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Mirage

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Posts posted by Mirage

  2. Posted

    PS: Just finished dinner. Im going to go play now for about an hour and then report what I can about the game. Cheers

     

    Looking forward to hearing about the gameplay. I hope it turns out to be a good game rather than just another rare game that's a dud! I certainly can understand your excitement. I'd be beside myself with such a find, I can't even imagine. Have fun!

  4. Posted

    ah.....I never saw them in stores. too bad the ad is over a week old. I bet he sold it all already.

     

    You never know... call/email the guy. I've gotten a couple things off CL that have sat there for well over a week with no takers. I've also recently seen some people re-list the same item (Ataris) a little later due to no takers. Worst he can say is that it's gone! Looks like a fantastic deal!

  6. Posted

    I always got bitten buying those brown-paper-wrapped mystery bins in the "Indian Trading Posts" in Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid though.

    I actually remember those, I believe "Native American" Trading posts would be what they are called now...

     

    I was just there about a year ago, and believe it or not, there are (or were) still some (a few) that still say "Indian". I was really surprised. There aren't nearly as many of them as I remember from 25 years ago though.

  7. Posted

    You didn't actually specifically say that this is a new game... could be old Combat carts with numbers 1-20 on them! ;)

     

    Just kidding. Intriguing marketing concept, and it's probably a cool game. I always got bitten buying those brown-paper-wrapped mystery bins in the "Indian Trading Posts" in Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid though. I'll probably kick myself once we find out what this is though!

     

     

    There will be people really pissed off when this is released. There will be others with big smiles on their faces.

     

    Well, could you at least say if it's an entirely new program/game or if it's a hack? I would be super-pssed to pay $45 for a hack, that's for sure, and I would hope that anyone else would be.

  9. Posted

    You didn't actually specifically say that this is a new game... could be old Combat carts with numbers 1-20 on them! ;)

     

    Just kidding. Intriguing marketing concept, and it's probably a cool game. I always got bitten buying those brown-paper-wrapped mystery bins in the "Indian Trading Posts" in Wisconsin Dells when I was a kid though. I'll probably kick myself once we find out what this is though!

  10. Posted

    Albert warned me about the windows thing too.

     

    The strange thing is: I have no problems with the window resizing at all.

     

    I will report this right away.

     

    The ad was donated by ATARIPITBULL, btw.

     

    Browser is Firefox 2.0, by the way, same issue on both Mac & Windows of that Browser.

     

    So, does he (ATARIPITBULL) know the source of the ad? Magazine, year? Did it run rarely or often, anything at all? Just curious. After having seen so many ads over and over, this one's new to me. Nice find.

  11. Posted

    No, but why does the AtariMania site insist on throwing my browser all around the screen, resizing my window, etc. It's super-annoying, and I see no logical reason for it.

     

    It's a great site, though, don't get me wrong. Fantastic, even.

     

    Where was this ad from, do you know? I don't remember ever having seen it before.

  12. Posted

    I can see what your saying with the Model A ford. But as you said yourself Muscle cars from the 60's and 70's are hotter than ever. Since Atari stuff is from the late 70's and 80's it safe to assume that this is not going to die off anytime soon. I personally believe though this is mainly a moot point. Because the day this stuff becomes unwanted is the day when we are either extremely old or dead. At that point it really won't make a difference because we will not be there to see the decline.

     

    P.S.

    Your thanks is much appreciated.

     

    Well, right, the muscle cars are hotter than ever -- right now. The timeline is totally different (also the fact that you're talking about higher $ items there than video games). I agree games/Atari isn't going to die off anytime soon. It'll be interesting to see if it gets more or less popular and by how much, and I don't think anyone can know for sure. We can only speculate. Old stuff will always have value, but how much? And exactly what will have the most value? Who knows for sure.

     

    As an aside, I have a theory about the quality of antiques/old stuff that's related to this. It seems to me that the way the quality of (most) goods is going down, that there will be fewer high-quality goods available in the future from any period after, say, the '80s, or maybe even the '70s, depending on perspective. With all the Chinese crap being made nowadays and less good stuff, it may drive up the price of the older antiques even more, eventually. I have no idea if I'm right, but it's my theory, if I explained it understandably at all.

  13. Posted · Edited by Mirage1972

    If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

     

    Homer,

     

    This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

    Exactly,i was going to say the same thing,its just how life goes.Things are born,grow old, die,and become forgotten eventually.

     

    Yeah, that's how life goes. Eventually, people will care less, or at least care differently than we do. They will become a museum curiosity more than anything (and then, it will be Combat and Pac-Man, the rest will be obscured to footnotes of history).

    There will be more games than that. I believe Frogger, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Pitfall, Pitfall II, Adventure, H.E.R.O. Montezuma's Revenge, and some others will always have a place in video game history. Seems like we have some revisionist history going on. Last time I checked Antiques in good condition are actually wanted. Just think about it. Almost everything from 80 years ago whether toy, car, or whatever is usually highly wanted. This belief that no one will care about it because it is old is just plain wrong. The fact is things like this gain appreciation over time not lose it.

     

    I agree that they will have a place in video game history... I was referring to the general public, say for example in regular museums (although I was probably exaggerating, but probably not by much in the distant future). There will always be collectors who care about the ones that you list, probably a dwindling number of collectors though. I think maybe someone else said that these things would have no value, but I only said that certain things will have more value than others, and it won't be based purely on rarity or historical significance.

     

    I don't see any revisionist history going on here, just speculation. For one thing, I, at least, never said that antiques in good condition aren't wanted. I said that sometimes more common ones are worth more than really rare stuff. Not always, but sometimes. A lot of times it's more based upon what people remember and have an attachment to. Here's one example of value. The price of antique cars (say up to and through the 1940's) has, in many cases, dropped a lot over the past 10 years or so. Part of the reason is because the people that remember them are dying, or getting too old to enjoy them and are selling them. Sure, there's still a lot of people who care (I like them, and I'm only 35), but many of the core group of collectors are passing on, reducing demand. You can get a Model A Ford in the recent past for far less than you could say 20 years ago. The opposite has happened to muscle cars from the '60s and early '70s. The past 10 years, most all of their values have gone through the roof, as the people who most want them (core group of collectors) has come to the age where they actually have extra time and money. Sure, age of the cars has something to do with it too, but it's mostly who is buying them and can afford them, competing for the limited number of them for sale. As these groups of collectors age and die, there will be fewer collectors and the values may drop (in theory, but there are always exceptions, muscle cars may be one of them, who knows).

     

    It's not revisionist history... it's reality... supply and demand. Yes, most antiques in good condition have monetary value and are in demand, but that hasn't at all been the discussion here... it's been why certain things are worth more than other things. But to think that once the core group of fans/collectors ages, that generations of the future will place the exact same value and perspective on things is probably unrealistic. But... we'll see... one never can tell for sure how it will go. Actually, I guess we won't see, cuz we'll be gone!

     

    For now, it's largely not so much that I (or others) don't care... I'd LOVE to have a complete 2600 collection. Due to $, time, space, and mostly the wife factor (don't underestimate the wife factor either!!!!), most of us need to pick and choose, therefore raising the demand for certain items, while others have to unfortunately take less priority.

     

    I don't disagree with what you're saying, but I think you may have misunderstood what we're saying, at least a little bit.

     

    EDIT: Factor in too, that regular (say, metal) antiques don't stop working over time... most (all?) old games and computers will stop working eventually, in their original form. The physical medium will still have some value, but this is something fairly unprecedented in antiquing! Antiques that have an expiration date! ;)

     

    Take care... good discussion, by the way, thanks for starting the thread.

  14. Posted

    If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

     

    Homer,

     

    This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

    Exactly,i was going to say the same thing,its just how life goes.Things are born,grow old, die,and become forgotten eventually.

     

    Yeah, that's how life goes. Eventually, people will care less, or at least care differently than we do. They will become a museum curiosity more than anything (and then, it will be Combat and Pac-Man, the rest will be obscured to footnotes of history).

  15. Posted

    If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

     

    Homer,

     

    This is the sentiment of a large number of collectors of all walks of life. This explains the discrepancies you raise and is also the reason why, contrary to your beliefs, this hobby will most likely dwindle in future decades to come. Younger gamers just won't have the same attraction to Atari 2600 games as those that grew up in the 70s and 80s and so they will not place as much value on these items. you would therefore expect these to fall in value over the long run.

     

    Right, but don't get me wrong... it's not that I don't want the carts, it's just that I only have so many resources (time, space, MONEY), and therefore will go for the ones I really care about first. I do think early games will still have value after all of us who actually remember them are dead and gone, because they're part of history. Just like I like some toys and antiques from before I was born, both because they're cool, and because they're a part of history. Early video games will be a HUGE part of history for future generations. However, fewer people will care as much as we do -- care to actually own and play the games, so actual monetary value is unpredictable, and spotty... even harder to judge why certain things are valuable than it is now.

  16. Posted

    I don't really disagree with what you're saying, I just don't find different values very surprising. If I could get some of those CommaVid or other rare carts cheap, I'd pick them up, but otherwise have no real desire to own them. I'd rather have a complete Atari & Activision (and Parker Bros, CBS, Imagic) collection because those are the companies I'm nostalgic most about... I don't think I even knew about CommaVid in the '80s, so I don't care that much.

     

    I think you'll find what you're saying to be true in most any field of collecting, or most sorts of antiques. Sometimes kinda plain semi-common stuff sells for more than the really rare unique items, mostly because more people remember them and therefore there's more buyers wanting them, driving up demand. I'm sure there's more to this than simply that, but you can't underestimate human fickleness.

  17. Posted

    I think it's not just about rarity, but nostalgia as well. I collect some Sears (casually), but they have little nostalgic value for me, whereas the Atari-brand games do, especially the artwork. I do think you have a point, but I think that rarity is only one factor.

     

    I have a Sears heavy sixer, but I'd rather have an Atari heavy sixer, for example, even though the Sears may be more rare.

     

    Also, I don't want anything to become more valuable, at least not for awhile, because there's still a lot I'd like to add to my collection.

    No, I get why a Sears Heavy Sixer is cheaper than an Atari 2600 Heavy Sixer. What I was saying is the Sears Heavy Sixer is actually cheaper than a common run of the mill Atari 4 switcher Vader or Woodgrain.

     

    Okay, gotcha... well, if I could only have one VCS period, I'd rather have an Atari light sixer than a Sears heavy sixer, so my point still stands.

  18. Posted · Edited by Mirage1972

    I think it's not just about rarity, but nostalgia as well. I collect some Sears (casually), but they have little nostalgic value for me, whereas the Atari-brand games do, especially the artwork. I do think you have a point, but I think that rarity is only one factor.

     

    I have a Sears heavy sixer, but I'd rather have an Atari heavy sixer, for example, even though the Sears may be more rare.

     

    Also, I don't want anything to become more valuable, at least not for awhile, because there's still a lot I'd like to add to my collection.

  19. Posted

    You said you tried the TV on channels 2 and 3... did you try switching the Atari itself to the different channels and try again?

     

    Also, you didn't mention it, but on the off chance that you're not going directly into the TV, but through a VCR or similar, then out with RCA's into the TV/monitor (like I do), then make sure that the VCR is on (sometimes they need to be for a signal to go through). Yesterday I thought my light sixer was dead until I realized that I hadn't turned on the VCR. Phew!

  20. Posted

    As much as I would like to say I'd like to re-live the '80s, I don't think I would. Knowing what I know now, I think the magic would be gone. And as cool as it would be to have all those rares, it wouldn't be a challenge. I don't think it would be any fun now.

     

    I'll keep my memories the way they are, thanks :) I lived it all when it happened... been there, done that!

  22. Posted

    So are we talking about the front and back only?

    Or would I need to take the box and flatten it to scan?

     

    I'll get my scanner out in the next couple of days and experiment to see what I can come up with.

     

    *I* would say just front and back. But, if there's anyone else interested in this (maybe there's not? How could there not be?), I think it would be nice to get some kind of vote or input. Maybe there's a demand for hires scans of the whole box so people could make replica boxes if they want to?

     

    Either way, I wouldn't flatten anything. Easy enough to get a scan of the side of the box without flattening. Well, in theory it shouldn't be hard, but I haven't tried it yet either. See what you can come up with, that would be great! :) If I get time, I'll try to do the same if I can get my old scanner working on a computer I have now.

  23. Posted · Edited by Mirage1972

    Check out the cover project. Those guys do not have a lot of scans but their artwork is at 600dpi and usually cleaned up from scratches and stickers, etc. The downside is that they reformat box scans for use with the plastic after-market game covers and that a typical scan is from 4 to 6 mb. Good site for all systems.

     

    http://www.thecoverproject.net/

     

    BAH

     

    That's great! I hadn't heard of that! I only downloaded one so far (Super Breakout), and that one is at 300dpi (at 100% of the Universal Game Case, so that ends up being between 200-300dpi -- unacceptable). It's a decent enough scan for 300dpi though. I can use those for some things, though, but not the main projects (now, at 600 dpi, maybe). They only have 7 Atari-brand NTSC color covers so far.

     

    Thanks for the tip!

     

    EDIT: The universal game case size is significantly smaller than an original 2600 box, thereby making these scans less than 300dpi... so... not usable for what I have in mind. They end up being more like medium-res, rather than high-res.

  24. Posted

    Update... at my count, there are only 58 Atari-brand color boxes (not counting variations and stuff like Action Pack/32-in-1 etc).

     

    Just focusing on those to start with, it seems like this is an achievable project, if there's interest. We could make them available (somehow) to anyone who wants them, and we could do some neat things with them, maybe like the Atari-box wallpaper that was mentioned in a different thread!

     

    I have 16 Atari-brand color boxes myself, so we'd just need around 42 more of those. I have probably the majority of the color manuals, too, so I'd have a good chunk of those I could scan myself. I'll volunteer to do all the clean-up and image editing, as that's what I do for a living anyway, so noodling around with that for awhile would be no big deal.

  25. Posted

    This is one of the perennial q's around here - I'm sure even I asked it at one point :)

     

    It comes up every couple of months, it seems like. A good way to spot the n00bs, I guess! (Hey, we all were at some point.)

     

    Well, granted, based on everything we know, it seems impossible -- it just simply makes no sense to someone who knows about the consoles. But still, upon having it pointed out for the first time, I sure took notice. I mean, even though it seems improbable (impossible), new things do turn up all the time in this hobby. But yeah, anyone knowing their consoles should know, you're right.

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