DaNDeE Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Recently I got an old Atari 400 in its original packaging off ebay. Compared to the prices over here in Germany, you guys over there, at the other side of the big pont, really can feel lucky. For me it was a bargain and a good colleague of mine was so nice to bring it over. When I opened the box I found this letter/note from the shop, where it was bought, back in the days. Thought, I share it with you... perhaps someone knows that store. Made my day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Nice. Wonder if those 60% discounted software titles would be originals..... My best friend and original Atari buddy started out with a 400 and I always thought his cartridge door opened much cooler than the one on my 800..... I think his was the only 400 I ever saw "in the wild", i.e. outside a shop, a fair or a museum. They must be really rare this side of the Atlantic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 LOL!! My old neck of the woods. I never went to that store but there was another Atari dealer about 2 miles from that one called Warners Computers. It's where I got my first used 1200XL in the box for cheap back in about '85, amongst tons of other Atari hardware and software. I still have most the hardware I bought there. Pretty cool how something originally from San Diego has made it to Germany!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBO Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 Yep, A400 and A800 seems quite rare in continental Europe... my A400 is a Belgian one bought from a guy in Northern France (close the Belgian borders), and my A800 is Mimo's one from UK... XLs and XEs are much more commons, as you can find XLs in France and XEs mostly in Germany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I have a 400 with the old membrane keyboard. I used to hate typing in programs with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 XLs and XEs are much more commons, as you can find XLs in France and XEs mostly in Germany. The 800 was hellishly expensive in Austria (and Germany) with 14 or even 20% VAT and probably generous dealer margins for distributors as well as dealers. As far as I remember my 48K 800 + 810 + BASIC Combo cost about 1800 USD in late 1992 and when I had my first chance at shopping Atari in the US in 1985 the exchange rate had risen by a third, further devaluing my meagre teenage savings.....:-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elerach Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 cost about 1800 USD in late 1992 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I think he meant 1982? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaNDeE Posted June 30, 2013 Author Share Posted June 30, 2013 Nice. Wonder if those 60% discounted software titles would be originals..... Probably not. How would a dealer be in the position to do so, in the early eighties? Maybe he had a hord of codingmonkeys in his basement that threw out programs for tiny $$$, but I think it is more like you anticipated. And yes: Those early Atari models where and still are rare and very expensive over here but there were PAL/German models on sale. A friend has both in his collection. So tough luck with my 800 crashed by the postman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted June 30, 2013 Share Posted June 30, 2013 I meant 1982 of course, and there defintitely were PAL models of the 400/800 but I don't think there were German models. I don't recall seeing Ataris with other than QWERTY keyboards and as far as I recall even the ATASCII mapping of the international character set in the 800XL wasn't compatible with the EPSON ASCII mapping. Any 800 lost is one too many. Would be interesting to know how many PAL 800s were sold in total. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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