Pick Date: 10/21/08    Once again enter Craiglist. Browsing the ads one morning, this is what I found: 3 old school arcade games - $40 (O'Fallon, MO) Bring a truck and dolly. First one to email with a phone # gets it. {No pictures were listed in the Craigslist ad}

I sent an email, and in 10 minutes I got a phone call. He said he just bought a house and they were left there. 2 out of 3 are working, and he can only remember that one was called Bump and Jump. One hour later I show up at his house with the family van and a dolly. The three games are Bump and Jump, Uniwars, and an unknown game. I pay the guy and get everything home in 2 trips. I then start plugging everything in and checking everything out. I get the unknown game working, and it was a Street Fighter II in some custom half cabinet. There was also a non-working NBA Jam PCB in the same cabinet.

Bump 'n Jump was not a game I was really looking for, however it was a fun game from the classic era. I fixed up and sold the other 2 games in the lot to cover costs on the Bump 'n Jump and have extra left over. Furthermore, I found $2.15 in change inside along with 3 sets of cheap Hantrex darts with plastic tips. The sound in Bump 'n Jump was not working so I used some of the extra money to buy a new PCB for the game. The sound is now working great.

Now that I have Bump 'n Jump fully working, it was missing the correct bezel. I ordered a minty, perfect bezel from another collector. It turns out the Post Office viciously destroyed the glass bezel that I purchased for my Bump N Jump . When I say destroyed, it was like in a million pieces. When I opened my box, dug through the package popcorn and opened the package wrap, this is what I saw. Every piece in there is the size of a pea. No large chunks, the post office certainly did a thorough job. WOW. I'm speechless.

The package did have insurance on it, but how do you replace a 30 year old item? I can't go to Wal-mart and buy another one. Shaking my head in disbelief. I mean, did they play frisbee with it in the back office, or kick the box around in a nice friendly game of soccer? Unfortunately, we will never know.

I was lucky enough to locat another bezel which was shipped to me via UPS this time. Apparently UPS knows what they are doing because I received this one in one piece. New Bump n' Jump bezel is now installed.

This is my first "haul" that I ever got so it will always be remembered. I have already had a few offers on the Bump 'n Jump, but rest assured I am not ready to give it up just yet. I think I will enjoy this one for awhile in The Basement Arcade. For those who don't know the game, you need to check it out. Its pretty simple. You drive a car down the road and try to bump everyone else off the road. When you can't bump them, you jump them. Bump 'n Jump!

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