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How did you become an Intellivision collector


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Intellivision was the first video game system I had as a child. We got it in 1981 when I was 4. My father, brother and I played it until we purchased a Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. Our original Intellivision system and games stayed with us for a few years after but were eventually lost or tossed after a few moves. I didn't see another Intellivision system again until I was an adult.

 

In 2006 I randomly got the itch to play the old system again. I started looking on eBay for a working system and some games. After finding an original woodgrain model and about 15 of the games I remembered best, I thought I was set. About a month later I found an auction for 20 empty game boxes that just happened to overlap with 12 of the loose carts that came with my system. After buying them I began tracking down the carts for the 8 remaining empty boxes and the research into that led me to the Intellivision Funhouse and the full checklist. After seeing what all existed I was hooked.

 

The chase for the 125 for me began in September 2006 with those initial 20 boxes and ended in November 2018 with my purchase of Learning Fun I CIB. The main highlights of the chase were trading for Learning Fun II with BSRSteve and trading for Stadium Mud Buggies with intvsteve. I am amazed that 2 of my final 4 titles were acquired from someone who worked on original games and the person who inspired me to begin the quest via his website. What are the odds?

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I got all my Intellivision stuff at the same time around four or five years ago. A guy I worked with said he had some old video game stuff that the local retro store wasn't interested in and asked if I might want to buy it. He had literally found it in his mom's attic (his dad had recently passed away and they were moving her). It was their stuff from when he was a kid (he's about my age). Anyway, two Intellivisions (model 1 and a Super Pro System with box) and about 18 games, most in boxes and with overlays. I haven't added to it since I got it, and it doesn't get played very often, but I do dust it off every once in a while and make my thumb sore with that disc...

 

 

Edit: It wasn't that the store wasn't interested, it was just that they weren't offering him much. I don't remember what they offered, but I got it all for $40. Was gonna pay $50, but he thought that was too much. lol... not sure what number he had in mind.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I grew up with a TI-994a computer (my father's) for all my 80's gaming. As I've aged, I've found more of an appreciation for retro gaming. Most of this has been through Retropie and emulation. I wanted to get my hands on a real intellivision for the experience of using the proper controllers. I tried the flashback, but one of my favorite games (Bomb Squad) ran too fast on it. I finally snagged one with a missing controller and an intellivoice on eBay for about 40 in total. I probably could have done better had I waited but I was getting impatient. I'm also a certified thrift store junkie and Intellivison is one of the few systems I have never seen in one (and this is from someone who's found multiple Odyssey 2's, an Odyssey 1, and a Virtual boy at my Goodwill Clearance center just to name the rarer ones I've come across.

Edited by sethbramwell
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I grew up with a TI-994a computer (my father's) for all my 80's gaming. As I've aged, I've found more of an appreciation for retro gaming. Most of this has been through Retropie and emulation. I wanted to get my hands on a real intellivision for the experience of using the proper controllers. I tried the flashback, but one of my favorite games (Bomb Squad) ran too fast on it. I finally snagged one with a missing controller and an intellivoice on eBay for about 40 in total. I probably could have done better had I waited but I was getting impatient. I'm also a certified thrift store junkie and Intellivison is one of the few systems I have never seen in one (and this is from someone who's found multiple Odyssey 2's, an Odyssey 1, and a Virtual boy at my Goodwill Clearance center just to name the rarer ones I've come across.

I've rarely seen Intellivision items in thrift stores. The Goodwill near me had some overpriced lose carts for a while. I also found some boxed games in a huge consignment shop, but little else. I got lucky once at the Flea Market with a CIB Odyssey II with a bunch of paperwork and a few games for $20. Despite the low rate of success, I do still enjoy the hunt.

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I understand that one. Seems all my local thrifts price older games through the roof. My best find in that regard was a bunch of 2600 games that turned up loose at my goodwill by the pound center. Less than five dollars for all of them. One other guy and I were digging competitively for them, lol. Thankfully he was at least nice about it.

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My father bought me one when I was a kid. I had the model 1 and Intellivoice. While it was available, I even had PlayCable. I used to get up early for school on the day each month that new games were available so I could play them before heading out for the morning.

 

I think that I am so fond of Intellivision for what it represents in my history. It was a gift from my father, who passed away a year ago this month. I will always associate the two and will always be fond of both.

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My father bought me one when I was a kid. I had the model 1 and Intellivoice. While it was available, I even had PlayCable. I used to get up early for school on the day each month that new games were available so I could play them before heading out for the morning.

 

I think that I am so fond of Intellivision for what it represents in my history. It was a gift from my father, who passed away a year ago this month. I will always associate the two and will always be fond of both.

What city were you in when you had Playcable? And do you remember when and why you stopped getting it.
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I'm not sure I'd classify myself entirely as a "collector," but I've been a console and computer game player since the early 80s, so I suppose I started collecting when I decided to keep my original stuff.

 

Unfortunately, my "original stuff" did not include an Intellivision, which I did not get to see for the first time until I was in my thirties. However, I did learn of the Intellivision years earlier: in 1989 or 1990, my great-grandmother gave me a copy of Intellivision Night Stalker for Christmas. She must have found it in a clearance bin somewhere, and I'm sure she picked it up thinking that it would work with one of my Atari or TI 99/4A machines. Instead, it was for this funny system called the Intellivision, which I hadn't heard of before and didn't have the means to learn much about. I was intrigued by the overlays, and I even tried to write my own version of Night Stalker for the 99/4A in BASIC based entirely on the description given in the manual.

 

Years later, after my great-grandmother was long deceased, I got my first Intellivision and was finally able to make use of her gift; later, I upgraded that original Night Stalker cartridge to a Cuttle Cart 3. I've since added 110 games of the original 125 to my collection. Those last 15 are much more ... interesting ... to acquire, so I'm sure it will take me a bit longer yet to qualify for the 125 Club. Even though I came to it late, I feel as if I've "known" the Intellivision forever; it fits right in with the 2600 and the Odyssey2, which I did grow up with, and I still play all three today.

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What city were you in when you had Playcable? And do you remember when and why you stopped getting it.

 

 

Hi mr_me!

 

I was in Charleston in the James Island community. JI has been in and out of being its own town, but at least back in the '83 time or so it was part of Charleston.

 

I would have been 11 years old in '83, so I can't remember why/how we got it or why/how it went away. It would have been provided by Comcast cable company back then, since cable TV was Comcast in our area. I remember waking up early on whatever morning the games switched over each month so I could play the new ones before I went to school that morning. I loved PlayCable. I still think of it as revolutionary. It was a streaming game service long before streaming game services of today were a thing. Except that it wasn't. What I mean is when I hear things referred to as "was ahead of their time", they never are. They're exactly at their time, which is what makes them so extraordinary and revolutionary. When the mainstream successors that take their place that are no longer "ahead of their time" come along, they are evolutionary. PlayCable was revolutionary, and I'll always remember it fondly for that reason. That reason, and because my father loved me enough to provide it to me, will always make Intellivision special in my heart.

 

- Blaine

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I want to say that I happened to find one (possibly at a Half Price Books? Something like that) and just went for it. Came with like twenty something games, and was lucky enough to score probably another twenty games at once on eBay for a decent price. Fun system, and a good buy for sure.

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My parents had an Intellivision II when I was a kid, and when it broke we got a Super Pro. I took it with me when I moved out, and I think the combination of being friends with Keith, lurking these boards so long before I started posting, the podcast, and meeting some of you in person made me want to collect more than what I had from my childhood. I don't really have space for more than just games but I'm currently sitting pretty at 108/125, thanks in large part to some of you.

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Um I got into it because a drug user needed money and was selling an Intv to get it. I offered him $10 for the system and games. He left and 30 min later came back.

 

Now if only I had a brick and mortar to help build up my library. But I did like AD&D and Lock n Chase was fun.

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I feel like there's more to this story...

I was working at a comic shop. Guy came in with the INTV and games. I had a background in mental health and can generally tell when someone is on something. Plus the heavy smoke smell was a giveaway.

 

I told him $10. Which sounds like a jerk offer and while it may be, during that time I was working 3 odd jobs so I didn't have a ton to blow. Guy didn't like my offer so I told him about the one game store (who doesn't deal in anything older than NES) and the pawn shops who generally have more video games.

 

The owner of the comic shop gave me grief for the lowball. I told him he would be back later because no one is going to give him anymore than that if at all. Then he came back and I now have an INTV.

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I was working at a comic shop. Guy came in with the INTV and games. I had a background in mental health and can generally tell when someone is on something. Plus the heavy smoke smell was a giveaway.

 

I told him $10. Which sounds like a jerk offer and while it may be, during that time I was working 3 odd jobs so I didn't have a ton to blow. Guy didn't like my offer so I told him about the one game store (who doesn't deal in anything older than NES) and the pawn shops who generally have more video games.

 

The owner of the comic shop gave me grief for the lowball. I told him he would be back later because no one is going to give him anymore than that if at all. Then he came back and I now have an INTV.

There's a small game store in St Louis near some low rent apartments with a bit of a meth/crack problem. The owner told me that a decent chunk of their inventory was from junkies looking for quick cash. It's a shame they can't stop 'chasing the dragon' and find a healthier hobby like playing some Thunder Castle for Intellivision :D

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My parents had an Intellivision II when I was a kid, and when it broke we got a Super Pro. I took it with me when I moved out, and I think the combination of being friends with Keith, lurking these boards so long before I started posting, the podcast, and meeting some of you in person made me want to collect more than what I had from my childhood. I don't really have space for more than just games but I'm currently sitting pretty at 108/125, thanks in large part to some of you.

108 is exactly where I was when I joined the board in 2015. I was stunned that I even made it to 100 games to begin with. Are all 108 complete in box?

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108 is exactly where I was when I joined the board in 2015. I was stunned that I even made it to 100 games to begin with. Are all 108 complete in box?

A lot more than before (thank you!), but no, I still have a few that are missing manuals and some random loose carts. And now that I've only got one kinda cheap one and a bunch of pricey stuff left, I'm leaning toward loose carts for the rare sports games since I'll never play them anyway. Plus I'm just about out of space on the shelves, but my loose cart storage thingy still has plenty of room.

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There's a small game store in St Louis near some low rent apartments with a bit of a meth/crack problem. The owner told me that a decent chunk of their inventory was from junkies looking for quick cash. It's a shame they can't stop 'chasing the dragon' and find a healthier hobby like playing some Thunder Castle for Intellivision :D

I'm in MO, so maybe I need to find this store.

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