Glendale auctions off vintage arcade games
In this Oct. 2013 photo, disconnected arcade machines line one of three storage units rented by the City of Glendale. Storage space cost $1,800 a month for all the arcade machines, but the tab was picked up by the money the Successor Agency made by selling off old redevelopment assets, Lorenz said.
After nearly five years of sitting idle in storage, a collection of vintage arcade games once owned by a city agency has been sold.
Forty-five classic games, including “Tetris” and “Street Fighter,” went up for auction last weekend and netted $20,000 from multiple buyers, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said. He noted the final sales tally was about $8,000 less than the collection had been appraised for in 2014.
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Some could argue the story of how Glendale came to own the collection isn’t as fun as a few fight-to-the-death rounds in “Ultimate Mortal Kombat.”
In 2011, the now-defunct Glendale Redevelopment Agency bought the Video West Arcade on Brand Boulevard for $1 million to allow for the construction of the Museum of Neon Art.
But when the state folded redevelopment agencies statewide in 2011, all assets froze and the city remained in wait-and-see mode. The arcade games were placed in storage.
Although the vintage collection was technically state property, the city was eventually given the go-ahead to unload the machines a few years ago and the City Council approved their sale.
Although the vintage collection was technically state property, the Glendale was eventually given the go-ahead to unload the machines a few years ago and the City Council approved their sale.
The duty fell onto the city’s Successor Agency, which took over the remaining redevelopment assets.
The city of Glendale had no interest in purchasing them for local use, Lorenz said,
because of ongoing upkeep costs versus making revenue — quarters at a time.
“The mere maintenance would make it cost prohibitive. The return would be very minimal,” Lorenz said. “Ms. Pac-Man is a great and fun game, but it just wouldn’t pay for itself.”
And storing the games was costing money.
Storage space cost $1,800 a month for all the arcade machines, but the tab was picked up by the money the Successor Agency made by selling off old redevelopment assets, Lorenz said.
The revenue from the auction will be divvied up among local entities, including the Glendale Unified School District and the Glendale Community College District, he said.
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Arin Mikailian, arin.mikailian@latimes.com
Twitter: @ArinMikailian
