colwyn Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I recently picked up some Atari 2600 and 5200 cartridges from my local thrift store and they are heavier than normal 2600 and 5200 cartridges. They also say "Loaner cartridge" on the front (the label is all in black and white) with no side labels (blank stickers for the 2600 games). They say "Title" with a sticker on it (and some with a date) and then "Return To Prototype lab, Consumer Division, Software Dept." and then the Atari logo. Does anyone have any information on these? Are they legit? I have scanned pictures if you would like to email me so I can send them to you (jtoubeaux@earthlink.net). The games are: 2600 - Oscar's Trash (x2), Pengo EPROM (with a date of 01-04-84), Taz EPROM (x2), Gremlins (x2, with a date of 04-23-84). 5200 - Rescue on Fractalus, Choplifter EPROM, Robotron EPROM. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks - I don't have a 5200 right now but I do have a 2600 so i will try out the 2600 games. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 If this is real you have some seriously cool and rare stuff there. I imagine Tempest would be the person to talk to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Post up some pics. Lab Loaners are extremely rare and most command high prices. How much did you pay for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyXB Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Yes, these are Prototypes. You can find some info here on Tempest site: Atari Protos I own too 7 Lab Loaner Prototypes. They are Very Rare. Congartulation for this great find. Is you will sell some, tell me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 Nice score! Finding lab loaners in the wild is always cause for celebration. I can tell you a bit about those prototypes you have: Oscar's Trash: Can't tell you much without a date, but it's probably the final version (I have yet to see a WIP Oscar) Pengo 01-04-84: This is the final version Taz EPROM : Once again, can't say much without a date Gremlins 04-23-84: Final Version The 5200 ones are most like the final versions, but without the dates it's impossible to say. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colwyn Posted January 6, 2003 Author Share Posted January 6, 2003 Well, thank you all very much for your info. I really appreciate your time to inform me of this find. I have been an Atari enthusiast since I was 10 years old back in 1980 and I bought my first 2600. It was all Atari after that. Anyway, here are the scans. The first scan is the 5200 games with one 2600 game, and the second scan are the rest of the 2600 games. Unfortunately, not all of the games have dates on them as you have already told me. I will probably be interested in selling these. BTW - I paid $4.21 for the whole lot. From what you have told me, this sounds like a good deal. Many, many thanks Jon p.s. - tested the 2600 games and they all work. Good games, too. Better than normal 2600 games. Unable to test the 5200 games, but the contacts look clean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colwyn Posted January 6, 2003 Author Share Posted January 6, 2003 next set of scans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Gill Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Awesome find! What part of the country are you in? I'm curious because my wife found a bunch of 5200 loaners at a garage sale in the Chicago suburbs a couple of years ago. -Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colwyn Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 I am in Bakersfield - Southern California, about 2 1/2 hours North of Los Angeles. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxSpeed Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Wow ! What a find ! These are worth a lot, at least to many of us here ! Going to keep'em or flip'em ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Southern California, that would explain alot. Many ex-Atari employees took lab loaners when the left. Once they got rid of their collections they ended up in thrift stores or garage sales in the southern Cal. area. Sure as hell no lab loaners in Michigan that's for sure! Tempest 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Southern California, that would explain alot. Many ex-Atari employees took lab loaners when the left. Once they got rid of their collections they ended up in thrift stores or garage sales in the southern Cal. area. Sure as hell no lab loaners in Michigan that's for sure! Tempest Hehe, probably because ex-Atari employees wouldn't want to move to Michigan after they lived in Sunnyvale or the surrounding area for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I want them! I want them! LOL Seriously, how much would you sell them for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 * marks this as "the find of the century" Seriously...I think that all loaners and protos belong in a museum. Mainly because I don't have any Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colwyn Posted January 7, 2003 Author Share Posted January 7, 2003 I just wanted to say many thanks for the info and the offers for the prototypes. I have already sold most of them, however I do have two left (very rare ones, actually)- Pengo 2600, Gremlins 2600. If you would like to make an offer on either or both of these, please email me at jtoubeaux@earthlink.net. I would rather not put these on eBay, as I believe that I should offer them first to a great Atari website and Atari enthusiasts. Anyway, many thanks to all who have emailed me and posted here. Very professional, very friendly. Great website!! Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 * marks this as "the find of the century" What about the Quadrun find for 3.99? Lab Loaners are certainly rare, but not impossible to come across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsoper Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 Southern California, that would explain alot. Many ex-Atari employees took lab loaners when the left I found two 2600 lab loaners myself over a year ago in two different Goodwills on the same day (Santa Cruz Ca, and Watsonville Ca), probably from a central distribution area. The carts were marked Defender and Volleyball. Thought that the last one might have been an undiscovered proto but it was just RS Volleyball, both seemed identical to the released versions. I plan to keep them, but does anyone know the rough price for lab loaners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeybastard Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I am amazed you guys find these things. I have never even found anything Atari (not even Combat) in my local Goodwill. Are you the same guys who get 6 card 21's at the Blackjack table? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I found two 2600 lab loaners myself over a year ago in two different Goodwills on the same day (Santa Cruz Ca, and Watsonville Ca), probably from a central distribution area. The carts were marked Defender and Volleyball. Thought that the last one might have been an undiscovered proto but it was just RS Volleyball, both seemed identical to the released versions. I plan to keep them, but does anyone know the rough price for lab loaners? Sounds like you found Bob Polaro's old stash (he was the programmer for both). Common released prototypes that are the same as the final generally go for around $50. Rarer games like Gremlins, Pengo, or Obelix can go for much more. Anywhere from $75 to $100+. If they're WIP versions they can go for much more. Are you the same guys who get 6 card 21's at the Blackjack table? I actually had that happen to me in Vegas this year. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I plan to keep them, but does anyone know the rough price for lab loaners? The cheapest I ever saw a Lab Loaner go for on ePay was $79 for Pac-Man 5200 (but that doesn't mean they haven't been sold for less). For unavailable protos never officially released, the sky's the limit. I guess it depends on the hype surrounding the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colwyn Posted January 8, 2003 Author Share Posted January 8, 2003 All prototypes sold - many thanks! I have found numerous Atari items at my local thrift stores, from 2600 to 8-bit computers (recently found 2 810 disk drives) to a complete 520ST system for $10. It's fun, but the prototype find will go down in my Atari history book as THE find!! I'll stick around, I love this website! Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adriana Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Back in 1994, I placed an ad looking for some Atari cartridges, and somebody sold me a whole box full of games for $15. Included in the bunch were Demolition Herby and a Gremlins "lab loaner." Had no idea a Gremlins "lab loaner" would go for $75-$100. Glad I didn't get rid of it when I finally found a silver label version! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karolizzz97 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203865144369585&set=gm.691124040924861&type=1&theater how much is this worth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203865144369585&set=gm.691124040924861&type=1&theater how much is this worth? Since i'ts PAL I'm assuming git's the final version. $100 maybe? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karolizzz97 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Since i'ts PAL I'm assuming git's the final version. $100 maybe? ok thx ,thats not bad ,a guy was saying around 200$ ,could that be true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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