Rick Dangerous Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 There has been a lot of talk lately about how EXPENSIVE it to collect for the Jaguar. My intent is to create a thread where we can share tips and resources to Jaguar gamers who are playing and/or collecting on a budget. We don't want people to be priced out of this great console after all. The following are some of my initial thoughts: -My #1 piece of advice for collecting for Jaguar: Be Patient. If you are in a rush to buy something, chances are you might pay too much. If you need a complete game now, you may pay $140. Rather than paying $35 for a loose cart, $20 for a manual in 6 months, and $20 for a box in a year. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither will your Jaguar collection be built overnight. -Buy stuff from overseas, and overseas ebay auctions (which tend not to blow up like us auctions.) Jaguar games and accessories are region free, so look for deals across the pond or down under. Starting a Collection: Your best best when it comes to bang for the buck is to get a "lot" that includes a jaguar, a couple of controllers, and 5-10 games. For an extra win look for a lot that includes a Jaguar CD or a stray pro controller. It doesn't happen often but if you can snag one you will be in for major savings. As well as ebay, keep an eye on Craigslist. I bought a big jaguar lot from a local guy for $200 bucks; and people who don't know that it's hot on epay are usually up to part with them at a reasonable price. Also, don't be afraid to post a "wanted" ad here on atariage marketplace, or on the local CL for a jaguar. Fellow collectors are usually amenable to selling at a reasonable price. -Look for lots with one or two rare titles (AvP or Rayman are common "rares") -Look for lots with an AV Cable included -Lots with boxes and manuals are worth waiting for, and are plentiful. -Know how to solder? Buy a cheap broken jaguar and replace the u38 chip, which is what's blown 9 times out of 10. http://console5.com/store/mc34163dw-soic-16w-package-step-up-down-inverting-switching-regulator.html Games and accessories. -Games are often overpriced on ebay, but you can sometimes find loose carts for a pretty reasonable price. Save money and buy the cart, getting the box and manual later from ebay or other online retailers. -Games and accessories are sometimes found at reasonable price on CL or local play and trades, flea markets etc. Always keep an eye out for Jaguar in the wild! -If you compare and contrast prices among many online retailers, you can often find a decent price. The following are my go-to websites: http://members.tcq.net/video61/jagnew.html http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/jaguar.htm http://www.myatari.com/atarijag.txt http://www.eightbitfix.com/for-sale/ http://www.goatstore.com/Products/Atari/Jaguar/ There are many other smaller sites to be found with a few odd Jaguar items here and there, happy hunting. Homebrews Generally it is best to pay attention to the threads for new releases, and to buy them when they are released. You will pay a steep markup on ebay. Great sites for Jaguar hombrews include: http://console5.com/store/software/atari/jaguar-cd.html https://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_list&c=26 (should be more full soonish) http://www.gooddealgames.com/inventory/Atari%20Jaguar.html http://rgcd.bigcartel.com/category/atari-jaguar-4 http://www.songbird-productions.com/catalog.shtml -Keep an eye on the AA marketplace, and don't be afraid to mention you are looking for something if it's being discussed in a thread. People often have extra copies of stuff, or have grown bored of the title and are willing to sell. Deals are more likely to happen among AA members than trying to pay retail or scalp prices on ebay. Rare Items Its hard to get deals on a Catbox, Scatbox, BSG, Jag CD or Pro Controller. But if you want these items LET IT BE KNOWN on the threads here and you might be surprised who might PM you. Its better to pay someone on AA $200 for a pro controller than to get bid up to $374 on ebay! Side note: -Multitaps are readily available for $15-20ish. Get one now while they are cheap, as I'm sure demand will rise when Gauntlet is released on Cart. The Skunkboard/Jaguar SD Cart/Burning CDs The Skunkboard is the cheap Jaguar gamers friend. Buy one from someone on AA with an extra if you can, steer clear of them on ebay. Runs seem to happen every few years, so be PATIENT and you can probably get one soon. -There is potentially a Jaguar SD cart also on the horizon -Excellent program by reboot for loading the skunkboard, and creating files to burn to CD: http://reboot.atari.org/new-reboot/jiffi.html -Great tutorial by Reboot on how to burn CD's for the Jaguar: http://reboot.atari.org/new-reboot/burning.html If you have a jaguar CD or a skunkboard, and you wait to find them for the right price, your gaming options are nearly unlimited. There are tons of roms out there, allowing you to save money for the hombrews that have a hardcopy release! Well, that's it for me for now. Looking forward to all of your tips, tricks, good websites and words of wisdom when it comes to collecting for Jaguar on a budget. Good luck, and happy hunting! Artwork by XUCAEN, so good I had to use it again... 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 + = Jaguar gaming on a budget. (neat, when i searched for Skunkboard on Yahoo! Images, up came a pic I had taken of my cart. WTH? lol 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 jag_atari_jaguar_sys.jpg + = Jaguar gaming on a budget. (neat, when i searched for Skunkboard on Yahoo! Images, up came a pic I had taken of my cart. WTH? lol RF cable?? 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 ^ budget man, BUDGET! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 Here's my Jaguar gaming on a budget, which has served me (mostly) well for the last few years: Virtual Jaguar - FREE Classic Release ROMs - FREE* Reboot titles - FREE Can't get much cheaper than that. * Pirating ROMs from active developers/publishers is NOT recommended. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+CyranoJ Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Kai Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 I did a SOLD listings search on Ebay just the other night and wasn't flabbergasted by the prices that stuff actually sells for. There's a few outliers on the high side, like Rayman and the Pro Controller, plus a single Battlesphere (always expensive). Prices for Jaguar the last few years have not spiked upward in any meaningful way from what I can tell. The way to budget Jaguar is to simply get only the essential games, because there's not that many. Everyone's list of essential games might be different, but mine would only be around 5 titles. Don't waste time with grabbing every cross-platform title that is easily available cheaper on the PS1/Saturn, aside from Tempest 2K (one of the essentials). Personally, I don't think spending a couple hundred bucks for a console and 5 really great games is that much investment. Everyone has a different threshold of what constitutes 'too much', it's all subjective. But let's consider a couple things: The Jag is actually a semi-rare system. It's the real deal in scarcity. More scarce than 3DO and Neo Geo. The reasons for this don't matter, it's fact. Secondly, from another perspective, take a gander at SOLD listings for SNES, Genesis and TG-16. That stuff is HOT and has spiked considerably over the last year. I regret selling my TG-16 a few years back, I sold it here cheap with good stuff, I could get over a grand now easy (but I needed the money then). SNES is ridiculous and would be a really stupid time to 'start' collecting/playing that thing, and I was kind of shocked at how Genesis games have spiked upward so recently. All I'm saying with that is if you just stick with getting the really good (and few) great games on the Jaguar, you are getting off light in comparison to what it would take on those other systems. This is of course assuming you want to play on real hardware with real cartridges. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantis Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 Budget: get Jaguar with Cybermorph for good ha ha, then buy Iron soldier, Brutal sports football, Doom and Tempest. They're all common and not pricey. Then aim for a AvP on a loose cart, and also Burnout on a loose cart.I could live with this budget "collection" if I was ascetic.Then start ultimate shit posting mayhem 4evah! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serblander Posted May 17, 2016 Share Posted May 17, 2016 What a fantastic thread and super helpful for new (and old) Jagamers alike! I often get asked about best ways to go about getting jag stuff so i'm going to be linking this thread to newcomers Homebrews Generally it is best to pay attention to the threads for new releases, and to buy them when they are released. You will pay a steep markup on ebay. Great sites for Jaguar hombrews include: http://console5.com/store/software/atari/jaguar-cd.html Also, thank you for Console 5 link! I knew of it but thought i'd just take another look and... Boom! I see a Homebrew CD title release i totally missed: Ausweichmanover! One left in stock Out of Stock! The only thing i can think of to add to this guide is the following tip for non-US collectors: I can highly recommend you open an account with a service provider like BundleBox that you can ship all your US purchases to and save a TON of cash from postage! I chose this as opposed to other USA address providers/re-senders due to friend recommendations and the fact that they will store your items up to 30 days FREE of charge per each item. You can either send individually of 'Bundle' them together and send as one parcel saving you Big bucks! They ship via FedEx so everything is super quick, reliable and online tracked with up to date email notifications. While this can be a little pricey, i have saved between half to three quarters on what i would have otherwise payed if i had send all items to Australia individually. Please be aware: While this comes in handy ( ) for single items that some sellers would not send out of the US, it is most beneficial if you use it and plan to have numerous items repacked (at small fee) and bundled and sent together. So, if you do not plan on getting a lot then this may not be worth it for you. Then again, it's only $15 USD to join and you get that $15 off your first order. Also look around, you may find something better. This is the only service like that which i've tried but i'm super happy with it. And as for Aussies, Aus Post has a similar option (ShopMate) but the benefits are not as good (eg: they don't let you store each items for up to 30 days, etc). In any case, have a look, have a think, and have fun with saving money with your Jag collecting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayik Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Buy hardware and a skunkboard. You will be able to PLAY all but one game. (As opposed to collecting) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Good advice. I built most of my collection that way. Prices vary a lot and patience is the key. Gesendet von meinem iPhone mit Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KreatorKat Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 I don't collect for the Jaguar, but I do have one very specific piece of advice. I've heard that the CatBox is a highly sought after item for its versatility, but unless you want to connect two Jaguars together, everything else it does can done with other hardware I believe. The Jaguar has support for RCA audio, 3.5mm audio, RGB, S Video, and composite via cheap cables, so unless you need them all simultaneously, there are other options out there. This is a great guide and if I ever find the time and funds to collect for the Jag I will certainly follow this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zerosquare Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 You don't need the Catbox to link Jaguars either. The JagLink (or JagLink II if you want to connect more than two consoles) does it too and it's much cheaper. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Good thread. Failing getting a skunkboard I recommend More Than Games in Austin for getting a BJL amateur game loading setup going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle_jedi Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Great advice, and some new links I didn't know about. Since we are talking about Skunkboards and burning games to CD, let's also include a link to Rayik's outstanding article on burning your own cartridge EPROMs: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/235779-create-and-burn-eproms-for-standard-jaguar-2-chip-cartridges/ I went down this route due to the price, scarcity and lock-out issues of the Skunkboard. My costs were something like this: EPROM Programmer with adapters for 27C160 EPROMs - $149 I bought mine from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/PRG-113-GQ-universal-programmer-Adapter/dp/B011HVON3A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=b1f2e4fad1135ab7b95d5e7ae349a57e 1 x Socketed EPROM board (for testing a good burn) = $20 20 x "JAGEP2 JAGUAR EPROM CARTRIDGES 2X16MEG 20.00 W/SOCKETS" = $140 1 x "JAGUAR CARTRIDGE BOARDS DEAD GAME 10 PCB 10.00 USED" = $10 ** 1 x "JAGSHE1 Jaguar 10 each Cartridge case/shell 30.00 Pulls" = $30 I got these from B&C Computervisions: http://www.myatari.com/atarijag.txt ** - these are ten-packs of defective game boards. They include the bypass caps and a 93C46 SRAM which is the right chip for most games. I also ended up buying a heat gun from Harbor Freight to rapidly de-solder the existing ROMs which I can now do in about five minutes per board. Much faster than solder-pulting 84 separate through-hole pins. B&C also sells bare boards that need the capacitors and the SRAM added, and I think work out at about $9 each. So for about $350 plus assorted shipping costs, I was able to manufacture ten of my own carts to play games that are no longer available for sale, by-passing the absurdity of Ebay price gouging. Of course you will also need a soldering iron to be able to mount EPROMs to the non-socketed boards. To echo Sauron's comments from earlier - please do not use this approach to create pirates of games still sold by the creators or vendors such as AtariAge, Best Electronics or B&C. The idea is to allow us to play out-of-print/stock games without having to skip rent, not to kill off the few remaining supporters of the Jag community we have left. Also remember that Cyrano Jones has made it clear he does not want any of the ST ports being sold this way. So make them for yourself, but don't sell them on. For newbies, note I had never used an EPROM programmer before I attempted any of this, but Rayik's article is very detailed and walks you through this step by step. Of course after I did this, I managed to acquire a Skunkboard at a high, but not insane price. However note that the Skunkboard does not allow game-saves, so for games like Rayman, having the game on a physical cartridge is essential for clumsy players like me to make any headway in the game. Thanks again to TravisTouchdown for some great advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle_jedi Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Note: Above BOM should have read: 1 x Socketed EPROM board (for testing a good burn) = $2020 x "JAG27C160 27C160 EPROM 42 PIN" = $1401 x "JAGUAR CARTRIDGE BOARDS DEAD GAME 10 PCB 10.00 USED" = $101 x "JAGSHE1 Jaguar 10 each Cartridge case/shell 30.00 Pulls" = $30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayik Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 20 x "JAG27C160 27C160 EPROM 42 PIN" = $140 Ouch! On ebay, $140 will get you 100 27c160 eproms These work fine: http://www.ebay.com/itm/50pcs-M27C160-100F1-M27C160-27C160-16M-EPROMs-/281664211000?hash=item41947ec838:g:lFQAAMXQDK1Rrf1s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdownita Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 ... EPROM Programmer with adapters for 27C160 EPROMs - $149 I bought mine from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/PRG-113-GQ-universal-programmer-Adapter/dp/B011HVON3A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00&linkCode=ll1&tag=atariage&linkId=3cdb75378130186dd44f51b710d0133e ... I was hoping that the TL-866 would eventually have an adapter made .... it's been 3Y and still nothing .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDork3000 Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Jaguar gaming on a budget in my eyes... 1. Look on eBay for Atari Jaguar consoles listed under, "parts or non working" Check listings for sellers that couldn't test the console because of no games- score a working Jaguar console for less than $60 shipped! 2. Pick up 2 Jaguar Multi-Carts priced at $99 a piece, one that can hold 8 2mb games and one that can do 4 4mb games. Now you can play all the awesome Jaguar games worth playing for around $260 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Kai Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 The biggest mistake noobs to the Jaguar make, and anyone who's been around here a long time will verify this, is this big rush to grab a bunch of games because they are cheap $$$. I've seen the following scenario play out a few times: - Dude gets Jaguar - Dude comes here and proclaims his new enthusiasm for the device, and VERY anxious to play some games on it! - Dude proceeds to buy all the 'cheap' games on ebay, $5 for Checkered Flag, $5 for Club Drive, $10 for Trevor McFur etc... - Dude then gets kinda pissed off that all this time, all this built up angst on seeing if the Jaguar truly is just that awful, turns out that all the rumors were true! - Dude feels really upset about throwing money at the Jaguar after buying all the worst games and thinks that's all the system has to offer, because he'll be damned if he's going to spend $40, $50, or even $70 for one of the top tier universally loved games now! - Dude sells Jaguar and opus' out of the forum. Ok, I'm not even sure that's slightly exaggerated, that sure seems like how it goes down from my memory. That's my biggest and best advice. Spending cheaply for more is the absolute worst thing you can do in this hobby. I think of all the times some well meaning gamer spends enough money on 6 of the worst games imaginable for this system because they were cheap, when he could have just got T2K or D2K and had more fun with that one 'expensive ' game, and also not walk away feeling ripped off or hurt that the Jaguar sucks. Spending your money smartly does not equate to just getting things cheap. That is at least, if you are into it for playing the games. If all you want to do is collect, cool, find the best deal on everything you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Thompson Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 Jaguar gaming on a budget in my eyes... 1. Look on eBay for Atari Jaguar consoles listed under, "parts or non working" Check listings for sellers that couldn't test the console because of no games- score a working Jaguar console for less than $60 shipped! 2. Pick up 2 Jaguar Multi-Carts priced at $99 a piece, one that can hold 8 2mb games and one that can do 4 4mb games. Now you can play all the awesome Jaguar games worth playing for around $260 That would be nice except for the fact that many of the Jaguars listed as untested and as-is/not working may actually not work especially when the seller very explicitly states no returns in red. People try to pass off broken or defective junk to hopeful buyers in the end and you only get screwed, losing out money and wasting time. I would just rather buy a known working console with accessories and controllers for $120 then chance a $60 drop on a potentially truly defective machine that still requires joypad, power supply, video cables and a game. Once you factor in all the extras and shipping you would've been better off just going the other route anyway, especially once you see a red Jaguar screen instead of actual gameplay. Some people can get lucky I suppose... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted May 24, 2016 Author Share Posted May 24, 2016 Most broken Jaguars can be fixed pretty easily by replacing a few bits here and there. I DO recommend if you go this route you either can repair stuff yourself or have a local electronics guy who is very confident with this sort of stuff. Luckily I have the latter but not everyone does and the costs can add up quick if you are shipping a console across country and then paying for a repair.. Can potentially be cheaper to just get a basic working console. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+madman Posted May 24, 2016 Share Posted May 24, 2016 That would be nice except for the fact that many of the Jaguars listed as untested and as-is/not working may actually not work especially when the seller very explicitly states no returns in red. People try to pass off broken or defective junk to hopeful buyers in the end and you only get screwed, losing out money and wasting time. Yeah, "untested" means "I tested this and it's broken" on EBay. If you found a console for like $20 or something, it might be worth it assuming you can replace the regulator, but otherwise it's probably best to just buy a known working console. I can't even remember how many times I've seen auctions that say, "I don't have the power supply or video cables, so I can't test this" and if I look at the seller's other items he's selling the power supply or other complete versions of the console. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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