STAR*TECH
Journal
April 1997
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S* T J SHIPPING
PINBALL
UP A SIGN IN THE ARCADE,
V2
Star Tech Journal, in the process of
updating it's entire Technical Library,
is now shipping the follow-up to it's
very successful "Pinball Repair &
Maintenance" service manual.
Douglas McCallum
Shiawassee Technical Services
Lansing, Michigan
Now, before you accuse me of
sleeping with the enemy, Your
Honor, just think about it. Put
up a sign in the arcade, "We Fix
Nintendo." If you can fix real
video games, you sure as death
and taxes can fix these things.
All the stuff you need is readily
available from places like MCM
(800-543-4330): controller con-
tacts and cables, cartridge sock-
ets, power adaptors, schematics,
and even the sign itself. Prosecu-
tion rests.
Now, the defense presents its
case: First, home videos are not
going to go away. (And don't
forget that computer games use
joysticks as well.) Might as well
try to get money out of them
somehow.
don't have their game to play,
making them more likely to visit
the arcade.
In fact, when you hand them a
claim check is a great time to
hand them a coupon or other
promotion, thus almost guaran-
teeing their patronage.
What to charge? You need to
check around to find the going
rate in your community. You
might charge by the hour, or you
might go flat rate.
Parts? Usually I go with 100%
markup, that is double your cost.
I also establish a minimum part
cost of $2.00, i.e. that 6 cent tran-
sistor doesn't sell for 12 cents.
Two bucks, thank you.
Pinball V2 picks up where the origi-
nal left off and includes all of the best
service tips, troubleshooting meth-
ods, parts subs, modifications and
symptom/solution fixes for nearly
every pinball game manufactured
during the last 5 years.
The customer has to come to
your location to drop it off and
pick it up, that is twice you get
him in your store, and he is go-
ing to pay for the privilege. They
will likely spend a couple bucks
before going home.
I know you would like to go
down the street and hand out
coupons in your competitor's ar-
cade if you could. Home videos
are your competition too. Make
them an opportunity to promote
your business and bring in extra
income. Now I ask you, mem-
bers of the jury, is that a crime?
Priced at $49. Order prepaid or COD
from Star Tech Journal, PO Box 35,
Medford, NJ 08055. Ph: 609/654-
5544. Fax: 609/654-1441.
It is not unreasonable to keep the
unit a week, after all, it has to go
back to your shop, get fixed and
be returned. That is a week they
Sl'AR1ECH
Journal