bfstats

This was the event that ended my collecting in 1991. I read about Pleasant Valley Video in one of Bill Kunkel's articles in Electronic Games magazine. There was a letter to the editor written by PVV owner Jim Redd encouraging people to order his catalog of titles. I did and was astounded at the number of titles I had never heard of. An order for Chase the Chuckwagon was promptly placed and I received the game within two weeks of ordering. As mentioned in this thread, the "manual" was a photocopy. What was most interesting was the cart itself. It was a label-less Mystique case with brown sealing tape wrapped all the way around and a strip of beige masking tape on which was hand-written "Chase the Chuckwagon" in black magic marker. I was genuinely surprised when I plugged the cart in and it worked. First time I had ever seen the game, so I was pleased enough to place another order. After all, his communication was good (strictly letters - no e-mail then) and he shipped promptly. My next order, as PingvinBlueJeans states, was for $300 worth of other titles I'd never laid my eyes on. Needless to say I was very excited to find this guy and his company. When weeks went by without a delivery I wrote to him and got no response. After 2 months I contacted the Better Business Bureau of whatever town in Ohio PVV resided in and was told there were MANY complaints on file. I was done! Didn't buy another game until discovering this site (then The Nexus) in the late 90's. By the way, I still have the cart, but I hated the brown sealing tape. Peeled it off and made an inkjet repro label. Cheesy but better. I may also have some of the correspondence from this "episode". If I can find it (still unpacking from a move), and if anyone cares, I'll post it.

PM sent.

I thought that was a prototype.... Does it have a real manual? (or even a repro manual)? Yes, check this (not mine): http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...A:IT&ih=008 I do have one and can scan the manual for you if you're not interested in it CIB.

I've got all these..... Cakewalk (U).pdf Cosmic Swarm (U).pdf MagiCard (supplement) (U).pdf MagiCard (U).pdf Mines of Minos (U).pdf Room of Doom (U).pdf Stronghold (U).pdf Video Life (U).pdf I think that's all of them. Does Rush Hour qualify?

To homerwannabee: Thank you for the buildup. Unexpected, and most kind. To Buyatari: Your point is very well put, and I agree with it. The only PERCEIVED advantages in buying my games over someone else's are 1) The descriptions of what I sell are honest and accurate to the extent that I will refund everything if a buyer is not 100% satisfied with the purchase, and 2) A potential buyer can be assured that whatever is bought from me will be in EXACTLY the same condition as when I purchased it - no matter how many years ago that may have been. I claim no pedigree. However, I DO have a passion for this hobby that goes back to my first purchase in 1981, and everything I have acquired has been well-preserved. I would like those who buy from me to have the same excitement over their purchase as I did back in the day. My only regret is that I have only one of each item to share with the community.

Thank you, Gentlemen! As desirable as it is to make plenty of money on each sale, reputation on eBay, and especially here at AA, is worth more. In the Classic Gaming Community, many trusted friendships have been built on this philosophy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RESCUE-TERRA-I-ATARI-2...id=p3286.c0.m14

Excellent work, Cas! No surprise there. Now, time to mass-produce so we can ALL have one at a reasonable price (I really don't want the prototype - the back doesn't appear to be screwed on tight ).

So where's the manual??

I've always considered Rick's collection, in terms of scope, to be the closest to Marco's on this planet, so his inclusion in the HOF is well-deserved. Plus I have met him (CGE several years ago) and he was a pleasure to talk to. One of the good guys in our community. Congrats, Rick!

I'm glad the purpose of the HOF is "open to interpretation" since I have my own humble criteria. In my opinion, those who contribute to the community, and keep it alive in the process, deserve the most recognition. The following individuals, in no particular order, have ADDED PRODUCTS (games, publications, mods) to Classic Gaming and our hobby is better for their contributions: Curt Vendell Marc Oberhauser Cassidy Nolen Leonard Herman Lee Krueger Chad Schell There are many others who have contributed as much or more, but I have met these gentlemen, spoken to them about their passion for the hobby, and purchased their wares. They have helped make collecting more fun and rewarding. Also, THIS WEBSITE makes Al Yarusso worthy of inclusion, and Alex Bilstein should be included as well for the same reason. The precursor for this site, The Atari 2600 Nexus, brought our hobby back from the grave. I have no idea how big either of their collections are, but it goes without saying that collecting classic games has become a social phenomenon in addition to the mere acquisition of product. Albert and Alex have created and maintain the medium through which this has been made possible.

Are you aware Worship the Woodgrain requires a MODIFIED Supercharger? Suggest you contact [acronym="http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showuser=24&quot]Lee Krueger[/acronym] for more info.

It is NTSC. I acquired it from a Canadian gentleman who bought it at retail in Canada.

THAT is AWESOME! I had no idea a Java/Atari app existed. To whomever is responsible, NICELY DONE!

Corrected info added to my post. Thanks much.

Interesting thread, since we have yet to see a comprehensive list of vaporware titles that have actually been released for sale in cartridge form. These, in my opinion, are the greatest contributions to the classic gaming community, in addition to all the homebrewers out there that keep our hobby alive. Since I keep records of all my purchases, and because I have attended every Philly Classic and every odd-year CGE since 1999, I thought I would be able to provide an authoritative answer to this thread's question. August 2001 - CGE - Blue Sky Rangers - Sea Battle, Sword Fight - Marc Oberhauser - Combat Two - Atari2600.com - Secret Agent (no box) - CGE Services - Elevator Action April 2002 - Philly - Cassidy Nolen - Polo - Atari2600.com - Bugs Bunny August 2002 - CGE - Marc Oberhauser - RealSports Basketball, Snow White - Atari2600.com - Holey Moley - CGE Services - Crack'ed, Pick Up, Save the Whales March 2003 - Philly - SunMark - Alligator People (no box) - AtariAge - 3D Rubik's Cube, Revenge of the Apes - Atari2600.com - Stunt Cycle August 2003 - CGE - CGE Services - Entity, Looping, Rush Hour March 2004 - Philly - AtariAge - Saboteur - Cassidy Nolen - Frog Pond August 2007 - CGE - CGE Services - Lasercade, Meltdown (no box)

Dark Chambers, if you play all 26 levels. I'd guess Crypts of Chaos but I've never been far enough into the game to know if it ends. How 'bout Video Chess on 24-hour mode?!

I didn't.

I kept track of what I spent on EVERY title in my collection going back to the beginning (1981), as well as what I have sold each title for since I started selling in 2004. Seems safe to say it will be difficult for me to "break even" because there are SO MANY MORE commons then there are Grails, and NO ONE seems to be buying anything rated rarity 1-4 anymore, even boxed. Back then, I paid up to $40 on titles that wouldn't make 50 cents today. So, to sell my commons I have to do a "value-add", putting somethng in the package that will make the sale more attractive. For example, I have been compiling extra controllers so when the time comes for me to sell all my non-rare Atari-brand titles, I can include a clean console and ALL the controllers with the 120 or so non-rare titles in the hope that a beginning collector will like the idea of buying an "instant" collection. Trouble is, I've spent $250 to put this sale together in the hope of selling the lot for $300 ("street value"), all in the interest of making a reasonable return on my original purchases, which is probably not likely considering the current state of the classic market. Bottom line: I'd be lucky to turn a minimal profit on the entire collection because the return on the Grails is offset by the hit on the commons. One other thing to consider in my case, I'm not a dealer, just a collector. While I do want to make as much money on each sale as is reasonable, it is just as important for me to share my collection with the community, regretting of course that I have only one of everything to sell. So I'm probably not the best source for a definitive answer to the question posed in this thread. But CPUWIZ is right; some of you may find my experience in the marketplace somewhat enlightening.

Yes, using a mosaic freeware program I found, I "re-created" the AtariAge and Digital Press logos using scans of my box collection. Unfortunately, the computer I did it on is in storage and unavailable at the moment. However, I burned the mosaics on a CD and gave a copy to Albert. So, Albert, if you're reading this, would you happen to have that CD handy? If so, please post the JPG on this thread. Interesting that anyone would even think to ask, John. Seemed like a strange idea even to me at the time, but I enjoyed doing it. If Albert can't find it (likely), perhaps I'll remember to re-visit this thread once I'm unpacked.

In this thread: http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=112255 ...there is a reference to this site: http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dl...=156629&ck= ...which lists the two adult 2600 hacks Quick Draw and Hot Date, in the format that Mystique used back in the day. Each hack has its own page with descriptions and screen shots, PLUS a link to "Click here to download BIN". This link connects to AtariAge and a page that says "Error 404: file not found". I don't recall EVER seeing these games before. Were the BINs ever posted on AA? Anyone know where the BINs CAN be found? Albert, if you read this, please advise.

Since this is the AtariAge equivalent to eBay's Positive Feedback, I'd like to recommend: GeneralHellfire DreamTR Both have been a genuine pleasure to meet (virtually), correspond with, and do business with.

What's the mystery? How much work was actually done on it, if any?

Airworld

These are my two most vexing titles. I can honestly say I acquired every title I laid my eyes on between 1981 & 1991. But I was in the dark about CTCW because I didn't own a dog and never had a reason to buy dog food. Once I acquired a copy of the cart, I actually made a box out of a ChuckWagon dog food bag (wrapped around another box) just so the game would have representation on The Wall. I didn't know Qubes existed until I saw it at the CGE museum in 1999.