Official MVS Kit Storage Rack?

[lithy]

Browsing eBay and saw this Sengoku kit with an interesting label on the box.

It looks very 'official', or well designed at least, the illustration box has the same label on it and the meg count style labels suggest early games.



Label is in English and the seller is in Australia so I'm wondering if this rack might be found in any of the LAI Lowboy style Neo cabinets? Those cabs use a full cabinet-width, keyed front lower access panel so could make sense to offer accessible storage.

On the US cabs there isn't really a good place to shove kit boxes and my experience is that they were usually tossed into the bottom of the cab, but to get them back out means opening the lower panel with 6 screws from the rear, not a useful way to do a quick change out.

Trying to search for some inside photos of those cabs. @ttooddddyy is long gone, anyone else still here with an LAI cab?

Bring on the kerncats, I thought it was neat.

 

[Teddy KGB]

add it to the spreadsheet

 

[Tarma]

OMFG! That person is handling MVS kits without silk gloves!!! What will the collectors think?!!!!!!!!

Also, is there one for AES carts? Asking for a friend.

 

[ken jeong ugh]

what is the air stability coefficient for boxes inside a cab?

 

[lithy]

what is the air stability coefficient for boxes inside a cab?

1.21 jigglegoobs

 

[kernow]

One way to get your kits stolen I guess

 

[fuerstma]

Browsing eBay and saw this Sengoku kit with an interesting label on the box.

It looks very 'official', or well designed at least, the illustration box has the same label on it and the meg count style labels suggest early games.

View attachment 92049

Label is in English and the seller is in Australia so I'm wondering if this rack might be found in any of the LAI Lowboy style Neo cabinets? Those cabs use a full cabinet-width, keyed front lower access panel so could make sense to offer accessible storage.

On the US cabs there isn't really a good place to shove kit boxes and my experience is that they were usually tossed into the bottom of the cab, but to get them back out means opening the lower panel with 6 screws from the rear, not a useful way to do a quick change out.

Trying to search for some inside photos of those cabs. @ttooddddyy is long gone, anyone else still here with an LAI cab?

Bring on the kerncats, I thought it was neat.

Pretty cool.

Dumb question: Back in the peak of Neo Geo arcade/MVS, were there "middle men" distributors that were between SNK and the operators? If so I could see the distributor adding such a sticker since they were going to continue the relationship with the operators. Shipping them new games and taking back the old ones.

 

[Neo Alec]

It's the only rack you will ever see if you care about this

 

[lithy]

Pretty cool.

Dumb question: Back in the peak of Neo Geo arcade/MVS, were there "middle men" distributors that were between SNK and the operators? If so I could see the distributor adding such a sticker since they were going to continue the relationship with the operators. Shipping them new games and taking back the old ones.

Yes, there was a distributor network. I don't know if SNK had a franchise type system or anything that would have granted a certain territory to a certain dealer for new stuff, but the classified pages of the industry magazines are loaded with advertisements for used Neo carts and cabinets usually with steep discounts for games a year or two old.

 

[Dr. Jigglin]

A fuckin piece of wood and a bracket wowee better call president

 

[_rm_]

OMFG! That person is handling MVS kits without silk gloves!!! What will the collectors think?!!!!!!!!

But he/she looks so delicate though...

 

[lithy]

Aussie guys on the one forum I asked haven't seen anything like it on the LAI cabs.

I'm now focusing on the dedicated 1 Slot cabinets. I forgot they don't have the horizontal board shelf, so the bottom of the cabinet is pretty accessible through the control panel. Anyone still active here have one of those? Red cabs that say "Neo Geo System" on the side instead of MVS.



Don't worry, I'm keeping the president apprised each step of the way. He's a bit busy until we take Greenland, but after that, this will be top priority.

 

[HellioN]

Someone should upload the files to thingverse so the nerds can 3D print a placeholder till real ones can be found.

 

[Arcademan]

Pretty cool.

Dumb question: Back in the peak of Neo Geo arcade/MVS, were there "middle men" distributors that were between SNK and the operators? If so I could see the distributor adding such a sticker since they were going to continue the relationship with the operators. Shipping them new games and taking back the old ones.

There used to be lots of game distributors at the height of the arcade scene. Metro Phoenix had Mountain Coin and Betson Pacific. Every spring and fall after trade shows, both places had open houses for all the arcade owners who couldn't make the national trade shows to come and see the new games locally. That's how I got to know former SNK and Romstar main man Tom Jackson. Best part was the meeting owners and techs of all the local game rooms and free lunch spreads. As far as the other part of the question, unless there was a direct discount for trading in an old game board or cartridge for a new one, distributors seldom took back old games. Most of the times their warehouses were bulging with parts and other assorted game material that they didn't need the extra clutter from what they would consider 'old junk' unless it was from a request.

And now you know the rest of the story...

 

[Neo Alec]

There used to be lots of game distributors at the height of the arcade scene. Metro Phoenix had Mountain Coin and Betson Pacific. Every spring and fall after trade shows, both places had open houses for all the arcade owners who couldn't make the national trade shows to come and see the new games locally. That's how I got to know former SNK and Romstar main man Tom Jackson. Best part was the meeting owners and techs of all the local game rooms and free lunch spreads. As far as the other part of the question, unless there was a direct discount for trading in an old game board or cartridge for a new one, distributors seldom took back old games. Most of the times their warehouses were bulging with parts and other assorted game material that they didn't need the extra clutter from what they would consider 'old junk' unless it was from a request.

And now you know the rest of the story...

And that's why used MVS carts were dirt cheap in the late 90's/early 00's.

 

[fuerstma]

There used to be lots of game distributors at the height of the arcade scene. Metro Phoenix had Mountain Coin and Betson Pacific. Every spring and fall after trade shows, both places had open houses for all the arcade owners who couldn't make the national trade shows to come and see the new games locally. That's how I got to know former SNK and Romstar main man Tom Jackson. Best part was the meeting owners and techs of all the local game rooms and free lunch spreads. As far as the other part of the question, unless there was a direct discount for trading in an old game board or cartridge for a new one, distributors seldom took back old games. Most of the times their warehouses were bulging with parts and other assorted game material that they didn't need the extra clutter from what they would consider 'old junk' unless it was from a request.

And now you know the rest of the story...

Very cool history.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[lithy]

Update.

Video posted today with a good look around an LAI 6 slot.

When he takes out the LCD monitor he pans down into the cabinet.



That's definitely a little wooden cleat across the length of the back panel. Along with 4 screwed on pieces of what look like maybe clear plastic that have been broken off.

Obviously this cab has been messed with plenty, so there is little guarantee that anything is original, but I could imagine a possibility that those mounting points were two of the brackets shown in the label.

And on the label the bracket is shown holding 3 boxes. So two brackets for a 6 slot.

Could just be seeing what I want to see of course.

 

[Dr. Jigglin]

I dunno you could be right, this part appears to angle out where it's broken off. I can't think of any other reason for it to be there.

 

[Dr. Jigglin]

Oh I'm sorry spergy mc spergo I'll see myself out then on your little bracket quest

 

[kernow]

What in aspergillus

 

[lithy]

Oh I'm sorry spergy mc spergo I'll see myself out then on your little bracket quest

It's a hat tip! I'm agreeing with you!

 

[Dr. Jigglin]

It's a hat tip! I'm agreeing with you!

I'll believe it when I feel it chief

 

[Neo Alec]

Can't we all just goob along?

 

[Dr. Jigglin]

Can't we all just goob along?

Everyone except @kernow (allegedly) has been goobing along

 

[Arcademan]

There used to be lots of game distributors at the height of the arcade scene. Metro Phoenix had Mountain Coin and Betson Pacific. Every spring and fall after trade shows, both places had open houses for all the arcade owners who couldn't make the national trade shows to come and see the new games locally. That's how I got to know former SNK and Romstar main man Tom Jackson. Best part was the meeting owners and techs of all the local game rooms and free lunch spreads. As far as the other part of the question, unless there was a direct discount for trading in an old game board or cartridge for a new one, distributors seldom took back old games. Most of the times their warehouses were bulging with parts and other assorted game material that they didn't need the extra clutter from what they would consider 'old junk' unless it was from a request.

And now you know the rest of the story...

Actually one more thing to add. During the Las Vegas Trade Shows (aka AMOA and Fun Expo), I've dealt with many a people associated with Romstar and SNK and during a chat many moons ago, there was one person I may have met that we had no idea on who each other were at the time. His name...Nightmare Tony. Some of our discussion leaned toward that possibility. To this day, you're still missed, Tony. R.I.P.