Auction starts at 10am sharp!!

[Andy]

IMPORTANT!!

IF YOU ARE A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO IS PLANNING ON BIDDING ON ONE OF TGA'S MACHINES, MAKE SURE YOU GET TO TGA WELL BEFORE 10AM TOMORROW.

THE ARCADE MACHINES ARE THE FIRST ITEMS TO BE AUCTIONED.



The last dance, the final song, the final stage, the final round...

Well everyone, I guess this is it... Tomorrow is the big day.

I'm going to apologize in advance if I seem detached, and I'm not my usual cheery self tomorrow. I am going to be seeing a good portion of you for the first time since November. I wish I could greet you just like it was another normal day at TGA and be at your service.

I want you to know that through all the trauma tomorrow, I will be truly touched by your attendance. If I don't get a chance to speak to you at length, or I'm running around like crazy, and I'm not as accessible as I want to be, please know that I know you are there and it's making a huge difference. I want everyone to know now that I appreciate everything you have done for TGA. It was truly on honor to serve every one of you.

Looking back, talking to people, reading E-mails, messages and phone conversations, I have been told that I am considered a leader and an innovator of this community.

But to be honest, I've never felt that way. This community didn't need leadership, this community DID the leading. Think about everything that you accomplished. You were responsible for creating a game center on a level that was truly unique. Everything positive thing that came out of TGA was because of YOU. You were innovators that changed the gaming world forever!!

All I did was provide the means for the community to come together. For someone like you to bestow a title like "leader" upon me is truly humbling. I am truly honored that you would hold me in such a high esteem. I hope you considered my service worthy. I hope TGA was everything it could have been under my administration. I really did my best. I hope you always felt at home and had everything you needed. Thank you for your patience and support through the good times and bad.

What it starting to hit me, is that starting tomorrow, I will no longer have the ability to provide this service to the community. And that is what truly makes me sad.

There are so many things that I want to say. I want to find the right words to let everyone know how much you all mean to me. However words are just escaping me right now and this post is well, a mess. So for that I apologize. So I guess I'll just wait until the dust settles so I can write properly.

I am going to warn you now that what you will see tomorrow is not the TGA you remember. However, we will all be there to support each other. Although it looks different and is scattered into hundreds of different pieces, it's still OUR TGA for one last day tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be my last official day. it's going to consist of me trying to fake smiles, letting go of something I don't want to let go of and trying not to crack in the process. So, the next meetup in July will be more of a proper social reflection, tomorrow is a very important business day that has to be a success to make sure that the past six years are honored, preserved and given their proper last respects.

I am going to be giving this auction 110% of my effort, although it's going to kill me to do so. I have to make sure that this event succeeds to ensure that our reputation, strength and importance as a community shines through. Tomorrow is our way to show the world who we were as a community during the period of June 2003 to June 2009.

The items that will find new homes out of the building tomorrow are part of our collective legacy. Our laughter, blood sweat and tears will forever be contained inside them.

So if you are reading this and you are someone who takes a part of TGA home with you, treat it well, treat it with love and care, because you are holding a part of all of us.

I'll see you tomorrow,

I remain, very truly yours,

Andy

[MiniMoose]

I'll be attending in whatever sense of a way I can through Brendan. I'm not sure what I'll be bidding on yet, but I assure you whatever it is will be taken care of just as you did.

I'm going to have to stay up all night for this, but theres no way I can see it as not being worth it. Be strong tomorrow Andy and good luck.

[Harmonixer]

Andy, as you say there are no words for the honor we've given you, likewise, there are no words to thank you enough for everything you've done, be it for me, the Bemani community, or countless others. You gave all of us a second home, a small piece of heaven on earth. I, too, am at a loss for words, and nothing I can say can express my gratitude for everything.

I will be there tomorrow to support you, to support the community, to support TGA. While I cannot promise I will be able to buy anything extensive, no matter what it may be, I intend to take home at least a small piece of TGA. Rest assured that it will be well cared for. You, and TGA, have been a part of my life that can never be replaced.

Thank you, again, and I will see you tomorrow.

[Catastrophe]

Nostalgia. The bathrooms here are still the same. I am a bundle of nerves.

[Edo]

As I said to myself months ago, "As long as I'm still conscious, nothing will stop me from going to TGA's auction." I mean that in the most literal sense of the word.

[Vyers]

I should arrive sometime between 8 and 8:30 with my group. Since I've never really made any food that's easily transportable or good served cold I'm trying my mother's banana bread recipe. If it comes out right I'll have one plain loaf and one loaf with dates to share.

Andy if there's anything I can do to help you out during the auction, don't hesitate to ask me.

[Slayer³]

I will be with everyone tomorrow to show my support. Sadly my comission check did not come in (1.5 months overdue), therefore without assets I am not qualified for a loan.

I'm bringing what I can to help out.
I will try to make it in July but that is sitll up in the air for me.

Andy and Chie, you are great people, I wish the best to you both.
I am glad our community has come together to support you through this difficult time. I find myself at a loss for works...

[YanYan]

OMG WTF I OVER SLEPT D:<<<<<

[Lisa]

Andy - RE: the OP, in a way i think that tga DOES belong to the community still. Because people took it home w. them, just in many pieces. Don't you think?

Anyway, I would like to know who bought which machines. I know for about half, but, for example, where are the pop'ns going?
anybody got a list?

[Jimmy Weckl]

That was quite an experience. The look of relief on Andy's face when Piano Man bought the iidx machine was worth the trip alone, although I love my new popn pillows . I've had my eye on them since the woonsocket days, and I can't think of a better item to remind me of my time at tga.

[Jester]

So it went well? I'm carless atm and the worlds coming to an end, had no way down Miss you 2...

[MiniMoose]

Pianoman was able to help me bid and win the Espagaluda cab. He's going to be holding onto it until I figure how I'm gonna ship it to Japan.

[dieKatze88]

I bid and won the Gradius 4. Its already installed in my basement and running like a champ

[Dust]

I bid and won the Initial D arcade promo displays and they are wonderful. Thank you so much Andy!!

Craig and I will always be here for you! Dont you ever dissapear!

[Moon Jump]

I'm glad a lot of you guys were able to pool together the money to get the stuff you wanted. I heard the IIDX machine went to you guys.

Sorry I wasn't able to make it, but I didn't really have any money to spare with not having a job at the moment, but I am glad the video seemed to hit the right people and they were out bidding.

I hope you were able to meet your goal and will be able to put this behind you.

[Darkhorse]

Hi Andy, every time I took a second to try to find you to talk to you, you looked swamped and I didn't want to bother you as I knew this was an important day for you financially. I just wanted to say, thanks so much for the good times that myself and my friends had at TGA.

My friend and I walked out with the Supernova 2 and ITG 2 machines. I just want you to know they will be well kept and taken care of in their new residences with the same respect that they had in your keeping .

Thanks again!

[brie84]

Originally Posted by Darkhorse

Hi Andy, every time I took a second to try to find you to talk to you, you looked swamped and I didn't want to bother you as I knew this was an important day for you financially. I just wanted to say, thanks so much for the good times that myself and my friends had at TGA.

My friend and I walked out with the Supernova 2 and ITG 2 machines. I just want you to know they will be well kept and taken care of in their new residences with the same respect that they had in your keeping .

Thanks again!

you two are so lucky. My friends got the Extreme Machine (staying in the Boston area) they also scooped up some pad sensors. Lunchbox and a friend bought the top shelf of one of the display cases.
Alex got me a poster,and I am happy to walk away with it. I'm glad everyone enjoyed my cookies...you scooped them up! And if anyone wants the recipe just contact me yo

[tr4nc3r4v3r]

I picked up a bunch of DM marquees =D and I think I got mostly everyone to sign my 2nd anniversary shirt

[Andy]

I just got in and before I crash, I wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know I made it home in one piece and say thank you.

Today was many things, it was the worst day of my life and at the same time a day of some huge shocking surprises (more on that later).

I can't thank everyone enough for their support today. I didn't know what to expect about any aspect of this auction before going into it. I knew I would be busy, but I didn't expect anything like today.

Everyone who was working on both the auction and getting machines ready was insanely overwhelmed with errands. Everyone was giving 110% but because the amount of people in attendance was staggering, and a majority of the errands could only be completed by Anthony or myself, many people were waiting several HOURS to meet with me, or for me to complete errands.
So again, thank you for your patience.

Thank you btw Anthony for taking on half of my workload. Everyone worked really hard and I appreciate all the efforts of the Super Auctions crew. I especially appreciate them working with me and respecting / appreciating the needs of the community and how sensitive this whole situation was.

What bothers me is that I wanted to use this as an opportunity to be social and speak to people as this may be my last chance to do so (in regards to the people that traveled from several states away). But as the work piled up , I had to put the needs of the people before my personal desire to socialize . I promised that I would do my best to work hard to make this a success, so I did just that. Unfortunately it caused people to wait literally HOURS just for to sign things and take photos, or just to say a simple goodbye. Thank you so much for waiting around for me. If I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday, I'm sorry, there were so many people that I only got to wave to or just say hi.

But no worries, PLEASE, PLEASE don't think that this will be the last time that I will be available to talk , take photos, or sign anything. As a matter of fact I want YOU to sign MY stuff and take photos for me, because well, you are my crew!!

At any rate, I will be attending the next meetup in July. The next few weeks the dust will still be settling, but once everything is officially over, I will take a deep breath and write a bunch of super long posts about things I've been waiting to talk about.

Thank you to everyone who waited for me at Denny's, I apologize for the wait.

This whole thing hasn't hit me yet, my head is still spinning. The more I think about it the more it starts to sink in.

For the first time in six years... I have nothing to wear tomorrow.

I'll write again tomorrow, thank you everyone for coming to the final official TGA event. But, wait, maybe it's not the final TGA event!

If you haven't heard, the reason I'm still sane and the tone of this post has completely changed is because some major TGA machines went to prominent members of the community, which means that TGA (which now means us, you and I, as a community) STILL HAVE THE MACHINES!!

I won't spoil any surprises, I'll let the people concerned post up!!

Thank you for letting me end this terrible day on a positive note!!

Much love to everyone!

Andy

[Piano Man]

Ninja posting from iPhone; will have more detail later but...
Taiko is up and running, as is Distorted, but Distorted needs new speakers (the metal frame won't fit in my house, despite many slurs from Anthony and our mini-moving crew). So, after sleeping in a bit, then speaker shopping, with the help of 5-8 members we can mount the screen and IIDX will be up and running!

I wasn't sure if bidding on IIDX was the right thing to do, but after hearing so much positive feedback, I know it was the right decision.

Btw, all 3 machines (IIDX, Taiko and Espgaluda) only fit in one room. So all the arcade games are crammed in one room with little space, and I have 2 sofas and my all my consoles in another small room... Sound like the Woonsocket days anyone?

Have to go for now but:
1) If anyone is free this afternoon / tonight your strength is needed. The IIDX screen is Sirius business and needs literally 5-8 people to mount it due to weight.
2) Thank you Super Auctions; your energy and professionalism made what would have been a very dark day in my life a surprisingly positive and dare I say fun experience.
3) Thank you Andy, Chie, all staff and members. For everything.

Will post more on farewell party and future meet ups later. Til then, take care and be safe everyone!

Piano Man

[brie84]

Andy,a bunch of us are heading back over to TGA to pick up the extreme machine tomorrow...will you be there when we pick that baby up?

Also...the identity of Richard Bagman...what happened with that whole "item"? I'd still like to know who this mystery man is...

[Catastrophe]

I'm leaving for TGA very soon to pick up my DM.

Mental list of what we kept/lost

Saved
IIDX - Pianoman
Taiko - Pianoman
DM (old hardware) - me
DDR - 9-volt
SF3 Third Strikes - Gavin

Sort of saved
DMX - "Fitchburg" (Ted)
PPP - "Fitchburg" (Ted)
DDR (new hardware) - "Connecticut"
ITG - "Connecticut"

Gone
GF/DM (new hardware)
SF4 Delta Cabinets
Pop'N Musics
(obviously the racers were gone back in December)

I think that's all that matters. Don't ask me where all the Candy cabs went. PIU might have gone to NY but those are plentiful. PNM I'm already shopping for....

[2600]

Pianoman was able to help me bid and win the Espagaluda cab. He's going to be holding onto it until I figure how I'm gonna ship it to Japan.

That's awesome you were that dedicated for the Espgaluda. I made sure during the preview to give it one last play as I probably have spent the majority of my hours at TGA playing it.

Also my friend and I got the pair of Windy's with Super Street Fighter 2. I have already begun cleaning out the cab and working on changing the single player cp to two players (Thanks again for the trade Gavin!). The auction was definitely intense / emotional. It was great to see Andy happy after the auction.

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Catastrophe

Gone
Pop'N Musics

I really wish I could have got a loan for this. It pisses me off that NE doesnt have pop'n anymores because of some guys personal collection in god knows where/people break the other pop'n as they take it out. At least IIDX is still here.

Aside from anger, I want to thank Andy for all he has done for us. He's worked hard and I really hope that this auction helped him out. Sorry I didn't try to talk to you so much at the event Andy. I kindof thought that you were overwhelmed as it is and I didn't want to be bothersome. I hope that theres a chance to see you in the future ;-;

[Jimmy Weckl]

Originally Posted by Joe P

people break the other pop'n as they take it out.

Wait, what? I must not have stuck around long enough to hear about this.