Gold Atari 800

[joeventura]

It is a gold-leaf Atari. Anyone can do this with materials bought at the craft store.

 

Look forward to seeing yours. In the meantime I am the only "anyone" you know.

[joeventura]

That's going to be hard to restore.

 

When you have over a dozen of them, you have the freedom to do what you want to one without the worry of restoration.

[carlsson]

Good thing is that most people who see it, will assume it is spray painted and not pay much attention so it hopefully should be somewhat immune to theft unless you have a plaque that explains it is leaf gold.

 

Generally it looks nice, but I think a platinum Atari would look even more impressive. Not that I'm intending to try to cover one and I don't know if platinum is available in any form that is suitable for covering an existing shape anyway.

[joeventura]

Good thing is that most people who see it, will assume it is spray painted and not pay much attention so it hopefully should be somewhat immune to theft unless you have a plaque that explains it is leaf gold.

 

Generally it looks nice, but I think a platinum Atari would look even more impressive. Not that I'm intending to try to cover one and I don't know if platinum is available in any form that is suitable for covering an existing shape anyway.

 

Yes platinum would be even more impressive,

 

Or what would be better is Rhodium!!

 

Even better cover it completely in emeralds

 

No wait DIAMONDS!!! That would be awesome!!

[carlsson]

Palladium might be a better choice, as it tends to be cheaper than platinum but with similar finish and possibly lighter per cm2 for a similarly thick cover. However I understand it is hard to work with.

 

If the 1200XL is any useful reference, jewels don't look good on the computer, at least not that amount. Besides I think an Atari covered in diamonds would be unpleasant to rest your hands on. The smooth surface of gold or other metal is better. Even silver for those of us on a strict budget might be worth considering. I wouldn't go as cheap as nickel since some people are allergic to that and we don't want people get all swollen up with blisters on their fingers for playing Atari games.

[+slx]

I'm fine with plastics. Even though the milled aluminum case of the Macbook I type this on looks and feels great and its haptics and durability beat any other laptop I ever used, at some angles the edges are uncomfortable and it sometimes has a cold "feel". To each his own but I don't even like brass chandeliers outside ships (any more) and don't need golden watches or computers. But if the OP enjoys a gilded Atari, I just marvel at the diversity of ways in which our old machines can be enhanced.

[Keatah]

I put 3 small sapphire crystals on the wife's Enermax Aurora keyboard. On top of the lights, but recessed in the aluminum housing. And a flash of violet & red (lens flare style) paint across the top, near the F1-12 keys. It's slick and classy, restrained yet eye-catching without being anywhere near gaudy. Glitz and Bling isn't for us.

 

We ran several mockups with bits of glass beads and anything we did beyond 5 pieces looked overdone. No matter how they were arranged. No matter what!

[Kyle22]

Make sure the gold leaf doesn't flake off and fall inside. Gold is an excellent electrical conductor and can short the circuit board(s) in your 800.

[KLund1]

All 8-bit Ataris are GOLD IMOP

[tep392]

Now we know what a gold 800 is worth. 

 

[Keatah]

Looks like covered in brown shit.. When viewed as a screenshot on my phone. 
 

Imagine the time needed to restore it to its proper color!

Edited March 21, 2022 by Keatah

[Gunstar]

I guess he didn't take tarnish into account, ieven though the problem was it was ugly because the gold-leaf is also applied as a patch-work. If the 800 was smooth, with a polished true-gold shine, then it would look good. They haven't made a metallic spray paint yet that can do any better either. The best I've seen in metallic spray paint is Rust-oleum's pearl-nickel paint which looks good.

 

Regardless of what people think of my white Atari with grey and blue, it'll never be up for sale by me anyway, it was never about public value just personal. But at least mine is clear-coated and can be cleaned with soap and water or glass cleaner, just like an unpainted machine.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Gunstar

[joeventura]

Welcome all to the "Beat up on Joe's Gold 800 thread"

 

 

[Mclaneinc]

20 minutes ago, joeventura said:

Welcome all to the "Beat up on Joe's Gold 800 thread"

 

 

Took a beating the first time around

 

Anyway, it's an 800, you cannot hate on an 800, they are the beast

[flashjazzcat]

The passing of time has helped it achieve something I thought impossible: looking worse than it did in the first place.

 

[joeventura]

15 minutes ago, flashjazzcat said:

The passing of time has helped it achieve something I thought impossible: looking worse than it did in the first place.

 

I looked up brutal ruthlessness, Your pic was there LOL

[+save2600]

 

 

Would have made one hell of a Willy Wonka tie-in promo BITD! And yes... the movie, book and chocolates were still wildly popular all throughout the 800's lifespan. And then some. 

[tep392]

6 hours ago, joeventura said:

Welcome all to the "Beat up on Joe's Gold 800 thread"

 

 

It's mostly good natured ribbing. Don't take it too seriously.  

 

I am curious about it's history.  You say in the eBay description that this was used in a photo shoot decades ago.  What was the shoot for?

[doctorclu]

6 hours ago, save2600 said:

 

 

Making the heaviest Atari 8-bit computer even heavier.

 

[alexparr2006]

On 3/21/2022 at 12:59 PM, tep392 said:

Now we know what a gold 800 is worth. 

Whoa, and I was just about to hijack this thread to tell you all about this.
The bid ends in about two days, if anyone wants a shot at this then here's the link.

Edited April 5, 2022 by alexparr2006

[tep392]

I'm still curious about the history of this since the Ebay ad mentions a "photo shoot".

 

[panamajoe]

bottom line: don´t cover your 800 in gold, it will decrease its value!

[joeventura]

29 minutes ago, panamajoe said:

bottom line: don´t cover your 800 in gold, it will decrease its value!

That assumes the 800 you covered in Gold was a functional 800, in this case your assumption would be wrong.

[panamajoe]

4 hours ago, joeventura said:

That assumes the 800 you covered in Gold was a functional 800, in this case your assumption would be wrong.

so „untested“ really means broken?

[joeventura]

18 minutes ago, panamajoe said:

so „untested“ really means broken?

Read the entire listing:

 

"Untested"

"Condition unknown - Sold as a collectors item not a functioning computer"

 

Not a functioning computer means the computer doesn't work.

 

It's not pinin'! It's passed on! This Gold Atari 800 is no more! It has ceased to be! 'It's expired and gone to meet its maker! 'It's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'it rests in peace! If I hadn't glued Gold to it, it'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Its metabolic processes are now 'history! 'It's off the twig! 'It's kicked the bucket, 'It's shuffled off 'it's mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-ATARI 800!!

 

Glad we had this talk.