Midwest Gaming Classic 2009
March 27th, 2009 -
Posted by: Chandler in Video Game Collecting, Video Game Playing, tags: Video game Collecting, Video Game Playing
Dave setting up our booth at MGC
I recently took a trip to Wisconsin to vend at the Midwest Gaming Classic convention in Oconomowoc, WI. Going in I had low expectations, especially after comparing cons to the old days of Philly Classic 3, 4, 5, etc. as well as CGE back in San Francisco & Vegas. I was reassured by many in the online classic gaming community that it was worth the trip. After working some details out with my friend Dave, I decided to help load & unload as well as run their booth in exchange for some table space.
I shipped three boxes of random retro gaming goodness out to Wisconsin, packed up some clothes and hopped a plane to Green Bay. We loaded a 26 foot Penske truck full of Arcade machines, cartridges, boxes, manuals, discs, memorabilia, and more. After arriving at Oconomowoc, I immediately sensed something different. Vendors were actually vendors! Now what I mean by this, is that the vendors who had tables actually sold items. Recently, I have noticed the disturbing trend at cons where a vendor will pimp out one or two products, or even just try to promote their business, with selling little or no items at all. However at Midwest Gaming Classic, there was none of that. Every vendor had parts, games, and/or memorabilia at their table, very impressed. Arriving at the show, the staff was very helpful in helping us unload and directing us to where we were supposed to go.
As the show floor opened on Saturday, I could immediately tell that this show was going to be different. This show is a buyer & sellers show. Deals were to be found everywhere. Vendors giving discounts, free games, and more. People had the money. I don’t care what the economy is like, there are still a lot of people who have a lot of disposable income to burn on copies of Shaq-Fu and Mario Party 3.
Some of the Arcades at MGC: Punch Out!, Street Fighter II, Area 51, Ms. Pac-man, Dig-Dug, Galaga, and a ton more.
If you had no money, that was okay, because there were over 25 arcade machines to play for free, as well as over 30 or so pinball machines to play as well. This doesn’t count the 20 or so console stations that were setup to play anything from classics to XBOX 360. There were a bunch of tournaments including Guitar Hero / Rock Band, Pinball tourneys and a bunch more!
All in all I would say that MGC 2009 may be the best game show of the year, and that CGE is the only show that could potentially give it a run for its money. I definitely would go back again, and be in as a full force vendor. I hear they sold the floor space of the show out quickly, and that there are rumors of a larger venue being acquired. I am all for it, especially if they move it closer to a major city like Milwaukee or Green Bay! -C
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March 27th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Good work, Bud. Were you able to pick up some hot stuff for yourself out there?
March 27th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I didn’t pick up much, but what I did pick up was quality:
Super Bust-a-move – Game Gear – Boxed – $4 (Great Deal)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4-Player JAMMA Arcade board -$50
Sunset Riders 4-Player JAMMA Arcade board -$50
March 27th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
[...] post by ChristopherChandler.net [...]
March 30th, 2009 at 1:24 am
I see you didn’t make it to the Classic Gaming & Computing Museum, or the arcade and pinball hall just up the small flight of stairs. There were more than 200 consoles and computers up there, many of which were playable, plus another 60 or so arcade and pinball machines.
Glad you liked the show… Next year is going to be even bigger from the looks of it.
March 30th, 2009 at 8:59 am
I was definitely up there, the museum is good, if I had to change one thing, was the lack of software next to the museum displays. People who are non gamers kept asking us “What games go to this?”
March 30th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
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