Found my first carts in the wild.

[atari_aaron]

Well, I found my first carts in the wild today. Nothing too valuable, the rarest was a 2. Good ol'e thrift stores. 20 carts in all (4 of which were combat 3 text, 1 pic). I bought them all since I didn't know if they all worked. Each cart cost $2.50 a piece.

 

Plus after wandering around the store for a bit more I found a 2600 Spectra Video Two-button joystick for 2 bucks. It appears to be in really good shape... though I guess I'll find out for sure when I get home today. Finding that stick made me happy because two of the three controllers that came with the 7800 I bought on ebay were broken (live and learn). Let's hope that the spectra isn't broken either.

[mikeftrevino]

I sometimes don't mind buying broken items.( as long as i know they're broken) They come in handy for parts later on.

[AtariDude]

Congratulations on finding some carts in the wild. I have yet to find any Atari carts in the wild (Nintendo seems to be easy though). I am looking forward to the day that I can announce that I found some Atari related item in the wild, even if it is just common cartridges.

 

I hope that you have the best of luck in finding more fun items

[Raijin Z]

Earlier in the week I found forty copies of Combat (varying versions) and twenty-two of Asteroids (both versions). Needless to say I was SEVERELY disappointed.

[chromizone]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! some of u have never found any wild items????? im pretty new to collecting atari although my colection is good im not sure if buy wild u mean just thrifting or does garage saling constatue wild to????cause if so everything iv got is "wild" and i have 6 systems (5 2600's a 6ixer two juniors two 4 switch one a vader and an atari 800xl) and about 200 games and iv never bought of ebay or form a store lol eat that lol

[Brian R.]

Almost all my Atari stuff was found "in the wild," with a marked minority coming from online stores and the least from eBay.

 

Among the stuff I found "in the wild" are several 2600s and most of my 2600 games, my 5200, my 7800 and even two of my three Jaguar consoles. Also found an XEGS and an 800XL in the wild. I think my Lynx is the only part of my collection that came entirely from online stores, with one or two games from eBay.

[sphipps]

Finding 2600 stuff in the "wild" is not hard at all. Visit all of the flea markets and thrifts stores that you can. Get out of town now and then and hit new fleas and thrifts you don't normally go to. Weekend outdoor fleas where the average joe sells stuff out of the trunk of his car are usually very good. There will be many a trip where you won't find a thing, but those trips that turn up a complete 2600 with 50 games for $10 or several carts ranking an ultra rare "9" for $1 each make the "hunt" worthwile. You'll find yourself with quite a collection after a year or two of doing this.

[King Atari]

My thrifts are loaded with carts, just common carts, and there's always a few systems floating around.

[Stella'sGhost]

The first cart I found in the wild was Asteroids! That was in late 1999.

 

Just ask yourself, how do Moles find worms in the earth? Mole-sense.

 

Finding in the wild is harder where I am, but you have to have your "mole" instincts on full to find them. I have learned some tricks to finding games, however my mole-sense is the most important.

 

Listen to the silence of the stone, you shall find your carts.