Keeping consoles secured/locked up, but still on display/playable

[scottchicken]

What are people doing with their collections (that are still working) so sticky little fingers of nephews and visitors kids don't get into them? I'd like to have them out and viewable and playable, but not for descructive little brats.

 

I've recently picked up a CVS, 2 Juniors, and also a Master System, 3 Mega Drives, an Astro Wars, 6 different "TV Tennis" type consoles (3 Hanimex, 3 other brands, 2 are cartridge based), and something else I'm not sure. With more to come. Also trying to get a Vic20, c64, ZX81, Spectrum 48+ as I had those as a lad.

 

So too many to pack up and put away everytime (without grumbling) when an unexpected brat arrives. I'm fine with myself and mates using them because being from that era that grew up with them, can appreciate and take due care. But I can see a brat picking up my mint condition, working, not-a-scratch-on-it Astro Wars table top game and dropping it on the floor (and my games room floor is concrete). Arggh!

 

I was thinking perhaps construction of some sort of unit, with a Perspex (acrylic sheet) front or top that can be hinged and locked. Will probably need room for 10 consoles now and up to 15 in the future. Like a custom display case or something. Can even have the consoles laid out flat horizontally, not vertically as I have a massive ugly table (about 3m x 1m) that I can put it on.

 

Anyone got ideas or current implementations? My games room is 12 metres by 6 metres in total (in 2 sections, 9x6 and 3x6) so I'm not lacking in space. (That's about 39 feet by 19 feet for non-metric folks).

 

Would love to hear ideas or pictures of other peoples secure setup.

 

Cheers!

[christianscott27]

Just relax.

 

Keep em away from CD media as that can be scratched and let em enjoy the common megadrive/genesis games. I often entertain my 3.5 year old and his 4 year old best buddy with the genny. Right now for example they're into dinosaurs, spaceships and spiderman. Not a problem for the genesis, its got almost every kid craze covered from thomas the tank engine to Power Rangers. Right now my son is quite fond of "hedgehog", he loves jumping on the bees, fish and trucks . If he grumps out and breaks the genesis I'd number one - be shocked since its one tough cart machine and two not be worried since I can replace it for under $20 any time. Heck my son can even take the cart out and put another in all by himself, he can start the game from full off to playing...quite the fathering moment!

[scottchicken]

Just relax.

 

Keep em away from CD media as that can be scratched and let em enjoy the common megadrive/genesis games. I often entertain my 3.5 year old and his 4 year old best buddy with the genny. Right now for example they're into dinosaurs, spaceships and spiderman. Not a problem for the genesis, its got almost every kid craze covered from thomas the tank engine to Power Rangers. Right now my son is quite fond of "hedgehog", he loves jumping on the bees, fish and trucks . If he grumps out and breaks the genesis I'd number one - be shocked since its one tough cart machine and two not be worried since I can replace it for under $20 any time. Heck my son can even take the cart out and put another in all by himself, he can start the game from full off to playing...quite the fathering moment!

 

That's all well and good for the replaceable and tough stuff. No problems there. Have got spare 2600Jr and 2 spare Megadrives.

 

Was more a question for the stuff that isn't so hardy... a few of my Hanimex consoles have got ultra frail little joysticks, and there are also power/tv cables (the hardwired straight-into-the-console kind) that wouldn't survive a yank.

 

As I mentioned am building up quite a number different units and would rather not have to keep an eye on them or have to pack them away all the time. Theft is another concern as my games room is detached my from house, and friends of friends come and go for parties which I can't always keep an eye on.

 

I had in mind a particular nephew who just ain't right - I got him a wallet and him threw it up into a prickle tree. Got him the Spiderman web slinger glove thing and he threw it on the ground and stomped it. And that's his own stuff he's destroying!

[Dusk2600]

put a lock on the gameroom door "Off Limits"

[JagFan422]

random beatings

[davepesc]

I'd say just to remember that these things, first and foremost, are toys.

 

Just keep the things you want them to play with accessable. Give them a Genny and they probably won't want Pong.

[SteveW]

Make sure that the more delicate and irreplaceable consoles are stored on the top shelf and all cables neatly tucked away. My television stand is fairly tall, and kids would have to be in their early teens to be able to reach up there, which is about the time they should be learning how to be responsible. Leave the Mega Drive and Atari on the lowest shelves, so they can play with those. But the more expensive stuff, leave higher up. And here's a good idea: for consoles you don't want the little 'uns fooling around with, just remove the controllers and put them in a closet until they're gone. They won't be able to mess with the console if there's no means of controlling the games.

 

Alternatively, you could string metal wires across the areas where you don't want visiting kids to go, and hook the wires to one of those electric fence devices. A good medium voltage shock should make them reconsider messing with things that don't belong to them!

 

By the way, you mentioned in your post something called "Astro Wars". Is that a dedicated console? I'd like to know more.

[frank_c]

random beatings

 

the perfect solution to unruly children.

[BydoEmpire]

There are lots of "childproofing" gizmos you can get at Home Depot to lock cabinets and doors. If you have the more valuable stuff in a glass entertainment center or something, you could put one of those little locks on it. Still on display, safe from greasy fingers.

[scottchicken]

By the way, you mentioned in your post something called "Astro Wars". Is that a dedicated console? I'd like to know more.

 

I'm not cluey on the lingo so someone else can say what this is (I just call it a tabletop game):

 

Astro Wars Link

 

 

I used to play this as an annoying 8 year old who was too poor to own one himself so would just hang out at the neighbours kids place, back in 1981 or whenever they came out.

 

I don't really know if they are rare or not (in Australia), but I'm pretty happy to have one in perfect nick.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions (I couldn't beat someone elses kids, not while anyone was watching anyway, ho ho), and locking the games room isn't an option because it is also my home bar and I'm a raging alcho.

 

I will either buy some sort of display cabinet/china hutch/type thing with glass doors I can lock, or build something shoddy myself with MDF and Perspex. Give it a few kicks scratches and burns for that retro look.

[Dusk2600]

that astro link thing looks pretty cool

[SteveW]

I don't know if that Astro Wars tabletop is rare, but it's awfully cool! I remember being jealous of kids who had those things, I never had one back then. I need to try to find a few to add to my collection.

[shadow460]

Buy a Flashback 2 or a handful of those game on a stick things.

Sounds like our game room is not the living room, so keep the FB and the game sitcks in the living room where they're easily accessible. The kids get to play with those, and they'll forget about prowling around for a while.

My FB2 stopped a ten year old boy from bugging me about my PlayStation, and I was thrilled to see a child nowdays having as much fun as I do with 2600 games.

That's along the same lines as getting them some commons to play, but it's a little less hassle.

That's how I keep kids outta my N64 and ProSystem stuff.

My dad does the same thing with an NES and stuff like Duck Hunt. It's old, but it keeps the little ones busy for hours, and Dad plays the games with them. That way, they don't mess around with his computer or model trains without permission. It worked for the first few rounds of grandkids, and it should work well with my daughter in a couple of years.

 

How about taking them outside for a game of tag?

[scottchicken]

How about taking them outside for a game of tag?

 

Errr, because I don't want to encourage them to visit or approach me My repeated use of the words "brats" should have made this clear!

 

Now, tag with a taser gun maybe..

 

I should have mentioned they don't actually really care to play video games. They just like breaking stuff! At one point they preferred to run around with sticks knocking things over than play Xbox (choice of 100 games).

 

I am after a Flashback2 and a Commodore 64 DTV2 (for myself!) but I don't think they are available in Australia.

[SteveW]

Errr, because I don't want to encourage them to visit or approach me

 

 

That's how I feel about children. Especially about my nephews. They're both hyperactive, although the oldest one is 15, and has been discovered to have an almost non-functional thyroid gland, so he's extremely calm now. (My sister's family is all screwed up.)

 

Why is it that kids will enter a room and automatically sense where the most breakable object is and head straight for it? Just more proof that all children are fundamentally evil.

[Lord Helmet]

When my newhews come over, the game room gets locked up unless I can be in there with them. I made the mistake of letting them in there unatennded once. By the time they were gone, the place was a wreck with games all over the floor, controllers strewn about, and my MAME cabinet showing the windows blue screen of death...Not to mention the sicky fingerprints all over my GBA screen, and the pop spilled all over the coffee table. Grrrr.

[chuckwalla]

Damn I wanted one of those Galaxy II's back a thousand years ago - kind of STILL want to get one!

[jferio]

Thanks for all the suggestions (I couldn't beat someone elses kids, not while anyone was watching anyway, ho ho), and locking the games room isn't an option because it is also my home bar and I'm a raging alcho.

 

I will either buy some sort of display cabinet/china hutch/type thing with glass doors I can lock, or build something shoddy myself with MDF and Perspex. Give it a few kicks scratches and burns for that retro look.

 

I wonder if this is the wrong crowd for this suggestion...

 

If you've had problems with these 'brats' in the past disrepecting/abusing/destroying your stuff when they've been over, then you simply need to tell their parents/guardians that they have destructive tendencies towards your beloved hobbies... either control them, or not bring them. You're playing host, they're playing guest... and there are certain responsibilities that the guest has, like respecting the property of the host.

 

I wouldn't give a second thought to telling people that their kids are not allowed in certain areas, or not allowed on the premises in general, if they have a habit of destroying property, either their own or someone else's.

 

If they insist that you have to accept those kids to have them over, then enjoy having some smaller gatherings for a change.

[shadow460]

Actually, jferio, that's the right suggestion. Talk to the kids' parents. The 10 year old I let play my FB2 was very well behaved as it is, and that's bceause his mom doesn't put up with any nonsense. All three of her kids know that, too, and they are some of the best behaved kids I've met.

Still, I supervised him until I knew he could play reasonably, and one of my friends supervies him after that. We had a blast playing games together, too.

If the parents won't raise their kids, though, then the kids (and probably the parents) should by no means be welcomed in to destroy your house (let alone your Vectrex). Let them know their kids are tearing things up, and you're not going to tolerate it. If the kids do break something, ask their parents to pay for it. Whether they pay up or not, if you're concerned that those kids are going to wreck your game room, don't let them in it. If it's got beer, they don't need to be in there at all. If the parents don't like it, or refuse to come over after that, you've saved yourself having to boot them out of your own home. That is their problem, not yours.

[sega saturn x]

Would locking them in the basement work? That's how i deal with annoying pets.

[eric_ruck]

I let my kids play with disposable systems, ie Genesis and an armload of common carts. Keeps 'em busy, the thing is pretty well indestructible, and if they do destruct it I don't really care. Genesis is about the right mix of game sophistication and durability for 5 year olds. Plus I can still get in games I enjoy like Vectorman.

 

Eric

[futuramaooy]

Ugh, I know what you mean, I lost my DS one time and wondered where the bally thing was, turns out my sister found it under my mums bed. My mums Boyfriends 4 year old son loves my DS, and I knew he did it, on top of all that, all my MKDS data was lost because of the easially accesible "ERASE DATA" function T_T. 3 motnths of Data lost! I told my mum about it and now he cannot touch the thing. Now he's confined to my GBA and the 2 games I only own now.

 

He doesn't even play the games right and if i try to play a game with him and need a bathroom break, I come back and he restards the damn thing.

 

But he better not touch my NES, took me a whole year to win one off eBay, and I sleep with it every night. Yes, I'm weird, I don't care.

 

Keep in mind if I do borrow Sonic 2 from my school (Special Education unit has a Mega Drive I in bad shape) I could probably get that for him.