This becomes especially relevant when enthusiasts research niche markets, compare restoration strategies and even relax between projects when they play at Win Spirit, where classic inspiration meets modern digital entertainment. Serious collectors know that rushing a purchase can ruin a restoration. Reproduction parts may look convincing, but subtle differences in materials, soldering or labeling often reveal their origin. I’ve seen machines lose significant value simply because a non-original joystick or power supply was installed. That’s why experienced restorers approach sourcing like archaeology: slow, careful and evidence-based. The same discipline used in competitive gaming or strategic platforms applies here — verify before committing. Rare parts often come from dismantled cabinets, old operator warehouses or private collections, and each source requires a different verification approach. Understanding how to evaluate these parts protects both the machine and the investment behind it.

Best Places to Source Rare Arcade Parts

Finding authentic components requires patience and networking. The most reliable sources tend to be specialized rather than mainstream.

Trusted sourcing options

• dedicated arcade collector forums and communities
  
• former arcade operator storage sales
  
• specialized retro-gaming expos and swap meets
  

From my perspective, community-based sources outperform anonymous marketplaces because reputation matters.

How to Verify Authenticity Before Buying

Verification is where many beginners fail. Authentic parts usually carry subtle markers that replicas miss.

Key checks collectors rely on

1. manufacturer stamps, serial numbers or date codes
   
2. aging patterns consistent with original materials
   
3. matching part numbers across schematics and manuals
   

I always recommend cross-checking with at least two independent references before purchasing.

Original vs Reproduction Arcade Parts

This comparison helps decide when originality is essential and when compromise is acceptable.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Not every seller is dishonest, but mistakes happen. Be cautious if parts appear “too perfect” or lack any historical markings. I’ve also seen sellers mix original and reproduction components in a single listing. Always request detailed photos and, if possible, provenance.

Documentation Is Your Best Ally

Original manuals, service guides and operator notes are invaluable. They confirm part compatibility and help spot inconsistencies. In my own restorations, documentation saved me from expensive errors more than once.

Future of Arcade Restoration

As prices rise, demand for high-quality reproductions will grow, but so will authentication tools. Expect better databases, shared serial registries and community-led verification projects. These developments will protect the hobby and keep history alive.

Final Thoughts

Restoring arcade machines is a blend of passion, patience and precision. Finding rare parts is only half the journey — verifying authenticity protects the soul of the cabinet. Collectors who slow down, learn the details and trust experienced communities preserve more than hardware; they preserve gaming history itself.

The post Where to Find Rare Arcade Parts and How to Verify Authenticity appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Now, 2400 A.D. is not among the beloved games from Origin’s back catalog, which most notably includes the Ultima series, but features many other high profile titles from the 1980s and 1990s. A lot has been written about how poor this particular game is. What’s interesting, though, is that the previous owner chose to put his feelings down on paper, writing a manifesto around January 7, 1990. Presumably, he never sent it, but I’m glad that it survived to find its way to me roughly 1 month shy of exactly 30 years later. Check it out:

The post Today’s video games need to come with pewter figures, poster maps, and… angry letters? appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

After getting rid of my oversized video game and computer collection several years ago via an auction house, I’ve gotten asked occasionally about what I’ve kept or if I’ll collect again. I did end up keeping some items and I have been adding pieces here and there, albeit in a very different way than I did for the previous 40 years or so of collecting. It’s more personal and targeted now, and limited to just one room in our basement, where it will remain.

Of course, I still maintain several top of the line PCs, and have all of the latest major consoles and similar devices like smartphones and tablets. That will never change, as it’s important to me for a variety of personal and professional reasons to stay on top of the latest and greatest technology. This includes FPGA- and soft-based implementations of various systems, which helps cut down on the clutter, maintenance, and other issues associated with vintage systems, particularly vintage computer systems, that I’d otherwise have in my collection still (e.g., the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga series, where I can replace that functionality with MiSTer and MIST FPGAs; ZX Spectrum, which I replace with the ZX Spectrum Next FPGA; MSX series, which I can replace with MSXVR; ZX81, which I can replace with a kit computer that I can have fun building; modern Altari 8800 pro kit; and so on).

In terms of vintage computers, I’ve kept the following family of physical systems: Adam, Amiga 500, Amstrad CPC, Apple II/IIGS, Aquarius, Atari 8-bit, Atari STe, BBC Micro/Master, C-16/Plus/4, C-64/128, CoCo, CP/M (Bondwell 12, Zorba (broken); others also run), Dragon, Enterprise 64/128, JR-200U, Macintosh (classic), MC-10, PC DOS/Windows, PCjr, Spectravideo (SV-328), Tandy 1000, TI-99/4a, Tomy Tutor, TRS-80, and VIC-20. Most of those actual computers have limited accessories and flash drives (and related) wherever possible. I also have a decent sized boxed vintage computer game collection, but one where I only emphasize either the games that have interesting packaging or the more sophisticated RPGs, strategy games, and text adventures.

In terms of vintage consoles, I’ve kept the following family of physical systems: 3DO, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari Jaguar, Bally Astrocade, CD-i, ColecoVision (and CollectorVision), Intellivision (and ECS), Odyssey2, and Vectrex. Although I wouldn’t exactly call it vintage, I do also have a launch PS3 so I can use real PS1, PS2, and PS3 discs, although like my PS4s, it’s a rather finicky system. This is rather more modest than the vintage computer stuff because most of the consoles run authentically enough via various emulation methods or with various multi-systems (especially when it comes to the rest of the classic 8-, 16-, and 32-bit systems) where bothering to maintain the original hardware is just not worth it. I have a very small selection of boxed games for these consoles, where again, flash carts and related are valued.

I do have various displays, although only one multi-use CRT, my original Commodore 1084S, which is a truly versatile monitor. Otherwise, it’s all modern LCDs/LEDs, typically interfaced via something like an XRGB-mini, RetroTINK 2X Pro, or OSSC.

So, it’s still a decent-sized collection, just nowhere near what I once had. It’s all mostly focused on what still feels best, where using the original hardware is generally preferable for whatever reason to emulation, be it FPGA- or soft-based.

Anyway, here are some photos in slideshow format. Enjoy:

The post A brief look at my current video game and computer collection – June 2020 appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The online portion, which is only a small 64 lots, runs for a few more hours, New Jersey time: https://connect.invaluable.com/bodnar/

The live portion, which is the bulk of the stuff, starts at 3PM and runs until at least midnight tonight. That allows for absentee bidding and shipping: https://www.bodnarsa…ming-collection

Bodnar’s should also have live streaming video around 3 on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bodnarsauctions/

OK, if you need to catch up with all that came before, you can use this link. Long story short, my personal collection of 500+ videogame and computer systems and handhelds from the 1970s to the present day is up for auction. That includes platforms from every region and of every type, as well as thousands of boxed software items, accessories, books, collectibles, and many (MANY!) other things.

Here’s the main auction link: https://www.bodnarsauction.com/may-31-gaming-collection

At that main link, you can see 100 photos of how they have everything laid out (and use this link if you want to see 383 photos of the collection prepped for auction on Facebook!). Absentee bids are allowed and they do ship!

You can also bid online for a small selection of 64 items here: https://connect.invaluable.com/bodnar/

If you have any questions about the days or times for the various events, including live previews, bid times, hotel accommodations, etc., please get in touch with the auction house using the info in the main auction link.

Thank you all for the support and please help spread the word.

Even when looking through all 100 photos, its difficult to get a full sense of all that is really there!

The post Final details for the massive private vintage and modern videogame and computer auction set for May 31, 2018 in Edison, NJ (online too!) appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Looking down into the basement. It’s clear!

While there’s still a long way to go to fixing it up, including a fresh coat of paint and eventually replacing some outdated items, it’s already a joy to be in once again. With that in mind, I know there were several of you out there who wanted to know what the 1% of vintage stuff I decided to keep was and why. This is that explanation.

Looking into the vintage computer and videogame room, which is now functional.

First off, I obviously kept all modern computers, consoles, and handhelds (those are in the main living areas). Going forward, I’ll get rid of those as they become obsolete or a better option comes along. For the most part, I’m also all-in on digital, so amassing more physical items is not going to be an issue. This applies to books, movies, games, music, etc.

Inside the room.

So of the vintage stuff, I kept a dozen systems. Note that, of those particular platforms, what I kept was just a fraction of what they actually consisted of, included system duplicates, which all went to the upcoming auction. That also includes tons of boxed software (sadly, to a degree, since I love a lot of vintage software boxes) and all kinds of other paraphernalia.

Another angle.

A different angle.

The final new angle.

Three of four marquees that ultimately weren’t taken because of damage.

Here’s the vintage stuff I kept:

Apple II:
– Apple IIe Platinum (NTSC, full setup, several cards, etc.)

Apple IIe Plantinum.

Apple II stuff.

Atari 8-bit:
– Atari 800 (NTSC)
– Atari 1200XL (NTSC; ClearPic2002 video upgrade, R63 resistor upgrade for SIO, 28 pin EPROM OS motherboard, OS has two selectable operating systems – 800XL and Omniview+40/80 column text mode)
– Atari 800XE (PAL)

The Atari 8-bit stuff.

Commodore 64/128:
– Commodore 64c (NTSC)
– Commodore 64c (PAL)
– Commodore 128DCR (NTSC, includes JiffyDOS 128 and Servant ROM)
– Extra Commodore 1571
– Various flash devices and multi-carts and a few miscellaneous homebrew games

Commodore 128DCR.

Commodore 64 stuff.

GCE Vectrex:
– GCE Vectrex (two original controllers, one third party controller, various games, multi-carts, and overlays)

The Vectrex stuff.

Sony PlayStation 3:
– Sony PlayStation 3 (60GB launch model upgraded to 250GB Western Digital Scorpio 7200RPM, Hardware Backwards Compatibility with PS2/1)
– Steering Wheel rig (and associated games)
– Flight Stick (and associated games)

Tandy Color Computer:
– Radio Shack Color Computer 2 (NTSC, 26-3128A, Factory composite/audio out (education model))
– Radio Shack Color Computer 3 (NTSC, Triad 512K upgrade)
– Multi-pak Interface
– Various flash and multi-carts and other solutions; Sound & Speech Pak
– (see Tano Dragon)

The CoCo and Dragon stuff.

Tano Dragon:
– Tano Dragon (NTSC, Hitachi 6309 CPU upgrade)
– Various flash and multi-carts and other solutions
– Disk drive with interface and switch to go between Tano Dragon and CoCo modes

I still have several displays left, including Sony Trinitron 20″ and 32″ CRT TVs (which the auction site wouldn’t take) and a Commodore 1084S monitor. Between those, several extra LCD monitors, our other, modern TVs, and a complete XRGB-mini setup, I still have plenty of coverage and versatility in that area.

Also, I have a selection of joysticks, paddles, gamepads, and an X-Arcade with various adapters for all kinds of different systems.

You’ll note that I didn’t keep any vintage consoles other than one Vectrex, and, if you want to call it vintage (for this, I do), the PlayStation 3. For the most part, I either wasn’t interested in keeping what I had, or could easily replicate the experience in emulation or some related manner (Retro Freak, etc.).

You’ll also note that I didn’t keep any vintage computers beyond the 8-bit ones. Although I was a big Commodore Amiga user back in the day and had every system in my collection save for a 3000 and 4000, I found the 16-bit+ experience wasn’t thrilling me as much anymore. It was too finicky, too close to modern experiences, too complex for more casual usage, etc. With 8-bit computers, you get a very specific, simpler type of experience out of it all and that’s something I was more interested in exploring with my limited “hobby” time.

Heading down the now clear hallway.

For now, the living area. The PS3, PS4/PSVR (the PS4 Pro is upstairs), and Nvidia Shield are all here.

Another angle.

Turning to look into the now usable gym area again.

So why did I keep the specific platforms that I did? Here’s a summary:

Apple II: I always had a fondness for this platform. It’s one of the big three for us in the US, along with the Atari 8-bit and C-64. It will obviously be used to play games, but I’m also interested in exploring some coding activities. I debated between the Apple IIe Platinum and my well-loaded Apple IIGS, but decided I preferred the simpler 8-bit configuration. Also, the Apple IIGS has no cassette port and displays original Apple II software a little differently than earlier II’s do.

Atari 8-bit: This is another one I have some interest in exploring some coding activities on. Technically I didn’t need the Atari 800 with the other two, but I can’t resist its aesthetics, and it’s nice to have a straight up original model for guaranteed compatibility with the older stuff.

Commodore 64/128: This was my first real computer, not counting a VIC-20, so my affection for this is obvious. It’s the vintage computing platform I understand best and the one I’ll probably be turning to the most for various things. Although it may seem odd I kept the 128DCR, it not only runs C-64 software, but also 128 mode and CP/M software, as well as has a built-in disk drive, saving me one external disk drive storage space. That type of versatility is prized in my new mindset.

GCE Vectrex: This was an easier one to justify because of the unique display and experience it provides.

Sony PlayStation 3: This is the backwards compatible model, so it can play PS1 and PS2 games. However, this was really kept because I have a fancy steering wheel rig as well as a flight stick that only really work well with the PlayStation 3 and the specific games I have for it. Still, the decision was made easier by its versatility.

Tandy Color Computer: This was a tough one, but I feel like I have unfinished business with this platform. It’s not a good game machine, but it does have an interesting processor and I’d like to explore some more involved programming activities with it. I could have easily just stuck with the CoCo 3 and have been fine, but, like with the Atari stuff, I wanted to ensure maximum compatibility with older software that would benefit from the CoCo 2’s restrictions and output.

Tano Dragon: This is the odd duck, the outlier. I really only kept it because I had a disk drive with switchable interface that works on both this and the Color Computer. Since I decided to keep that disk drive for the Color Computer (I kept real disk drives for all the computers save for the Atari 8-bit, just in case), I thought what would it hurt to keep this as well, particularly since I had a few extras like a multi-cart and a flash cart for it.

Heading back down to the unfinished part of the basement.

The Maker area. 3D printing, CNC routing, laser engraving, 3D scanning, etc.

More Maker-related stuff.

Another angle.

Eventually the rest will be a more organized crafting area.

It’s hard to properly capture the different sections of the space, but you get the general idea. We’ll obviously limit how much more stuff goes everywhere. The key is to be lean and mean, and useful.

So that’s it. Again, my family and I are loving the extra space in the basement we have, freeing a whole other level of our house once again, and I’m actually able to easily use and enjoy what I have. While I will no doubt add a few things here or there for these systems, the focus will continue to be on extreme minimalism. Regardless, even before the auction takes place, I can say this move was as wonderful as I hoped it would be, despite the occasional pang of regret over letting go of a particular item or two.

The post After liquidating my videogame and computer collection, what I kept and why appeared first on Armchair Arcade.