zeitshabba

There certainly are. If there are any questions, feel free to ask. I'm most delighted that the serial numbers on the two Data Age games are #039 and #139. What are the odds they'd both end with 39? I'm not trying to sell any of these, either, but a solid offer is hard to ignore.

I'm disappointed in myself for not noticing the diction difference between the two statements... juxtaposition of those two words were the key. It was Eggomania that wasn't working, and it was because he used the joystick as expected. Everything checks through and plays just fine. I've thrown up a photo set of my meager proto collection and welcome any questions...

No, I read the auction many, MANY times before committing as heavily as I did, and I'm confident the score will be what I hoped - I haven't been wrong yet. From the unclear description, Eggomania works. Raft Rider works. Entombed works. Name this Game works. But yet something doesn't work, as per the description. I'm not believing there is another game in there (hoping, sure!) and I'm also not convinced that last line references any of the previously mentioned games. I'm not sure what you thought it meant, but it doesn't sound any different in your paraphrasing than it does in mine. In either case, it is what it is and we'll find out early next week. Did the US Games carts you pickup have their names when you boot the program? Or were they "blank" except for US Games like the auction mentions?

Oops. Sorry 'bout that.. I forgot this is the general Atari forum, and I'm a 2600-only guy. I have a Mario Bros 5200 Lab Loaner, but all my protos (2 Atari, and soon 4 US Games & 1 20th Century Fox game) are 2600s. As for exclusivity, I'm not concerned... the value is in the cart, not the program.

Thanks for the suggestion Wickey - I just threw up a post asking just that. And double thanks to hailing from somewhere that makes me feel warm to be in Boston. Everyone I knew - friends and family - expected me to quit at one point or another, given the scale of a few challenges I faced along the way. The excitement I get from realizing a dream becoming a reality is something everyone should experience, and I recommend anyone with a good idea and the dedication of a champion to undertake the great challenge. I'm a better man in so many ways as a result of it all.

No, seriously. A few years back I acquired development carts of Maze Craze and Dodge Em (which actually shows Head On as the game name) and just won an auction with several US Games protos. Now that I have a few worth notice, I'm hoping that someone from this community can pull the code from the ROMS. I'm not nearly capable of doing it myself, and I'd like to ensure if I have something of interest that it is shared with the community who deserves it. I hail from Boston, but will be traveling to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in late March for a short visit. Obviously, if there is anyone within a couple hours of Boston I can make anytime work. I apologize, but I will not mail these to get them dumped. I'm too freaked to transport them in any manner except in person. Feel free to message me if you prefer to not identify yourself. Thank you in advance, and enjoy your day.

I had never seen that thread before... I hope we get to find out soon what the project is. That was an awful lot of buildup to not find out what it was in two days as previously promised. Looking forward to finding out! Unfortunately, for the past 4.5 years, I thought I was 6 months from being finished... But after a marketing friend saw what I was doing, he insisted on a few design changes that created a virtually unending string of engineering problems. We met up again after Thanksgiving, and again he has thrown a new twist. The marketing of my "product" is being done as a project by a group of college students via social networking / media. I'm receiving the first dozen or so "final" samples for approval this weekend for the work to be completed over the next two weeks, with the hopes of having the first batch of ~1000 released by taxtime. I'll keep ya updated when things are ramping up, as there are two or three folks from this site that I would like to thank for being reasonable & respectful during an earlier ugly foray into these forums. I'm most excited about the promo video I plan on making. While the students would like me to be the pimp to a whore Ms. Pac Man or chasing down Q*Bert to violate him for cash, I envision a humorous invasion by space invaders that can easily span into a series of hysterical situations, all reinforcing my product.

With this new batch of historical carts, I need to meet up with one of y'all who can do ROM dumps and do all the proper code-matching to see how far along they were. Anyone near Boston? Pittsburgh? Punxsutawney? Philadelphia? Boston is home, but I have a trip planned in a couple weeks that'll take me all across the Keystone State. Perhaps I'll hit Paradise and Parkesburg, Phillipsburgh and Pymatuning if I need unnecessary alliteration. And, funny enough, this trip is the last one necessary to finish up my 4.5 year-and-counting project with Atari carts. Sure, it's a long haul between Pittsburgh and Boston, but its worth it for a quality machine shop.

That is correct, pinball22. I'm still recovering from paying that much, but opportunity only passes once before being lost into someone else's history. I had to have them and glad the 2nd place person didn't force me as high as I was semi-prepared to pay. Anyone need a kidney? I got two in good condition with low mileage and only need one. Taking bids now......

The way the seller phrased it... "..and one that seems to not be working... I can only get the demo screen." ...suggests the lot includes Raft Rider, Entombed, Name this Game and Eggomania as well as some additional game that isn't included. The auction description sounds like the seller played all the games given the description of each game. Since there isn't any other strange carts pictured, I have to assume the seller meant one of the US Games didn't work, although the "demo screen" line keeps me from fully believing anything. Is it a self-playing demo? Was it a game in progress that never made market? Why call it a "demo screen" without a description after describing all the other games? My attempts to extrapolate the true meaning of the words using strict logic has left my mind a warm meat pudding. I know nothing about this lot except its expensive as hell and I'll have to wait to find out.

That auction went for way more than I anticipated, thats for damn sure. But it isn't everyday you get such a beautiful auction lot, and if you didn't win it you'll never have another chance at these games. I'd say it beats the Pac Man lab loaner, Maze Craze / Championship Soccer / Head On (aka Dodge Em) protos and Frankenstein's Monster lab loaner (with lab loaner manual) lot I won a couple of years ago. And that lot closed for about half of what this one closed for. It was the Bermuda Triangle lab loaner that caught my eye, as its identical to the Frank's except Frank is hunter orange. Once I took time to read the auction description, I realized what the label-less games were and realized this auction must not pass without a fight. And much to my dismay, a fight was had. What I'm most curious about is what the game is that only loads to the demo screen. I'm betting that is a game that was never finished (or started, perhaps.) And I can guarantee at least two things about this auction and willing to bet on a third: neither the winner nor the seller expected the auction to go that high and the second-place bidder is furious.

Well, the stuff was going unplayed for years. Most of it is around via emulator. And my main concern was preserving the multiplayer stuff, and the standout "cool" stuff like Battlezone and Gyruss. You do have over 117 different games. This as a lot on Ebay would go anywhere from $100 to $150 plus shipping. You also have a couple of rarer games that might push this lot nearer to the $150 side of things. Well, NECG has a tradition of incredible bargains for people who bother to show up, and are still in collecting mode. I don't mind carrying that tradition forward. I would make a reasonable offer for the whole lot, but I'd rather see it going to someone who is building a personal collection - that is a great lot you have. My purposes for making an offer would result in the destruction of the finest label Atari games and the resale of the poor label and third party games - this collection/offer deserves a better ending than the one I would provide.

To answer the previous issues in limbo: Crazy Climber nails it re: meanguns, and photos were provided of his separate & distinct from everything I have found here, making the claim rather believable. I don't blame them for *not* stepping forward, given their reasons, and I doubt they'll be the last of their kind, much like I'll be the last of the lucky finders. I just wouldn't count on it happening but a few more times. I would bet that, over time, the number of new high-end-capable collectors will outnumber the number of AII's "discovered."

...sigh... sorry to step into this thread so late and off-cue, but two things I'd like to clear up. First, the person who listed the auction that made mine look tame under the moniker "meanguns" is the disturbed child of an original contest owner, as I had a conversation with both of them as a result of my auction. If meanguns is rational, it's the father - that simple. Second, the list is incomplete, and I say that in full confidence. Like the elder meanguns, another AII owner stepped forward and identified themselves as an original contestant - with full docs - who is not listed here. I did not mention this as they requested, for two reasons: that it helps keep the value up when there are less known and they did not want to step into AA & face a gauntlet to prove they have what they have. I consider my Pac-Man lab loaner much more "valuable" than the AII, neither of which I plan on selling at any point. Value is relative in the end, and the historical value of both of them is far greater to me than the financial value they have to anyone else. If not, I'd be simultaneously both shocked and rich.

Crazy Climber, I don't have any of those at the moment. Now that I'm aware, I'll keep any of those that I may receive aside for you. If nothing starts moving off this list soon, I'll have to throw these to the wolves up on feeBay. I thought the prices were reasonable for a pre-bundled/pre-haggled price...

No - just manuals, no boxes.

I'll check on Monday & let you know, but I don't think so... I think I only have a bunch of the smaller modular units.

Thank you skunkworx! Thread updated w/ boxed games & a few singles.

List updated and Atari/Sears game list added.

Many off to eBay... Below is the list updated as of 9.14.2007. PAL games: Boxed KLAX complete - $8 - box decent (worn edges, not firm), label near mint Othello - $3 - text label, very faded print Commando by HES - $3- name written on label, but most of first name removed before my acquisition. Coleco Donkey Kong Jr. - $8 – label very good Donkey Kong - $3 – label near perfect Carnival - $5 – label good – end label has bitemarks? Mouse Trap - $5 – label very good Activision Decathalon - $10 – label good – some light speckling & crease at label fold Barnstorming - $3 – label very good if you don't count the word "rain" written over the letters "…ARNS…" Checkers - $5 – label decent/very worn on end Spider Fighter - $5 – label decent Seaquest - $5 – label decent – glue dalmation effect Dragster - $2 – label faded & speckled & generally pug fugly Enduro - $5 – label good – moderate glue spots Oink! - $5 – label decent – creased & glue spots Chopper Command - $3 – label good Fishing Derby - $5 – label good w/ glue spots on corners Stampede - $5 – label good Grand Prix - $5 – label good Kaboom! - $3 – label good, glue spotting on end & creeping up Pitfall! - $2 – label decent Laser Blast - $3 – label very good Freeway - $3 – label good – very minor speckling Tennis - $3 – label very good Skiing - $3 – label good Boxing - $3 – label decent Starmaster - $3 – label very good Ice Hockey - $5 – label good – light glue spots Now, the Atari & Sears brand games... by price. $1 Asteroids Combat (text) ET Pac Man Space Invaders (label w/ blue text) Star Raiders Missile Command (lower case) Ms. Pac-Man $3 Adventure (text, black manual) Adventure (picture, white manual) Air Sea Battle Basketball Berzerk Bowling (text) Brain Games (text) Breakout (pic) Breakout (text, no end label) Breakaway IV Canyon Bomber (sears text, no end label) Casino Centipede Circus Atari (picture, ripped end label) Defender Dodge 'Em (text) Football Golf Haunted House (pic) Home Run (text) Joust Missile Command (sears, text) Night Driver Raiders of the Lost Ark Realsports Football Space War (text) Street Racer Super Breakout Target Fun Vanguard Video Pinball Video Olympics (pic, missing end label) Warlords Warlords (sears text) $5 Arcade Golf Backgammon Battlezone Canyon Bomber (text) Codebreaker (text, no end label) Concentration (text) Cookie Monster Munch (spotty label, no overlay) Crystal Castles Demons to Diamonds Dig Dug Gravitar Gunslinger (text, red letters) Hangman (picture) Hunt & Score (text) Human Cannonball (picture) Indy 500 (text) Jungle Hunt Kangaroo Maze Craze Moon Patrol Miniature Golf (text) Math Gran Prix (pic) Othello (pic) Sky Diver Slot Machine Space Combat (end label 1/2 ripped/gone) Star Ship Surround Swordquest Earthworld Swordquest Fireworld Video Checkers (text, missing end label) Video Chess (text) 21 Video Olypmics $10 061 Basic Math Flag Capture Jr. Pac Man Mario Bros Of course, the more games you request, the more I'll chop off the final price. I'm quite reasonable unless I catch you drinking my last Yuengling, so you can make your own offer as well... $5 shipping w/ free shipping over $20. Thanks for looking!

Here I was thinking that the "35 year theory" of recapturing one's youth included a baseball cap atop a semi-bald head driving along in a convertible pseudo-sportscar....

Okay. It's Tuesday now, though I'm flummoxed - I know I have one, but I don't know where I put it last... I recently relocated all my Atari goodies to my new "workshop", and I recall putting this cart aside when it was pulled out of the first box we unloaded... Sorry for the disappointment - if I find it, you'll be the 2nd to know.

If I am reading this correctly, the main argument to tar & feather resellers is that they make a few bucks winning an auction and reselling the contents, driving up prices. The only way that resellers drive the price up is if collectors find the same auction lot. I can imagine two reasons this would cause you grief... You decide to pay more for an auction lot the second time around - from the reseller - than the first time around directly - OR - You were hoping to win an auction at an undervalued price and lost Personally, I don't think there have been stringent enough conditions set in the criteria in being an acceptable/non-lynchable reseller. What if Atari is just another collectable that the reseller offers, and they have a real b&m store? Could you clarify on the honorability status of an eBay-driven business with offline workshops & multiple workers? Does that free said reseller from your disdain? Question for Pant Load directly about the resellers who list quality auction lots you didn't see the first time around... Do you also hate them for reselling previous great purchases you didn't know happened?

I believe I have a nice Subterranea at the shop, and a Vader system is always easily available. I'll let you know by Monday.

Amen. Amen. Amen. I'd hate to imagine some of the games I've found in large lots going to someone who has no idea of their value, destined for a box in the cellar under the steps in 2 years. It makes me cringe. At this point, I can't imagine any other games I could come across that I'd actually keep besides a handful of protos & lab loaners. I can't allow myself to seriously collect again - if I do, I know divorce proceedings would soon follow. As long as I push out most of the Atari stuff that I win, the wife will let me keep playing with them. Hence, without reselling, I cannot keep both the wife and the collection. I'll spend the golden years telling stories of all the amazing Atari games I had & sold when I was young & in love...