Value of a 1989 TMNT Arcade Machine

[CuRSh14]

What do you all figure to be a decent price for an original TMNT Arcade Machine in working condition with a fair-good cabinet. Like minor scratching on the one side. I have my eye on one and am trying to decide if I should get it or not, if the price is about right... Etc.
THANKS!

[Voidoid]

I say personally probably a little over 900-1000. Depends on condition though.

[CuRSh14]

I think I can pick this one up for $250. Think if I need to in the future I can resell it for that?

[Voidoid]

I think I can pick this one up for $250. Think if I need to in the future I can resell it for that?

I consider $250 a steal, I would definitely jump on that. And I'm sure you can resell it for more than $250 depends on the condition etc etc. But you can definitely make your money back.

[CuRSh14]

Cool. Thanks dude. The item is local pickup only, but turns out the city is only 1.5 hours away... It is like God wants me to buy it! I think I will go for it.

[Patraw]

Make sure you play a few games on it before you plunk down the green, seeing as how you're going in person.

[Archon_Turtle]

I say personally probably a little over 900-1000. Depends on condition though.

I'd say that a pretty astronomical price. I believe I paid $300 for mine originally. However; Turtles in Time in good shape fetches $700-$1200.

But yes, should you need to resell it, I would think you could get your money back assuming you get it for $250.

Is it 2 player or 4 player?

[BigApple3AM]

I paid about $550 for mine, so yeah $250 sounds a lot better :P

[jasonorme666]

I paid £450 ($717) for mine over 10 years ago.

The price really depends on the cabinet, the actual PCB's can be found quite easily on Ebay.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs048.snc1/4439_1152746415037_1118966117_30453205_8144782_n.j pghttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs048.snc1/4439_1152746455038_1118966117_30453206_7791461_n.j pg

[discordiatookie]

Just outta curiosity, do you get a special 'key' or pass code or something to play the games for free (y'know, being the owner) or do you have to pay? Because if you have to pay, that is one frickin' amazing piggy bank!

[Protoman]

The original TMNT machine was once the most distributed arcade machine ever (later that would go to Street Fighter 2) thus it's not a RARITY, but if you do find a good condition cabinet (Where most of the value stems from), it can run between 600-1000 bucks. Some people do get lucky and your typical overstocked arcade dealer might want to unload one for 500 or less.

[Archon_Turtle]

Just outta curiosity, do you get a special 'key' or pass code or something to play the games for free (y'know, being the owner) or do you have to pay? Because if you have to pay, that is one frickin' amazing piggy bank!

Most arcade games can be set to free play.

[discordiatookie]

Most arcade games can be set to free play.

Cool. Although I do kinda like the idea of giant piggy bank. In which you get amazing rewards for saving. :D

[jasonorme666]

TMNT cannot be set to free-play.
Many games can however, usually around 1993 onwards.

What you can do however is do what I did and remove the the coin credit wire that goes from the harness connected to the PCB to the coin mechanism, and thread it through the machine and place it where you like (mine is in the reject coin slot).
Then crimp a spade connector on it, and then attach a microswitch. You can then stick a button on it if you like.

The button is then hidden. If you look at my second picture under the control panel and above the coin door you can see the black button with the little white man on it, thats the credit button.

Alternatively, just open the coin door at the front of the machine, and when you put money in, just get it back out the front again.

[Ninja Turtles 25 Years]

Then you all got a good deal on your Arcade game. That $200, $550 $717 and even $1,200 is starting to look like a deal. I mean look at this eBay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/Teen-Age-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-Arcade-Machine-COWABUNGA-/350250877429?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item518c9441f5

And for those who see this after the auction is far expired, I want to let you know that the Buy It Now price is $2,495.00. In fact right now it's the only Arcade Ninja Turtles on eBay.

Seriously cabinet or not, why do people spend terrific money just to get only 1 game? I myself is interested in investing in arcade games and pinball games from my childhood I enjoyed every Wednesday when I went with my dad to the bowling alley. But when I see prices like the ones I've seen on eBay, I say forget it. Where did you guys who brought it for like $200 - $700 buy it; a brick and morter place?

[Archon_Turtle]

Where did you guys who brought it for like $200 - $700 buy it;

Normally ebay is the WORST possible place to buy arcade games due to obscene markups and shipping costs.

Buying locally is the only way to go. Resources like craigslist, local resellers, and live auctions are the best.

[Ninja Turtles 25 Years]

Normally ebay is the WORST possible place to buy arcade games due to obscene markups and shipping costs.

Buying locally is the only way to go. Resources like craigslist, local resellers, and live auctions are the best.

No shipping here. It's a local pick up. This nasty $2,500+ price isn't just Ninja Turtles Arcade; Terminator, RoboCop, Super Mario Brothers. It can't believe that anyone would buy a single video game at that price-- cabinet or not. Suckers are born every minute. But if Craigslist and live auction is the place to go, then it sounds better than eBay. The only reseller who sold only pinballs and arcades went out of business 3 years ago. They even had arcades that looked like it was the first one ever made.

[jasonorme666]

Its not just one game, you can swap the PCB's inside to play other games.

[Ninja Turtles 25 Years]

Its not just one game, you can swap the PCB's inside to play other games.

What's the difference? $2,500 is still a lot of money for a single purchase.

[Archon_Turtle]

What's the difference? $2,500 is still a lot of money for a single purchase.

but that's what I'm saying. Intelligent collectors would never pay that much for a game; unless it was something exceptionally rare. Just because someone is selling something for $2500, doesn't mean anyone is buying it.

[Ninja Turtles 25 Years]

but that's what I'm saying. Intelligent collectors would never pay that much for a game; unless it was something exceptionally rare. Just because someone is selling something for $2500, doesn't mean anyone is buying it.

Probably. There's a suck born every minute.

[jasonorme666]

To be fair its one of the better condition US cabinets i've seen.
I still think the price is abit much.

I got my mint condition 4 player Hero Cabinet for £450 ($730), that was about 10 years ago.

[I Crave Pizza No More]

Just outta curiosity, do you get a special 'key' or pass code or something to play the games for free (y'know, being the owner) or do you have to pay? Because if you have to pay, that is one frickin' amazing piggy bank!

I simply open the front door on the machine and flip the switch that the quarter would normally flip. You can do that a bunch of times, or to have some more fun, you can get a heap of quarters and blast through the game. When you're done, you can simply remove the quarters.


Seriously cabinet or not, why do people spend terrific money just to get only 1 game? I myself is interested in investing in arcade games and pinball games from my childhood I enjoyed every Wednesday when I went with my dad to the bowling alley. But when I see prices like the ones I've seen on eBay, I say forget it. Where did you guys who brought it for like $200 - $700 buy it; a brick and morter place?

I bought mine sometime around 1999 for $400. The sticker on one side is pretty beat and I've been looking for a replacement. Anyone who knows where to get replacement decals for the control panel or the sides of the cabinet--PLEASE PM me.

As for the 1 game thing, I agree. I have some other PCBs like TMNT in Time, the Simpsons, and Wrestlefest that I switch out, but I think in the future I'm just going to modify a cabinet that has a hard drive full of emulators in it. That way, I can play thousands of games from the same cabinet.