Every Cabinet Has
A Story Worth Saving.
CGCC is the community where Canadian collectors preserve arcade history, trade fair, restore forgotten hardware, and keep the golden age alive — one high score at a time.
Built by collectors,
for collectors.
CGCC started as a handful of Canadians hunting down old cabinets in barns and basements. Today it’s a nationwide network of restorers, historians, and everyday players who believe classic hardware deserves a second life.
Verified Community
Real collectors, moderated trades, zero tolerance for scams.
Restoration Know-How
Guides, parts sourcing, and veteran advice for every skill level.
Preserving History
Documenting Canadian arcade manufacturers before their stories disappear.
Culture, Trading & Community
High Score Culture: Why Chasing Records Still Matters
Why the leaderboard chase still drives collectors decades after the coin slots went quiet.
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Trading, Swapping, and the Ethics of Fair Deals
An honest look at what makes a trade fair — and how to spot when it isn’t.
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How CGCC.ca Built a Nationwide Collector Community
From a small forum thread to thousands of members from coast to coast — the CGCC story.
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The Starburst Coin-Op Auctions: A Collector’s Playground
Inside the auction that has Canadian collectors circling the calendar every year.
Read article →Why 12,000+ collectors call CGCC home
Membership is free and built around three things collectors actually need — trust, knowledge, and people who get it.
Vetted Trade Boards
Every listing is tied to a verified profile, so you know who you’re dealing with before a part ever ships.
Restoration Library
Step-by-step guides, wiring diagrams, and parts sourcing lists contributed by veteran restorers.
Real Meetups
Local chapters host swap meets and cabinet showcases in every major province, all year round.
The Golden Age, Preserved
The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age Arcade
From packed arcade floors to quiet storage units — how the golden age really ended.
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How Home Consoles Changed Canadian Gaming Culture
The living-room shift that moved gaming out of the arcade and into every household.
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The Untold Story of Canadian Arcade Manufacturers
The homegrown builders history forgot — and the collectors bringing their machines back.
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From Pong to Pixels: The Evolution of Coin-Op Cabinets
Tracing the design leaps that took cabinets from wooden boxes to neon icons.
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Your first restoration doesn’t have to be scary
Every veteran collector started with one broken cabinet and a lot of questions. Here’s the path CGCC members follow.
Pick a project that fits your budget
Start small — a single board or one cabinet, not a whole collection.
Source parts from trusted collectors
Skip the guesswork and use member-vetted suppliers across Canada.
Ask before you solder
The community forum answers most “is this normal?” questions in hours.
Practical Skills for Every Collector
Building a Home Arcade on a Budget
What to prioritize — and what to skip — when your budget is tight but your ambition isn’t.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Restoring Classic Arcade Cabinets
The exact order of operations veteran restorers wish someone had told them on day one.
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Sourcing Rare Consoles Across Canada
Veteran collectors share where the good finds actually come from — and how to spot fakes.
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Joystick and Controller Repair: Keeping Retro Hardware Alive
Fix drift, dead buttons, and worn contacts without replacing hardware you can’t easily find again.
Read guide →A community that keeps growing
Real numbers from real chapters, updated every quarter.
Find your corner of the hobby
Every article on CGCC lives in one of these categories — jump straight to what interests you most.
Let’s talk collecting
Question about a machine, a trade, or joining a local chapter? Send us a message and a real member of the CGCC team will get back to you.