Just Got My First Arcade Marquee...

[nosweargamer]

 

Not really a fan of the game, but I got it for two reasons:

1) It was under $10 shipped

2) It's made by Atari!

 

I already bought some more marquees and they should be at my house by the end of the week.

Thought they'd make a cool wall decoration.

Edited August 23, 2016 by nosweargamer

[Justin]

Congratulations NSG! My first arcade marquee was Kangaroo from Atari. It was given to me as a gift and I've tried to take very good care of it. Those marquees were all glass then, and if you move very often they are something you have to be very careful with when packing. I love having a piece of arcade history though.

 

I've been thinking about these marquees and how much work went into them as an advertisement to attract players to the game. They had to be colorful and pop out at you. They had to tell a visual story. They had to compete for your coins. It made me think that they're not unlike old gas station and Coca-Cola signage that you see in vintage stores and on shows like American Pickers.

 

[StormSurge]

I'd love to get some. Any recommendations on where to pick some up, aside from eBay?

[Rowsdower70]

I've never even heard of that game!  Was it a late release?

[nosweargamer]

I've never even heard of that game!  Was it a late release?

1997

[RickR]

Definitely a cool thing to own.  Would be really nice to mount it in a box with a light source behind it. 

[Rowsdower70]

Yeah, its really sweet looking!  

[nosweargamer]

I'd love to get some. Any recommendations on where to pick some up, aside from eBay?

 

You could try local antique stores.

I haven't seen any marquees, but I did see this at one:

[Rowsdower70]

I saw quite a few at the Arcade Expo swap meet!

[StormSurge]

Arcade marquees are awesome and especially for collecting! My favorites are the late 70's to the early 80's. Preferably the Nintendo, Atari, Williams, and Midway ones. I bought mine from a fellow in Seattle. He does a fantanstic job but go for $20 each.

 

Does he have a website? 

[StormSurge]

THANKS!

[dauber]

Recently got my first arcade marquee too!

 

[Justin]

Recently got my first arcade marquee too!

 

IMG_3369.JPG

 

 

Q*bert is a great arcade marquee to start out with! Definitely one of the most iconic. I love how Jeff Lee signed it! 

[nosweargamer]

Recently got my first arcade marquee too!

 

IMG_3369.JPG

 

I just learned that the symbols in the speech bubble was at one time going to be name of the game before they settled on Q*bert! (did you say that on your podcast and I forgot?)

Evidently, there are 2 marquees: Early ones that had the symbols name like yours and later ones that actually say Q*bert.

[dauber]

I think the one with the name actually spelled out is the more common one by far. The "big 3" arcades in my area have Q*Bert, but two of them actually have the original sweary marquee.