What I believe is the most undervalued Atari 2600 stuff

[homerwannabee]

Over the years I have noticed that some games do not get the appreciation they deserve. In fact a lot of these games I believe are severely undervalued. So I decided to make a list of games I felt did not have the demand they deserve.

 

 

Quest for Quintana Roo by Sunrise: For whatever reason people neglect this like a red headed step child. Especially surprising is how little the box goes for. It seems to pop up only once or twice a year yet goes for about $100. Maybe people are getting the Telegames version instead.

 

Speaking of Telegames Glacier Patrol and Universal Chaos are extremely under valued as well. I don't get the mindset of the collector. If your counting the Telegames Quest for Quintana Roo in your collection as a game while ignoring the Sunrise version, how on earth can you not count Glacier Patrol and Universal Chaos because they come from Telegames. Seems hypocritical if you ask me.

 

Now here is a puzzler. Commavid games are usually pretty expensive. But for some reason people undervalue Cakewalk and Stronghold. These games are about twice as rare as Quadrun, but they usually go for about half as much. Again most Commavid games get good respect but for some reason these don't

 

Another puzzler is the disrespect that some Tigervision games get. I really believe that Tigervision has the finest artwork of all the game companies. Anyone who has a cart or box knows exactly what I am talking about. Miner2049er and Miner2049er Vol II get the respect they deserve, but some others seemed to be ignored. The biggest example of this is Springer and to a lesser degree Marauder and Espial. Springer is one of the hardest games to get for Tigervision. In fact it probably is the second hardest to get right behind River Patrol. Yet a Waterworld typically will go for more than this.

 

Another tragedy is the Sears games. The usual sears game is about 2 to 3 times rarer than the Atari version. Yet on a consistent basis an Atari Superman, Pac-Man, Missile Command, and almost every other game will actually sell for more than it's Sears counter part. Especially true are the Sears Boxed games. Ask anyone who has tried to complete a Sears collection and they will readily admit these do not come easy. Yet almost all Boxed Sears games can be had for under $50. Steeplechase and Canon Man are probably the most disrespected value wise of all of them.

 

The last company that seems to get no respect whatsoever is Xonox. Their Boxes will come once in a blue moon. In fact I would be surprised if more than 5 collectors actually have every Xonox game boxed. Yet again most of these games even boxed come really cheap. The biggest disrespect with these games seems to be Spike's Peak single ender. It seems like everyone is content in having the game as a double ender and counting it. This is yet another game that comes boxed once or twice a year that will typically go for under $100.

 

As far as non-game items go. I really believe the Heavy Sixer is under valued. There were over 20 million units made yet only 1 million of them were Atari Heavy Sixers. Not only that, but the Heavy Sixer was the first unit Atari made. So not only is it rare but it is a first run as well. You would think this would get respect by collectors, but the fact of the matter is that Heavy sixer typically is only about $10 to $15 more than a regular Atari 2600. How does that make any sense at all. Another system that gets a lot of disrespect is the Sears Heavy Sixer. There seems to be only 400,000 to 500,000 of these systems ever produced. Yet I have noticed that the Sears Heavy actually goes for less than a regular Atari 2600. Where is the justice in that? And if you want to talk about joysticks it gets pretty sad. There are joysticks out there where less than 10 people are actually known to have them yet they will get only $20 if your lucky.

 

OK, there probably others games as well but that is all I could think of right now.

Edited January 25, 2008 by homerwannabee

[Mirage]

I think it's not just about rarity, but nostalgia as well. I collect some Sears (casually), but they have little nostalgic value for me, whereas the Atari-brand games do, especially the artwork. I do think you have a point, but I think that rarity is only one factor.

 

I have a Sears heavy sixer, but I'd rather have an Atari heavy sixer, for example, even though the Sears may be more rare.

 

Also, I don't want anything to become more valuable, at least not for awhile, because there's still a lot I'd like to add to my collection.

Edited January 25, 2008 by Mirage1972

[homerwannabee]

I think it's not just about rarity, but nostalgia as well. I collect some Sears (casually), but they have little nostalgic value for me, whereas the Atari-brand games do, especially the artwork. I do think you have a point, but I think that rarity is only one factor.

 

I have a Sears heavy sixer, but I'd rather have an Atari heavy sixer, for example, even though the Sears may be more rare.

 

Also, I don't want anything to become more valuable, at least not for awhile, because there's still a lot I'd like to add to my collection.

No, I get why a Sears Heavy Sixer is cheaper than an Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer. What I was saying is the Sears Heavy Sixer is actually cheaper than a common run of the mill Atari 4 switcher Vader or Woodgrain.

[bones]

"Deserve" is one of my least favorite words in the English language. It's overused when applied to people that feel they aren't getting something they are entitled to. How a video game deserves anything beyond our own personal enjoyment is beyond me.

[Mirage]

I think it's not just about rarity, but nostalgia as well. I collect some Sears (casually), but they have little nostalgic value for me, whereas the Atari-brand games do, especially the artwork. I do think you have a point, but I think that rarity is only one factor.

 

I have a Sears heavy sixer, but I'd rather have an Atari heavy sixer, for example, even though the Sears may be more rare.

 

Also, I don't want anything to become more valuable, at least not for awhile, because there's still a lot I'd like to add to my collection.

No, I get why a Sears Heavy Sixer is cheaper than an Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer. What I was saying is the Sears Heavy Sixer is actually cheaper than a common run of the mill Atari 4 switcher Vader or Woodgrain.

 

Okay, gotcha... well, if I could only have one VCS period, I'd rather have an Atari light sixer than a Sears heavy sixer, so my point still stands.

[homerwannabee]

Also, I would like to make one point. Most of the boxed games I am talking about I do not have. I tried to make the list as unbiased as possible.

 

Edit: Also, this is just my opinion based on my perception. Since perceptions are all different I fully expect people to have differing opinions, and that is totally fine by me.

Edited January 25, 2008 by homerwannabee

[+Psionic]

Now here is a puzzler. Commavid games are usually pretty expensive. But for some reason people undervalue Cakewalk and Stronghold. These games are about twice as rare as Quadrun, but they usually go for about half as much. Again most Commavid games get good respect but for some reason these don't

Since you feel that way, I'll gladly sell you my extra Stronghold at twice the going Quadrun price.

 

Actually, Cakewalk and Stronghold are more than twice as rare as Quadrun...more like five times as rare.

How many boxed Quadruns popped up on eBay last year? Probably five or six at least, IIRC.

How many boxed NTSC Cakewalks? I only remember one (that Atarimania75 tried to sell)...and it had a trashed PAL box and no manual.

 

It really doesn't matter though. Rarity alone doesn't determine price...demand is a much stronger factor. The demand for the stuff you mention just isn't there, and that's just the way it is...you just can't make people want stuff more.

[Mirage]

I don't really disagree with what you're saying, I just don't find different values very surprising. If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

 

I think you'll find what you're saying to be true in most any field of collecting, or most sorts of antiques. Sometimes kinda plain semi-common stuff sells for more than the really rare unique items, mostly because more people remember them and therefore there's more buyers wanting them, driving up demand. I'm sure there's more to this than simply that, but you can't underestimate human fickleness.

[jboypacman]

I think people go after and put more value in games such as Quadrun and WaterWorld due to the fact there are more high-profile titles being that they are from Atari.

 

As for the other mentioned titles i think this is more of a collector mindset i guess some titles seem to have a more of a draw to them then others.

 

Me i put some sort of value on any Atari game i come across some more than others but they are all worth something.

[sandmountainslim]

He's tryin to jack up the prices!!! THIS is how it starts!!

WP

[+Psionic]

I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much...Sometimes kinda plain semi-common stuff sells for more than the really rare unique items, mostly because more people remember them and therefore there's more buyers wanting them, driving up demand. I'm sure there's more to this than simply that, but you can't underestimate human fickleness.

I think people go after and put more value in games such as Quadrun and WaterWorld due to the fact there are more high-profile titles being that they are from Atari.

As for the other mentioned titles i think this is more of a collector mindset i guess some titles seem to have a more of a draw to them then others.

You guys pretty much hit the nail on the head...the popular stuff (Atari, Activision) is tops on everybody's list. That's the stuff that people go after right away. The random 3rd party rares are usually an afterthought just for people who are trying to complete their collections. For this reason, the Atari Club releases like Quadrun are significantly overvalued (in relation to their rarity) because they are the grails that everybody wants.

[Dino]

If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

 

Homer,

 

This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

[Dino]

[How many boxed NTSC Cakewalks? I only remember one (that Atarimania75 tried to sell)...and it had a trashed PAL box and no manual.

 

There is no such thing as a "PAL" versus an "NTSC" box as the same box was used for both formats. There is just a removable PAL sticker on the generic box that signifies a PAL cart inside. The instructions are different however.

[Mirage]

If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

 

Homer,

 

This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

 

Right, but don't get me wrong... it's not that I don't want the carts, it's just that I only have so many resources (time, space, MONEY), and therefore will go for the ones I really care about first. I do think early games will still have value after all of us who actually remember them are dead and gone, because they're part of history. Just like I like some toys and antiques from before I was born, both because they're cool, and because they're a part of history. Early video games will be a HUGE part of history for future generations. However, fewer people will care as much as we do -- care to actually own and play the games, so actual monetary value is unpredictable, and spotty... even harder to judge why certain things are valuable than it is now.

[homerwannabee]

If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

 

Homer,

 

This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

Who knows you may be right. Should be interesting what the future holds. But I was talking about undervalued compared to other Atari 2600 games.

[+Psionic]

There is no such thing as a "PAL" versus an "NTSC" box as the same box was used for both formats. There is just a removable PAL sticker on the generic box that signifies a PAL cart inside. The instructions are different however.

I'm well aware of that. That's fine if you can remove the PAL sticker without leaving any traces. But when there's a dark orange square underneath the sticker on an otherwise faded box, then I'm sorry...but it's a PAL box.

[homerwannabee]

Also, one more thing. I wrote this more for entertainment purposes. I believe my knowledge in this area of the Atari 2600 scene has become good enough for a good read. With a few touch ups I probably could sell this to the Video Game Collector.

[Dino]

There is no such thing as a "PAL" versus an "NTSC" box as the same box was used for both formats. There is just a removable PAL sticker on the generic box that signifies a PAL cart inside. The instructions are different however.

I'm well aware of that. That's fine if you can remove the PAL sticker without leaving any traces. But when there's a dark orange square underneath the sticker on an otherwise faded box, then I'm sorry...but it's a PAL box.

 

the fact that the box had a PAL sticker on it does not make it a PAL box The difference between this trashed box and an "NTSC box" that's also trashed is that this box still has 2% of its surface area in great condition!

[+Psionic]

the fact that the box had a PAL sticker on it does not make it a PAL box

No, the sticker makes it a PAL box only if it causes the box to be permanently altered (by uneven fading), which it did in this case. It's a PAL box...end of story.

[Crazy Climber]

the fact that the box had a PAL sticker on it does not make it a PAL box

No, the sticker makes it a PAL box only if it causes the box to be permanently altered (by uneven fading), which it did in this case. It's a PAL box...end of story.

So do you classify josticks by region as well?

[Dino]

the fact that the box had a PAL sticker on it does not make it a PAL box

No, the sticker makes it a PAL box only if it causes the box to be permanently altered (by uneven fading), which it did in this case. It's a PAL box...end of story.

So do you classify josticks by region as well?

 

Only if there are European fingernail indentations permanently left

[Dino]

the fact that the box had a PAL sticker on it does not make it a PAL box

No, the sticker makes it a PAL box only if it causes the box to be permanently altered (by uneven fading), which it did in this case. It's a PAL box...end of story.

So if Shawn covered up the rest of the box except for the unfaded part, left it out in the sun until that patch faded to exactly the same shade as the rest of the box, it would be NTSC?

[homerwannabee]

the fact that the box had a PAL sticker on it does not make it a PAL box

No, the sticker makes it a PAL box only if it causes the box to be permanently altered (by uneven fading), which it did in this case. It's a PAL box...end of story.

So if Shawn covered up the rest of the box except for the unfaded part, left it out in the sun until that patch faded to exactly the same shade as the rest of the box, it would be NTSC?

No, silly you would also have to get rid of the glue residue.

[+Psionic]

So if Shawn covered up the rest of the box except for the unfaded part, left it out in the sun until that patch faded to exactly the same shade as the rest of the box, it would be NTSC?

Stop giving people ideas!

[Rik]

If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

 

Homer,

 

This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

Exactly,i was going to say the same thing,its just how life goes.Things are born,grow old, die,and become forgotten eventually.

Edited January 25, 2008 by Rik