AussieAtari

Is it NTSC only? If it can be used in a PAL console you can count me in for $ support.

My two-bob's worth, in no particular order: 2600 7800 Colecovision Vectrex SNES N64 Dreamcast Saturn DS GBA-SP A tabulation of the results after a couple of weeks would be good.

This poll prompts me to actually add it all up and see if it should be insured as a "collection", I'll get around to it soon. I reckon I come in around the $2500 - $3000 mark, mostly due to hardware and my DC games collection with some of the more expensive and rarer titles for other consoles and including my 8 & 16-bit computers.

As things are getting harder to find in the wild and eBay can only be the way to go sometimes, it is concerning to find examples of where sellers restrict where they will send things due to their opinion of what is "economical". Often sellers will only send to local areas or offer pick up only as they either think that the cost of postage will be too high and the buyer will pull out of the sale or they don't want to pack thing up. Post 1984 I know, but last week I wanted to bid on a complete Jaguar system from the States and the seller would not accept my bid as he reckoned it would be uneconomical due to postage costs. I see that as being my decision. In this case the system was USD$35 and the postage would be around USD$70. Considering I really want a Jaguar to get near completing my Atari hardware collection, my options are to pay AUD$250+ locally (rip off), USD$95 + shipping from Bests or via eBay in the States or UK. That made the item economical in my book, but unfortunately not his. As has been mentioned already in this thread, opportunity (thrift) shops are starting to charge more and more for 8-bit systems, especially if in original boxes. I have seen 2 NES systems for more in a Salvation Army store than in a Game Traders recently!

I agree, this is a great way to have fun together and can be much cheaper than to buy certain games, bulk lots with systems can be really cheap and the exploration through the games can be hours of fun.

I have not placed ads in newspapers, only community newsletters etc, but the thing to watch out and be prepared for is the people who think that because you advertise, their stuff must be worth a bit and expect way more than you are willing to pay.

I have not seen one in the wild here in Oz for quite a few years, I am very jealous of your thrift shops in the States, most of our charity stores only take clothes and furniture so it is extremely rare to see any video gaming stuff in them. Whenever I get an old system it is usually donated to me as a lot of people know I collect old computers & video game stuff (which they think is weird), then I take great pleasure in cleaning it right up and add it to my collection. I have quite a bit of stuff that I am going to sell on eBay - honest, I really am, one day, I'm just too busy right now etc, etc, etc.

There are more stores selling valve radios and records than old video game systems now, so maybe in 20 years the video games will replace the radios and LP's. Here's hoping anyhow.

$10 -what a bargain for a pretty cool system. I was looking at one last night on eBay Oz for AUD$170 with 2 games. Good pick up!

- Jumps to feet indignant and offended - Sir, I protest, in answer to the post title my response is perfectly correct; However in response to the actual intention of the thread my response is left lacking and is indeed dumb. No need to apologise when you are right. D'oh!

We will be buying a Wii but probably not until February when we will have the time to play with it and there may be some post-Xmas bundled specials going in the stores.

I have not found one that has not worked with my VecFlash as yet, still have not tried them all though - so many games, so little time!

I fix it, or if it is beyond repair, strip it down for parts.

Curt, I don't suppose you have had any of the Oz Arcade Game distributors interested in selling the unit in the Great Southern Land?

Guys, Is the FB2 still available in the USA? If so, would any of you be willing to pick one up for me and parcel post to Oz? I can pay via PayPal. According to Curt there will never be a PAL FB2 so I will have to get a NTSC unit from the States and the previous offers of sending me a FB2 ended in unanswered emails etc.

1. Archer McLean 2. Frank Zappa 3. Hunter S Thompson

Perfectly said! Give that man a cigar.

I found that placing notices in the local Community newsletters and newsletters at work yeilds quite well. Most people simply need the prompt to remember some old system and/or games in a cupboard somewhere and they will gladly off-load it, usually for free. I have been the lucky recipient of a complete C64 system with software and all peripherals, a complete 6-switch woody, SMS mark I, SMS Mark II, some N64 cartridges and various obscure home computers. I find that it is a nice and passive way to add to the collection.

Well we (in Oz at least) will know from this weekend as the Nintendo Wii Road-Show kicks off all over Australia with demonstrations of the Wii in major shopping centres: Nintendo will start its country-wide Wii roadshow on Saturday, giving punters the chance to experience the next-generation console first-hand. Dubbed "Play Wii", the roadshow will stampede through major shopping centres in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. A full list of the dates and locations can be found on Nintendo's website here. At the shopping centres, Nintendo plans to have multiple Wii consoles set up out in the open, accompanied by in-store demo units. The first event will be held at the Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne on Saturday, with the roadshow finishing on December 17. Nintendo's Wii will compete directly with the Xbox 360 - which launched seven months ago - and the upcoming PlayStation 3 (PS3). The core differentiating factor for Wii is its unconventional user interface. Users interact with the console using a wireless controller that is shaped like a conventional television remote. Players can control the in-game action by waving the controller through the air. Nintendo uses tennis as an example of the unique applications this affords. "For example, in the Wii tennis game, players swing the Wii remote like a racquet to hit the ball, as in real life," Nintendo said. "They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match." Nintendo has also announced a "Nunchuk" controller, which connects to the regular Wii remote and, due to its hand-fitting shape, is ideal for use with action and sports games, the company said. Wii will arrive in Australia on December 7 with a retail price of $399.95. This package includes the console, wireless remote controller, Nunchuk controller and five Wii sports titles. Nintendo plans to have 20 titles available for the Wii by the end of the year, and will also make available its entire library of games from Wii's predecessor, the GameCube. Sony's PS3 launch date was recently pushed back from November 17 this year to March next year. At the time Sony said that this was due to the "delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode" used in the console's Blu-ray disc drive. The PS3 will come in two bundles: one for $829, which includes the console and a 20GB hard drive, and another for $999 that boasts the console, a 60GB hard drive, built-in wireless, HDMI connector and card slots. Both Sony and Nintendo will have their work cut out for them, as the Xbox 360's head start means that many gamers already own a next-generation console. Last month, Microsoft announced it had sold more than 100,000 Xbox 360 consoles in Australia, which it said makes it "the fastest selling [non-hand-held] video game console in Australian history". Punters will also get the chance to experience Wii at the GAME1 expo this weekend, and the eGames Expo on November 17-19, both held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Additionally, GAME1 will be held at Sydney Showground on December 2-3, and will also feature Wii demo units.

Overall I'd have to agree, but the 7800 games I have bought recently were brand spanking new, the shrink wrapping still had the plastic hanging do-dad attached, the boxes showed no sign of being opened around the lid tabs where you would normally expect a bit of creasing and everything inside was in mint condition and still had that nice "new" smell. Whereas any 2600 "factory sealed" games are completely suss as fas I'm concerned as they were not shrink wrapped (at least not here in Oz anyway) when they were orginally released!

I cannot get onto eBay much at all anymore so am looking for anyone wanting to sell a complete 5200 and/or a complete Jaguar. Can be PAL or NTSC and any voltage. Shipping will be a sod, so a seller in Oz would be ideal but will consider from anywhere if the condition of the hardware warrants. Payment will be by PayPal.

Factory sealed 7800 games seem to be quite plentiful here in Oz, along with Coleco games (which are getting so old now that the shrink wrapping is turning yellow and getting brittle), so there must still be some caches somewhere.

Definitely.

We do have DSL. I guess my main question is the availability of the "retro" titles such as those from Hudson and Sega as that is one of the big appeals of the Wii. I gather that the console hooks stright to the ADSL connection and Nintendo act as an ISP (probably not a great way of explaining it)?

Easy - ecstatic about winning my latest Atari purchase on eBay then dread as I try to figure out how to get it into the house without She Who Must Be Obeyed realising that the volume of "junk" in the Cave is growing. Happens about once a fortnight