Ten years ago...

By jerec · September 9, 2010

Around ten years ago, I wandered into one of those charity op shops, where I found an Atari 2600 in its original box, with all the manuals and even some advertising pamphlets, plus four games also in their boxes. The whole thing cost me $10.

Today, deciding that I'm never going to play this thing again, due to Atari being seriously outdated, and the fact that I can't even hook it up to my new super awesome TV, I decided to take it to Gametraders to see what I'd get for it. They initially said between $30 and $80 depending on the condition, so when I went back to my car to grab it, they looked at it and decided it was worth $100 plus $20 for the games.

I seriously don't know how they're gonna sell it and turn a profit, but damn that's some good money.

Comments 7

bloomer Sep 10, 2010

When it comes to vintage computers and consoles and games, there will always be someone prepared to pay a fortune for any particular item.

That person may only come by once a year or less frequently, but even then, the amount they will pay without blinking when they do come by will cover, for instance, what it would cost me to list that Atari on ebay for a year, plus a profit on the purchase of it from you. There are groups of ebay folk who operate on this long haul model, and they usually charge a hell of a lot for what they're selling.

An example is that Fortress of the Witch King game for the Apple II I FAQ'd last year. Someone was selling the disk in the box for $120. To me that's insane, but they're waiting on a purchase by either someone who's a maniac for that game or that genre, or an Apple II collector with more dollars than sense.

jerec Blogger Sep 10, 2010

I did check the current ebay market for Atari 2600's, and the only ones with bids were under $50. There's no one bidding on the people asking $100 or more.

bloomer Sep 10, 2010

Don't worry, some dodos will buy those $100 ones eventually ;)

jerec Blogger Sep 10, 2010

They are pretty uncomfortable to play. Ergonomics didn't exist back then. Those joysticks are horrible to use for more than 5 minutes at a time.

bloomer Sep 13, 2010

This $550 copy of an Infocom adventure game will make you forget about your ergonomic pains.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sorcerer-Enchanter-Infocom-Apple-II-N...

retro Nov 4, 2018

*Comes out of the woodwork* Thanks for the report, Jerec. Hehe, sorry that my reviews inspired you to get a 2600 back then. I grew up playing them with two special joysticks, mainly one that had the button on top of the joystick, rather than the original ones that required much more effort to even move with. Atari 2600 games are best enjoyed in modern times on a console with something like Atari Anthology or Activision Anthology, no doubt. There were some really fun games and some duds too. But yeah, I got lots of 2600 games for about $1 each at local flea markets. eBay and the like usually asked too much. Glad you were able to turn a profit. Oh yeah...hi Jerec, mate.

jerec Blogger Nov 4, 2018

Hi Retro! I just sort of stumbled across the Atari 2600 for such a ridiculously low price I had to give it a try, particularly since the reviewing scene here and at GameFAQs gave me some exposure to these really classic games. I did find the games a bit too simplistic. The console was a work of art, though.