A few weeks ago we were made aware of a substantial amount of machines that were being pulled out of storage due to non payment of storage rent. It turns out the machines had been in storage for around 8 years or more, but contact was ceased by the owner of the games and storage payment stopped some 3 years ago.
After one year of non payment the majority of the machines were moved to alternate cheaper storage locations. Unfortunately some were in a metal tin shack out building 'lean to' that when we arrived we could actually see inside of. Not good.
After the initial first year of non payment and cease of contact, they continued trying to contact the owner, including contacting relatives that were still in the UK. However after many promises of payment even the relatives stopped contact. After 3 years enough was enough and the relevant parties were informed that the machines would be sold or scrapped to facilitate the recovery of the debt - and even then no further contact was made in lieu of the substantial storage rent that was owed.
In the end they needed the space back so bad that the games were literally a thread away from being skipped! I mean the chances of being made aware of them and then getting the chance to save them for the payment of the debt owed must be one in a million. I still can't believe by absolute sheer luck we were informed of the machines. They may have met their maker without anyone ever knowing - that would have been total madness.
So onto the games!
When we got in there were 4 locations of games and the first one we went to check over was the metal tin shack lean to... Unfortunately our worst fears were confirmed...
A majority of the games were water and weather damaged beyond belief, including some lovely Atari vector stuff. Some games were literally falling apart at the bottom and were still very wet.
Luckily the other games in the other units had faired much better, and after counting all the games, even though we couldn't fully get into the units we had a head count of 89 machines!
Stay tuned for an update!!!
After one year of non payment the majority of the machines were moved to alternate cheaper storage locations. Unfortunately some were in a metal tin shack out building 'lean to' that when we arrived we could actually see inside of. Not good.
After the initial first year of non payment and cease of contact, they continued trying to contact the owner, including contacting relatives that were still in the UK. However after many promises of payment even the relatives stopped contact. After 3 years enough was enough and the relevant parties were informed that the machines would be sold or scrapped to facilitate the recovery of the debt - and even then no further contact was made in lieu of the substantial storage rent that was owed.
In the end they needed the space back so bad that the games were literally a thread away from being skipped! I mean the chances of being made aware of them and then getting the chance to save them for the payment of the debt owed must be one in a million. I still can't believe by absolute sheer luck we were informed of the machines. They may have met their maker without anyone ever knowing - that would have been total madness.
So onto the games!
When we got in there were 4 locations of games and the first one we went to check over was the metal tin shack lean to... Unfortunately our worst fears were confirmed...
A majority of the games were water and weather damaged beyond belief, including some lovely Atari vector stuff. Some games were literally falling apart at the bottom and were still very wet.
Luckily the other games in the other units had faired much better, and after counting all the games, even though we couldn't fully get into the units we had a head count of 89 machines!
Stay tuned for an update!!!
