A farewell....

So, if you are reading this - you have seen the news that the store is closing.

Shopify contacted me today wanting me to delist multiple products, but instead I have decided to close the store.

Honestly, this has probably been a long time coming. Since Assemblergames closed, I fell out of love with retro gaming. The community I was once part of was no more and honestly, I think I preferred helping people with retro gaming more than I actually liked retro gaming.

Things have also changed since I started selling modding components around 12 years ago. The quality of mods have gone up - flex pcbs, fully profiled RGB and audio mods. A far cry from the original mods that "worked for me" but were an electrical disaster.

With this, theres also far more competition - the site was once doing fairly well and there wasn't really anyone else doing it. Now retro sites are all over the place and while I don't agree with the pricing on a lot of sites (anyone who knows me, knows I have always tried to keep prices as low as possible), theres no disputing theres a wide selection of sites to buy what you need.

If I still had the love for it I once did, I am sure I could have kept up with mods and kept the website profitable. However, as mentioned above - the love was gone awhile ago and I just don't want to spend the time doing it anymore.

This also leads onto the major reason for the site closure....

Around 3 years ago, I left my full time job where I was a specialist in repairing a type of industrial machinery (coordinate measuring machines aka CMMs). I had a 6 month no compete in my contract as I had ended up senior management. Now, a lot of people reading this will remember me from assembler games and I have never been one for saying nothing when I don't agree with something. Well, I very much didn't agree with how the company was being ran and was fairly sure I could do a better job. 

This site had just done its best year ever and I decided to leave my job and start a competing company. I waited out my 6 month no compete and made a start..... and business has been more successful than I ever expected. We have expanded from 1 site into another next door, just completing a 100k refurb of the 2 spaces this week. I had some game changing news 3 days ago and honestly - I just don't have time between that, my family and wanting to retain my sanity for retrogamerstuff. 

Without each and every one of you, I wouldn't be where I am today. Your custom has, in part allowed me to get to this point and I would just like to thank you all.

There is a 50% sale until stock is gone as my way of appreciation. Most products will now actually be below cost price.

Regarding the Phantom - this chip was made in collaboration between me and Zer0-2k11. When Assemblergames closed, I lost touch with him. However, I did some digging and his site still seems to be up and the Phantom in stock - his website is here

My agreement with Zer0-2k11 was the project files would remain exclusive to us, until a time that we both no longer wish to sell it. If Zer0 ever stops selling the Phantom - get in touch with me and I will ensure the files to make them are released.

On that note, a very tired Bad_Ad84 is signing off after doing this for about 20 years.

Thanks once again!