Mini-arcade claw thrift store find

[ifkz]

I was tired on the way home from work yesterday and I pulled over at the nearest Goodwill to stretch my legs and look around.  I always find something, this time it was a new gameroom addition, a $3 claw machine bank toy.  I got it home, loaded it with some D batteries I had, and it proceeded to do nothing.  I reasoned it needed money since it was a bank, and this was correct.  A terrible carnival theme started and, worse than that, the crane was not moving properly.  Of the X, Y, and Z axis, only Y was working.

Ah, a challenge for my amusement!

I spent two hours of disassembly, alligator clips, wire tracing, and logical thinking before I found the problem: seized electric motors.  Cost cutting was obvious throughout the unit:  The wire gauge was the cheapest possible, the soldering was amateurish, and the wiring harness should have been zip tied.  The design was well done though, I appreciated the thought to include cherry type motor cutoff switches for the X and Y axis.  The Z axis (dropping the claw) is also completely controllable and has a good grip.  The prize chute has an LED sensor to determine when a prize is dropped, another unexpected feature.   Fixing the sized motors was easy: I pushed them manually in the direction I indicated through the joysticks and they sprang to life.  I finished off the project with some lithium grease and a mod: clipping one of the speaker wires.  My "prizes" are burned out old EPROMS from my arcade projects. 

This joins my collection of VFD handhelds, here is a slightly out of date picture.  Anyone else collect these on the boards?

[Necromancer]

Heh, win a free eeprom!  Good save on the claw, but ya got any pics of it back in action? 

[esteban]

I never saw that TANDY (Radio Shack is in the house) handheld before. Zackman? Is it a PacMan clone?

[ifkz]

I'll post a picture of the claw and my final (perhaps?) VFD when I get home, that will be all of them.
Zackman is a fun one, it is able to scroll, and is a bit like Dig-Dug.  The internet says it is based on a terrible old arcade game called 'The Pit.'

[PunkicCyborg]

Cool post! Id love to see some pics. I have just one, a Galaxian and its surprisingly cool. Just wish i had the battery door.

[ifkz]

I am missing the battery door for my Coleco Frogger too!  I have hope that 3-D printing will come to our aid for all of the missing battery covers for at least the Coleco Mini-arcade units.  I think all of them share the same battery cover dimensions.  The Entex handheld Crazy Climber is missing the cover too (that unit was quite hard to find, also).

I think collectors of these have to be of a certain age to appreciate them.  For me, my parents treated 'Astro Command' as a gateway towards a dedicated console; i.e. if I was still interested in it after a certain point, an NES/SMS was sure to follow.  I picked the SMS when the time came.  For me, these represent where I got started in playing video games, and that's something special.  I also love the glow of the multi-colored VFD display method they used.  Nothing like these could be sold today, I think they were each around $60 new.  The only one I ever owned as a kid was Astro Command, the others were found from 1997 to present day.  My Frogger was the first one I found as an adult, bought from a nice lady that had three remaining teeth at a thrift store.

[esteban]

I am missing the battery door for my Coleco Frogger too!  I have hope that 3-D printing will come to our aid for all of the missing battery covers for at least the Coleco Mini-arcade units.  I think all of them share the same battery cover dimensions.  The Entex handheld Crazy Climber is missing the cover too (that unit was quite hard to find, also).

I think collectors of these have to be of a certain age to appreciate them.  For me, my parents treated 'Astro Command' as a gateway towards a dedicated console; i.e. if I was still interested in it after a certain point, an NES/SMS was sure to follow.  I picked the SMS when the time came.  For me, these represent where I got started in playing video games, and that's something special.  I also love the glow of the multi-colored VFD display method they used.  Nothing like these could be sold today, I think they were each around $60 new.  The only one I ever owned as a kid was Astro Command, the others were found from 1997 to present day.  My Frogger was the first one I found as an adult, bought from a nice lady that had three remaining teeth at a thrift store.

I agree, VFD probably appeals most to folks who played them (or lusted for them) back in the day.

I played PacMan and Frogger a lot at a friend's house...it didn't matter if they weren't exactly like the arcade, they were so friggin' fun and colorful. But, they needed like..4-6 batteries (C or D?).

[ifkz]

Here's the requested pic.  I think Zaxxon is the king of all of the VFDs with a mirror and two VFD displays.  It is also huge and very nice looking if the stickers are still in good shape.  It is the centerpiece of my small collection.

Also pictured, the newly fixed Claw with an EPROM about to be dropped as a prize.

Enjoy!

[esteban]

Here's the requested pic.  I think Zaxxon is the king of all of the VFDs with a mirror and two VFD displays.  It is also huge and very nice looking if the stickers are still in good shape.  It is the centerpiece of my small collection.

Also pictured, the newly fixed Claw with an EPROM about to be dropped as a prize.

Enjoy!

I DID NOT REALIZE THE CLAW WAS THAT SMALL.

THAT's awesome. I thought it was much bigger.

[TheClash603]

I have that same Claw machine.  I put candy in it around Halloween time...  but it is RIDICULOUSLY hard to pick anything up.  Much harder than any commercial arcade claw.

[Necromancer]

I too thought it'd be bigger.  (that's what she said)

Anyone else thinking those eeproms need googly eyes and antennas glued on 'em?

[esteban]

I too thought it'd be bigger.  (that's what she said)

Anyone else thinking those eeproms need googly eyes and antennas glued on 'em?

Yes, definitely antennas.

[johnnymad]

Picked up the Ms. Pacman version a couple weeks ago at a flea market. Mine fortunately has the battery cover. I'd like to collect a bunch of these but only if I find them in the wild. Online prices for these are too steep for me.

[Medic_wheat]

I've always wanted to collect for those mini arcade's purly as a display item, but internet prices are to high for something that is just going to sit there and look interesting, and I have yet to stumble on these in the wild.