Some links to get you started

Since I'm just getting this blog rolling, I thought I'd list and explain some of the best links I've found so far

Build Your Own Arcade Controls
The grand-daddy of all DIY arcade sites. It was viewing this site over 5 years ago that first inspired me to do this. Of course things were much different then as most people who did their own arcade cabinet then had to hack a keyboard or game controller in order to get their buttons to work. Thankfully things are much easier now. Even still, this site has a huge archive of tips, tricks, and resources, as well as links (many broken) to tons of blogs and sites made by other people like me who have made their own arcade cabinet.

Killer List of Videogames
This site is a great place to view photos of the cabinets, art, etc that you'd find in commercial arcades. It's like walking through a museum of old games. I found it highly inspiring as I was looking for art to use in my project.

Arcade Art Library
This site is a huge archive of full-res and/or vector illustrations of authentic cabinet art, including side art, marquees, control panels, etc. It's a great place to contribute if you're a digital artist capable of vectorizing scans and photos of the oldies. It's also a great place to grab quality source art if you're looking to use any elements/characters of existing games in the designs you use on your own game cabinet's art.

MAME Marquees - Arcade Printing
While I haven't used their services yet, these guys seem to be THE place to go if you want to order a custom-printed marquee, sideart, etc. They will print full sized, durable artwork for using in your own arcade. They also have some stock designs if you don't have any design capacity but still want to add some art to your project.

Ultimarc Arcade Supplies
This place is the number one place to go if you're looking for a circuit board that will let you run your buttons/joysticks/trackballs/spinners into the computer. They also have a full range of the afore mentioned buttons/joysticks/trackballs for use in your cabinet. As of this post, they still don't have any spinners, but that's likely to change.

Happ Controls Arcade Supplies
Another site full of authentic arcade parts, including arcade monitors, controls, etc. Many arcade owners go here for replacement parts on their authentic games, but you can also shop here for the pieces you'll need to build your own.