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jhd

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Posts posted by jhd

  1. Posted

    The majority of my Atari 2600 collection was acquired by way of bulk lots at garage and rummage sales back in the mid-1990s, so the per-cart price was rather low.

     

    More recently, I paid about Cdn$5 for River Raid II at a thrift shop. ;)

     

    By way of comparison, I have never paid more than about $20 for a PSX or PS 2 game -- and most have been under $15.

  4. Posted

    The market supply will eventually dry up and then the price increases will be valid and worthy of whatever is being asked.

     

    Not specific to the Apple II, but I wonder how much the market for old computer hardware will ever really increase (barring some rarities and high-demand items). I would think that most collectors currently have most of what they want, and I cannot imagine that too many newer/younger people will suddently want to start collecing 30+ year-old gear.

     

    Personally, I had a Coco growing up. I gave it away when I moved cross-country some 12 years ago. Occasionally, I see one at a thrift shop or summage sale, and even more rarely, additional hardware that I could never afford as a kid. I have no desire to reaquire anything for my collection -- emulation is far easier to use than original hardware and that adequately meets my needs.

  5. Posted

    The July(?) 1983 issue of Creative Computing has a lengthy report from the Summer CES. There are several examples of this kind of product shown; along with announcements of several as yet unreleased Atari 2600 games.

     

    The editors were (rightly) skeptical of a few of the more fantastic claims, but most things were reported as actual products that would be available for purchase "real soon now".

     

    I don't think that issue is available online; I have a photocopy of the article in my files somewhere.

  6. Posted

    Berzerk will kill the current game when the ram location used for the life counter has the high bit set (i.e. 128 lives). This is because the program uses "negative" status to indicate when the game is inactive.

     

    I remember discovering this bug back in 1982 or 1983; I was playing along and suddenly the game ended :o

     

    After some experimentation a friend and I discovered what caused it. It's interesting to read the more technicial explanation as to why that happened.

  7. Posted

    I have a small handful of PS 2 guides, but only for those games that are also actually in my collection :) . I also a few guides for PC games (i.e. Diablo II, Neverwinter Nights, Myst) from various thrift shops.

     

    I have a few original multi-game PlayStation guides, and perhaps 2 or 3 for the Atari 2600.

     

    Only some thrift shops (and a few used bookstores) seem to carry old guides; and only very rarely for the games tht I have/want.

     

    I missed the NES/SNES/Genesis era growing-up so I have no nostalgic interest in those types of guides and so I don't collect them now. Were I to find any gudies for RPGs (that I can play on an emulator) I would get them, however.

     

    On a semi-related note, I do collect "buyers guides" type books for home computers from the 1980s. These often include great pictures of really obscure systems that I have never seen in person.

  8. Posted

    This may be old news, but I just discovered it. :)

     

    PSX: The Guide to the Sony Playstation (PDF version)

     

    There are some great pictures and some obscure titles that I have never before heard of, such as the Lightspan games. The list of demo disks is also helpful.

     

    The book was published in 2005, so the rarity guide may not be 100% complete -- I think a few new titles tricked-out after that date, but it is definitely well worth the asking price.

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    It's knowledge vs. ignorance. Diligence vs. laziness. People with knowledge about the true value of things buy them from people who don't have a clue. That's how it's always been and it's getting harder to do thanks to the Internet. Now ignorant people can take a few seconds to look up the value of anything before selling it, but the good news is that most ignorant people are too lazy to look up the price of anything.

     

    Well said!

     

    Not video game related, but a major hobby for me is collecing books. I recently picked-up a scarce title for all of $1. While I plan to keep it for my collection, I could easily resell it for $25 (or possibly more). This same vendor also had other books priced significantly above their market value.

     

    The vendor did not care to take the time to evaluate their merchandise and price it accordingly (or they just have no sense of the market for rare books). Either way, it is certainly not my job to set prices for them.

  10. Posted

    To echo what others have said -- I bought Rob for about $6 from a thrft shop a few years ago. He did not include any accessories.

     

    I knew what it was, but I did not then (and still don't) have an NES. Rather, I think he just looks cool sitting atop my entertainment centre.

  13. Posted

    While calling in an "arcade" is perhaps a bit generous, there are a handful of games at the Greyhound Bus Depot here in Calgary. Included is a 60-in-1 and on or two other xxx-in-1 machines.

     

    While these are technicaly illegal here in Canada too, I suspect that the machine generates enough revenue to compensate for the (minimal) that someone would trouble to report the operator to whomever might care.

     

    Personally, I was just happy to be able to play Donkey Kong while I waited for my bus. ;)

  14. Posted

    This periodical seems to have had some name changes over the years:

     

    It began as Kilobaud (ISSN 0192-4583) in January 1977. This title continued through December 1978.

     

    From issue no. 25 (Jan. 1979) through no. 62 (Feb. 1982) it was called Kilobaud: microcomputing (ISSN 0192-4575).

     

    Finally, in March 1982, it became Microcomputing (ISSN 0744-4567). Publication apparently ceased in November 1984.

     

    I note the formal changes of name because some libraries (or collectors) may hold a few issues under one or another of the titles and people may not realise that it is, in fact, the same magazine.

     

    While several major Canadian libraries hold full or partial runs of this title, it does not appear to be available on microfilm or fiche.

  16. Posted · Edited by jhd

    Some catalogues will note at least an approximate relase date (e.g. "Available Fall 1982"). While this may not be especially accurate, for many titles it is going to be the only data available.

     

    Media coverage of announcements at CES and other industry events will also give some idea of release dates, but there was so much vapourware announced and name changes before release that it is an even less reliable source.

  17. Posted

    I got Rob, but not with the components... he's been collecting dust in the corner, a nice conversation starter but it usually ends there too lol

     

    Same here. I found him in the toy section of a thrift shop a few years ago for about $5. :) Ironically, I still don't have an actual NES, much less a Gyromite cart.

  18. Posted

    If you are able to get issues of Interface Age on microfilm or fiche (good luck with that; most of what is available in microfilm format is rather more mainstream!), your only real option would be to photocopy each page and then scan it.

     

    This would cost a modest fortune ($.10/copy, if not more) , take hours of your time, and it would look like crap beacuse it would be a third-generation copy.

     

    Hardware to scan directly off of microfilm exists, but it is somewhat rare. I have been a professional librarian for 10+ years and I have only seen one large, academic library with this equipment. Even then, the quality will be worse than scanning from the originals -- especially with any photographs or coloured text.

     

    Most libraries bind their magazines, so even if you could get access to paper copies, scanning them would be very difficult.

     

    If you have a decent camera, photographing each page, while tedious, would probably provide the best quality reproduction.

     

    A handful of Canadian libraries hold partial runs of this magazine. I can provide the details if you wish, which you could then forward along to your favourite local librarian. The magazine appears to have been published between December 1975 and October 1984. The earlier issues (vols. 1 and 2) are extremely scarce.

  19. Posted

    I think it may depend on where in Canada you are looking.

     

    I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and I began seriously collecting Atari 2600 games around 1989. I purchased countless boxes of hardware and cartridges at garage sales, rummage sales, and such like. Until I moved away in 1998, I saw only a single Zellers cartridge -- "Challenge". If memory serves, I bought it at the (now long defunct) Cash Convertors store.

     

    In the same time period, I found exactly one Sears-brand cartridge -- "Target Fun". These were not sold in the Canadian stores and so they are comparatively scarce around here.

     

    Into the early-1990s, my local Zellers store was still selling new, remaindered 2600 games, but none were store-brand. Indeed, I don't recall having ever seen Zellers store-brand cartridges throughout the 1980s (though I was admittedly not collecting games at that time, either).

     

    In the past decade, I have seen very few Atari cartridges in the wild -- mostly at thrift shops and flea markets (all in Canada). I have not encountered any Zellers cartridges.

  20. Posted · Edited by jhd

    The Model III had BASIC in ROM and so, if memory serves, it would default to that if there was no bootable disk in the drive. While very few people did so, it was possible to operate the Model III as a cassette-based system and I think it was even sold in a low-budget, no-drive configuration. (That said, the I last saw/touched a Model III in Junior High in 1985!)

     

    Given that the Model 4 was backwards-compatible with the III, I expect that it too would boot into BASIC. I'd suggest opening the case and checking to make sure that all of the cables are properly connected, etc.

     

    This may be useful:

    "][18] My Model 4 or 4P has video problems in Model 4 mode, but is fine in Model III mode. How can I fix it?

  21. Posted

    I would like a GAMEBOY PLAYER for the GAMECUBE. I heard from many they are cheap on Ebay or Gamestop, not here in Canada though, cannot find at Gamestop and the odd one I find on Ebay is killed by shipping.

     

    If anyone has an extra Gameboy Player in good working order and at least decent appearance and willing to give me a good deal SHIPPED to Canada (Kelowna, B.C) I would be very grateful. I have top refs and can Paypal ASAP. I know it is a long shot but you never know if you do not ask right? :D

     

    Were these even originally available in Canada? Game Cubes are dirt cheap, but I have NEVER seen a Gameboy Player.

     

    You may also wish to post on CGCC.CA as that will reach a more Canadian audience.

  22. Posted

    If you care to (carefully) open the case, a look at the circuit board should provide should help answer the question if it is a prototype or an actual production model. If it is just a breadboard or a mass of patch wires then it is probably a prototype.

     

    Also look at the bottom of the case for a serial number, FCC notice, instructions, etc. -- none of these items would be found on a prototype version.

     

    I actually have this model (no box, however), but it is packed away in storage. It was $1 at a rummage sale.

  23. Posted · Edited by jhd

    Thank-you for the excellent review!

     

    It does not appear that volumes 3 through 5 of this series were ever published.

     

    Both Amuicus (a union-catalogue of major academic and some public libraries in Canada) and the Library of Congress only list the first two volumes of the series.

     

    Here is the catalogue record for the second volume:

     

    TITLE(S):*General purpose software / edited by Interface Age staff

    Interface age

    PUBLISHER: Portland, Or. : Dilithium Press, c1980.

    DESCRIPTION: viii, 204 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.

     

    SERIES: Best of Interface age v. 2

    NOTES: Includes index.

    NUMBERS: LCCN: 80126172

    ISBN: 0918398371

    CLASSIFICATION: LC Call no.: QA76.6 .G44

    Dewey: 001.64/25 19

  25. Posted

    My favourite manual was that of Flying Corps. Except maps and manual it also included a book called "Practical Flying - Complete Course of Flying Instruction", written in 1918 by a flight commander. 270 pages with illustrations, detailed guide and even leaflet advertisements of aeroplane equipment in the end. I was astounded.

     

    The Blue & The Grey (I think that was the title) was a DOS-based military strategy game set during the American Civil War. It was released in about the early-1990s. In addition to the manual and reference sheet, there was a copy of the Stephen Crane novel The Red Badge of Courage.

     

    Not quite manuals, but in its heyday Infocom included all sorts of printed material with its games.

     

    Alas, not anymore.

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