tz101 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 When it first came out, circa 1983, and did they discount NIB units as the "crash" worsened? Does anyone have any recollection of seeing them for $20 on clearance at Wards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
segasaturn Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Well, from what I understand, the original price was $270 in 1982 if that helps. I don't know how much that is in 2011 dollars......and I'm sorry but I can't answer the other half of your question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I do recall it being in the upper $200s. $270 (or more probably $269.99 ) sounds about right. A ton o' money at the time. I just checked with an inflation calculator that goes to 2009. In 2009 dollars, that $270 console would cost you $592.37. Ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slampam Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 From a PDF in the AA CV section: Toys R US December 1, 1985 (The Sunday Herald) Chicago ATARI 5200 VIDEO GAME SYSTEM Compact arcade system. 16K RAM, colorful graphics, two joysticks! ...$78.84 5200 Carts...$9.97 ATARI 2600...$48.84 COLECOVISION...$49.97 COMMODORE 64...$149.84 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bomberpunk Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 god, i WISH i could find brand new systems for those prices! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tz101 Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 From a PDF in the AA CV section: Toys R US December 1, 1985 (The Sunday Herald) Chicago ATARI 5200 VIDEO GAME SYSTEM Compact arcade system. 16K RAM, colorful graphics, two joysticks! ...$78.84 5200 Carts...$9.97 ATARI 2600...$48.84 COLECOVISION...$49.97 COMMODORE 64...$149.84 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coleco Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 What's up with the 5200 joysticks in that picture? Reved design that never made it? From a PDF in the AA CV section: Toys R US December 1, 1985 (The Sunday Herald) Chicago ATARI 5200 VIDEO GAME SYSTEM Compact arcade system. 16K RAM, colorful graphics, two joysticks! ...$78.84 5200 Carts...$9.97 ATARI 2600...$48.84 COLECOVISION...$49.97 COMMODORE 64...$149.84 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WERY Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 god, i WISH i could find brand new systems for those prices! Yaeh we all think so when we look back at the time when retrogaming systems were sold for att cheap price. I remember those days and regret that I did not purchased big lots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slampam Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Sears Electronic Revolution Sale 1983 ATARI 5200 $199.99 http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=97910 Sears Wishbook 1983 Was $199.99 in 1983 Spring. $119.99 after Atari rebate. http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=109030&pid=1326724&st=0entry1326724 Manipulative advertising. (offer expires 12/31/83) How to make sure you don't get 5 pairs of underwear for Christmas. Fill in this checklist, tear it out and give it to your parents. Help them figure out that this Christmas you'd like software and hardware. Not underwear. http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/245 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlepaddle Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 god, i WISH i could find brand new systems for those prices! Yaeh we all think so when we look back at the time when retrogaming systems were sold for att cheap price. I remember those days and regret that I did not purchased big lots Well, maybe... Let's see: 25 years of 1200 cubic feet (10 feet by 20 feet, 6 feet tall) storage unit rental at $149/month (average cost, includes insurance): Size of 5200 box (estimated from memory: 30in x 20in x 8 in) approx 2.75 cubic feet 29*12=348 months *$149 = $51,852 hard storage costs 1200 cubic feet divided by 2.75 per 5200 means we can store 436 5200 units (possibly more if we stack them higher than my head, but that means more difficult lifting and less stability). $51,852 divided by 436 units is $118 per unit storage costs. This all boils down to a basic cost of $118 (storage) + $78 (from the ad above, we'll assume purchased in a state with no sales tax) = $196 each. Even if you sell all of them quickly at $200 with buyer paying shipping and handling (not likely), your total profit would be $4 x 436 = $1744. This assumes you never move to a different city and have to move all your 5200s, that nobody ever starts a fire in the storage unit two doors down, that you never pay a late fee or gasoline to get to and from the storage unit, and that you have free time to keep an eye on things. It also assumes you pay nothing to advertise and sell them. Looking back, how much of your life was spent taking care of something you didn't want for someone you didn't know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 god, i WISH i could find brand new systems for those prices! Yaeh we all think so when we look back at the time when retrogaming systems were sold for att cheap price. I remember those days and regret that I did not purchased big lots Well, maybe... Let's see: 25 years of 1200 cubic feet (10 feet by 20 feet, 6 feet tall) storage unit rental at $149/month (average cost, includes insurance): Size of 5200 box (estimated from memory: 30in x 20in x 8 in) approx 2.75 cubic feet 29*12=348 months *$149 = $51,852 hard storage costs 1200 cubic feet divided by 2.75 per 5200 means we can store 436 5200 units (possibly more if we stack them higher than my head, but that means more difficult lifting and less stability). $51,852 divided by 436 units is $118 per unit storage costs. This all boils down to a basic cost of $118 (storage) + $78 (from the ad above, we'll assume purchased in a state with no sales tax) = $196 each. Even if you sell all of them quickly at $200 with buyer paying shipping and handling (not likely), your total profit would be $4 x 436 = $1744. This assumes you never move to a different city and have to move all your 5200s, that nobody ever starts a fire in the storage unit two doors down, that you never pay a late fee or gasoline to get to and from the storage unit, and that you have free time to keep an eye on things. It also assumes you pay nothing to advertise and sell them. Looking back, how much of your life was spent taking care of something you didn't want for someone you didn't know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd_1138 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 A more realistic scenario would have someone buying them up and putting them in an attic or something. Wow, $49 for a ColecoVision?!?! That's the year we got ours (Christmas 1985), so that's an ad my mom must've seen, and she probably paid that much. At a buck more than the 2600, that's a no-brainer to go with the ColecoVision, but Atari still had a lot of name recognition. I bet crap loads of kids received a CV for Xmas '85 -- same price as a 2600 and about half what a 5200 cost. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlepaddle Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 A more realistic scenario would have someone buying them up and putting them in an attic or something. At that point, the attic would have already been full of Radio Shack TV tennis games he/she bought for $10 each (or maybe CB radios). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peedenmark7 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 my 2 port [obviously later] has a walmart price tag of $158.93 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atariron82 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Here's a pic of the price tag on the box of my 4-port, ca late '83 to early '84: $149.99 from Jefferson Ward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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