What's it worth? (Obscure C64 Controller Edition)

[gzsfrk]

Hey guys!

 

Picked up a personal C128 collection yesterday, and among lots of great hardware and software, I ran across this little gem that I'd never seen before:

 

 

 

It's in pristine condition (although as you can see the box has some very minor spots on the label). The only other reference I've been able to find for it online is here, and in that thread a guy was talking about paying $42 just for the hand-made controller. Anyone have an idea of what the CIB version might go for among Commodore collectors?

Edited August 2, 2012 by gzsfrk

[Grig]

That is a sweet item for a Commodore collector. I've never even heard of it, and I've been in the game since 1977!

 

I love the art depicting the plane crashing through the monitor screen - classic and priceless for 8 bit.

 

Looks like that will take some research, good luck and thanks for sharing!

[King_Salamon]

That's the best part about picking up lots from people... you never know what's in the box. That's why I like going to garage sales and the such.

 

Nice find!

[Grig]

Ah ... to find Commodore or Atari 8 bit stuff at a garage/yard sale again ... it's been about 5 years for me (sigh)

[Austin]

That's pretty cool, brings back memories. My Dad had the IBM PC version of this back in the day.

[+madman]

I don't have an answer, but a Google of the address shows it's still Dave Brown Products. Kind of amazing.

[+save2600]

Very cool, but it's worth whatever someone into old R/C stuff AND C64 computing might be willing to pay. Seems to me the pair is particularly neither desirable or popular anymore. Probably worth whatever you paid for it. Free, cost of shipping to... $42+?

 

If you have someone willing to pay $40-$50 for it, time to let her fly!

[gzsfrk]

I don't really need the cash, so I'll probably just hang on to it. But I could see where it might be a nice item to have in hand should the right trade opportunity come along. I was really just more curious than anything.

 

Oh, and I did fire it up today; really quite impressive, honestly. Nice wireframe graphics, and a much better screen refresh rate than the old Sub Logic flight simulator. Controller is fantastic as well. I was doing snap barrel rolls and knife edges right out of the gate (although to be fair, I was heavy into RC planes a couple years back). It's no RealFlight G5, but I can see how it would have blown RC hobbyists' minds back in the late 80s.

[gzsfrk]

Oh, and just to be clear, I got this for practically nothing. It was in a box that came with a C128 lot that included a CIB 128, CIB 1571, CIB 1581, crap loads of software (quite a bit of it boxed), manuals, and various knick-knacks and accessories. And I picked up the whole collection for $100. Quite happy that I got my money's worth on this one.

[Grig]

Oh, and just to be clear, I got this for practically nothing. It was in a box that came with a C128 lot that included a CIB 128, CIB 1571, CIB 1581, crap loads of software (quite a bit of it boxed), manuals, and various knick-knacks and accessories. And I picked up the whole collection for $100. Quite happy that I got my money's worth on this one.

 

Wow, what a sweet score for $100. I try to keep a hundred or two lying around when I hit the yard sales just for that sort of thing - but alas, either everyone here in Bakersfield/Tehachapi wants to keep their 8 bit stuff or they just don't have any more. It's been about 5 years since I've seen some Atari or Commodore stuff at the yard sales.

 

Anyway - you da man! Nice!

Edited August 3, 2012 by jtoubeaux

[gzsfrk]

Wow, what a sweet score for $100. I try to keep a hundred or two lying around when I hit the yard sales just for that sort of thing - but alas, either everyone here in Bakersfield/Tehachapi wants to keep their 8 bit stuff or they just don't have any more. It's been about 5 years since I've seen some Atari or Commodore stuff at the yard sales.

 

I never see any Commodore stuff at the yard sales I visit (although I did run across a nice boxed TRS-80 a few weeks back; not my scene, though, so I let it go). However, they do pop up locally on Craigslist ever so often, and that's where I found this set.

 

Here's a picture of most of the stuff that came with it, sans some of the software boxes and the manuals:

 

 

Again, for the money I couldn't be happier with what I got, even if it did land me several angry stares from the wife as I was hauling my latest bounty upstairs to the man cave. I guess I'd better hold off on any more significant purchases for a while lest my significant other decide to up and brain me whilst I sleep.

Edited August 3, 2012 by gzsfrk

[+save2600]

Nice score of vintage C= goodies! BTW: how do you like those un-roller controllers? Never had a set back in the day, but was always curious about 'em...

[gzsfrk]

Nice score of vintage C= goodies! BTW: how do you like those un-roller controllers? Never had a set back in the day, but was always curious about 'em...

 

Haven't had a chance to try them yet, but just based on messing around with them unplugged, I imagine they're pretty awkward to use during a game which requires any amount of rapid movement. But as a GEOS semi-trackball? They're probably a nice mouse alternative, as they're quite ergonomic and let you keep your hand in a natural position when you use them.

[Grig]

Wow, what a sweet score for $100. I try to keep a hundred or two lying around when I hit the yard sales just for that sort of thing - but alas, either everyone here in Bakersfield/Tehachapi wants to keep their 8 bit stuff or they just don't have any more. It's been about 5 years since I've seen some Atari or Commodore stuff at the yard sales.

 

I never see any Commodore stuff at the yard sales I visit (although I did run across a nice boxed TRS-80 a few weeks back; not my scene, though, so I let it go). However, they do pop up locally on Craigslist ever so often, and that's where I found this set.

 

Here's a picture of most of the stuff that came with it, sans some of the software boxes and the manuals:

 

 

Again, for the money I couldn't be happier with what I got, even if it did land me several angry stares from the wife as I was hauling my latest bounty upstairs to the man cave. I guess I'd better hold off on any more significant purchases for a while lest my significant other decide to up and brain me whilst I sleep.

 

My wife was looking at this with me ... I think you gave her an idea because after reading this she pointed to the garage, pointed to me, pretended to be asleep and then air ice-picked me.

[gzsfrk]

My wife was looking at this with me ... I think you gave her an idea because after reading this she pointed to the garage, pointed to me, pretended to be asleep and then air ice-picked me.

 

I guess we'd better learn to sleep with our eyes open.

[Grig]

My wife was looking at this with me ... I think you gave her an idea because after reading this she pointed to the garage, pointed to me, pretended to be asleep and then air ice-picked me.

 

I guess we'd better learn to sleep with our eyes open.

 

Love that movie - makes me laugh every time.

 

I keep looking for that great CL ad here in SoCal, sadly still the same ol' farts trying to sell a few 2600 games and maybe a woodgrain for $75 to $200. There is a small C64 lot for $50 that includes the C64, 1541-II and about 15 games with one boxed game (FAX). Most of the games in the lot I already have and I don't really need another C64 so I'll pass on that one unless he'll sell it for $20 or so (maybe I'll call). I'm certainly not interested in the 1541-II - I already have two working 1571's (love those drives) and I'm really only looking for a boxed 128 so I just keep on keepin' on. Anyway, I still love your commodore score, it's an inspiration to us all.

[krslam]

I've got a similar but not identical Dave Brown package for C64. Not sure what it's worth, but I paid 99cents for it long ago when Commodore stuff was cheap and plentiful at the thrifts.

 

[Grig]

Yeah, the day of Commodore/Atari stuff at the thrift stores is long gone I think. The stuff is just not showing up and when it does (if it's Goodwill) the bastards at Goodwill will surely look up ebay BIN prices and ask $20 per game

[Austin]

Yeah, the day of Commodore/Atari stuff at the thrift stores is long gone I think. The stuff is just not showing up and when it does (if it's Goodwill) the bastards at Goodwill will surely look up ebay BIN prices and ask $20 per game

 

Sad, but true.

[gzsfrk]

I've got a similar but not identical Dave Brown package for C64. Not sure what it's worth, but I paid 99cents for it long ago when Commodore stuff was cheap and plentiful at the thrifts.

 

 

Yeah, I suspect that's a later revision of the controller hardware; much cleaner looking. In fact, on the one I have, the numbers "1" and "2" (to designate which port you were supposed to plug each end into) look like they were simply hand scrawled with a soldering iron on the flat part of the blue tip.

 

One of the guys in that Lemon64 thread I linked in my OP also mentioned that his had the round cables instead of ribbon. I actually PM'd the guy to see if he ever got a working D64 dump of the disk; haven't heard back from him yet.

 

Thanks for sharing!

Edited August 5, 2012 by gzsfrk

[krslam]

The disks are numbered. Mine is #1581 (a good commodore number, that:-) . I can't read the number on yours - maybe that'll tell us which is the later version.