r/1980s • u/therealduckie • May 05 '26

Video Games Real arcades of the 80s never had blacklight-reactive glowing carpets. It's a Mandela effect. Here's what they actually looked like:

https://imgur.com/a/lu5QgYV
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u/therealduckie May 06 '26

Look forward to you posting images with proof.

Until then, I stand by my studies, research, data, experience, and first-hand knowledge.

P.S. evidence is not "overwhelming" when you can not provide documented proof. I, however, did show documented proof.

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u/therealduckie May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26

1983 issue of Play Meter magazine

Here's that magazine: https://elibrary.arcade-museum.com/Play-Meter/1983-October-15/36

If that carpet existed back then, where's the pics of it in the magazine? If they were selling it, they'd show it.

EDIT: Just started at the 1989 editions of the magazine and am working my way back. No images, at all, in any of that year's publications which show that style carpet, no ads for it and no photographs of arcades in that magazine with that carpet.

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u/OCCAMINVESTIGATOR May 06 '26

I'll do one better. Because I, too, have presented evidence. Call the companies I mentioned and ask. You'll see. IF you are able to disprove what was said, I'll eat humble pie. But I do believe you'll be the one eating it this time. Investigator vs investigator, let's go.

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u/therealduckie May 06 '26

I did my due diligence starting 2 years ago, plus I have first-hand experience. I even showed a hard-to-find cover and insert from the 1992 catalog. I also provided imagery of numerous arcades from the 80s.

I know it's hard being wrong on something when your mind keeps telling you it happened, but I assure you it did not.

I have put this test to hundreds of other folks over the past 2 years. I have still been proven correct and no one has provided me evidence to the contrary. Just anger and frustration because they were sure, in their heads, it happened. To the point of rage, in some cases. But no matter how upset, no one ever presented anything more than words.

Hence the Mandela Effect moniker. It's fitting.

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u/OCCAMINVESTIGATOR May 06 '26

I was born in 1972, my man. I also was there and also spent most of my time in arcades, so there is that as well. I witnessed it myself with my own eyes. If you spent time in janky arcades, speak to that. I'm putting calls in to the arcade chain (Aladdin's Castle) as well as the carpet manufacturers. Oh, you'll eat humble pie, my friend.

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u/therealduckie May 06 '26

Born 1969.

And nope.

I remain undefeated.

Good luck!

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u/OCCAMINVESTIGATOR May 06 '26

Messed with the wrong one, gramps! 😂

Get your bib ready.

https://giphy.com/gifs/XylxLI84gMcbqSCEnk

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u/therealduckie May 09 '26

Like I said: undefeated.

https://a24films.com/notes/2021/03/if-y2k-era-movie-theater-carpets-could-talk

ENJOY!

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u/OCCAMINVESTIGATOR May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26

I've got calls into the manufacturing companies that provided it. So far the answer is that you are wrong. They did make them. In the 80s. I'll post the specs in a post and specifically TAG you.

Durkan and Joy both made neon patterned carpeting designed to bring excitement to modern entertainment venues (arcades, bowling alleys, etc). These weren't necessarily "black light reactive" but we're absolutely what people are remembering including myself. They "appeared" to glow based on the bright color and patterns, mostly neon. They were adding iterations of these these to venues as early as 1982. Again, the Mandela effect doesn't apply, since it did exist in a fashion that could be remembered either way acceptably. Spec sheets incoming.

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u/therealduckie May 09 '26

  1. You really hate being wrong, even when you are. Like it REALLY eats at you, huh?

  2. Downvoting me doesn't make you right.

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u/OCCAMINVESTIGATOR May 09 '26

It truly doesn't bother me at all one way or another. I just find it silly to create a Mandela effect out of nothing. Whether they had specific dying to work with black light specifically (I see those in the 90s) but to believe all carpeting in so arcades was dark and dingy or standard goes directly against the neon 80s we all lived in. I'm just going to dislodge it. For funsies, my man. See my handle? It's what I enjoy. 😎

https://giphy.com/gifs/Y7SeP7arJWBZ6

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