2600 Packing

[gharmon]

Did all the 2600s come with Styrofoam inserts or did some have bubble wrap. Anyone know???

[A.J. Franzman]

I believe most system boxes had neither styrofoam nor bubble wrap. The four-switch box I have here has a custom die-cut, folded cardboard insert to hold the console in place. I'm fairly sure the paddle controllers, AC adapter and pack-in game were in their own boxes. I'm not sure about the joysticks and RF cable -- the joysticks may or may not have been boxed; the RF cable was bundled of course but I don't know if it was held with twist tie, plastic bag, tape, rubber band or some combination of those.

[shadowdoggie]

I'd also like to know the answer to this because I just received in a boxed Vader system, and the system was well protected by a perfectly shaped bubble wrap shield, closed at one end with a flap on the other. The tape on the bubble wrap was yellowish-brown, the same color as the tape on the little bubble wrap protector the R/F switch was packaged in.

[lhfreak]

You know your a video game geek and dead tired when you see a thread titled '2600 packing' and think its about some new game that combines DK and Pac Man

[tetrode kink]

Did bubble-wrap even exist in 1980?

 

-tet

[CRV]

Did bubble-wrap even exist in 1980?

 

The answer is as near as your nearest Wikipedia.

[tetrode kink]

Thanks CRV, I should have checked before opening my babble-hole.

 

Holy crap, 1957?!

 

Wow, that just blows my mind.

 

I'm prepared to take WP's word for it, even if they let any mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging, grammar school drop-out whose brother is also his father randomly bang on a keyboard to edit the thing. Still, I honestly can't remember seeing bubble-wrap before, like, the '90s.

 

Oh, well. Live and read something and hope that you read real information so that you can convince yourself in your deep, private thought place that you learn.

 

-tet

[CRV]

Sealed Air's website says it was founded in 1960.

[tetrode kink]

Yes, I was going by when the article says it was invented.

 

-tet

[Pioneer4x4]

So when did the bubbleope evolve into existance?

[A.J. Franzman]

I remember seeing bubble wrap in the '70s so it doesn't surprise me that it's been around since 1960 or so.

[gamme]

Find old home movies of kids ripping open their Ataris and see if you can spot any bubble wrap or styrofoam.

[atarilovesyou]

My six switch only had cardboard inserts with some dead space for shock absorption (my guess). My Coleco on the other hand was moulded styrofoam. Those were both opened from their original packing...not sure what the later 2600's shipped in.

[AtariLeaf]

I read this thread title and thought the OP got sick of his Atari and sent it packin'

[eegad]

I kept all of the packaging for my original light sixer, which was my birthday present back in 1980 (along with the space invaders cart). The box it came in has a cut cardboard insert to keep the console from sliding around. The console was also wrapped in a bubblewrap sleeve. So yes, at least some of the light sixers had bubblewrap in the packaging.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

One of my mint boxed H6er´s is bubblewrapped.

[A.J. Franzman]

Thanks for the corrections. Bubblewrap+cardboard it is, then. What about later issues such as the Junior? I was thinking that one might have used foam.

[jktrading]

Did all the 2600s come with Styrofoam inserts or did some have bubble wrap. Anyone know???

My Sears Heavy Sixer I received for a Christmas present in 1977 came in bubblewrap.

[A.J. Franzman]

Here are photos of box and contents of a "New in Box" Heavy Sixer recently sold on eBay:

 

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 130421461703

 

 

The only bubble wrap shown is a bag for the TV/Game switch box. Considering how neatly bundled everything is, and the fact that the sticks appear to have their hex discs intact, I believe it's likely that this system has never been played with.

Edited August 23, 2010 by A.J. Franzman