Schitti Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) I'm in the process of putting together a list of atari 2600/VCS distributors. Maybe you can contribute something.Do not ask me for what I need it. Maybe just like that, or to integrate on the website someday. I always wanted to summarize it since a longer time.Or is there already such a list somewhere? i have some others in mind, but can not remember the names right now. and i have to check some consoles and manuals at home too. here is my compilation from the Lunch break (upgradeable) Atari 2600 DistributorsAustralia 1978Futuretronics Australia Pty LtdCanada 1980Irwin Electronics (Irwin Toy), TorontoFranceWea-Records B.V., Hilversum(Netherlands)Germany 1979Unimex (Unicom Consumer Electronics GmbH), WiesbadenIreland 1979Quintin Flynn Ltd.ItalyMelchioniJapanEpochNew ZealandMonaco Distributors Ltd, AucklandNetherlandsWea-Records B.V., BredaNorwayInter-Salg A/S, NesbruSpainAudelec, MalagaSweden (Norway / Finland)Cherry Hemelektronik AB, SundbybergAlgavision AB, SundbybergAB Alga, VittsjöTurkeyMe-Ta Elektronik EndüstriUK 1979Ingersoll Electronics Ltd.USASears Edited February 5, 2019 by Schitti 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambouis de l'Atari Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 If I may, under France : Hilversum is in the Netherlands, not France. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schitti Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) If I may, under France : Hilversum is in the Netherlands, not France. ok, i will correct this. it is written on the backside of the french AND dutch atari manuals. will look later at my french sceam console for more infos Edited February 5, 2019 by Schitti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambouis de l'Atari Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Well maybe you're right and there was no france based distributor. Later releases in belgium (red boxes for example) had the english notice and 2 ugly ones on white paper, in french and in dutch. Could be the same distributor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Sounds like a daunting task. Dozens, if not hundreds of stores distributed the VCS/2600/Jr. BITD. Here are a few in Illinois that I remember besides Sears: Camelot Music Child World Children's Palace Circus World Kay*Bee Toys Suncoast Video JC Penney K-Mart Montgomery Ward Musicland Sam Goody Service Merchandise Toys R Us Venture Woolco Zayre Some music and video stores such as Musicland, Sam Goody and Suncoast sold the Jr. model in the late 80's. I also vaguely remember some hardware stores like ACE Hardware selling the VCS BITD. I know I'm forgetting some, so may update later as I think of them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schitti Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) oh, that's a lot.Had some of them also printed their own manuals? each of the distributors i listed above had them Edited February 5, 2019 by Schitti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambouis de l'Atari Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) Distributor != Reseller I guess in the USA, Atari was his own distributor ? Edited February 5, 2019 by Cambouis de l'Atari 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atari_Warlord Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 More USA stores that sold 2600 games: Target Toys-R-Us Texaco KB Toys Longs Lowes The easier question is who didn't sell 2600 games, they seemed to be everywhere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Distributor != Reseller I guess in the USA, Atari was his own distributor ? Probably true. Sears was its own special deal, but I'll bet Atari sold directly to the US resellers. You know who I would ask for confirmation? Al Nilsen. He's given interviews about his time as a buyer for JC Penney during the Atari games. Unlike some of his peers, he played the games and took an interest in trying to choose things that would sell, and limiting their stock to only a certain number of titles. He seems like he had an interesting time of it, and has plenty to say. I'll bet if you asked him a simple, straightforward question he'd give you an answer. Good interview with him here: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/254144-interview-with-al-nilsen-mattel-marketing/ Let's not make lists of stores that resold Atari games, that's not the same thing. Drugstores and supermarkets carried them, too. The list would be nearly infinite, and not useful to the question about distribution. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 More USA stores that sold 2600 games: Target Toys-R-Us Texaco KB Toys Longs Lowes The easier question is who didn't sell 2600 games, they seemed to be everywhere. Games yes, but systems no... some grocery and drug stores like Eagle, Jewel/Osco (and probably Walgreens too come to think of it) sold games, but not the systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Epoch was one of the Distributors in Japan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schitti Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 Epoch was one of the Distributors in Japan added Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schitti Posted February 5, 2019 Author Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) can not edit first post addition: Brazil August 1983 Polyvox, (IGB Group) Edited February 5, 2019 by Schitti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballblaɀer Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 (edited) I've been wanting to make a similar list! I'm glad to see you do it, Schitti. You should add: Canada Paragon Entertainment Products -- See my Twitter post about these manuals; I think they may have only been included with launch titles in Quebec. Mexico Gradiente Mexicana S.A. -- See this AA post for my research about how Gradiente relates to Polyvox/Brazil. Edit to add: Singapore Hin Sing / Planetary Headquarters - See my Twitter thread for some details. Edited February 5, 2019 by Ballblaɀer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Distributor != Reseller I guess in the USA, Atari was his own distributor ? Yes, makes sense - especially for native or domestic companies like Commodore and Atari who had their own warehouses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Had some of them also printed their own manuals? Sears only did their own manuals, cart labels and boxes for their Tele-Games brand of systems and cartridges. Then there was the Columbia House/Gemini Atari 2600 clone deal. Music club companies did produce their own media, labels, inserts, manuals and boxes, but am not sure if that was the case with Atari gear. Someone else might be able to confirm this or if the music club companies simply bought up stock from Atari and the third party companies? I'd be willing to bet that was the case. And Telegames USA based in Texas (now UK), that produced their own carts, labels, boxes and manuals for certain licensed VCS games as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballblaɀer Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 Another that I just confirmed the existence of today: Indonesia 1981 (October) P.T. Multipolar Corporation (Jakarta) There's some discussion in this (Indonesian) thread, and I recently found a cart for sale in Indonesia with a PT. Multipolar sticker on it. It seems like it didn't last for very long, as a quoted article states that a national video game ban was instituted in mid-December due to the typical moral panic. I suppose that probably put a damper on Atari Expo '81 in Ratu Plaza in Jakarta, if not completely ending it before it was over... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atariboy2600 Posted February 19, 2019 Share Posted February 19, 2019 I remember getting Atari VCS and tons of games from my all time fave store Woolworth store in NYC hers the photo of that same store I got from Pongs, VCS, Coleco, right up to NES, Sega my last time getting games was in the mid 90s and never got back before they close down all the stores Woolworth's 14th St - NYC Union Square, October 1997. I also found some old Newspaper ads that shows some Atari stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballblaɀer Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 Minor necrobump to add another international licensed distributor: Denmark DanHope ⅍, Hadsund -- See my Twitter thread for photos; currently no additional details, otherwise. If anyone has any other examples of Danish language manuals, please speak up! Also, I'm interested in trading/buying anything from Me-Ta Elektronik Endüstri... PM me if you have something available, please. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras17 Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 I don't know the names of distributors from these countries. I only have ads. Greece Pac-Man commercial Israel Pac-Man ad Arabic countries (probably The Gulf) Berzerk ad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras17 Posted November 26, 2019 Share Posted November 26, 2019 In the post-communist countries with the fall of communism, Atari 2600 clones appeared, called Rambo, and were popular until the famiclons were released.I found some information about the official distribution. Poland The Atari distributor in Poland-Karen decided to release a clone called CA-160 through the California Access brand. Sold in Pewex stores in 1990-1991 did not gain much popularity. In 1992, the Atari distributor in Poland was JTT Computer which released the original Atari 2600. Hungary From 1991, Novotrade 2C was a distributor of Atari 2600. Czech Republic and Slovakia This article states that the console appeared in the late 1980s. https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_2600 Yugoslavia In the 1980s, Mladinska Knjiga dealt with the distribution of Atari computers. I don't know if they also distributed consoles, but I found a 1988 article describing Atari 2600. Slovenia Mladinska Knjiga was still an Atari distributor and released Jaguar. And again I do not know if they also sold Atari 2600. Romania In some consignment stores it was possible to buy games for Atari 2600. I do not know if also consoles. USSR In the Soviet Union, there were small clubs where it was possible to play the Atari 2600. Unfortunately, there were very, very few of them and most of the owners had consoles probably bought abroad, so in the USSR most likely these consoles were not distributed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras17 Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Egypt Atari 2600 clones and the original console were popular here in the 1980s and early 1990s Middle East I still don't know who sold Atari 2600 in the 1980s but since 1990 Geekay has been an Atari distributor. https://www.geekaygames.com/about-us 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ultras17 Posted November 29, 2019 Share Posted November 29, 2019 Iceland 1981 Tölvubúðin-Old advert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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