Fingers crossed..

I'm loving seeing your hustle in placing and collecting your arcades btw. Your living the dream. I hope it pays

 

[KaPH33n]

Lol. I wish I owned the ripped roof box truck.

I technically have no box trucks too. Here's hoping for a corporate discount plea purchase. When they bought my i7 Pc's they sent them to the scrapyard unfortunately. Fingers crossed..

I'm loving seeing your hustle in placing and collecting your arcades btw. Your living the dream. I hope it pays

well, I would agree with you that I am "living the dream" as in I am my own boss and I do what I want. It really hasn't "paid" yet though since I've been negative while building the business the past 2.5 years. coronavirus also stunted the income. I'm finally now at a point where I have enough built up that it's paying for itself and still growing. Honestly I feel like I'm successful, but it hasn't proven so on paper yet. 2.5 years in and 16 locations is nothing to scoff at. That said, most people can't even keep a first business going for 2 years. I've definitely gotten paid in experience and on the job training. I have a feeling in one more year I'll be in a much different place. Coronavirus should be a thing of the past by then and the recent locations I'm building out with new equipment and more experience are earning better.

 

[KaPH33n]

I said I would post about my new Logan's Roadhouse location after getting it set up, so here it is. I've been working on getting this spot set up for about 1.5 months actually. It didn't click into place like some of my previous outfittings because of the sheer number of pieces, level of equipment cost, difficulty in fixing/restoring/moving, and having to go get multiple loads of equipment from auction. I just moved in the Golden Tee 2021 tonight, and I feel like it's finally "done."

At the moment it's about 16 pieces?

American Changer AC2001 Change Machine
Impulse Prize Palace Plush Crane
LAI Stacker
A&A/Northwestern 9 Head Capsule Rack
Wiz Kid Gumball
Bay-Tek Skee-Ball Super Shot Jr. Basketball
ICE Titan Air Hockey
Raw Thrills Fast and Furious Super Bikes 2x Linked
Raw Thrills Fast and Furious Drift
Bally Midway Galaga
Atari Centipede
Williams Defender
Williams Tri Zone Pinball
Raw Thrills Big Buck Hunter Pro Tour
IT Golden Tee 2021

The Golden Tee is in a legit IT Showpiece cabinet. It was pretty much the only thing I paid full price on and bought "working" to secure this location. It was one of the pieces they asked for in the beginning that I promised I would get them one. That and a plush crane and a buck hunter. It's located right in the front of the restaurant and is a literal showpiece if you ask me. It's probably the most valuable single piece of equipment I have out on my route. It's definitely the newest game I am operating. If it earns anything decent I will upgrade it to 2022 and see about getting it back online. Right now I don't feel like paying the monthly without knowing what its potential is. Hopefully any other operators who would be thinking about trying to poach the spot would walk in and see the golden tee and impulse crane and just forget about it. This is a location that is invested into and being taken care of, not a checked out operator barely holding on.

This is a step up from my other locations in terms of presence and overall quality. This is a sit down restaurant with wait staff. All of my other locations are more casual like pizza places, taquerias, laundromats, etc. I feel like I wouldn't have been able to handle a spot like this 2 years ago when I was just starting. Now though, I have a lot more experience so I know what can earn and how to get the equipment deployed. Moving big games like the basketball game and the air hockey really separates the men from the boys. Do you even have the truck? Can you do it solo? Can you move it in without getting hurt, breaking the equipment, injuring the location, or having any other kind of catastrophe? I have overall a higher level of equipment I'm operating here than most of my other locations. Some equipment is the same, but I also cherry picked my best pieces to put here.

This location has a full bar. It also kind of does have an "older" crowd that comes through for steaks and drinks and what not. I wanted to try operating some classics again, even though I know they don't really make any money. I do really like seeing an occasional kid that does connect with the old games though. I've seen some say their favorite game there is the pinball. If I don't put out these games for the next generation to enjoy, literally no one else is going to. There's not that many places you can go and play on 40+ year old games that have been restored. Every one of those classic video games has rebuilt monitors and linear power supplies. I strip down the control panels and clean everything thoroughly and then put back the original equipment with leaf switches. I only replace things that are literally broken beyond repair. So far they haven't earned much, but I do think having some classics rounds out the game room. It also gives mom/dad something to do while the kids are going nuts.

I just got in a load of equipment that I'm fixing/cleaning/restoring right now. I gotta get a location's worth of stuff on deck, and then start trying to locate. I'm also working on restoring another pinball I grabbed on craigslist. I don't really have any idea where this stuff is going to go... but I'm sure once it's ready everything will be revealed.

Radical!

 

[Lallander]

I've mostly got that Yellow crane cleaned and restored now. I'm soak testing it for 48 hours now.

I'm also working on these new gumball games I picked up for free!

I have always wanted a gumball machine, and these are vending machines that are also a game! so that's cool, imo. I think they will be nice once cleaned up.

A place near me had a machine like that back in the 90s. I had completely forgotten about it. Used to love playing that thing. For the cost of a gumball you got to play a short game, and got a gumball. What a fantastic idea.

 

[KaPH33n]

A place near me had a machine like that back in the 90s. I had completely forgotten about it. Used to love playing that thing. For the cost of a gumball you got to play a short game, and got a gumball. What a fantastic idea.

yeah, and a chance to win a 2nd gumball. Unfortunately $0.25 is becoming worth less and less. It's quite difficult for me to operate the one I have with bounce balls in it. I really shouldn't. I tried looking at replacing the coin mech but the price art is baked into the cabinet and the mech is riveted in place. I guess I could drill it out, but that's not something i want to do on location.

 

[Lallander]

I wonder how hard it would be to design and build an updated one with more going on. Probably not worth the effort, but I would love to see that sort of thing make a comeback.

 

[KaPH33n]

I wonder how hard it would be to design and build an updated one with more going on. Probably not worth the effort, but I would love to see that sort of thing make a comeback.

There are other ones, some with more going on. They break down which is a problem. The more interactive they are the more moving parts. I don't think they're worth pursuing at the moment because of where $0.25 is at. Bulk vending is on its way out ultimately. At least Coin-Op bulk.

 

[kazuo]

Too bad dollar coins aren't really a thing in the States. Sure would make it a lot easier to start changing stuff up to take those, versus quarters. Must be rough with inflation and whatnot, even 10 years ago the "standard" of a quarter to play a coin-op game was a stretch for operators, and the mental barrier for customers who have to drop multiple quarters in to commit to playing is a big deal breaker if you need to raise prices to make ends meet.

Really enjoying the updates! I'm basically living vicariously through you at this point, really impressed with everything you've accomplished!

 

[Lallander]

Wouldn't be too hard to switch to tokens. Set the token price to whatever you need and supply a money changer. Probably only feasible at the larger locations though.

 

[KaPH33n]

Too bad dollar coins aren't really a thing in the States. Sure would make it a lot easier to start changing stuff up to take those, versus quarters. Must be rough with inflation and whatnot, even 10 years ago the "standard" of a quarter to play a coin-op game was a stretch for operators, and the mental barrier for customers who have to drop multiple quarters in to commit to playing is a big deal breaker if you need to raise prices to make ends meet.

Really enjoying the updates! I'm basically living vicariously through you at this point, really impressed with everything you've accomplished!

Yeah... I have one machine that does take dollar coins. But generally the mechs are not set up to do it. I don't have many games that cost $1 to play, and the ones I do I have a dollar bill acceptor on them. In the US it's a lot more common to have single bills than dollar coins.

Wouldn't be too hard to switch to tokens. Set the token price to whatever you need and supply a money changer. Probably only feasible at the larger locations though.

it's not difficult to switch to tokens... but it is expensive. You end up getting tokens from other places, which means you're getting ripped off. There's really only 2 or 3 standard sized tokens. .900 and .984 are the most common. Tokens you can do credit cards though, so that is a bonus.

The best thing is card swipes, but that requires a lot of machines and an expensive kiosk to dispense the cards. However then you get credit card sales. You will have a monthly fee to overcome, but no coin jams. If you're in a ticket/redemption location then it simplifies that as well. No more physical tickets to buy/count/discard.


Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm feeling a bit burnt out these days but I know I'm heading in the right direction. At least I have enough work to keep me busy, it could be the opposite.

 

[Lallander]

It is super rare these days to find anyone who takes pride in an amusement center like you do. No one around me does. If there are any machines they are the cheap rigged redemption games and are poorly maintained. I think one location has a beat up old racing cabinet. One of them.

So just know that we enjoy seeing you excited about new locations and showing off your hard work. You help keep the hobby alive by bringing it out to the public.