I speculate that he has 2 VBs, one of which is probably not functioning properly. That will probably be the one that he breaks. That, or he’ll just replace it with another one off of ebay later for less than $50. I can’t believe people are actually buying into this. Someone should destroy one of their non-working units for free and post it all over the place. Of course, this dude has already pulled in $126 for this bogus cause.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe DogP offers a service to repair said problems at an affordable price. It would be cheaper than buying a new unit and it would help keep VP systems alive. Though, if people keep throwing away an otherwise perfectly good gaming unit, the rarity would go up a little, lol. (Sorry, that’s the collector in me talking).
That’s a cool thought. I almost had a similar idea of trying to compact the head unit. But, I’ sthinking that would mean the hardware inside would have to be compacted as well. I don’t think you’ll be able to make it much smaller than it already is. But, I would love to see the results if you take on this project.
Yes. I have noticed that myself. I don’t think all cases were like that. If you think about it, it really isn’t all that strange. My case is the same way. Some of the cases were run out with the sticker put on the wrong way. The problem was discovered, then corrected. I have seen cases on ebay where the sticker was still up side down. I never really thought of starting a thread about it though. I was a bit curious if anyone else out there had noticed this.
Well, probably the most expensive part of me doing the plate will be the shipping of it. The material I’m sure I could find pretty cheap. I may even be able to get it for free if I look hard enough. The thickest stuff we have at our shop is 16ga. Which is only about 1/16″ thick. But, I’ll look around. I’ll find something.
As for the screws, it’s really hard to say. The entire bottom on the base plate has a type of foam on it. Basically to protect whatever surface you decide to set it on. I would imangine that the screws would go in from the bottom up. Notice the “L” shaped brackets and the location of the holes. I have a tap and die set at work too. So, I could probably place the holes where they should be and thread them to fit a screw. The end of the screws will most likely be concealed by the tapered plastic piece at the base.
I’ll have to tinker with mine a little and see if I can figure out exactly how it is mounted. I’ll let you know what I come up with. In the mean time, don’t be afraid to play around with some ideas yourself. Just don’t modify any part of the original stand, as doing so may compromise a perfect fit for the one I may try to make for you.
I’ll keep you posted.
EDIT: maybe for a temporary solution, you could use some 3/8″ plywood and mount it to that. At least it would stand upright and help prevent any damage from it constantly lying on its side. :thumpup:
I also have a complete display. if I could be of any assistance, let me know. The actual base plate is made of 1/8″ black iron. It has a thin foam coating on the bottom, and of course the rubber mat on the top side. I could probably cut the base plate out at work. I am a sheet metal worker and I have a computer automated plama cutting table at my shop. I could eaily program this flat shape and have it turn out almost exact.
As far as that rubber mat, you are on your own. I could probably take some silly putty and mash it down on mine then send it to you. Perhaps you could replicate it some how. At least you’d have an exact pattern to go by.
Anyway, if there is something I can do to help, let me know.
A VB game cabinet? Now that’s a sweet idea. I could easily make one. Perhaps out of sheet metal since i am a sheet metal worker and all. Still, a nice cherry wood would look super sweet.
I have only ever seen one up for auction other than the two that just ended. And it was the same model. That is not to say that there haven’t been more. I’m just stressing that they don’t go up often. Maybe by the time another one goes up, you’ll be able to afford a bid 😉
Yeah, I have seen those up for auction several times in the past months. I don’t think any have actually sold. The starting price was either too high, of the reserve was too high. Even when the starting bid was lower, the reserve was never met. Personally, I wouldn’t waste more than $20 on them, and that includes shipping =P
Price depends on which of the stands you are interested in buying. On pretty much all of the models, the height of the head unit was adjustable. All but the Japanese counter top disply that merely had a simple base plate and made use of the actual ‘tripod’ that comes with the VB itself. A U.S. counter display just sold on ebay for $250 and appeared in good condition, but it was missing a lot of stuff(base plate and inserts). I honestly didn’t expect it to sell fo so much.
There is still one more up righ tnow that looks decent, but is missing the base plate as well. At the moment, that one is going for about $355 with only a few hours left. I posted the links in the main forum in the noteworthy auctions thread. I, myself, own the same model. Mine is complete with the inserts and base plate. I won’t say what I paid for it just in case any bidders are reading this. I don’t wand to suade the auction either way. Though, I will state that one has sold in the past for over a grand. But, that was a while ago and the VB market on ebay fluxuates so much, it seems to bare little relevance.
It makes me want hurt people when I see something so rare in such poor condition. Especially when you consider that the seller doesn’t even know what the hell he has. He doesn’t even know for sure that the ‘Virtual Game Boy’ sign lights up! >:O I feel like buying it and giving it a proper burial.
This one looks to be in great condition, but is still missing the base plate. I assume people just threw them away when they took them from the store to make it easier to move since it is sort of heavy. It still seems a shame. I can’t believe this seller only has one photo in his auction. Hell, at least turn the damned sign on!
Seeing these auctions makes me feel all the more fortunate to have a 100% complete display stand in near mint condition. I’m curious to see what the second one sells for. Though, it doesn’t exactly stand out in the list of items due to a lack of a gallery photo. This one barely caught my eye.
I kenw about the system when it came out. I played a store display model (much like the one I now own 😀 ). I remember asking my mom to buy me one and her reply of “No, it’s too expensive!”. I then remember looking at the price tag. I was at a total loss for a legitimate argument to her answer. That’s ok though. Now I own 3. Hahaha, take THAT mom!!!
As is with anything that is collectible, they are only worth what someone is willing to pay. Some collectors may be willing to pay more than others at a given time, but may not be paying attention to ebay auctions when one sells. A lot of it has to do with timing. I have Virtual Bowling and paid about $850 including shipping from someone’s ebay store. I felt that was a great price and could not pass it up. I also won Space Invaders for about $300. So, DogP is pretty accurate with his estimates.
If you are looking for affordable and collectible, I’d suggest Space Squash if you don’t already have it. It really is a fun game to play. As far as buying anything from DogP, you shouldn’t worry too much. I have dealt with him before, so I can vouch for him. He shipped me a store display stand and didn’t do it through ebay. The guy is straight as an arrow and won’t screw you over. Still, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to risk it. I just thought I’d mention that he’s an honest person to deal with.
As far as buying games at palces other than ebay, your best bet is constantly checking flea markets. If you want to buy online, your best bet is though a google search or through DogP.
If you read a few paragraphs down, you will notice a small section about Southern Case.
“”Southern Case
Southern Case, of Raleigh, North Carolina, has been a supplier of hard shell plastic cases to several camcorder manufacturers including Sharp, Canon, Panasonic and JVC.
According to Ron Stringari, consumer relations representative for the firm, Southern uses blow-molded double-walled high density polyethylene to construct their cases. “There’s an inside wall, an outside wall, and a cushion of air in between–as well as foam padding on the inside.”
Stringari says Southern designs their cases to withstand temperatures “down to 40 degrees below zero.” They come with a lifetime warranty against “cracking, peeling, and breaking.”
In addition to the cases it makes for the electronics industry, Southern sells directly to the consumer market under the Travelmaster label. “”
This sort of answers a couple questions for us. We know that TravelMaster is a division of Southern Case and manufactures items directly for the consumer market. We can also assume that they made the cases for the Block Buster rental units as well. The only question that remains is how many were produced for “consumer use”? I still can’t find a direct link anywhere for this company. If I happen to find one, I’ll email them with a couple of questions.
I doubt many were abused that badly. Especially considering your had to make a safety depopsit of about $100 to rent one, which was refunded once the unit was returned. Many people weren’t willing to even put down that deposit to rent the system, even though they got it back later.
