Quadrun Boxed....???

[Buyatari]

SS: The comic market collapsed because people stopped buying new comics. They raped the collectors and collectors bought stuff just to horde it. Well, when everyone keeps something it just isn't worth anything. The old comics continue to appreciate in value despite this. Due to high demand and low supply.

 

Atari was the first system to change the world but some children did still play with Gi Joe, read comics and buy baseball cards instead. I was one of them. Nintendo marked the time when there was nothing else. If you were a child you played Nintendo or ....well you were a child. What else was there for a child to do in the 90's.

 

Another aspect is that comic collecting was rooted in childhood. People bought what they had and lost or never had as a child. Children don't read comics or play with toys as they did in the 60's. They play video games. Today no children I know of read comics and they don't play with action figures or buy baseball cards. When they grow up its possible to concieve that video game collecting will grow overnight.

 

As far as collecting goes. Most items seems to have gone down in value since I started collecting while a few have held the same value for 8 years.

CTCW was a 300 cart at one time belive it or not. Ebay has found a way to bring all the games out there into the light and the number of new collectors just hasn't been able to keep up with this.

 

Quadrun is the rarest Atari made game for the 2600 which is why it is overdemanded. Many people try to collect every Atari made game first before setting off against the sea of 3rd party releases. I really think it should be a 9 along with Music Machine but thats my opionion.

 

I had a mint complete Quadrun which I split up in trades. The box and instructions went towards prototype hardware and the cart went towards an Eli's Ladder. Cash was involved in both of these transactions but even the most devote 2600 collectors will consider selling a holy grail if they can get a piece of Quadrun. I do still have my shrinkwrapped copy though

 

Adam

[maximebeauvais]

I do still have my shrinkwrapped copy though

 

Adam

 

one word: WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[slapdash]

I also can't understand why someone would pay that amount for any game.

[...]

I will pay no more than $10.00 for any game for the above systems

 

Perhaps I can use an example...

 

I have a copy of Quadrun; it was sold as a prototype a long time back when I didn't know any better (frankly, I don't think the seller did either, as some of the other prototypes I got were just that).

 

So, a few years later when I found out that it had been released, I started looking for it. I knew a guy who had one boxed/complete for $20, but at the time, that was "too much" money to spend on one game.

 

Now, seeing what they go for, I'm kicking myself for not paying that. The people who say might as well get it now because it will be more later aren't kidding, and they're probably right.

 

On the other hand, I wouldn't pay $500 for it either. But we all need to keep in mind that there are no absolutes here. Your limit is $10. Mine is about $40 for most things, and that's only rare stuff ($5-10 for more common stuff), but I have no problems shelling out bigger money for "button-push" items, or personal "holy grails". I've paid $100 each for a couple of cartridges along the way, though out of the over ~2000 games I have, I think you can count them without using all your fingers.

[Garbs]

Nice Dude. I agree. I wouldn't pay 500 bucks either, but I'm willing to shell out some decent cash to get a "holy grail" item or a personal favorite.

[Marco(2)]

I have a boxed Quadrun (need the manual though) and a spare shrinkwrapped unfolded box

 

I really wonder why people insist on bringing up (or explicitly not bringing it up) this topic of "I cannot believe people pay etc etc". Do you ever hear collectors say "I cannot believe people actually enjoy playing Boxing"? No. Why not? Because it's all different aspects of this hobby, all worthy of doing and enjoying. Playing is not better than collecting. Programming is not better than hacking. Designing is not better than researching. Collecting is not better than playing. And so on. None of these are going on at the expense of the other. If you want to play Quadrun, you can play it.

 

So where does this ongoing need for expressing complaints and insanity claims come from?

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Chris++]

I was just about to ask you that.

[Varan]

I paid 99 cents for Quadrun. But I was like 12 then and saving boxes and instructions was simply a waste of space. Since I'm not a serious collector, I've thought of selling it... I've also thought of having a raffle where everyone sends me a buck or two on paypal.... but then I'd have people screaming foul when I announced the winner... unless I did a netcast, heh.

 

But the game is 2800 miles away in a box in my mom's attic, so everything is just an idea at this point. Maybe when I have my Atari and me in the same house again, I'll decide to become a more avid collector.

[Marco(2)]

I was just about to ask you that.  

 

Sorry, I don't think I understand what you mean. I apparently don't know the answer to my question, so you must mean something else. Do you mean I forgot to include the complainers in my list? Do you also mean I'm just as much of a complainer? Please explain.

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Buyatari]

Marco, its pretty simple why they complain about it. They have made a statement that they will not purchase Atari games which cost over a certain ammount. Wether its because of lack of funds or desire to do so makes no difference. They won't spend over say $50 on any Atari game and thats it. That doesn't stop them from wanting the carts thou.

 

But here you and I are spending well over $50 per cart with no end in sight. In their minds if we would also only spend $50 per cart like they do then they would get a few of the holy grails and we would get a few holy grails and everyone would be happy. Saddly nothing in the world works out this way.

 

To put it another way. We (you and me, Marco) are insane. We spend way too much and it happens t be on the things they also enjoy. Since there are insane people like us it makes it very hard for other "sane" collectors to enjoy the rarest games without also becoming insane. I guess they resent us in some way for being insane but hey its not our faults. We are insane.

 

Adam

[Marco(2)]

[Chris++]

That doesn't stop them from wanting the carts, though.

 

Wrong. Most of the "Holy Grail" games suck. That's why they're rare. Nobody bought them back in the day. I once had a Parker prototype. I can't remember what game it was, believe it or not. I got it from a very nice ex-Parker employee at the very first World of Atari thing in Vegas. I gave this proto to a friend who was going through a hard time in his life. He was able to sell it and make some cash. I had no interest in owning a prototype, because the game itself played the same. I'm not all about the stuff itself. It's only a plastic thing.

 

To put it another way. We (you and me, Marco) are insane.

 

Wrong again. Nobody ever called you insane. At least, I didn't. In fact, everyone who has said, "I'd never pay that much for a video game!" also added the little disclaimer that if you guys want to spend that much, you're absolutely entitled to it. There haven't been any insults on this thread at all.

 

Could it be, Adam, that you're trying very, very hard to justify spending ludicrous amounts of money on video games? I don't think you're insane at all. I think you're compensating for something. But that's just a guess based on what very, very little I know about you, so please forgive the armchair psychoanalysis.

 

If I got a rare game nowadays, I'd probably give it to Stan Jr., because he sent me a free Frostbite when I first got on this forum. He didn't know who I was, or tell me about any items he'd like in return when I asked him; he just bought it for me from a local store near him when he found out I was looking for it. That's the real, true AA spirit, and I've been looking for a way to return the favor.

 

Spending $500 on something and then, whenever someone disagrees with such a price or says that they personally wouldn't pay that much, telling them "You're just jealous!" is NOT the AA spirit, because this isn't about jealousy. It's not about acting like a little kid with a shiny new Hot Wheels car. It's about playing games, which we love to do.

 

 

CF

[jlnsctt]

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2002 12:38 pm Post subject:

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I have only recently started collecting atari, I am mainly a vintage hockey card collector. I just thought I might mention that if there was a print run of 10,000 or so Quadrun carts, that it just may not be as rare as people think. Even when factoring in things such as destroyed copies(garbages,fires,damp basements etc.) this cart,(and i'm only going on a guesstimated print run that somebody on this forum gave!) may still have thousands of copies floating around!

Now, with a hobby so relatively new,(New, based on tenure of hobbies such as stamps,coins,etc) the collector base is very small(please ,no hatemail,all of the atari collectors i have spoken to are INCREDIBLY dedicated to their hobby..Kudos!). I have a hard time believing that demand is CRUSHING supply. These Quadrun games, and Waterworld,Qbert Qubes,etc. will pop up fairly frequently now that the general public is becoming aware that there is a MARKET for collectable vintage games. People will actively search for these games the more aware they are about your hobby.

Im not saying the market will be flooded with quadrun games, just that people who find them will know what they have,and sell them.

Ive collected vintage cards for 30+ years,and if there was a card that had a print run of over ten thousand,the value was not very high.(eg Wayne gretzky rookie card...high print run, If it had a print run of only a couple of thousand it would be worth tens of thousands, but alas, only around 800 bucks!!) now,take a card of modern era ,where they serial number print runs to several hundred sometimes.....Whoo some of these ar worth a fortune!

Great hobby though! Still affordable and carts are still attainable! Enjoy that part while it lasts. Sometimes being in the building era of a hobby is much more fun than the "boomtimes"!

[Buyatari]

You are right about Quadrun. New copies continue to be found every year. I consider it a 8 or 9 on the rarity scale and not a 10. However it is without doubt the rarest of all 1st party 2600 games and is very in demand to boot.

 

A loose cart hovers around the 500 dollar mark right now. As a vinatge hockey collector I'm sure you can think of a few cards worth more than this which are much more available. No one knows what the future will bring but collecting games has been much more enjoyable than collecting cards ever was. Its just my opionion of course.

 

Adam

[Chris++]

Okay, Adam, THAT I can definitely agree with! I mean, at least games are really cool things to collect!

[Buyatari]

I'll be honest I don't play Atari often at all. My biggest interest with Atari is completing the collection and I can't wait till its done. Its was a tougher challege than I thought and I sometimes regret starting it. Overall it has been fun but man I am burnt out on this. I am a gamer but there are very few Atari games which I enjoy playing. Truth is I enjoy the newer games better.

 

I do get some resentment from gamers time to time who enjoy playing Atari games because I do not. That is the truth. I never directed the above statements towards you unless you do resent those who pay high prices for games.

 

It is a little disheartning to see the game you paid 1000 bucks for sell for 200 somewhere else but at this point I don't care anymore. I want these last 4 games and I am done.

 

As far as psychotherepy goes. I didn't have an Atari growing up hell I didn't have much of anything and when I did get something my mom threw it out or sold it. But I've known this for years it doesn't "haunt" me it only motivates me when I get stuck.

 

Adam

[jlnsctt]

Guys, I was not bashing your hobby, no need to bash others. I have an atari 800xl with 65 carts and a 2600 with 250+ carts. Not huge I realize, but a little more than some, not as many as others.

I was more commenting on the fact that by inflated values, The bar keeps going up on price points. What often happens from this is an eventual "crash" of the market. This has happened in virtually every serious collectable hobby I can think of.

If you have a limited market, eventually the market can extinguish itself. If you have 3000 active ,serious collectors(for example) and a growing number of collectors the price bar rises. Once the collector numbers stabilize ,the price will level out.

My worry about games like Quadrun,is even though collector numbers will probably level out,(lets face it,EVERY hobby eventually comes to a max for participation...........except sex maybe LOL) new copies in all types of condition will continue to surface, and that is when the price will fall!

How many atari 2600 collectors do you guys think are out there? Im just curious. If somebody knew a general number, you could easily figure out supply to demand and have a more stable market.

demand/supply*prestige=market value....right?

 

Best Regards, Julian Scott0

ps Ive paid some stupid cart prices myself,so Im not slamming your purchases either! More,just commenting on "the state of the union"

[Marco(2)]

Spending $500 on something and then, whenever someone disagrees with such a price or says that they personally wouldn't pay that much, telling them "You're just jealous!" is NOT the AA spirit, because this isn't about jealousy. It's not about acting like a little kid with a shiny new Hot Wheels car. It's about playing games, which we love to do.

 

Chris, I'm still wondering what your reply to my initial post in this thread was about. It's a bit cryptic to me...

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Chris++]

Well, it wasn't anything mean, just so you know. I was kinda ribbing you. I do that a lot.

 

The thread hadn't been insulting to anyone -- nobody had "put down" collectors. Everyone who'd posted, as far as I can recall, showed that they could see both sides of it. Even if someone said, "Yeah, that's a ridiculous price," they concluded with a remark along the lines of, "But I guess that some people just need to have everything, so that's cool, no skin off my ass, whatever they enjoy is their business." Nobody was attacking collectors.

 

But your post was kind of surprising, since you started complaining, "I don't understand why people have to say these things..." or whatever. So my point was just that you were the only one to really complain so far. A bit of irony, a little joke, nothing serious, nothing deep.

 

 

Peaceful Chris

[Marco(2)]

Ah, I thought you meant that. Guess I was too sensitive then when I read statements like:

 

"but that much money for a single 2600 game is nuts to me"

 

"It's nuts to me too"

 

"but to pay that much for a game, it crazy in my opinion"

 

While I should have paid more attention to:

 

"Again, before people freak out - I UNDERSTAND the reason for overpaying for things like this".

 

Nobody called collectors insane, and the thread started out as a question about the value of a specific game, so I probably overreacted.

 

But I think you cannot deny that this is a reoccuring issue where players and "I will not pay more than $10" people keep questioning their fellow hobbyists, the collectors. I never question anyone who does not spend lots of money on his games or does other Atari-related things I don't do myself. That is, I think, why I find this call to justify my way of enjoying Atari so frustrating and unfair.

 

Oh, I think I was also annoyed by your comment that you cannot say on this board what you want. Now I think that is nuts!

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Chris++]

Of COURSE I question someone who's paying hundreds of dollars for a single cartridge. It doesn't hurt them a bit if I say, "It's nuts, in my opinion." I never called anyone insane or insulted them. From a Chris perspective, it would be a crazy thing to do.

 

So you're right, you should've also taken into account the "cushioning" statements, like "That's their right, I suppose," etc. etc. And I think it's crazy, as well, that nobody can say what they feel if it disagrees with the majority, even with mere opinion, without getting flamed! That's why it should stop! I talk the truth in this matter, unfortunately -- whether you think it's nuts or not.

 

 

CF

[Marco(2)]

Of COURSE I question someone who's paying hundreds of dollars for a single cartridge. It doesn't hurt them a bit if I say, "It's nuts, in my opinion." I never called anyone insane or insulted them. From a Chris perspective, it would be a crazy thing to do.

 

I have no idea why questioning what someone spends would be an "of course" matter, especially when it's been done a gazillion times before and it has become more than obvious that the questioning will never be responded to with an answer that will satisfy you or any of the non-$$$-collectors. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is need nor sense in questioning, let alone converting collectors. They do what they find enjoyable - why not let them be?

 

So you're right, you should've also taken into account the "cushioning" statements, like "That's their right, I suppose," etc. etc.

 

Hmm, I was trying to understand your perspective, I'm sorry to see that you don't have any appreciation of my point of view.

 

Though those statements in this thread may have been softened to avoid stepping on anyone's toes, they still remain 'attacks' on collectors. At least, they sure feel like it for the receivers of the message. And I just don't see any contribution to the hobby in general or this message board in particular coming from that.

 

And I think it's crazy, as well, that nobody can say what they feel if it disagrees with the majority, even with mere opinion, without getting flamed! That's why it should stop! I talk the truth in this matter, unfortunately -- whether you think it's nuts or not.

 

I am under the impression that people on this board disagree with the majority all the time, but I could be wrong. Perhaps it has something to do with your habit of starting controversial threads?

 

As for this specific matter, I think you're actually part of the majority that thinks spending a lot of money on games is silly or insane. And being part of that majority, I don't think that anyone on this board has ever flamed you for being a player. Players are respected by all of us, and I think you know that very well. Unlike collectors they are never questioned by fellow-hobbyists. As a collector I just wish I would be treated with the same live-and-let-live attitude.

 

As long as I have been in this hobby, people have been complaining about money - and it didn't change a thing. But I see my complaints don't change a thing either, so I guess it's better to just let this issue rest and let the next generation deal with it.

 

Cheers,

 

Marco

[Chris++]

They're not attacks on collectors. See, people in this hobby take their own activities SO SERIOUSLY. These are some of the most fragile, sensitive minds I've ever come across. Anything is seen as an "attack" if it doesn't agree with the general consensus. (I don't think the majority of people here would call anyone crazy for loving old video games, even in a merely "stuff"-related capacity.) I never attacked anyone. A die-hard collector reading any of my posts would most likely respond, "Yeah,

whatever, don't spend the money if you don't like it." I'm not a threat to them!

 

I respect your opinion enough to argue with it, don't I?

 

Let's conclude this way: If any comments I've made could be read as attacks on collectors (which they only would if the collector reading them was incredibly touchy), then you'd certainly be right -- they should be left alone rather than be insulted.

 

 

 

CF

[jlnsctt]

Chris ,

Everybody has a "fragile,sensitive mind", in some way!

You wouldn't have responded on this thread as many times as you did if YOU didn't have one as well!

Marco , there is nothing wrong with paying any amount of money for something that you will hold dear. Keep collecting, watch your market so you never get burned by a crash.

Chris,even if you are just aquiring "stuff", you are still a COLLECTOR. Check the definition in the dictionary.(unless your US dictionary is different than my Canadian one!!!...Doubt it!). You are just a collector withh less money allotted for the hobby! I'm not calling you broke or cheap, you could be a gazillionaire for all I know! Just willing to spend less money in this area,but you are still a COLLECTOR.

Marco, I could never afford a Quadrun,etc... And i'm not sure I would if I could! But I'll bet you would not spend 2000usd on a piece of craftwork either! People do!

With that said, Chris ,have you NEVER paid more for any item just for its rarity or name? Geez, my NIKE shoes cost 100 bucks and I probably just paid for the name!

Best Regards, Julian Scott

[Chris++]

Shhhh. It's over.

 

Actually, I think paying $100 for a pair of shoes is crazy too. Now, does my opinion make your shoes work less? Does it make you regret buying them? Of course not! I'm just a bunch of text to you.

 

People are so surprised by a strong, non-wishy-washy opinion. If someone's happy acquiring "stuff" for five hundred bucks a pop, terrific! They're welcome to it! But I'm welcome to my opinion as well. I'm harmless to their collection and their outlooks.

 

Just because I don't start every post with, "I could be wrong, but...," it's automatically an "attack." Well, I'm more strong of opinion than that. I don't feel the need to qualify myself every time.

 

I do, however, feel the need to defend my original post if someone got the wrong idea, which is what happened in this case. It's not a "sensitive" thing -- I just have to make sure nobody thinks I'm attacking them, 'cause I wouldn't like to come off as a jerk.

 

(Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking: "Too late!")

 

 

 

CF again

[jlnsctt]

Chris LOL

 

I don't think youre a jirk at all!! I just have fun on forums!!!!!

And I would never quash any opinions either...especially my own!!!!!

Best Regards, Julian Scott