Tornado Baseball 1978 Giveaway with Astrocade System

[ballyalley]

I posted this to the Bally Alley Yahoo group, but it might get more traction here. Plus, the AtariAge forums are much more popular-- and you don't have to be a member to view most of them.

 

I'm using my library's special services to search the Newspaper Archive for Bally Arcade/Astrocade material:

 

https://newspaperarchive.com/

 

This is a pay site, but I can use the website for free using my library card.

 

I've come across some newspaper ads that I've not seen before now. I've noticed that in 1978/79, there are a number of ads from mom and pop TV stores around the country who are selling the Bally Professional Arcade for $300 (the retail price at the time). If you buy it from them, then they would throw in the Tornado Baseball cartridge for free. Here is an example of such an advertisement (This ad is from page 29 of the December 2, 1978 issue of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph newspaper):

 

(Don't those kids look like they're having so much fun? Man, I love ads from the 1970s!)

 

I've never seen this Tornado Baseball promotion anyplace. Since the promotion seems to be from different stores in various area of the United States, I wonder if this was something that Bally pushed when the system was first introduced.

 

I've also noticed some ads from the same period of time promoting Tornado Baseball World Series tournaments at bowling alleys! Anyone ever heard of that before now? I may post an example of this separately.

 

Did anyone here get a free Tornado Baseball cartridge with their Astrocade when they bought it in the 1970s?

 

Adam

[ubersaurus]

Slighly related: Have you found any ads from 1978 so far that indicate when the games that year went on sale?

[BassGuitari]

I've never seen this Tornado Baseball promotion anyplace. Since the promotion seems to be from different stores in various area of the United States, I wonder if this was something that Bally pushed when the system was first introduced.

I doubt it. This just looks a store promotion.