How rare is the Atari VCS - CX2600 Sunnyvale Edition???

[fredp2468]

the one i was talking about was the one someone mentioned earlier with the U-shape

[Atari-magari]

I'm talking about a thin console...YES...a sixer with the same "features" of the VCS2600A promo it's described on this site. You know "NOT FOR RESALE, PROMOTIONAL ONLY".

You said "20 000+ consoles were made between 77-80". Isn't it a little number? I guess milions of consoles VCS were sold in the world from spring 78 and just 10 000 (u say that cause heavy sixer was 10 000) were made in California.

Why 20 000 and not 200 000 since the 5 digits of the sn?

[Curt Vendel]

400K VCS' were built in 77' and the stock evaporated immediately that first year. 800K VCS' were built in 78' and they did not sell well at all, this prompted a meeting with top Atari management and Nolan Bushnell where Nolan condemned the VCS as a failure and thought Atari should cancel it, he also criticized management for developing a line of computers... this turned into a VERY heated battle and Nolan was able to get himself "fired" (and able to collect a yearly royalty from Atari too) and his normally cheerful Holiday party at his home was a very downbeat occassion as it was more of a farewell party as Nolan announced he was leaving Atari. Nolan's secretary explained also that Nolan didn't have the heart to go in and pack up his office so she piled everything into her car and took it all to his home.

 

The "promo" VCS' would most likely have been released around 81' as they were used on in-store dealer display kiosks like these:

 

http://www.atarimuseum.com/2600demo.html

 

They were packed in with the kiosks, then with later smaller countertop displays. These all seem to be Six switch light-bottom's. Atari was also, according to dealer price sheets they did sell individual units to dealers outside of the display stands & kiosks. These were "branded" with markings on both the underside of the consoles and packaged into special boxes so as deter the dealers from simply getting a promo system at a substantially reduced cost (I believe if I recall the dealers got the consoles for close to 1/2 the normal dealer sales stock price) and would not turn around the simply resell it for a high profit.

 

Also Atari had a unique system for taking in and repairing consoles, get them back to factory condition and then selling them at a reduced cost in boxes that clearly stated "Reconditioned" on them, I think they were the first to offer such a service for reconditioned video game consoles.

 

 

Curt

[Atari-magari]

Thank you Curt.

You said "...they did sell individual units to dealers outside of the display stands & kiosks. These were "branded" with markings on both the underside of the consoles and packaged into special boxes "

What's the marking on the underside of the console?

How many consoles were made?

[Curt Vendel]

"Promotional Use Only" and on some I've seen "Not for Resale" They also don't have a serial # label so they couldn't be sold and serviced to a customer.

 

I don't think I have figures for the promo systems, but I will check some of the binders from CED marketing and see if they list any figures and I will also check in a logbook from one of the Comsumer Division Presidents, he may have listed some info, but this may only be for a certain year or years, I may not have a full view of the combined total made.

 

Lemme see what I can find for you...

 

 

Curt

[Rob Mitchell]

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.

 

The original 1977 units were single channel only. When I bought our Sears Video Arcade unit in early fall 1977, we got a Ch3 unit .. which had a terrible picture due to interference with the local TV-Ch3 station! We complained and the Sears salesman said that "atari" had made a mistake by shipping these units to my city. Some 2-3 weeks later we were able to switch out our Ch3 unit for a Ch4 one! I saw the salesman open up a brand new Sears VA box, remove the Ch4 unit and repackage the whole box with our returned Ch3 one. He said that they were to be shipped back .. somewhere ..

 

Now the dedicated Atari Pinball and Atari Stunt Cycle that I ordered on clearance in 1979 for $20 each both broadcast on Ch3 which had a terrible picture in my city.

 

So if anyone finds an original Sears Video Arcade unit in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it will probably be a Ch4 unit!

 

Re: A/B Ch3 etc, What do the original Owners Manuals say? They have print dates on them.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA