delvis Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 (edited) During my business trip to San Jose I was able to stop by and pickup an order from Best Electronics Atari warehouse. Most of you know they supply Atari parts for 29 years globally. I traded emails with Bradley and then arranged a pickup time for my item. I bought the HDDriver ST software to support my new IDE interface I ordered from Alan in the UK. They meet you in the front office and you pay and pickup your stuff. It would be cool to just walk the place and see all the stuff on pallets. It is great the places like Best, B&C, and Sierra Bravo still have and maintain Atari parts, books, and software for the rest of us. Edited July 11, 2013 by delvis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I used to order from them back around 89-90. Doesn't look like anything I imagined. They don't let you in huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenorman Posted July 11, 2013 Share Posted July 11, 2013 I guess I'm not really surprised that they didn't let you in and show you around. The outside looks kind of run down, and I bet palettes of 20-30 year old computer stuff would start to be pretty messy after all these years of picking orders off of them with a skeleton crew. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 You can get HD Driver online via PayPal directly from the author and it will arrive in your e-mail. Wondering if you paid more? I personally avoid them if at all possible as their prices are usually way too high. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 You can get HD Driver online via PayPal directly from the author and it will arrive in your e-mail. Wondering if you paid more? I personally avoid them if at all possible as their prices are usually way too high. Me too. Wasn't as bad back in the day but now I find ways to get around having to order anything from them. There's almost always an alternative. One thing I would like though is an old catalog of there's from 24 years ago. Anybody remember the Best Electronics Rev 9 Atari catalog? It was yellow and white and may have had some blue on it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one just for the nostalgia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I have the Best Electronics Rev 10 Catalog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 When I was there in 2009, Brad was nice enough to show me around. It is actually well organized inside the warehouses. He has other warehouses nearby that house the rest of the inventory. He also showed me some arcade machines he was restoring. He was very nice and accommodating during my visit. Outside of my purchase, we spent about an hour talking and looking through things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 When I was there in 2009, Brad was nice enough to show me around. It is actually well organized inside the warehouses. He has other warehouses nearby that house the rest of the inventory. He also showed me some arcade machines he was restoring. He was very nice and accommodating during my visit. Outside of my purchase, we spent about an hour talking and looking through things. Must have caught him during the slow hours or something. Whatever happened to Video61? He still in business? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 12, 2013 Share Posted July 12, 2013 I have the Best Electronics Rev 10 Catalog. Nah too new. Address isn't even the same as I remember. When I ordered Wayyyy back when, their address was something like in the picture. I think it was a suite followed by The Alameda, in San Jose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Maybe the photo you found was unreadable? See the attached photo I just snapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Wow, not much of a place to look at, but still very cool to see. This is the closest to the "original" Atari source you can still get. I wonder why people like Best and B&C don't partake - AT ALL - with communities such as AtariAge? If they did a little promotion - or even product that is not necessarily promotion - they'd *really* increase sales. Perhaps they're satisfied with their existing business? Too bored (after too long) with Atari to spend their off-hours discussing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delvis Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 (edited) The location is a warehouse in a business area, not really setup to be a store front. Bradley was very friendly and spent about 15 minutes just talking about Atari stuff. I asked about a few other items that I was interested in and he quoted me some prices. However I could not pick them up while I was there since they had to get them together for me. They would ship in about a week if I wanted them. I ordered an empty Megafile case. I have a little project I am working on and it will look cool with the Mega ST4. I have read others having bad experiences with him over the years but I did not. Since I was in town anyway I went there and by the old Atari Sunnyvale location. I am registered for buying the software and can download the updates. The price was in line with the price on the HDDrive website. (Saved about $5 USD) Edited July 13, 2013 by delvis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Maybe the photo you found was unreadable? See the attached photo I just snapped. How do you explain the 672 Commercial Street address. The catalog i'm looking for is before this one. How old is the rev. 10 anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Wow, not much of a place to look at, but still very cool to see. This is the closest to the "original" Atari source you can still get. I wonder why people like Best and B&C don't partake - AT ALL - with communities such as AtariAge? If they did a little promotion - or even product that is not necessarily promotion - they'd *really* increase sales. Perhaps they're satisfied with their existing business? Too bored (after too long) with Atari to spend their off-hours discussing it? Because most of their prices are outrageous and why subject yourself to constant complaints and negative press. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 Because most of their prices are outrageous and why subject yourself to constant complaints and negative press. I second that. Just found Video 61 in Stacy, MN. Haven't heard for them in quite a long time. Prices are crazy as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 How do you explain the 672 Commercial Street address. The catalog i'm looking for is before this one. How old is the rev. 10 anyway? The address on the back as seen at the bottom appears to be the one you remember? The low rez photo you found does not match the front cover of mine. The address on the front cover on my rev 10 catalog matches the address on the back cover as seen in my photo. Only guessing, perhaps someone goofed up a batch of the catalogs early on and it was later corrected? You would have to ask Brad about the discrepancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 When I was there in 2009, Brad was nice enough to show me around. It is actually well organized inside the warehouses. He has other warehouses nearby that house the rest of the inventory. He also showed me some arcade machines he was restoring. He was very nice and accommodating during my visit. Outside of my purchase, we spent about an hour talking and looking through things. Did you all the rest of his atari staff around ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delvis Posted July 13, 2013 Author Share Posted July 13, 2013 When I went you ring the buzzer and Bradley opens the outer door. This is an office with desk and a table near the doorway. There was an open door leading back into the warehouse but a stack of stuff was piled there blocking the view. I know he does this by appointment and the B&C site says "Will call" by appointment. The Video 61 site looked very limited to what they had listed for ST. The Bravo Sierra site normally has stuff too. http://www.aracnet.com/~atari/ I haven't used them in years since I took a 2005-2013 break from Atari... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarilovesyou Posted July 13, 2013 Share Posted July 13, 2013 I just like their online website...lots of info, cool old style links. I'm always telling myself I'm going to order some joysticks n parts from them but never get around to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 (edited) You went to Best and all you bought was a floppy disc? I got the yellow Rev 9 catalogue Edited July 15, 2013 by high voltage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmel_andrews Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Well, I was lucky enough to meet with Mr Koda in Wembley (nr the famous football ground) he was an exhibitor at the computer shopper show at the nearby conference centre...but this was back in the v. early 90's and he gave me a free yellow/white B.E catalogue (I think i might still have it somewhere) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delvis Posted July 15, 2013 Author Share Posted July 15, 2013 Yes I only picked up the disk. I had also exchanged emails with Bradley about Mega ST keyboards, the Video SVGA cable, and getting an empty Megafile case. Since it was only a few days notice I was only able to pickup the HDDrive program during my visit. The Megafile empty case will be shipping to me soon. The video cable is on back order, and I held off on the Mega ST keyboard since I bought the Eiffel 3 from Alan H. I intend to use the empty case to house a mac 45MB SCSCII HDD and ICD interface. May try to squeeze in the Eiffel 3 too. This will clean up the look of my Mega system. Also have the IDE interface coming from Alan so I will add that inside the Mega ST4 case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video_Invader Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 You went to Best and all you bought was a floppy disc? I got the yellow Rev 9 catalogue Hey, if you or Carmel or anyone that has one doesn't mind selling, let me know what you want for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlazer Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 I went to Bravo Sierra to pickup some stuff years ago. They guy was very nice and friendly, but his place was really bad. Was just like a case of the Hoarders you see on TV. With Atari junk (and other stuff) all over the place. I really felt bad for the guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I went to Bravo Sierra to pickup some stuff years ago. They guy was very nice and friendly, but his place was really bad. Was just like a case of the Hoarders you see on TV. With Atari junk (and other stuff) all over the place. I really felt bad for the guy. I went there in the mid-90s, when I lived in Oregon. I quite agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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