Looking for: Man Cave Items

[VA Husker Fan]

For those who have "man caves" with all of these toys, is it worth the investment to have all this stuff? Do you guys get a ton of use out of it?

 

I have a basement, and it's not super big, but I think I would be ok with just a decent TV and a mini fridge for some beer.

It's a good question. I've got a good sized basement, but wasn't using it that much until I upgraded a 20 year old couch with some nice leather home theater seat recliners, and added 2 32" TVs along with the big screen so I could have more games on. Totally worth it to me because now I spend every fall Saturday down there, and use it more other times. I think you want to make it appealing enough that you want to use it. I had just as nice of a TV upstairs so without something extra I didn't bother going down there much. I put up some Husker memorabilia and bar signs and stuff and think it looks pretty cool now. Mini fridge, you bet.

 

Most things are just whether you think you'll use them, or really like the look, and have the space and money. Pool tables especially take a lot of space though they look great in a game room. When I built my house I made sure I had room for one but if/when I ever move I won't do it again. Darts, you just need an alley way and a bit of wall space, and it's lower cost, and I use that just as much.

 

I just this morning ordered a Stiga hockey game. I'd love a dome hockey table but they cost a lot more and take more room, and I've got a perfect counter with space on each side for the table top game. I had a classic game in the 60s when they were built great, but it must not have made a move somewhere, and a cheaper built game in the 90s that basically fell apart when we tried to play it this weekend. The drawback is that unlike pool, darts, pinball, etc, which you can play by yourself as well as others, you need an opponent for hockey. But it's so damn fun, and looks good too. A lot of guys come over and look at the pool table and nod approval, but when they see a hockey table they really light up.

 

Seems like a pinball table and jukebox could brighten up a basement nicely but I never really got into pinball and would just rather pipe music through my home theater speakers with an mp3 player so I just added some rope lights to kind of get some lighting effect.

 

I always liked trains and have a nice set up at the other end of the room where my pool table is. It's a space hog but a big attraction when I have people over, plus I'm really proud of showing off all my son and I did on it, especially the mountain with tunnels we made.

 

Whatever you do, just make it yours. Use the space and funds for things that you like and you'll enjoy it more.

[GM_Tood]

Man, how expensive are shuffleboard tables and how the hell do you even move them?

There is a local place in town that has them between $3000-$4750 including delivery/setup.

[NUance]

 

Man, how expensive are shuffleboard tables and how the hell do you even move them?

There is a local place in town that has them between $3000-$4750 including delivery/setup.

 

 

If you keep your eyes open you might run across one much cheaper. I paid $900 for mine from a guy who used to own a bar. He moved it for me on a trailer, but I had to have guys waiting at my place to pick it up and move it into my place. The table part isn't heavy at all. But it takes five or six guys to carry the shuffleboard surface in. The shuffleboard surface must weigh around 500 lbs or so.

[teachercd]

 

For those who have "man caves" with all of these toys, is it worth the investment to have all this stuff? Do you guys get a ton of use out of it?

 

I have a basement, and it's not super big, but I think I would be ok with just a decent TV and a mini fridge for some beer.

It's a good question. I've got a good sized basement, but wasn't using it that much until I upgraded a 20 year old couch with some nice leather home theater seat recliners, and added 2 32" TVs along with the big screen so I could have more games on. Totally worth it to me because now I spend every fall Saturday down there, and use it more other times. I think you want to make it appealing enough that you want to use it. I had just as nice of a TV upstairs so without something extra I didn't bother going down there much. I put up some Husker memorabilia and bar signs and stuff and think it looks pretty cool now. Mini fridge, you bet.

 

Most things are just whether you think you'll use them, or really like the look, and have the space and money. Pool tables especially take a lot of space though they look great in a game room. When I built my house I made sure I had room for one but if/when I ever move I won't do it again. Darts, you just need an alley way and a bit of wall space, and it's lower cost, and I use that just as much.

 

I just this morning ordered a Stiga hockey game. I'd love a dome hockey table but they cost a lot more and take more room, and I've got a perfect counter with space on each side for the table top game. I had a classic game in the 60s when they were built great, but it must not have made a move somewhere, and a cheaper built game in the 90s that basically fell apart when we tried to play it this weekend. The drawback is that unlike pool, darts, pinball, etc, which you can play by yourself as well as others, you need an opponent for hockey. But it's so damn fun, and looks good too. A lot of guys come over and look at the pool table and nod approval, but when they see a hockey table they really light up.

 

Seems like a pinball table and jukebox could brighten up a basement nicely but I never really got into pinball and would just rather pipe music through my home theater speakers with an mp3 player so I just added some rope lights to kind of get some lighting effect.

 

I always liked trains and have a nice set up at the other end of the room where my pool table is. It's a space hog but a big attraction when I have people over, plus I'm really proud of showing off all my son and I did on it, especially the mountain with tunnels we made.

 

Whatever you do, just make it yours. Use the space and funds for things that you like and you'll enjoy it more.

 

I love the 3 TV ideas.

[darkhorse85]

I'd like to see some pics of your model train setup VA Husker Fan.

[Landlord]

Not sure how interested people are or how 'purist' shuffleboard fans are, but if you look around there's a space-saving option.

 

 

My mom got one for her birthday. Basically it takes the super long board and turns it into a V, where you start on one side, bounce it off the back wall and back onto the other side. We have a lot of fun with ours.

 

 

[VA Husker Fan]

I'd like to see some pics of your model train setup VA Husker Fan.

 

[grahm3]

http://lincoln.craigslist.org/spo/4744622842.html Saw this on craigslist looking around today... Foosball table.

[darkhorse85]

Very cool, VA!

[teachercd]

VA...does that mean 3 different boxes...one for each TV?

[teachercd]

Not sure how interested people are or how 'purist' shuffleboard fans are, but if you look around there's a space-saving option.

 

 

My mom got one for her birthday. Basically it takes the super long board and turns it into a V, where you start on one side, bounce it off the back wall and back onto the other side. We have a lot of fun with ours.

 

 

God that looks hard!

[VA Husker Fan]

VA...does that mean 3 different boxes...one for each TV?

My Dish receiver has an HD output and a second SD output, which I send to one of the smaller TV. Sucks a bit to have it in SD but on a smaller screen for a game I'm not watching as closely, it's not that big of a deal. I get just about everything here: ESPN/2/U/Classic, BTN, SEC, Fox Sports 1, Pac12, CBS Sports Network and regional Fox networks

 

I also have basic cable, because when you get cable internet you get the basic cable TV signal as well, in SD. I just needed to put in a splitter before my cable modem. I get ESPN and ESPN2 here

 

Then there is over the air (OTA) signal for the networks. Most of you can get that with simple rabbit ears, but I need a powered leaf antenna since I'm a good distance from any station. But as long as you get the signal, it's crystal clear digital. Late afternoon and prime time ABC carries a good game, CBS has the top SEC game, Fox has a good B12 game, and NBC has home ND games. And there's usually an early ACC game on a local station.

 

I use splitters for all this, so I can get any signal source on any TV. The only time I have to get my ass out of my comfy recliner is to switch between OTA and Cable or the 2nd satellite signal since they share the same coax. I should've tried harder to find a TV with 2 coax inputs.

 

As long as I don't watch to watch 3 games that I only get via Dish I'm ok, meaning at least one has to be on network or ESPN or ESPN2. Almost never an issue unless those games are blowouts and there are 3 close games on BTN, ESPNU, etc.

 

It'd be easier with 3 boxes or a box and 2 hoppers, but this way is cheaper and just about as good.

[teachercd]

 

VA...does that mean 3 different boxes...one for each TV?

My Dish receiver has an HD output and a second SD output, which I send to one of the smaller TV. Sucks a bit to have it in SD but on a smaller screen for a game I'm not watching as closely, it's not that big of a deal. I get just about everything here: ESPN/2/U/Classic, BTN, SEC, Fox Sports 1, Pac12, CBS Sports Network and regional Fox networks

 

I also have basic cable, because when you get cable internet you get the basic cable TV signal as well, in SD. I just needed to put in a splitter before my cable modem. I get ESPN and ESPN2 here

 

Then there is over the air (OTA) signal for the networks. Most of you can get that with simple rabbit ears, but I need a powered leaf antenna since I'm a good distance from any station. But as long as you get the signal, it's crystal clear digital. Late afternoon and prime time ABC carries a good game, CBS has the top SEC game, Fox has a good B12 game, and NBC has home ND games. And there's usually an early ACC game on a local station.

 

I use splitters for all this, so I can get any signal source on any TV. The only time I have to get my ass out of my comfy recliner is to switch between OTA and Cable or the 2nd satellite signal since they share the same coax. I should've tried harder to find a TV with 2 coax inputs.

 

As long as I don't watch to watch 3 games that I only get via Dish I'm ok, meaning at least one has to be on network or ESPN or ESPN2. Almost never an issue unless those games are blowouts and there are 3 close games on BTN, ESPNU, etc.

 

It'd be easier with 3 boxes or a box and 2 hoppers, but this way is cheaper and just about as good.

 

I only understood about 34% of that but thanks!

With TV's being so freaking cheap I have thought about that idea too. It looks pretty cool

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I have a pretty large basement/family room area. I'm looking at buying a pinball machine, dart board, old school looking popcorn machine as my kids love popcorn and we're going to use the space for movie watching as well. I've looked at those arcade tables, like the one in landlord's picture, but I've heard it's a pain to find someone to work on them and it's expensive. I've looked at the shuffleboard option as well, but I like that V set-up because it takes up less space. My family room is probably 30 feet wide, by 60 to 70 feet long. We have an oversized bedroom down there as well so I could use that area for stuff as well. That room is 25 feet wide by 30 feet long. I have lots of plans, just not the money I'd like to get it done!

[VA Husker Fan]

Wow, that's a huge space, BRI. You could do about anything you want down there. You could turn it into a small pub along with a home theater.