Tempest Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Today I picked up some Atari stuff from as guy who used to run a shop in Lansing some 10 years ago. Among the crap (and I do mean crap) in his garage I found a box of stuff from Expando-Vision. I turns out the company who made it was located in East Lansing (who knew?), so he recieved a bunch of stuff from them. Expando-Vision was a unit that plugged into the joystick port of the Atari 8-bit and flashed subliminal messages on the screen while you watched TV. Riiiight.... I walked away with 5 boxed Expando-Vision units (all sealed!), but that's not all. It turns out that there are Expando-Vision cartridges! I guess they added new messages to the unit. The titles are some really weird stuff like Sexual Energy, Stop Smoking, Stop Drinking, Improve Memory, and Weight Loss. Are these cartridges on any list? From the catalog that was included it looks like there were 8 cartridges in total. Anyone know more about this? It seems really far fetched. Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjk7382 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I don't know anything about them, but I will buy one from you if you are selling any. Sounds like a novel concept Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Today I picked up some Atari stuff from as guy who used to run a shop in Lansing some 10 years ago. Anyone know more about this? It seems really far fetched. Tempest I don't know anything about the product, but since I live in Lansing and used to go the all the CHAOS Atari Club meetings, I probably know the fella from whom you bought the stuff. I've lost track of most everyone, so I'd love to say "howdee" to whoever it was. If you don't mind passing it on, I'll PM ya with my vitals. Unless ya don't have any qualms about revealing the person's name here in an open forum... A shop... wouldn't be Castle Communications, would it? Or maybe Computer Concepts? Congrats on the find! It's so cool picking up boxes full of treasure like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjk7382 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I have noticed there are a lot of people from Michigan around here. I live about half way between Grand Rapids and Holland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callipygous Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Its on the cart lists including mine as Expando-Vision from Stimultech. Do you have more than one kind of cart or are they just in the literature? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I think that lower Michigan was one of the major hotbeds of Atari activity back in the day. Detroit and Lansing both had good, big Atari clubs. The Lansing club (CHAOS) lasted, in a small capacity, until around 1995. Y'know, I host a BBS Users Reunion Picnic (BURP) once a year for some of my BBSer buddies from the 80s. Maybe, once the spring rolls around, we oughta talk about getting some of us Michiganders (Michigeese?) together for some Atari action. I have a big backyard, but a small house, so I'm not sure how practical my place would be, but I may be willing to offer it when the time comes. It's nice to meet another user from the area, bjk7382! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjk7382 Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 I live kind of in the country, but there is a small township hall that is rented for very cheap right by my house. Maybe something like that would work good I know I had my graduation party there along with a few of my relatives birthdays. Lots of tables and chairs, but it would be a BYOA (Bring Your Own Atari) kind of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Today I picked up some Atari stuff from as guy who used to run a shop in Lansing some 10 years ago. Among the crap (and I do mean crap) in his garage I found a box of stuff from Expando-Vision. I turns out the company who made it was located in East Lansing (who knew?), so he recieved a bunch of stuff from them. Expando-Vision was a unit that plugged into the joystick port of the Atari 8-bit and flashed subliminal messages on the screen while you watched TV. Riiiight.... I walked away with 5 boxed Expando-Vision units (all sealed!), but that's not all. It turns out that there are Expando-Vision cartridges! I guess they added new messages to the unit. The titles are some really weird stuff like Sexual Energy, Stop Smoking, Stop Drinking, Improve Memory, and Weight Loss. Are these cartridges on any list? From the catalog that was included it looks like there were 8 cartridges in total. Anyone know more about this? It seems really far fetched. Tempest Care to give any more details on what else you found? Sounds cool. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy California Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Well done! The Expando-Vision stuff is SUPER rare! Only saw ONE on eBay in the past six or seven years! ++ RC ++ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt Vendel Posted December 13, 2003 Share Posted December 13, 2003 Matt... photo's dude, photo's! Lets see :-) Curt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 13, 2003 Author Share Posted December 13, 2003 I've lost track of most everyone, so I'd love to say "howdee" to whoever it was. If you don't mind passing it on, I'll PM ya with my vitals. Unless ya don't have any qualms about revealing the person's name here in an open forum... A shop... wouldn't be Castle Communications, would it? Yep that was it (or at least that's what the stationary says). His name is Barry Griffin. He's a really nice guy, but his garage was in a total state of disarray so I really couldn't find much this trip. I'm going back next Saturday, but I'm not expecting much. All of the stuff is loose, and it's been stored in an unheated grungy garage for 10 years. Definetly not the "mother lode", but free is always a good price. Its on the cart lists including mine as Expando-Vision from Stimultech. Do you have more than one kind of cart or are they just in the literature? No there are multiple carts. The unit itself doesn't appear to come with a cart (I'll have to recheck), but I have 5 or so add-on carts. They're all boxed too. Unfortunatley I only have one extra expansion cart (but 4 extra units). I'll probably find more next Saturday. Y'know, I host a BBS Users Reunion Picnic (BURP) once a year for some of my BBSer buddies from the 80s. Maybe, once the spring rolls around, we oughta talk about getting some of us Michiganders (Michigeese?) together for some Atari action. I have a big backyard, but a small house, so I'm not sure how practical my place would be, but I may be willing to offer it when the time comes. I'm not an ex-Atari BBS user (I didn't get a modem until I got my first PC), but I'd love to meet some Michigan area Atari fans. Let me know if you want to plan something. I'm in Novi, but the Lansing area isn't far at all. Well done! The Expando-Vision stuff is SUPER rare! Only saw ONE on eBay in the past six or seven years! Wouldn't surprise me. I can't see this stuff going over very well, so I'm guessing it didn't get very far outside of Michigan. I wouldn't mind trading/selling off some of the extra units. how much do you think they're worth? Matt... photo's dude, photo's! Lets see I wish I could, but I don't have a digital camera (I'll have to go out and buy one). You can see a picture of the box at Back in Time (http://www.backntime.net/Atari%20Computers/8bit/3rd%20Party/Frame8bit3rdparty.html) Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 14, 2003 Author Share Posted December 14, 2003 Just found another Expando-Vision cart in a box of Atari ST games. This one is Weight Control/Execise. Odd stuff... Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari Smeghead Posted December 18, 2003 Share Posted December 18, 2003 Re: Castle Communications... Yep that was it (or at least that's what the stationary says). His name is Barry Griffin. He's a really nice guy, but his garage was in a total state of disarray so I really couldn't find much this trip. ... I'm not an ex-Atari BBS user (I didn't get a modem until I got my first PC), but I'd love to meet some Michigan area Atari fans. Let me know if you want to plan something. I'm in Novi, but the Lansing area isn't far at all. Tempest Yeah, I remember Barry. He was a nice guy, to be sure. I spent a fair amount of time in their shop on Michigan Ave. I was usually broke, but it was always such a "kid-in-a-candy-store" feeling whenever I went in. And there were always regulars hanging around. If you don't mind me asking, how did you come into contact with him? If I'd have known a garage of cool old Atari stuff was so CLOSE to me here.... We can talk about a small Michigan Get-Together in the spring. I still have a couple of Atari 8 Bit friends from the day (Malcolm and Guy were the librarians for the CHAOS software library and also did presentations... I'm pretty sure you'd remember them if you saw them) so we might be able to make this worth our trouble! I live kind of in the country, but there is a small township hall that is rented for very cheap right by my house. Maybe something like that would work good I know I had my graduation party there along with a few of my relatives birthdays. Lots of tables and chairs, but it would be a BYOA (Bring Your Own Atari) kind of thing. May very well be a plan! Too bad this idea came up just when the winter winds really start blowin' around here.... Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted December 18, 2003 Author Share Posted December 18, 2003 If you don't mind me asking, how did you come into contact with him? If I'd have known a garage of cool old Atari stuff was so CLOSE to me here.... I was put in touch with him by Kevin Savetz after being contacted by Curt Vendel. I have no idea how he got in contact with Barry in the first place, but I believe it was through one of his friends. So basically it was through a friend of a friend of a friend... Sadly this stuff may have been worth alot 10 years ago, but 10 years in a moldy rat ridden garage really takes a toll on it... Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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