Rare Atari Company Store Find?

[Lifeguard]

I'm near the San Francisco Bay Area and the other day I found at a thrift store a boxed "Factory Reconditioned" (printed on the box) 6 switch CX-2600 unit (serial number 054028--is this a heavy sixer?) with some controllers and papers inside. Upon closer inspection I discovered a round gold sticker on one of the box ends that has "Atari Company Store" on it with the Warner name and logo as well.

 

Papers inside the box were a couple game instructions and something pretty interesting---an "Atari Company Store Sales Order" (S/O #15561) with the 1215 Borregas Avenue address printed on it. It has an employee's name and badge number (#8556) and lists the transaction and prices for this November 1981 purchase. The then current game inventory (43 of them) and a number of standard accessories are all listed on the form.

 

Looks like this person got a deal for a reconditioned VCS for $75! A Backgammon ($19), Night Driver ($10), Othello ($13), Video Olympics ($10) and Video Pinball ($13) round out the transaction. Still attached to the sales order is the cash register sales tape--looks like a couple of the games were returned later because they are circled and crossed out.

 

The sticker and Sales Order are nice enough but the bonus is that the console still works!

 

I don't know if people think this stuff (including the box) is rare or not. Should I classify this find as "way cool" or "yeah whatever"?

 

Would AA want a scan of the sales order to post somewhere?

 

Lifeguard

[Rick Weis]

i would say you can call it a "way cool" find!!

 

as far as it being a "heavy sixer" there is a BIG difference in weight between the reg system and a heavy sixer.. do you have any other atari 2600 systems?

 

Take Care,

 

Rick

[Lifeguard]

Thanks for the info Rick.

 

Super--A way cool vote is good enough for me.

 

Regarding the 6-switch console, it is a lot heavier than the four switch one i have--my buddy has a 6-switch one but it is substantially lighter than this thing. If it didn't work i'd consider using it as a boat anchor.

 

This one is odd though because there is NO channel selector switch on it at all--either on the back panel or on the bottom of the unit. Does this mean i have to use this on channel 3?

[Cupcakus]

When I was a kid my mom worked for Atari, and both of my sixers have that very same box...

 

I even still have the company store reciepts, she paid $80 for a reconditioned sixer in '80, and about $15 a game. These are 'way cool'.

[Cassidy Nolen]

By any chance, did you get that one from the San Jose Flea Market? I saw one very much like that this past spring when I was there. Sounds like a heavy sixer, based on the channel switch thing. Do the controllers plug in really low on the back? If so, I would think you do have a heavy.

 

Funny enough, I have a cart box that says Company Store on it as well. I have been wondering if that adds to the value/rarity myself. Its not ever for sale, but its always neat to know.

 

Cassidy

[Rob Mitchell]

This one is odd though because there is NO channel selector switch on it at all--either on the back panel or on the bottom of the unit. Does this mean i have to use this on channel 3?

 

The early 1977 heavy sixers (both Atari and Sears) did not have a channel select. They only broadcast on one channel: Channel 3. In fall 1977 we had to return our Sears Video Arcade and got a replacement that broadcast only on Channel 4 due to interference from the local TVCh3 in our city.

 

The later heavy sixers have the channel select switch.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

(Grew up in Chattanooga, TN)

[Lifeguard]

To answer Cassidy's question, nope--this one didn't come from the San Jose Flea Market. I got it in the Stockton/Modesto area. I figure San Jose has got to be prime hunting grounds. I gotta get over that way sometime.

 

The controller connections are pretty low on this one, and the RF cord comes out of the same thin back panel where the controllers and the power plug in.