After 35 years in coin-op, Bob Sokol has decided to close and liquidate the assets of his Two-Bits.com and Pac-Man.com businesses. Austin, Texas-based Sokol will be selling his large inventory of video game and pinball parts and circuit boards on eBay under the seller name ArcadeSurplus (find out if there’s anything you need here). Sokol spent his many years in the industry assisting countless operators with repairs and advice (some readers will remember his Pac-Man speed up kits from way back in the day).
Sokol, a longtime RePlay friend who is always quick with a joke, had this to say:
“For a while now, it’s just been me alone answering the phone, fixing circuit boards, taking orders and shipping parts. While I’m still in good physical shape, I’ve decided to retire and spend some of the literally hundreds of dollars I’ve amassed over the years.
“Fortunately, I’ve arrived at this point with no outstanding debts (except that one guy; he knows who he is,) and no one owes me anything (except that other guy.) Seriously, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of loyal customers who have trusted us with their repairs over the years and who have come to appreciate the quality products we’ve always tried to deliver.
Also, thanks to the many suppliers who’ve worked with us and extended us credit which allowed us to make large quantity purchases which brought costs down for everyone.”
Sokol is helping a friend, John Alexander, set up a new shop and extends his confidence that he’ll be able to handle his former customers’ repair needs. Alexander can be reached at 512/447-8888, and both of Sokol’s company websites (www.pac-man.com and www.twobits.com) will soon point to Alexander’s website.