Too bad I have a mortgage to pay for

[smf_4ever]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=1353724595

 

 

wow

[Chris++]

Jeez...too bad I have a LIFE.

 

When you pay $400 for a video game, it's transcended from being FUN or even FASCINATING to being an UNHEALTHY OBSESSION.

 

Yes, this is me talking -- the guy who's been writing about classic games for ten years. Being very interested or even fanatical about Atari games makes sense. Turning it into an expensive, completist task does not.

 

-- Verbose Chris

[RangerG]

I like the optional insurance. Who is going to pay $1000 for an Atari cartridge and then not pay the 75 cents for insurance?

[ATARIPITBULL]

The price of cartridges are going up, the last time I saw a quadrun for sale it was complete in the box for $1000, now here is just the cart and manual for $1400, now that's just plain nuts.

[atarimastermarty]

nobodys going to use but it now. Thats a rip. If I had a real job and wasnt living off allowance maybe I would pay a little more for games.The most I would ever pay for a game (released is about $600. Unrealesed protos are another story ill probably pay like up to 800 for them.Thats just me. As they say different strokes for different folks.

BTW: Ataripitbull this almost your 1000 post

[KAZ]

Buying expensive games isn't a bad idea, and here's why.

 

Ok, so what if they are $500. They retain their value. It is like buying a valuable painting, and then 5 years later selling it for 2 times as much.

 

Now if you buy a Quadrun for $500, and then let your 3 year old kid play with it, now that's just ****ing insane.

 

How long is TOO long to sit on an expensive game tho? If you don't intend to give it to a relative for an inheritance, then it is prudent to eventually sell it, wouldn't you say?

 

I paid $20 for an Atari 2600 game, but that's as high as I've ever gone. Thing is I could probably sell it for approximately the same price, so I have assets that have value.

 

Am I making much sense? You just gotta think more deeply about it, and you discover that it isn't necessarily an unhealthy obsession, but rather just acquiring valuable items. The fact that it is a GAME makes no difference, and doesn't change the fact that it is valuable.

[Atarian7]

If few are interested in buying it 10 years from now then it is only worth as much as someone will pay for it.

[Skatepunk60]

Quadrun or Budweiser .. ill let you guess

[chrisr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by KAZ:

Buying expensive games isn't a bad idea, and here's why.

 

Ok, so what if they are $500. They retain their value. It is like buying a valuable painting, and then 5 years later selling it for 2 times as much.

 

Now if you buy a Quadrun for $500, and then let your 3 year old kid play with it, now that's just ****ing insane.

 

How long is TOO long to sit on an expensive game tho? If you don't intend to give it to a relative for an inheritance, then it is prudent to eventually sell it, wouldn't you say?

 

I paid $20 for an Atari 2600 game, but that's as high as I've ever gone. Thing is I could probably sell it for approximately the same price, so I have assets that have value.

 

Am I making much sense? You just gotta think more deeply about it, and you discover that it isn't necessarily an unhealthy obsession, but rather just acquiring valuable items. The fact that it is a GAME makes no difference, and doesn't change the fact that it is valuable.

---

 

 

The problem with this line of thought, is that atari carts have a finite shelf life. No one can really say for sure, but 20-25 years is supposedly the life expectency for

the rom chips. Once the rom fails, the cart is worthless. Of course, all the original 78 releases should be failing now. Anyone notice any failures of the very old carts?

 

Chris

[AtariDude]

My god! That is just way too much for a game. I used to have that game and even though I liked it, I did not keep it. Now I wish I did. It would make a pretty penny today on Ebay.

[KAZ]

I simply have not heard of many cartridges failing on people, from all the time I've been on this message board. If it really were a horrible "epidemic" I'm sure it would come to everyone's attention very fast.

 

Myself, I've had three non-working cartridges out of 59. Two were from Goodwill, and I can probably determine what the cause was there. The other one was Q-bert, that I cannot figure out why it doesn't work, since I've cleaned and cleaned and cleaned it. It didn't work before or after, or since.

 

Quadruns are most likely VERY well cared for, so I'm sure their longevity will be longer than 20-25 years, or longer than my lifetime, tho perhaps I'm wrong.

 

When cartridges start failing in mass, the entire market on ebay will crash HARD. Only manuals and boxes would have value then.

 

[ 05-22-2002: Message edited by: KAZ ]

[CosmicJoke]

I wouldn't personally pay that either. However, I sure wish I was the person selling it!

[chrisr]

if carts start failing en mass, even combats and pacman's will be worth something.

 

Chris

[Malix]

The whole art/collectibles retaining there value is overplayed.

 

Look at alot of the japanese. They but up huge amounts of expensive art in the 80's when it was in demand and inflated. Now the paintings are worth about half as much and these guys are stuck with it.

[Cassidy Nolen]

Quadrun is worth whatever you will be willing to pay for it. I know that a year ago there was a boxed one, but I have not seen one since. They are a lot like Computer Space machines; they go for whatever the owner wants to let it go for. I have seen them for 1000, and I have seen them for 5000, all depends who's interested and who's motivated to sell.

 

If Quadrun completed your collection, and it meant your collection was "perfect", I could see spending that much for it. I personally do not think its worth more than 500-800, but thats me. I got lucky with mine, although I was willing to trade a Ms. Pac Man machine to get one.

 

If you think games are expensive, check out Star Wars action figures from 1977. Woah, 3500 for a JAWA? Someday.....

Cassidy

[Albert]

Wow, that Quadrun is already up to $600! I wonder if the reserve is set at $1500. If it ends up going over $1000, I bet we'll see lots of other Quadrun carts pop up on eBay, although the reserves for those would probably be set that high also. I'm not paying $1K for a Quadrun (and no, I don't have one yet!)

 

..Al

[Trey]

I bid ... 1 million dollars

 

[dwh]

You could always go to the bank and get a 'second mortgage' on the house and buy all the clasic gaming stuff you always wanted;but good luck explaining this to the bank manager!

"You want a loan for what?"

It's at $604; That's a lot of other boxed games that you could buy...

[FABombjoy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by chrisr:

The problem with this line of thought, is that atari carts have a finite shelf life. No one can really say for sure, but 20-25 years is supposedly the life expectency for

the rom chips. Once the rom fails, the cart is worthless. Of course, all the original 78 releases should be failing now. Anyone notice any failures of the very old carts?

 

Chris

---

 

Since most mass produced games use plain old ROM chips, not programmable ROM (PROM and variant) chips, this isn't a real concern for collectors. Dust, moisture, chemicals, static, pets, kids, and Goodwill employees are the true enemies of Atari carts, not "bit-rot".

 

Now, limited run carts may eventually have this problem (read: all modern era releases). But, you can always obtain the ROM data and burn off a new copy.

[JCroniger]

Hey Cassidy,

Jawa for 3500 bucks? Is that MIB? That's crazy. I have a whole bunch from when I was a kid. Thank God Mom and Dad kept them. Then again, I wouldn't sell them. That would be like selling my childhood.

[Philflound]

The Jawa he is talking about is a vintage C9.5+ original with the PLASTIC cape, not the cloth. Extremely rare to find. Though the plastic cape has been forged many times and is made as a repro now. Buying them loose is useless. Stupid piece of plastic.

 

As for carts going bad? That's the first I've ever heard of that chips go bad. So the most valuable games will be the SEALED ones, since you'll never know whether or not they work. If all the carts go bad, we'll all be collecting cases.

 

Rare Waterworld case. Game doesn't work, but who cares. You can buy the cd with all the original Atari games for $10 on Ebay or download the emulators from a site.

 

I think that's bull. It takes a lot to make an Atari cart defunct.

 

Phil

[chrisr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 10270:

Since most mass produced games use plain old ROM chips, not programmable ROM (PROM and variant) chips, this isn't a real concern for collectors. Dust, moisture, chemicals, static, pets, kids, and Goodwill employees are the true enemies of Atari carts, not "bit-rot".

 

Now, limited run carts may eventually have this problem (read: all modern era releases). But, you can always obtain the ROM data and burn off a new copy.

---

 

I've seen it in quite a few places that rom chips (not eproms) have a 20-25 year life regardless of outside factors such as dust, temp, humidity...

 

Chris

[FABombjoy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by chrisr:

I've seen it in quite a few places that rom chips (not eproms) have a 20-25 year life regardless of outside factors such as dust, temp, humidity...

 

Chris

---

 

By that, do you mean that you've read about it, or you've personally experienced ROM failure? (and investigated insofar as to eliminate normal fault possibilities.) I myself have read many articles on ROM failure due to age, but they were always addressing PROM (et. all) failures.

 

Besides the possiblity of internal chemical erosion due to poor/faulty manufacturing, I'm just not sure what would set the lifespan on a manufactured ROM chip at 20-25 years.

 

I've also heard of manufactures guessing at a product lifespan, such as the supposed 75 year lifespan on compact discs (maybe 75 years if left outside).

 

If you have a source on manufactured ROM failures then please post it here, since there are quite a few of us with a vested intrested in cartridge lifespan.

[hurt]

how i wish i could spend that kinda cash with out thinking about it

[Pitfall Harry]

quote:

---

Originally posted by 10270:

By that, do you mean that you've read about it, or you've personally experienced ROM failure? (and investigated insofar as to eliminate normal fault possibilities.) I myself have read many articles on ROM failure due to age, but they were always addressing PROM (et. all) failures.

 

Besides the possiblity of internal chemical erosion due to poor/faulty manufacturing, I'm just not sure what would set the lifespan on a manufactured ROM chip at 20-25 years.

 

I've also heard of manufactures guessing at a product lifespan, such as the supposed 75 year lifespan on compact discs (maybe 75 years if left outside).

 

---

 

 

Manufacturers are constantly shortchanging expected product lifetimes to protect themselves against potential lawsuits.

 

If properly cared for, there's no reason why relatively simplistic, 2600 game ROMs should fail any time soon. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if I can fire up all my Atari cartridge games and play them without a hitch 20,000 years from now.

 

 

Ben