Pong - Home Edition Prototype sells for $270k

[negative1]

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/345552606328011-allan-alcorn-pong-39-home-edition-39-prototype-design-mock-up-black-box-/?cat=0

 

Unique 'Home Pong' prototype with hand-carved system/controller mockup

Original prototype of an Atari 'Home Pong' unit built with a finished Pong chip in a prototype circuit board in the base, measuring 20" x 9.5" x 8.25", featuring a hand-carved wooden mockup of the Pong system set upon the large black box. The system mock-up features two potentiometer paddle control knobs, a red 'start game' pushbutton, and a central metal grille for its built-in speaker. The general design cues seen here-from the three-part layout to the gently angled control panel surfaces-are reflected in the production models of 'Home Pong,' beginning with the Sears Tele-Games (1975) and subsequent Atari Pong Model C-100 (1976). The box, which has the electronics concealed inside, is powered by an AC adapter and has an on/off toggle switch on one side. This was the second of two Pong prototypes built by Atari that could be taken to show to potential customers: the chip fabrication had been set up and finalized, but the plastic cases were still in limbo. However, this 'black box' prototype offered an accurate idea of the look, feel, and function of the finished product.

Accompanied by a letter of provenance signed by Alcorn, discussing the initial success of the Pong arcade game and Atari's efforts to create a commercial, consumer version of the game-which hinged upon the production of a small, affordable chip to replace the expensive hard-wired PCBs of the arcade version. As it turned out, the fabrication of a functional chip was 'easy'-it was getting an injection molded plastic case for the system that was the main challenge in putting Pong in homes across America.

 

very pricey, but nice.

 

later

-1

Edited March 25, 2022 by negative1

[+thanatos]

It was @BassGuitari that bought it, I know it! 

[Cebus Capucinis]

Imagine how much more it would have gone for sealed in a plexiglass box with a WATA 98/100 sticker on it!

[+jeremiahjt]

A few years ago I would have been amazed at that price. Now after a couple of sealed Super Mario Bros. and a sealed Super Mario 64 hit 7 figures, I am disappointed that is all it went for.

 

I mean this is infinitely more rare and important than the aforementioned games, yet sold for a small fraction of those games' prices.

Edited March 29, 2022 by jeremiahjt
Spelling

[negative1]

50 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

A few year ago I would have been amazed at that price. Now after a couple of sealed Super Mario Bros. and a sealed Super Mario 64 hit 7 figures, I am disappointed that is all it went for.

 

I mean this is infinitely more rare and important than the aforementioned games, yet sold for a small fraction of those games' prices.

thats because those other prices for games, are just being used by rich millionaires to launder money with through

the companies that do the grading.

 

those prices are just inflated to cover up scam investments.

 

 

later

-1

[negative1]

On 3/27/2022 at 6:06 PM, Cebus Capucinis said:

Imagine how much more it would have gone for sealed in a plexiglass box with a WATA 98/100 sticker on it!

probably not for much more unless some fraudulent bidders got in on it.

 

later

-1

[+thanatos]

Yes, most of us are aware of the grading scam here.

[negative1]

9 hours ago, thanatos said:

Yes, most of us are aware of the grading scam here.

So you do agree, that the values were inflated, because it looked like you were agreeing

with the poster that thought the value wasn't that much.

 

later

-1

[Atariboy2600]

This was the FIRST and only Prototype of a Home Pong console in 74/75 and its one of a kind and it only sold over $270K and to me this show how much of a F-ING scam the $2Mill Box Super Mario Bros game is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvLFEh7V18A

[negative1]

4 hours ago, Atariboy2600 said:

This was the FIRST and only Prototype of a Home Pong console in 74/75 and its one of a kind and it only sold over $270K and to me this show how much of a F-ING scam the $2Mill Box Super Mario Bros game is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvLFEh7V18A

yeah, we agree.

 

thats why i posted that same video a couple of posts above.

 

later

-1

[+KaeruYojimbo]

On 3/27/2022 at 4:06 PM, Cebus Capucinis said:

Imagine how much more it would have gone for sealed in a plexiglass box with a WATA 98/100 sticker on it!

From WATA:

Stained, discolored plastic. Damaged case. Mismatched control knobs.

Grade: 2.5

Estimated value: $5

 

Please top wasting our time with this junk. We need to churn out more graded copies of Adventure.

[BassGuitari]

On 3/27/2022 at 5:59 PM, thanatos said:

It was @BassGuitari that bought it, I know it! 

?

[polyex]

On 3/25/2022 at 8:25 AM, negative1 said:

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/345552606328011-allan-alcorn-pong-39-home-edition-39-prototype-design-mock-up-black-box-/?cat=0

 

Unique 'Home Pong' prototype with hand-carved system/controller mockup

Original prototype of an Atari 'Home Pong' unit built with a finished Pong chip in a prototype circuit board in the base, measuring 20" x 9.5" x 8.25", featuring a hand-carved wooden mockup of the Pong system set upon the large black box. The system mock-up features two potentiometer paddle control knobs, a red 'start game' pushbutton, and a central metal grille for its built-in speaker. The general design cues seen here-from the three-part layout to the gently angled control panel surfaces-are reflected in the production models of 'Home Pong,' beginning with the Sears Tele-Games (1975) and subsequent Atari Pong Model C-100 (1976). The box, which has the electronics concealed inside, is powered by an AC adapter and has an on/off toggle switch on one side. This was the second of two Pong prototypes built by Atari that could be taken to show to potential customers: the chip fabrication had been set up and finalized, but the plastic cases were still in limbo. However, this 'black box' prototype offered an accurate idea of the look, feel, and function of the finished product.

Accompanied by a letter of provenance signed by Alcorn, discussing the initial success of the Pong arcade game and Atari's efforts to create a commercial, consumer version of the game-which hinged upon the production of a small, affordable chip to replace the expensive hard-wired PCBs of the arcade version. As it turned out, the fabrication of a functional chip was 'easy'-it was getting an injection molded plastic case for the system that was the main challenge in putting Pong in homes across America.

 

very pricey, but nice.

 

later

-1

Nice to see that all the inflation the U.S. Fed has printed over the last year or so is being put to good use. ?

[Crazy Climber]

On 3/28/2022 at 8:55 PM, jeremiahjt said:

A few years ago I would have been amazed at that price. Now after a couple of sealed Super Mario Bros. and a sealed Super Mario 64 hit 7 figures, I am disappointed that is all it went for.

 

I mean this is infinitely more rare and important than the aforementioned games, yet sold for a small fraction of those games' prices.

I hate to be brutally honest but I'm surprised it went for this MUCH.

 

I would almost guess the somewhat recent craze with insanely priced auctioned Nintendo stuff helped it go this high (someone buying as an investment with little to zero nostalgic interest, etc)

 

Atari stuff is kind of the "bowman baseball cards" of video game collecting at times.

@homerwannabee coined that phrase IIRC haha

 

Being on the younger end of people who grew up with Atari (and well into my 40's now) this is a fear of mine...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[negative1]

29 minutes ago, Crazy Climber said:

I hate to be brutally honest but I'm surprised it went for this MUCH.

 

I would almost guess the somewhat recent craze with insanely priced auctioned Nintendo stuff helped it go this high (someone buying as an investment with little to zero nostalgic interest, etc)

 

Atari stuff is kind of the "bowman baseball cards" of video game collecting at times.

@homerwannabee coined that phrase IIRC haha

 

Being on the younger end of people who grew up with Atari (and well into my 40's now) this is a fear of mine...

 

there were no real bids for the nitendo items.

they were just used as fake investments for people that

wanted to pump up stocks and the auction company.

 

that had no impact on this.

 

this seems like a more likely reasonable bid to purchase.

otherwise it would have been a lot more.

 

later

-1

[Crazy Climber]

6 minutes ago, negative1 said:

there were no real bids for the nitendo items.

they were just used as fake investments for people that

wanted to pump up stocks and the auction company.

 

that had no impact on this.

 

this seems like a more likely reasonable bid to purchase.

otherwise it would have been a lot more.

 

later

-1

 

I get what you're saying but I don't think that would matter.

 

You may know the Nintendo auctions were fake, and they may very well be, but for the Pong unit to not be impacted at all by the recent Nintendo auctions, all of the Pong unit bidders/investors would ALSO have to know the auctions were fake. That I find hard to believe...

 

Unless you are implying a "run of the mill" Atari collector, aware of the corruption, still shelled out $270k for this, which I doubt...but possible I guess...

 

It was likely an investment (albeit a bad one) made by someone or some group of investors sparked by the recent crazy Nintendo auction prices...

 

I could be wrong, but yeah I agree, fake nintendo auctions would DEFINITELY bring attention to the site, stock would suddenly become interesting and it would most likely help an item like this Pong unit sell for more than it should, so it makes sense...

[negative1]

looks like a class action lawsuit is going on with all those inflated vidoegame auctions, for collusion, price inflation, false advertising, and more.

 

they also tried to inflate the cost of sealed VHS tapes too. (ha ha)

 

 

later

-1