fredp2468 Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 I was going through my Atari collection and I was thinking about selling my stuff on ebay. I looked under my Atari and found out it is the Sunnyvale, CA model and I was wondering if anyone knew how much you think it is worth compared to other models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sku_u Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Well...a lot of us have heavy sixers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 Not rare at all, on many days 20,000 + were produced. Production in Sunnyvale on the VCS ran from mid 77 until 1980. 2600A's were produced in Sunnyvale but not the 2600jr (code named Bonnie). jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted January 10, 2003 Share Posted January 10, 2003 It depends on where you live too. If you live in the US and particularily California they're as common as combats. I've only come across 2 in the wild in 10 years (one of them a couple of weeks ago). I usually find 4 grain wood units or juniors. Having said that if you can find one they are the best model to have. They were built very sturdy and you'd have to really work at breaking one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-magari Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 You lie Jessop! The sunnyvale edition is commonly considered the 77's heavy sixer cause the later sixer's consoles were mostly made in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Probably Sunnyvale HQs just produced promotional consoles in limited quantities after 1977. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 I was going through my Atari collection and I was thinking about selling my stuff on ebay. I looked under my Atari and found out it is the Sunnyvale, CA model and I was wondering if anyone knew how much you think it is worth compared to other models. 400,000 were built in 77, 800,000 built in 78 so they are floating around, by now more of them are probably starting their 5,000 year half-life cycle in the dumps (or perhaps forever as polystyrene is a wonderfully resilient material) then there are those out on the shelves of some dusty old dealer or in someones gaming collection. When Atari moved production out to the Far East, remaining parts inventories of the Sunnyvale 2600's went out there as well, so many times you can find a mismatch of earlier and later 2600 components making up 2600's. Did you know that one of Atari's manufactures: Wong's was producing plastic owl's before building Atari 2600's!!! :-) There were actually problems with the bottoms of the original 2600's, they were being stacked up near the assembly lines and would tend to warp from the weight and temperature. Assembly line workers employeed an on-the-job acquired method for getting the tops and bottoms to fit, the Stella-slam (I made that term up) but basically the worker have to bang the tops onto the bottoms to get them to fit. The bottoms added much of the weight to the systems, Atari also had a healthy fear of the FCC, open up an early "heavy sixer" you'll notice the mainboard is wrapped in a 2mm thick aluminum shell just like the later Atari 400/800 computers would be. Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charin Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Did you know that one of Atari's manufactures: Wong's was producing plastic owl's before building Atari 2600's!!! :-) Plastic owls? Really weird... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Did you know that one of Atari's manufactures: Wong's was producing plastic owl's before building Atari 2600's!!! :-) Plastic owls? Really weird... Sony's first product was a rice cooker. HP's first product was a sound machine for Disney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Coleco was a leather goods company, Mattel was (and still is) selling Barbie dolls, Nintendo was selling playing cards... funny how so many "High Tech" gaming firms started out in such low-tech beginings :-) Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 You lie Jessop!The sunnyvale edition is commonly considered the 77's heavy sixer cause the later sixer's consoles were mostly made in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Probably Sunnyvale HQs just produced promotional consoles in limited quantities after 1977. Yea right......... If I post something on this board you can place it in two catagories. 1: Completely factual. 2: My personal opinion. You should be able to determine which catagory it falls in. In the case of my original statement, it stands, and very few people would have more knowledge on that subject than myself. If you want to challenge a statement, fine, but just don't yell out I'm a liar........you will be proven wrong Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-magari Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 The only factual things Jjessop is that you are very conceited. You should know that the SN on sunnyvale editions' "light" sixer is similar to the one you find on the heavy sixer and so it's quite impossible you can find one of them made past 1978. For the same reason a 4-switches sunnyvale edition promotional console cannot be built past 1980. Ciao! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 The only factual things Jjessop is that you are very conceited. I dispute that. I met the man and consider him to be very personable, easy to talk to, and not "conceited" or the type to "put on airs" in any way. If he sounds self-assured about Atari facts, trust in this - he doesn't speak from a lack of knowledge in ANY way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 The only factual things Jjessop is that you are very conceited.You should know that the SN on sunnyvale editions' "light" sixer is similar to the one you find on the heavy sixer and so it's quite impossible you can find one of them made past 1978. For the same reason a 4-switches sunnyvale edition promotional console cannot be built past 1980. Ciao! Why not offer some proof to back your statements instead of just calling me a liar? Your other remarks are also unfounded and unwelcomed. Give me facts, don't just resort to name calling..........balls in your court! jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-magari Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 If you like playing tennis like I do, why don't we look for a judge? An ex-worker Atari would be welcomed. Dear Jjessop, you 're considered an expert while I didn't know anything (really 0) about Atari just 2 weeks ago. In spite of all that it seems you cannot refute my arguments (I should say "game...set...match for me". ) So, why should I find proofs if even dr. Atari (you) cannot do that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 He shoot's........he scores! Game, set, match, jjessop. I remember my days at Atari (77-85) as if they were yesterday. Make sure you know the facts before calling somebody else a liar, OK? jerry BTW: Thanks for coming to my aid Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-magari Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Nah...really you worked for Atari??? I shut up! (sorry ) No wait...I got one thing to ask you (always if you still want to answer me)...ehm ehmmm...there were promotional VCSs in 1978? It makes sense to hand out product of any kind. Since the VCS was just starting to take off at that time (a slow start in 1977) they would have done so. If so...is there a way to recognize a promo console without box? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeknout Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Okay guys, Im a little conused here. I think the question was about the HEAVY sixer. The one with the more rounded edges in the front (U-SHAPED), not the sharp-edged angled and lighter sixer. It was my understanding that these HEAVY models were only produced in 1977. I think the question was misinturpreted by jjessop to include all sixers that were made at Sunnyvale. Sorry to butt in, but I just wanna get this straight. So.... jjessop, got any numbers on the HEAVY sixer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Your correct, I did not think about the change in the base plastic on the original 2 PCB 2600 prior to the 2600A single PCB. I'm pretty sure the heavy base models were produced at least until spring of 78. The thing to remember is that VCS production was pretty minimal in 77, it never ramped up to much output until Oct of 77. From Summer 78 production went crazy, non stop 3 shifts, and that's when the switch was made to the best of my memory. It was honestly a "non event" but I think it was in the timeline above. While 77 things were underproduced, 78 was just the opposite, way to much inventory after Christmas. The first week of January 79 90-95% of production was let go only to start ramping up again in October for the first computer products and the start of 2600A production. jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakeeyesdd Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Sears Telegames heavy sixer. How about one of these how much is it worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Nah...really you worked for Atari???I shut up! (sorry ) No wait...I got one thing to ask you (always if you still want to answer me)...ehm ehmmm...there were promotional VCSs in 1978? It makes sense to hand out product of any kind. Since the VCS was just starting to take off at that time (a slow start in 1977) they would have done so. If so...is there a way to recognize a promo console without box? Thank you. No worries, but yea I was there, and I'm still in the games industry. I'm not sure I understand what your asking regarding a "promotional" VCS? If your talking about a retail display, I think only the thin based consoles were used but I could be wrong. To recap......I think this should cover things that have floated about in recent threads. 2600 production starts: July 77 Switch to thinner base: April-June 78 2600A Production: Early 80 A number of people have asked about the channel 2/3 select switch and or lack of. Honestly most should have one (2600) and those that don't are oddballs......what can I say. For example, some countries did not support a second channel and so the switch was left off the PCB. This is also why the plastic was changed to "A/B" instead of channel 2/3 because it was not always those channels used depending upon where you were. Production control was real sloppy, thank goodness the workmanship and engineering were better jerry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeknout Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Have you guys noticed the false advertised "HEAVY" sixers that show up on Ebay? I just saw another one one Ebay a few minutes ago. The seller had several pictures of a six switch, but it was the lighter, angled six switch (no U-shape in the front). The seller claims to be knowledgeable. He (1) doesnt know the difference, (2) its the wrong pictures( doubtful)or he is (3)not being nice. I emailed him a picture from this site showing the difference between the two six switch consoles. Im tired of seeing this type of crap and admittedly, slightly bored Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Nah...really you worked for Atari???I shut up! (sorry ) No wait...I got one thing to ask you (always if you still want to answer me)...ehm ehmmm...there were promotional VCSs in 1978? It makes sense to hand out product of any kind. Since the VCS was just starting to take off at that time (a slow start in 1977) they would have done so. If so...is there a way to recognize a promo console without box? Thank you. Boy oh boy, you really shouldn't call people liars if you don't know who you're dealing with. You have no idea who this guy is. You should be ... http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=embarrassed ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjessop Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 I don't think it's done maliciously, it took a bit of thinking and your explanation to jolt my memory that there were 2 style bases. When compared to a 2600A, all six switchers are heavy An Atari buddy of mine just put something up of interest on Ebay, it's legit and I have seen it. He just sent me the link. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=3001024009 jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPUWIZ Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 Grrr, I have that on my watchlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeknout Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 That is really interesting! Thanks for the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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