Huge trash find of vintage video game boxes

[+wongojack]

I'm also in Dallas. I guess I need better friends!

 

I happen to have lots of old ladies who live in my neighborhood. I wonder if this find was actually close to me?

[Atari_Bill]

Absolutely amazing. Congratulations! If you decide to sell, it will be well worth your time. I have some considerable interest in several as I'm sure others do.

[OriginalPSP]

Here's the full count... will be posting a list this morning.

 

Given that I still don't have a good way of valuing these yet 4/5 of the inquiries are asking me to, I am strongly leaning toward eBay at the present time. Not my first choice but it would allow folks to decide value on their own.

 

It wouldn't be in lots for the most part... some true rares in there.

 

Until the list is posted, here's the count.

 

Final tally - 612 boxes*

Atari 2600 - 200
Atari 5200 - 63
ColecoVision - 87**
VIC 20 - 139
TI 99/4a - 23 (plus 31 generics)
C64 - 32
ADAM - 6
Intellivision - 1
Aquarius - 6
Vectrex - 21
Unidentified SAT software - 3

Plus - Atari 2600 console box
- ColecoVision console box
- The Joyboard controller box

* - Also dozens and dozens of plastic inserts for TI 99/4a boxes that I didn't count

** - Several dupes of Popeye and Q*bert as part of the count

[NIAD]

Will be watching eBay, but please keep us informed on here as well.

[OriginalPSP]

I shall. Everyone here has been great.

 

Working on posting the full list online now. Unlikely anything will be listed until early next week.

[Crazy Climber]

Wow, I'm glad I don't need these or I would be trying to pawn a kidney right now, lol

[TheNameOfTheGame]

Haha funny. I am so happy these will go to people that will appreciate them. Can you imagine if these all went to the dump. That would be such a waste...

[Greg2600]

Unbelievable! Amazing that someone would have stored these this way.

[OriginalPSP]

Haha funny. I am so happy these will go to people that will appreciate them. Can you imagine if these all went to the dump. That would be such a waste...

 

From what my friend told me, they were about 15-20 minutes away from being picked up by the trashman.

[OriginalPSP]

Okay... here we go... details on the 612 vintage video game boxes that were saved from destruction as well as the full list of what was found.

Not the prettiest list ever but I was more interested in getting it posted than making it look good

http://www.patrickscottpatterson.com/#!Insane-find-of-612-vintage-video-game-boxes-Stored-for-30-years/c19kr/3539069A-6998-4013-86D5-DF3B9A70C78A

[Shawn]

Amazing to see finds like this still happen. Congrats on one hell of a score. You should be able to pull big coin out of that curbside save.

[+nanochess]

PM sent!

[Fushek]

That is an AMAZING find ... absolutely beautiful. Echoing others ... thank goodness they didn't end up in a garbage dump somewhere.

 

Now, they will be loved and you'll have $$$. That's a great combination!

[chas10e]

thanks for the shot of Indy 500 , BUT the one I'm looking for has the number 11 on the side of the box

[video game addict]

Wow that's a lot of boxes! I spotted a Stronghold on your Facebook posts, that's a rare one too! I think your best bet would be ebay. Start them all at .99 cents and post them all on one night with combined shipping option. The really common stuff may still not even sell. But so long as you can combine shipping, it will usually get people buying multiples. The rares will shoot up I'm sure. Make lots out of the ones that don't sell the first time around and repost those the following week. If not ebay you can use gamegavel but, it may be better to get a feel for values first and list a little higher.. Something like $10 on R5s, $20 on R6s.

[+save2600]

I PM'd a few days ago… but no response.

 

Newbies know how to check their private messages, right? Know when they've gotten mail? Seems to be a problem with a lot of brand new people here at AA…

[Trade-N-Games]

Why has Patrick Scott Patterson Multi Media Personality decided to introduce himself to the Atari Age community just now this way? I sure hope this is not some Publicity stunt story just to add hype to your sales. If not, Welcome to Atari Age. We have had the chance to meet a few times at cons. Nice guy and I would assume knows what is fairly rare and what is not.

[OriginalPSP]

Quadrunner - I have read and replied to every PM received prior to today. If I somehow missed one I apologize. I plan to catch up on all of them tomorrow morning and will look to see if I somehow missed you at that time.

 

Trade-N-Games - Not sure why you are the doubting Thomas, but I came here because I knew this would be the place to go with such a large and unique find. Yes, I can be Mr. Hype Machine but I don't kid around with preservation, which is what this falls into. The reputation of Atari Age precedes it... so I came here.

[Atari_Bill]

As much as I'm not a huge fan of the machine that eBay is, that's really where you need to go with these. Let the market decide. You're not going to be disappointed by the sales of the tough ones. Many collectors value the boxes more than the games themselves in this day and age. If you decide to go that direction, please drop a note here to let everyone know. You won't be sorry you did.

[bojay1997]

As much as I'm not a huge fan of the machine that eBay is, that's really where you need to go with these. Let the market decide. You're not going to be disappointed by the sales of the tough ones. Many collectors value the boxes more than the games themselves in this day and age. If you decide to go that direction, please drop a note here to let everyone know. You won't be sorry you did.

Strongly agree. There is no reason to entertain offers here as people who are interested are just as likely to bid on those items on Ebay and there is a whole group of collectors outside of here that scour Ebay daily for rare items like these.

[Ikrananka]

PM sent - unfortunately a little late to the party

[rgrocha]

PM Sent too! He should he overwhelmed aready!

[OriginalPSP]

PM Sent too! He should he overwhelmed aready!

 

I am, and I'm doing my best to answer everyone here, via direct e-mail and on Facebook. I've even had phone calls, which I didn't quite expect.

 

As several of you note on eBay, that is presently where I'm leaning. As I originally noted, I have no idea how to value a lot of these. A lot of rares and uncommons... certainly not an every day find, especially with no air or light exposure for 30 years. Even the commons are in solid condition.

 

I've had some offers in private already that are several times over what I thought some of these things might be worth, and some of those people feel they are lowballing me, which has made me gun shy. Yeah, part of me notes I have next to nothing in these... and then the father in me looks at my kids.

 

Some of the private offers will be hard to say no to, and in some cases I probably won't. At this point I am proceeding with caution and thinking it all through until this weekend but I believe I'll begin eBay listings on Sunday or Monday night and yes, I will give the heads up when I do.

 

I'm very appreciative of the kind and helpful posts and private messages. What I've been told about AtariAge over the years has proven true. Good to know there's still some nice video game forums in the world...heh.

[Zwackery]

The serious collectors here who are interested will likely offer you minimally fair and maximally inflated values because they really want the boxes, especially the rare ones that would fill significant holes in collections. CIB collecting is a demanding monkey to have on one's back.

 

In the more open market of eBay, you would likely meet or even exceed some of these private offers, and I suspect that many of the private parties would still be actively involved on bidding on eBay. Personally, I would prefer to have an open bidding system (not necessarily on eBay, although logistically that or GameGavel is the easiest way to go). I would rather make open market offers, then adjust my offers according to the other bidding. I will be bidding on anything that I'm interested in that you put on eBay.

 

There are many members here who are highly respected and would give you their ethical opinions as to the value of the merchandise.

[rgrocha]

Even when I've already PMed you adking for some boxes, I think a public auction site it's the best for the fair play and your sanity.

 

Thank again for sharing this with us!

 

 

I am, and I'm doing my best to answer everyone here, via direct e-mail and on Facebook. I've even had phone calls, which I didn't quite expect.

 

As several of you note on eBay, that is presently where I'm leaning. As I originally noted, I have no idea how to value a lot of these. A lot of rares and uncommons... certainly not an every day find, especially with no air or light exposure for 30 years. Even the commons are in solid condition.

 

I've had some offers in private already that are several times over what I thought some of these things might be worth, and some of those people feel they are lowballing me, which has made me gun shy. Yeah, part of me notes I have next to nothing in these... and then the father in me looks at my kids.

 

Some of the private offers will be hard to say no to, and in some cases I probably won't. At this point I am proceeding with caution and thinking it all through until this weekend but I believe I'll begin eBay listings on Sunday or Monday night and yes, I will give the heads up when I do.

 

I'm very appreciative of the kind and helpful posts and private messages. What I've been told about AtariAge over the years has proven true. Good to know there's still some nice video game forums in the world...heh.

Edited September 17, 2014 by rgrocha