what worth for the most earliest Version of 7800 in 1984??

[smile_walle]

Hi to everyone!

 

I just wondering how much value for the most earliest Version and lowest serial number for the Atari 7800 system made in 1984 under INC, not from Corp. understand?? How much average????

 

Is that rarest to find that earliest system?? and hard to get???

 

I look forward to hear soon at this topic!!

 

Thanks!

 

Jason

[AtariKen64]

as far as i know they started in may 1984 and ended in sept 1984 but only made 5000. that confuses me because how long does it take to build one?

 

i think crossbow or atari 70s woudl be the biggest experts on this as tehy have poseted many many threads on this topic and have answers for you

 

 

as for value atari 7800. com sells systems for 200$ i got an expantion port 7800 for 0$ so its a matter of looking in the right place

[Joey Kay]

I've been watching e-bay for a 1984 7800 in box. The last few have went for under $30 bucks in box and in good shape, so I suspect that they're not worth as much as we would like to think.

 

In fact, I question if there were only 5000 produced. That seems like an awfully small production run considering that some did make it into stores in 1984.

 

Also, considering that something like 2 - 3 million units were sold throughout its lifespan, the 1984 version seems to show up way too often on e-bay to make it that rare...

 

Of course, I could be wrong... I'm just speculating...

 

Cheers!

 

Joey

[atari70s]

heres how it was semi explained to me i might be off i dont know. the idea of 5000 made in 1984 is true. my findings are that they made more boards than they could swing a stick at in 1984. thats why crossbow has a 1984 board in what he says is a 1988 case. the interesting thign to note and ive been though this is i had a 1984 board 2584 board boxed in a 1984 box BUT the box said 1984 Atari Corp. so sometime between what i got 2184 and sept of 1984 it was changed from atari inc to atari corp. and that later version with teh atari corp on it was dated 2584 on the board. so maybe the atari inc box and system ones from ElPaso were only made 4 months. (board wise) cause the ones ive seen has said EP-264. Joey the box might be a 1984 but many will say 1984 atari corp. so if your lookng for a true first few made you might be getting a second release unit.

 

 

all the atari inc boxes will have serial numbers like 000000 (6 digits)

 

the atari CORP ones from 1984 will say AT0000000 (AT with i believe 7 digits).

 

so just by looking at the box people you might not be even close at getting a first round of 1984 systems. somethign to keep in mind when you are up late looking at EBAY.

 

 

This is up for Feedback from Curt Vendel and Crossbow.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Lets think for a sec on how all this stuff was getting made. I am sure the unit themselves were made in different places. For instance...the mainboards started off being made somewhere...but then final assembly was in the El Paso plant in 84. However all the parts that make a completed 7800 probably came from all sorts of different places.

 

That in mind...it seems totally likely that more boxes, main boards, and shells were made than actually assembled in 84. Then the whole thing was put in stasis when the Tramiels broke in...and then later put back into production in 86.

 

What I am saying is that just because the unit has an expansion port and came in an 84 box...doesn't mean the unit was really made and assembled in 84. My actual 7800 is an 84 made main board actually made the 25th week of July. I believe Atari70s has clarified this to be the last week of June in 84. However, while my mainboard has a fully functioning expansion port on it...the shell it was assembled in was of the later 88 era which features no hole of even a dimple of where the expansion port was. Also the serial number on my 7800 is a later unit in fact...the serial number is...A398 5227323

that is a pretty late number if you ask me.

 

The product number before that reads... 72R4BR

 

What is most interesting about these numbers on mine is that the product series number before the main serial number indicates that my 7800 should be also one of the units that has probs reading Activision games like Shuttle, Robot Tank...etc...

 

But then I can not only play these games on my 7800 without any problems...but was able to dump the roms without any problems on this same 7800.

 

There probably were only about 5000 units that were completely assembled and sent out the door in 84. But there were most likely lots of not quite finished units sitting around that were completed later and shipped out in 86 and beyond.

 

[atari70s]

Exactly my point there crossbow. yours was done the week of june 17th-23rd. at least teh board was but might not have been gotten around to the final stages till the 39th week of 1988 or so. ( yet im surprised the board with the port fit in the case ).

 

as for price i know 7800s sell for 30$ to 50$ depending on whos the buyer but mine will be marked way out of price cause unless someone REALLY wants it an early 7800 with a low # and to buy my only 7800 system, they can but it will cost them. i still thnk 50$ is on the high end of the price poll. what do you thing guys. to show how far out i am pricing mine its gonna be a few 100's of $ before people will get me to think maybe i should sell. but thats just me i like the 7800 unit as a whole anyway