'By the way, love' stories

[pubjoe]

I told the missus about this cab the day before it arrived!

The last minute mention. I think we all do that. The "by the way, love" stories would make a good thread actually.

[idc]

I told the missus about this cab the day before it arrived!

The last minute mention. I think we all do that. The "by the way, love" stories would make a good thread actually.

I advised my other half of the impending arrival of my NAOMI cabinet months in advance, and it still wasn't enough to prevent her from telling her mother we'd go and visit them and have tea with them that day, nor was it enough to prevent a mardy attitude and dirty looks as Ralph and I carried the cab's pieces in through the front door.

[Rossyra]

loller

[crunchywasp]

I gave my mrs plenty of advance notice on the Blast and NNC, agreed to buy the Naomi before consulting her (The "... but it was a great deal and it's far too late to go back on my word now..." spiel) and took me bloody ages to convince her that getting a third is a good idea. She's been wanting a dog for years so my last resort in all cases was to agree to getting one. I had to use it for the third. I'm allergic to most dogs. We're getting a dog.

Edit: New thread!

[andygeezer]

I told many people I want write a book about arcade machines and wife's/girl friends.

Surprised there hasn't been any documented murders

[pubjoe]

We're getting a dog.

Haha! Yeah, the biggest hidden cost of this hobby is the wife sweeteners.

My first woodie was a day's notice, but I bought that on the spur of the moment of ebay madness. For the E2 I gave plenty of notice, under the guise of "I'm just swapping - I'll sell the other one". Once the vewlix and mushiking had arrived a year later (both with minimal notice - for the vewlix, I had to change all plans and arrange a sudden cross-country van trip to Mr-Megalo's the next day), it was getting a bit ridiculous to be fair. I'm down to just the E2 now. It was silly of me to think I could win in the battle of wills.

No matter how much notice I've given though, there's always been a slightly nervous period of, "right erm, how do I tell the Missus before it arrives?".

[pubjoe]

I told many people I want write a book about arcade machines and wife's/girl friends.

Surprised there hasn't been any documented murders

Warning, the following joke is NOT funny...

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I always wondered how bibliophile got away with a whole container full

[emphatic]

No matter how much notice I've given though, there's always been a slightly nervous period of, "right erm, how do I tell the Missus before it arrives?".

^^This. Mine almost always responds with an "Oh, yeah?" look, and that's it for a while unless she has to "think about available space". Whenever I start to sell music/arcade stuff, she knows I'm up to something. Like;

- "If I can just get rid of this and this, I won't be spending any household money on new stuff".
- "So, where's my cut?".
- "Well, this new stuff won't take up as much space. Honest, guv."

[wonderbanana]

- "If I can just get rid of this and this, I won't be spending any household money on new stuff".

This is my excuse all the time.

If I am spending money not made from selling my arcade/games stuff I use this excuse anyway. It's just easier and I don't think she's twigged yet.

[pubjoe]

Yeah, most thing's I buy are "almost free, when you consider it all".

Emph, I love your tactical use of space. It's important to claim such territory with man stuff before it gets filled with shoes. You can always put an arcade machine there at a later date. Another tip is to encourage her to waste space, like the treadmill that you know for a fact will never get used. You can then use such items as ammunition in defence. ..Don't take that too literally!

The "... but it was a great deal and it's far too late to go back on my word now..." spiel

Ah, that's another one yeah. "It's such a good price, it'd have been irresponsible not to buy it. I'll probably end up just re-selling it for profit.". ...Then usually later secretly re-sell at a loss.

As a rule, I try to give notice on anything bigger than, say, a microwave (difficult to hide). I'd love to know if anyone's had a row due to just not telling the wife at all, and finding themselves with 15 cubic feet of arcade machine to hide.

[emphatic]

It's very hard to keep stuff coming in by mail hidden now that she's at home, tending to our wee one. "I got this in a trade for something else" still works though.

[glstar]

Yeah, most thing's I buy are "almost free, when you consider it all".

Emph, I love your tactical use of space. It's important to claim such territory with man stuff before it gets filled with shoes. You can always put an arcade machine there at a later date. Another tip is to encourage her to waste space, like the treadmill that you know for a fact will never get used. You can then use such items as ammunition in defence. ..Don't take that too literally!

The "... but it was a great deal and it's far too late to go back on my word now..." spiel

Ah, that's another one yeah. "It's such a good price, it'd have been irresponsible not to buy it. I'll probably end up just re-selling it for profit.". ...Then usually later secretly re-sell at a loss.

As a rule, I try to give notice on anything bigger than, say, a microwave (difficult to hide). I'd love to know if anyone's had a row due to just not telling the wife at all, and finding themselves with 15 cubic feet of arcade machine to hide.

I have this problem with my father in law.....
Infact today two big pallets are on my way from UK....and the place i store all my cabs is in reality my father in law garage.....
I don't know what he do when he see a great house of the dead 4 52" deluxe machine next week.....
I just hope he doesn't kick me in the ****.....

[pubjoe]

Good luck.

[crunchywasp]

Smuggling a 52" HOTD = ...Best of luck!

Didn't Chappy have a garage full of secret cabs at one point too?

Yeah, most thing's I buy are "almost free, when you consider it all"

"It's such a good price, it'd have been irresponsible not to buy it. I'll probably end up just re-selling it for profit.". ...Then usually later secretly re-sell at a loss.

this all sounds far too familiar. I use these techniques to convince not only my mrs but myself too

[wonderbanana]

It's very hard to keep stuff coming in by mail hidden now that she's at home, tending to our wee one. "I got this in a trade for something else" still works though.

This is why everything I get is sent to my work address

[pubjoe]

I use these techniques to convince not only my mrs but myself too

Very true. I've been chuckling to myself about "it'd have been irresponsible not to buy it". I really have said that, but it was hard to keep a straight face.

Didn't Chappy have a garage full of secret cabs at one point too?

"Yeah, love. I just don't know where the key went. Weird isn't it? Anyway, I'm off out to the, erm, porch for a bit."

[crunchywasp]

Although I know I'm lying to myself when I think/say these things I always convince myself

[markedkiller78]

If only I could get stuff sent to work.

My big gripe is random delivery men (RM, Hermes, Yodel, DPD etc) making random drops I prefer to pick the stuff up at their depot if I'm not in, but my wife goes nuts about the amount of parcels my neighbours take in.

We get our dog food delivered, it's 20kg. My instructions are "leave at the back of the house if no one is home". It worked for a year, but now amazon send it in a massive box via a random courier. I've had it delivered 50! doors away. Number 97 FFS. Same thing happened with 100m of bubble wrap, it weighs nothing & is worth nothing, so leave it out the back.

Now, £200+ pcbs always get left in my recycling bin Generally with no note, so every day I empty the internal bins & check for new stuff.

Back on topic, I casually told my wife at dinner that an arcade machine would be arriving 2 hours later, she didn't even bat an eyelid I think over the years she's just gave up fighting it.

[emphatic]

Yesterday, I spent most of the day trying to take up less space in the walk in closet (only storage space in the whole apartment) by removing all my cardboard boxes from the PCBs (none were original, relax fellas) and I had my CAVE/Raizing games stacked on the living room table. I then went on telling her the market value of them and what I paid, which I though was clever, but no. She does get the whole "collecting stuff you can enjoy for a while then sell on" approach which has been what I've been telling her from the start, but I have a really hard time selling stuff.

[ninn]

"Oh, you got a new game i saw an empty cardboard box in the floor "
"I prepared that cardboard box, because I sold some games that were clustingering your shelf. "
" oh "
" "