Where to Buy Wall Games
Many have written to me asking where wall games may be purchased. Some remember playing these games years ago, more recently in a bar somewhere, or perhaps have taken an interest in them after seeing them at this web site or others.
There are no wall games currently being manufactured. Therefore, virtually all games available for sale will be used, and possibly not working. Most old games on location, once the remote controls were lost, broken or stolen, have been tossed in the dumpster.
The very best (and cheapest) source of used games has been from operators who have old games sitting on their warehouse shelves. Most of the time, the coin box and remotes are missing, and the games are inoperable for other reasons as well. These games are just awaiting a general cleanup to be thrown in the dumpster. Walk in, negotiate a price, and take them off their hands. I have paid an average of $20-$30 for these games.
The second source of used games is eBay. There are probably a dozen games sold each year on eBay, some complete, others missing various components. Most games end up selling for $100 - $700. eBay is also a source for coin boxes and remote controls, although these pop up less frequently. My biggest problem with purchasing games on eBay is the shipping of these games. Often, the seller does not want to crate or box games of this size, and would prefer a buyer to come by and pick it up himself. Sometimes, the cost to ship these games is exorbitant. Other times, the concern is that UPS, FedEx, or some other shipper will damage a game. I usually look for someone to pick these games up for me, or pick them up myself. UPS rarely honors damage claims, at least from the testimony I've heard from others.
One last source of games is from web site visitors who contact me for information. For instance, I have been offered CES Country Club Classic games, brand new in the box, for $600 plus shipping (Are they still available? I'm not sure.). I also occasionally hear of other games, and will happily pass this information along to others. Please note that, at the bottom of this page, there is a link to games and parts offered for sale.
How hard is it to find a particular game? Some games, such as Atari's UFO, Casey Electronic's Black Jack, Swiss Controls and Research's Double Play Baseball, and either of the Digigame Duck Shoot games, I have NEVER seen. Others, such as Midway and Gremlin games, show up more frequently on eBay than those from other manufacturers. Still, popular games like Trapshoot and Play Ball rarely become available because the display panels were so easily damaged. I hate to say it, but many of these games have been damaged and thrown away.
Some parts are difficult to locate. Most electronic components can be found through electronics surplus stores. I am aware that John's Jukes Ltd. in Vancouver, Canada, has parts for a wide variety of games. I have also made an effort to acquire parts here and there (NOS pushbuttons, Gremlin coin box connectors, coin switches, etc.). I also have a variety of game manual photocopies available (sorry, I'm keeping the originals), most for $15 per copy (but save your money, unless you need it right now - I plan to eventually make most information available on this web site).