Adventure label variation - is it rare?

[Pitfall Harry]

I've seen a few eBay sellers lately trying to hawk Adventure for up to $100 as a loose cartridge because it is a "RARE variation with the Atari logo and the CX2613 part number on the label in black." This is the first I've ever heard about it.  I went to go check out the old collection to see if I had one. The very first Adventure cartridge I pulled out was indeed the "Rare" black numerals & logo variation (it only appears on the Picture label version of Adventure with the Atari brand, not those by Sears). So I was wondering just how rare can it be?  It turned out to be the only "black" variation I have. But then, my modest collection has only 8 Picture label Atari Adventures in it.

 

So I fished around on eBay, looking at all of the Atari picture label Adventures being offered.  I found 3 different sellers advertising it as "RARE" and asking an outrageous price for it. But I saw several others selling the "black" label variation, loose,  for just a few dollars.  Some by themselves, some as part of a loose cartridge lot.  Those sellers seemed blissfully unaware of the idea that it was a rare label variation. I also noted that the "White logo and part number" variation outnumbered the "black" variation by approximately 10 to 1. So clearly black is more scarce than white.  But still, I have only gathered a statistically insignificant sample size.

 

Is it really rare?  I still don't know. I wonder how many of you have the black version in your collection, and what your thoughts are on its rarity.

 

-Ben 

 

 

[MikeM_]

I have two copies of Adventure, and sadly neither one is this “rare“ version. 
 

I’ve never been one to pay attention to variations like that. A lot of labels haven’t survived in great shape after all these years, so just having a clean bright label is more important to me than a printing variation.
 

I suppose there are people out there interested in such things, and more power to them if so, but my gut tells me this is just a way that eBay sellers are trying to inflate even more the already inflated cartridge prices as of late.

 

 

Edited March 2 by MikeM_

[Rockymin]

I don't remember if the number was on it or not, but the Adventure cartridge I had was the black label with dull finish with Adventure written in orange.  And no pictures at all on it.

[Rom Hunter]

Around $10 I would say.

It's not that rare.

Some sellers just want to believe in their own made up label variations:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186195128506


 

[Pitfall Harry]

4 hours ago, Rom Hunter said:

Around $10 I would say.

It's not that rare.

Some sellers just want to believe in their own made up label variations:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186195128506


 

The more I look into this, the more I believe you are right.  It's just another example of an eBay-invented label rarity.  Those eBay sellers LOVE to throw that word "rare" around.

 

The example you showed actually made me laugh.  It's nothing special at all, just a badly sun-faded label.  I'd offer 50 cents for it if I was in a particularly generous mood.

 

-Ben

Edited March 2 by Pitfall Harry

[roadrunner]

Keep your eyes out for the 1987 label 👀