Where did you get your ColecoVision?

[SlowCoder]

Some of you guys seem to have multiple CVs in your collections. And plenty of extra parts to go around! Just wondering where you got them all? Were they accrued over time here and there, or were you employed by a repair company? Did you find some abandoned warehouse somewhere? Did you run up and down the neighborhood, breaking into everyone's house and stealing everything game related?

[JayWI]

About 15 years ago they could be very common in garage sales. I got both of mine (one boxed) with 5 games and about 8 controllers for $20.

[+Ransom]

I bought mine where all the best stuff comes from -- a fellow Atari Ager.

 

And one of these days, I hope to be able to afford one of Yurkie's modified consoles.

[Yurkie]

I have bought several off of craigslist and got a bulk deal on consoles back in June. Just wish I had more controllers and power supplies.

[schuwalker]

We have 2 colecovisons.. One bought brand new at Montgomery Wards way back when. The second came from Zayre, it was part of the Adam computer system.....

[dooglehead]

I bought mine at a flea market with 6 games for $10.

[tz101]

Craigslist for $50. Came with 26 games.

[raskar42]

"where did you get your colecovision?"

 

in my imagined future.

[frank_c]

got mine at launch from an local (now defunct) department store. OK, mom bought it when they came out and we got it for Christmas, but still...

Edited November 14, 2010 by frank_c

[fiddlepaddle]

First one? Toys R Us, 1982. After that, garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets, etc. As a matter of fact, I got another one at a Salvation Army two weeks ago, including two Adam (grey) controllers (but no power supply) for $2.49. It was under a TV next to some VCRs and had been there a few weeks before they put it at half price. I don't need it, but I couldn't help myself.

 

They're still out there.

[AtariLeaf]

I've had several over the years and always through garage sales or thrifts or kijiji but I don't have any now since they were almost always faulty. IF I buy one down the road it will be a refurbished model either here or through one of the people on CGCC.ca who do similar refurbs.

[SlowCoder]

I asked this question because I've been in and out of pawns and GW, and garage sales. Other than a few Atari games, I've not seen any 2nd gen consoles. When I inquire the response is typically "haven't seen one in years", or "we toss that junk because its too old". So other than ebay and our folks here, choices are few.

[tz101]

^

GW is one of the worst offenders. They are famous for throwing Atari, Intellivision, and Colecovision stuff in "the shredder" out back. They have single-handedly brought down the usable population of classic consoles like nobody else.

[NIAD]

I asked this question because I've been in and out of pawns and GW, and garage sales. Other than a few Atari games, I've not seen any 2nd gen consoles. When I inquire the response is typically "haven't seen one in years", or "we toss that junk because its too old". So other than ebay and our folks here, choices are few.

Wasn't the ColecoVision considered a 3rd Generation system? That's what I always recall it and the Atari 5200 system being classified as and the Intellivision was 2nd Generation, or am I just getting old and the facts are muddied in this decaying brain of mine!

 

BTW, got two Yurkiefied systems and they are TOP SHELF... especially my recent addition with Pause Button, AV Mod, Socketed Alt BIOS, etc.!! I got a number of Retro stores within driving distance that have good stocks of CV systems, but the two that I have bought have had some serious issues even after I was told they were fully tested and got returned!

 

Still looking to add a complete BOXED system eventually but with all the new CV games coming down the pipeline, I must prioritize!

[Yurkie]

^

GW is one of the worst offenders. They are famous for throwing Atari, Intellivision, and Colecovision stuff in "the shredder" out back. They have single-handedly brought down the usable population of classic consoles like nobody else.

 

Wish I would not have read this post. I hate thinking about CVs getting destroyed. If anyone is going to throw one away, please message me first.

[SlowCoder]

Wasn't the ColecoVision considered a 3rd Generation system? That's what I always recall it and the Atari 5200 system being classified as and the Intellivision was 2nd Generation, or am I just getting old and the facts are muddied in this decaying brain of mine!

 

I guess that could use some clarification by folks who'd like to chime in.

 

I've thought that dedicated games like Pong were 1st. Then in the 2nd were Atari 2600, IntV and CV. Then 3rd started with NES.

 

Most of the games for the CV appear to me much like 2nd gen (my definition) systems, and I think it's specifications would put it much closer to 2nd gen than 3rd.

[DensB68]

I got my first one at a local game store/card shop(now closed), the last 4 came from Ebay.... A few pawn shops in the area sell some games but want outrageous prices for them, have'nt had any luck finding any CV stuff at garage sales.

[Tubular Gearhead]

I used to go to the Capital flea market in San Jose almost every week about ten years ago and would always see them there along with several other systems. I would pick them up when I could get them for cheap. I have three CV's.

[Rik]

I love threads like this.My 1st ColecoVision was bought new from a department store for like $150 , which i STILL have of course.The other 5 i have, i found at the local thrift store Value Village.Those have all worked, never found a non working CV, i must be extremely lucky.

[Mark_Coleco]

Got mine in I think '86 for christmas, I ended up getting the CV and the ADAM Module #3 cause it was 50 bucks cheaper than the standalone Adam. I want to say it was only 250 bucks at Kabey Toy store.

Never had a problem with the CV power switch cause I didn't use it nearly at all, since I had the Adam.

I did have some graphical glitches, but that was due to a poor connection between the Adam and the CV, cleaning it fixed it.

[BenG76]

I found three of them along with 2 Intellivisions that a seller had at the flea market neaby. I made him an offer on all of it and he took it. I then sent one of my Coleco's to Yurkie for him to work his magic on. I am keeping the others as spares. I dont ever run across these consoles in my area any more. If I do I will surely scoop more up.

[NIAD]

My first ColecoVision arrived under the Christmas tree for X'Mas 1982 thanks to Santa Claus via Service Merchandise. The following X-Mas, Santa brought the Expansion Module #3 ADAM System and the rest is history. Unfortunately, I sold all my Coleco and ADAM gear off in 1998 and still regret it to this very day. I had just about everything made and released for the CV and a huge amount of ADAM stuff collected through the years working for and then running a User's Group... including a bunch of Coleco made hardware protos for the ADAM!

[Armonigann]

My first Coleco I paid 40.00 for and about 20+ games off Craigslist. The lady actually wanted 60.00 for it but she got no bites. The 2nd and 3rd were bought together with one power supply for 10.00. They both have the IC controller issues though.

[Justin42]

Growing up I was really torn between a Colecovision and Atari 5200; both had games I wanted but I was buying from my limited savings account and my parents were going to go in for a few games. I wanted the CV since it had Turbo (and a steering wheel!) which was my favorite arcade game of the time... We went to Gemco (anyone remember those? or Memco?) and looked at both; I think it was sort of a last minute decision but we went with the 5200, mainly as it had Pac Man and Frogger (2 arcade games the whole family liked; we got Frogger specifically as my mom loved it; I guess at the time Gemco didn't stock Frogger Colecovision or something..!). I think we got it with Pac Man, Football, and Frogger. (plus the Turbo + steering wheel was pretty expensive if I remember correctly)

 

(there is a point to this ) -- later that year when the Adam got released I thought I'd finally also be getting my Colecovision-- the family needed a computer, it was a really good deal, etc. I was really excited to have both of the major systems. It was sort of the family Christmas gift that year (so that'd be 1983?). I think we didn't actually get it until January 1984 due to shortages, but we got it all hooked up, plugged in, turned it on-- and it worked for about, oh, 10 minutes before blowing up and not producing any video.

 

By then the stories of the Adam's failure rate were legendary so we boxed it up, took it back to Gemco, and my parents got a DEC Rainbow computer. (deciding not to screw around with "toy" computers anymore... that sucker was built like a tank)

 

Anyway... never have had a Colecovision, but I just bought one from Yurkie which should be here in a week or so. And I just got a box of CV games I picked up on Ebay. So now, after 27 years, I will FINALLY have a Colecovision to call my own.

 

Gotta wonder what would've happened if I had bought the CV instead of the 5200, or if the Adam had worked-- the 5200 was a big stepping stone into Atari computers later on. Kind of funny how divided the "camps" were back in the day. (and once I had the 5200 I was full on in the Atari camp! even though I still secretly lusted for Turbo)

 

(strangely, I DID pick up a couple Colecovision controllers from Radio Shack, I think, sometime in the mid to late 80s when they were clearancing them, for some reason $10 for 2 sticks out.. I used them on my 800XL to feel what it'd be like to play a ColecoVision. )

[+Ransom]

Cool story, Justin. Thanks for sharing.