What's the most you've spent on Atari in one month?

[KAZ]

I thought this would be a good idea for a topic, and I'm naturally curious about it too...

 

In your lifetime, what's the most you've ever spent on Atari 2600 in ONE MONTH.

 

In related questions...

what's the most you've ever spent on anything Atari in ONE MONTH

 

And finally...

What's the exact (or estimated) grand total you think you've personally spent on Atari in your lifetime.

 

I've kept a running total on all of my Atari purchases, but don't want to say how much I've spent on Atari since beginning collecting in early March, until I've heard some other stories from people.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Any details would be appreciated too, like do you spend more in the wild or on Ebay, etc. etc.

 

[ 05-27-2002: Message edited by: KAZ ]

[Skatepunk60]

on classic gaming in general .. 400 .. one month outta a year

[General Atarian]

$.50

[Osbo]

I used to spend a lot, but also sell a lot of Atari and non-Atari stuff over eBay, like calculators, or table games like chess (found one for 2 dollars, and I sold it for like 80) So when I go thirfting, I don't only look for the Atari stuff, I must say that I look for 'eBay material'

 

Osbo

[Atarian7]

Smart, you are.

 

I've kept a list of all my purchases but i haven't added it up yet.

[Room 34]

I probably should keep track, but then there'd be a chance my wife would find out!

 

I'm sure I'll get some flak for this, but since I do most of my Atari purchases on eBay, I've settled into a (potentially short-lived) equilibrium by selling stuff (like the less-played items from my CD collection)... just enough to keep my PayPal account in the black!

 

I just seriously got into collecting about a month ago. I guess I've spent probably about $200 this month.

 

Before that, it would have to be 20 years ago this month... That was when I got my Atari in the first place! Let's see... the console was $150, I believe, and then we bought 6 games that first day, probably $30 each, so we're looking at $330. I don't remember how long it was before my game collection expanded, but it probably wasn't very long!

 

Of course, it was my parents' money back then!

[Noble Kale]

This month: $30

Most spent in a month: $500

Total money spent thus far: ~$1000

[KAZ]

Noble, mind providing an itemized list of what all you got for that money?

 

How long ago did you start collecting (to get up to a total of $1000?)

 

Any purchases where you overspent on, or purchases that you later regretted?

 

I would purchase all of the stuff I have again in a heartbeat, if I had the available money

[Atarian7]

Don't worry room34. I've looked at yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets, etc. and I haven't found anything. So the only way for me to get atari stuff is to buy off of ebay.

I've sold some stuff on ebay too so I've made back some of what I've spent. I'm sure I've still spent more than I've made though.

 

Back when I got my original atari (a vader) I think I paid about $50 for it in 1984-85?. I was rather disappointed that it didn't come with two free cartridges and two joysticks and a set of paddles. It came with one joystick, the ac adaptor, and the rf switch. I forget how much the games cost, but I only ended up with a total of 14

over the next few years. There was no way we could get an atari when they were $200+ and the games were $40+

[MattyXB]

Don't know anymore, but to much. Maybe 500 US$.

 

Now I have no work, and must watch better what I buy and what not.

 

I hope I get work soon.

[ATARIPITBULL]

I think the most I have spent in one month is about $450, but in the three years I have been collecting, I think I have spent over $3500 or so, I don't want to find out the real total amount because I might start crying.

[General Atarian]

Seriously,

 

I try to keep myself on a budget for atari games. If not, I think I would get insane. I try to keep my budget at around 40-80 dollars a month.

[Elvis8Atari]

On Atari the most i have spent in one month is about 350$. On video games in general the most i have spent in a month is around 800$

>mike

[maximebeauvais]

When I started my collection around 3 years ago I had a list of everything that I was buying.

 

One day I have started to add up and it was over 1000 for a few month (3 or 4 months I don't remember)

 

I was so depress to see the number of $$$ that I was spending on video game that I have trashed my list

 

Now I don't count the # of $$ that I spend.

 

I just spend the $$ that I have on my paypal account....

[Atarian7]

you cry alot don't you ataripitbull

[FelixtheGamer]

I tend to go a while without buying anything and then buying a lot in a short amount of time. I haven't bought much off of e-bay, so most of my stuff has come from garage sales and flea markets. I think the most in one month was 200. I picked up a 2600, 10 joysticks and most of the games I currently own.

I probably have spent, hmm... around 600 all together. I have been collecting around a year and a 1/2. My collection is not too big yet. I hope to start building up more and finding more things soon.

[Joel D. Park]

Last year at Philly I spent around $500 bucks, that was in one weekend so that's probably my max.

 

I have no idea how much I've invested into my entire collection..

 

Since I do resell now and then, (not to make money in most cases, just trying to break even) I do make a little money back, but I would probably be sick if I knew how much I really had in my collection.

[Rockin' Kat]

I think the most I've spent on Atari stuff in one month was about $20.

[Noble Kale]

Kaz: That particular month was quite crazy for me. My local thrift, had three 50% off days.... I had access to a car (my parents were on holiday, I was left in charge of the car).

 

On these 50% off days, they generally output 20x more electrical/gaming stuff in one day, than they do in a whole freaking *month*

 

I remember I bought:

- about 40 boxed sega games (at about $5 each) - an adaptor to play .jp carts on my sega mega drive (which was actually *given* to me by the lady at the counter because I had 'such nice manners')

- about 10 boxed 2600 games

- 4 jr's (two of which are now in the hands of other people), a woodgrain 2600, 2 vader 2600's

- a master system 1 (with 4 or 5 controllers)

- a game boy colour

- 5 games for the gameboy

- a clear gameboy (for the expensive price of $2.50)

- an intellivision

- a lynx II (with two games and carry bag),

- another two games for the lynx

- and a gamegear (with two games)

- 6 nes games

 

along with a few other things I can't entirely remember.

 

As for how long, I believe I'm coming up to my one year anniversary sometime soon....

[KAZ]

50% off at a thrift store....

 

It is hard to pass up such a great bargain.

 

The problem is, of course, is there is no way of knowing if a better deal will ever come up again...so at times like that you can end up spending tons of money.

 

Over the long term, it could save you hundreds, but at the present it could cost you a couple hundred also.

 

$5 for boxed Sega games? That is a hell of a deal, and even if I weren't collecting for the system at the moment, how could I know I wouldn't eventually collect for it.

 

I don't know how to solve these dilemmas, and don't envy the situation people have like these!

[Noble Kale]

kaz: that's $5 australian

$5 australian = $2.50 us

the rest of the prices were in us though (slight slip up on my part)

[iguana]

I have bee going now for about 5 months. I think the most i spent was $65. total I am not sure i figure agound 150, but I have a good amount for it. I have 6 2600 (2 heavy sisxers) and about 200 unique games for it in addition in that figure I recieved a 7800 and about 10 games, a genesis and about 15 games and an old pong/shooter game that is pretty cool. the only thing I bought on e-bay was my 1st system that came with about 15 games ( I did not know about fleas or thrifts or this sight as of then) most of what I have bought has come from flea markets

[marillion]

Well, I hit my max this month, my first month back collecting. I'm at around $900 if everything stays the same in the current eBay crop of carts I'm bidding on.

 

However, like others, I also sell a lot of non-Atari stuff on eBay, and that will probably total up around $1,700 this month when I'm done.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

[Cassidy Nolen]

I would say that CGExpo last year was my most: Probably around 900 in games, but then the plane tickets and hotel stay got it up there quite a ways.

 

I average 2-300 a month on games, but that also includes arcade machines. I do sell quite a bit to offset the addiction (I also got into classic Star Wars stuff recently, boy is that ever expensive!).

 

Just an FYI, I have our collection insured for 30,000. Remember, Atari is the CHEAPEST of the systems to collect for. Ever tried buying a King of Fighters 2001 for Neo Geo cartridge? We all whine about Waterworld at a hundred, all of the KOF's and Metal Slugs START at 300!

 

Ever tried buying a Percepts for a Magnavox Odyssey? How bout Adventurevision (no, I do not have one of those, but want one BAD!!!!).

 

Gotta love obsessive compulsive mid to late Gen X'ers with disposable income!!!!

 

Cassidy

[Joel D. Park]

I don't normally feel to bad about the money I spend at Philly, I don't take vacations from work, so I just concider Philly my Vacation and everyone spends money when on vacation. For the last two years, I've taken two day off work, both have been the Friday before the Philly Classic. :-)