chances of a holy grail find

[+RangerG]

I had written this on another post, but I don't want to continue that one because it was all a hoax. However, it did make me think. What do you think are the real chances of finding a 9 or 10 boxed Atari game (or even unboxed for that matter)? Has anyone RECENTLY had a spectacular find that anyone can remember. I know there are some great legitimate stories of holy grail finds, but it seems like most were around 1996 or before Ebay and the pick-up in Atari collecting. I have been a pretty avid forum reader (I just don't post that much) since the beginning and I can't remember a legitimate holy grail find (but there probably has been). I remember two or three claims that were never backed up with pictures. I think the chances are really really low -- many of the 9s and 10s weren't even released to stores in the first place so the stories of people finding an old never sold game in a hobby shop or Toy store aren't going to happen.

[CPUWIZ]

Yes there has been such a find (this year) but you know what happens when people share this information, the person(s) involved in the find get bombarded with emails from people wanting to buy or trade for these holy grails. That is why often this information is not shared with everyone.

[+RangerG]

Hey CPUWIZ --

 

I never thought about that -- that's an excellent point. It's nice to know then that it happens. If anyone does have a story they are willing to share, please tell or post a link (you can even make up a new profile and post anonymously to avoid the Atari stalkers ). Seriously, I enjoy reading those legend/lore/great find stories.

[+RangerG]

CPUWIZ --

 

Was it you? You secret scoundrel keeping things from the AtariAge board :wink: . I saw that Sunnyvale, Ca location (is that true?) and I thought where better to find a grail!

[Eduardo]

"Never tell me the odds" - Han Solo.

 

Well under normal conditions you'll probably find about two level 10s in a LIFETIME that's without the box of course, not to mention the manuals. I've found only 3 level 10 carts in like 6 years of avid collecting, but I've put extra-effort to achive it, browsing thrifts and local flea markets almost weekly also looking for trades on the net almost daily. So probably every 2 years of weekly searching you might stumble across a 10, but that also depends on how dry is your area of Atari stuff.

 

As for Boxed level 10 carts, hmmm well if you ever come across one you shouldn't cross the street by foot that day cuz u might get rolled over by a big truck, it might be "your lucky day" hehe.

 

But don't dispair, if lady luck won't smile at ya there's always the hard cold cash option, but that would take away the fun of it.

 

Just my 10 cents, my 2 cents are always free.

[MegaManFan]

But don't dispair, if lady luck won't smile at ya there's always the hard cold cash option, but that would take away the fun of it.

 

Just my 10 cents, my 2 cents are always free.  

 

And we're more likely to get those two cents from ya than to ever find a boxed Eli's Ladder in the wild.

[Inky]

Wasn't Indiana Jones looking for this?

[Eduardo]

The 10s are out there, erm I meant the truth...LOL

[sku_u]

I've never found a 10 in the wild. At least not one where the owner wasn't already aware of the rarity. I have found some 9's and 8's over the years, though. Unless you're that person who goes to the garage sale of a former Atari employee or small software company that manufactured games for Atari, there really isn't much of a chance of finding extremely rare games anymore. I get excited when I find a game I don't already have for a good price, regardless of the rarity.

 

Thanks to television shows like Antiques Roadshow and the creation of ebay, it's getting harder and harder to find good games in the wild. I've noticed, at least in my region of the country, that even Thrift Stores are starting to use Ebay as a reference point for value; which is a very scary thought.

 

These days, the chances of finding a 10 for a really cheap price in the wild are about as good as winning the lottery.

[Callipygous]

Well, I remember the guy who found a mint sealed GLIB in the last year. Wasn't a 2600 collector, so he put it up for auction. He came on AA forums and said he nearly put a BIN on it for cheap. Went for around $300, IIRC. I think Al wound up using the box scan for AA So yeah, there are some finds out there, but shrinking in comparison to the number of people looking.

[CPUWIZ]

CPUWIZ --

 

Was it you? You secret scoundrel keeping things from the AtariAge board  :wink: . I saw that Sunnyvale, Ca location (is that true?) and I thought where better to find a grail!

 

No it wasn't me but I know who it was, I however found 2 CommaVid EPROM carts in the wild recently (Stronghold and Mines Of Minos) and earlier this year I found a few copies of Halloween (which I thought were copies until I saw the no-label version on eBay a couple of weeks ago). I also found a very strange looking (not T-handle) Air-Raid on the local fleamarket but it was PAL and I don't collect PAL carts so I traded with Marco for it.

 

Yes, the location is true, in fact the place where I found the 2 CommaVid carts is a building that used to be owned by Atari, which is now an outlet for ancient electronics.

[Lemmi]

I found Condor Attack (9) at a garage sale in Michigan, payed $3 for it

 

 

edit- This was like in August of 2001, and at that time i didnt know the rarity, all i knew was i didnt have that name in my collection yet

[MegaManFan]

I found Condor Attack (9) at a garage sale in Michigan, payed $3 for it

 

*sigh* I knew there was a good reason I shouldn't have left Ypsilanti.

[sdstuff64]

I found Condor Attack (9) at a garage sale in Michigan, payed $3 for it

 

I wish I could find something over a 5.I have gone to just about every garage sale I can,and always ask if they have games,even if I don't see them.No luck,all I have found is a Donkey Kong II G&W!No 2600 games whatsoever,no games ofr that matter!

 

Sometimes I think I am wasting my time,but them I remeber that if I keep it up,one day,I just know it,I will make a good find!Maybe not a 9 or 10,but something goog!

[atari art]

I don't know about you guys, but I find a certain amount of enjoyment / excitement in the hunt. I have been turning up rarity 6 NES carts on a bimonthly basis and just found a nice condition box only to an R7 cart. But you have to spend time looking/driving around.

 

All the Atari stuff I find is quite common. Out of at least 300 atari 2600 carts I've checked this year there was nothing above an R5. 5200 and 7800 cart searches were even more dismal. Lower quantities, lower rarities.

 

The carts are out there. Don't stop looking.

[IceCold]

my best find so far is probably the Bally Astrocade I got for $2, with like 8 games. Although it had some problems(barely worked), I still got a working saturn by trading it. The boxed commodore 64 lot for $2 wasn't bad either.

[AtariKari]

@CPUWIZ or Marco: any chance of a pic of that Air Raid cart? Is this the only PAL copy of the game to be found?

[sku_u]

If anyone in the NY tri-state area has any suggestions as to where to look for games, please PM me. It's been months since I've found any game carts in thrift stores. I've had some luck with garage sales, but now that the winter is coming, those are happening less and less.

[Velvis]

I had been into collecting about 2 weeks when I found a Vectex with 6 carts. (not boxed) which was marked $20 but when I got to the register it was 50% off day! So I got it for $10.

 

I knew it was rare but didnt realize how hard they were to find in the wild, plus I got it for a great price.

 

However, my luck really dwindled after that. Nowadays I rarely see ANY thing older than Genesis era stuff.

[CPUWIZ]

@CPUWIZ or Marco: any chance of a pic of that Air Raid cart? Is this the only PAL copy of the game to be found?

 

I believe Air Raid is PAL anyway but I am not certain since I don't have the T-handle version yet. Sorry can't take a picture, don't have the cart anymore.

[gavv]

I never found a '10', but one day i found 5 2s.

 

sorry, had to say it

 

gavv

[AtariKari]

I am not certain since I don't have the T-handle version yet.

This is, I believe, the definition of optimism

 

(edit: just re-read your post) What did you find along with the Air Raid? It just is interesting that someone bothered to make a PAL run given how rare the NTSC version is.

[Paul Slocum]

My best find was Flip&Flop and Bristles (both by First Star) NIB for the Atari 800. I paid $3 each and since I don't collect Atari 800 stuff, sold them and put the money into my 2600 collection. I'm not sure exactly how they compare, but I watched ebay a long time and never saw them, and some Atari 800 rarity lists show them as "never released". Someone offered to trade Video Jogger and Video Reflex for them.

 

-Paul

[Lifeguard]

Rare finds do happen.

 

I found a loose Malagai cartridge about 2 months ago at a garage sale for $1. (I put a post up here a while back after I found it.)

 

I'm new to collecting and when I found it I just identified it as one I didn't have so that was good, and when I discovered how rare it was after looking it up that was pretty interesting.

 

I'm pleased with that discovery, but it's not likely that I'll duplicate that feat anytime soon. After doing some serious hunting for a number of months now I realize that I very well may have peaked already on the rarity list.

 

I think that any find that is new to a collection is cool. It doesn't have to be a game. When I came across a couple of "Video Command" controllers that look like those old Fairchild F-System sticks, I got the same rush that I do when I find any game I don't currently own.

 

And isn't the biggest rush of all the one when you are hunting and see the shape of a console or cartridges? That's the best.

[AtariDude]

Well, I remember the guy who found a mint sealed GLIB in the last year. Wasn't a 2600 collector, so he put it up for auction. He came on AA forums and said he nearly put a BIN on it for cheap. Went for around $300, IIRC. I think Al wound up using the box scan for AA  So yeah, there are some finds out there, but shrinking in comparison to the number of people looking.

 

Yeah I remember that story. The guy found it at a thrift for $3 and bought it immediately. I don't remember exactly how much it sold for at Ebay but I think it went for at least over $300. So sometimes it is a simple matter of being at the right place at the right time.