"Common" my ass

[Bucket]

So what's the one game that is supposedly not even remotely rare but you just can't find it any-goddamned-where?

It's Jungle Hunt for me. I guess everyone has it but no one wants to get rid of it.

[jaybird3rd]

There are a bunch of cheap copies on eBay, including several NOS copies in the sub-$20 range.  I had a few extra copies that I recently sent to the AA store to be recycled as homebrew donors.

[Tempest]

There are a lot of common 2600 games that seem to be hard to find CIB for some reason.  Especially earlier non-international versions which all the NOS is.

[hizzy]

I can't find a NIB Combat with a nice box.  Same for Space Invaders.

[+GoldLeader]

I remember some years back,  I found Jungle Hunt, Congo Bongo, and Bump 'N Jump, (and later Millipede) in a pawn shop.  I considered that pretty good for around here.  If you can find Atari games at all here it's usually Combat, E.T., Pac Man, and Space Invaders.

 

Speaking of Space invaders, I still have mine in the blue box from many years ago...That box is a bit beat up though as it was one of my first games ever.  I'll bet finding the early box in good shape is a bit difficult.

[Tempest]

ET is nearly impossible to find with a good box.  No idea why.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I can't think of any common (going by the AtariAge rarity guide) games that gave me fits trying to find, but it took me forever to track down a not overpriced copy of Adventures of Tron. I picked up Jungle Hunt and a bunch of the other silver and red label commons from O'Shea's in the 90's for around a dollar each.

[digdugnate]

this is different a little, but the only time i had a hard time finding a *reasonably priced* copy of a common game was when 'Ready Player One' came out.  

 

I had the bad timing of starting up my 2600 cart collection and it was dang near impossible to find a decent CIB (not even NIB) copy of Adventure that someone didn't want a hundred bucks for.

[DoctorSpuds]

I have never seen a copy of Slot Machine loose or otherwise, and for the longest time I couldn't find Frogs & Flies, when I did get one it was dead.

[Flojomojo]

I stopped collecting cartridges long ago, and don't see much Atari stuff in the real world. But all this stuff is plentiful and easy to find on eBay. Jungle Hunt too. 

 

If you just want to play the game, it's been on AtGames plug-n-plays for the past few years. 

[fluxit]

O'Sheas had Jungle Hunt.  Mine was dead out of the box.

[+save2600]

First rule of thumb when wanting to purchase something like this: stop actively looking for it! Seriously, when you least expect to find one for reasonable, there it'll be.

[Philflound]

7 hours ago, fluxit said:

O'Sheas had Jungle Hunt.  Mine was dead out of the box.

According to what I understand, O Shea has nothing. Got rid of everything for the scrap of gold.

[Shannon]

16 hours ago, Tempest said:

ET is nearly impossible to find with a good box.  No idea why.

 

Maybe they made more cartridges than they did boxes! 

 

[onemoretime]

Hmm. I quit seeing Atari stuff at yardsales and even flea markets close to 15 years ago it seems. Of course, I live on the Gulf coast, and stuff has the tendency to get flooded and ruined.

[GeekDragon]

I have been lucky in finding Atari games at thrift stores.  Not every time I go, but most often.  For alittle while, I had a nice streak of finding CIB Intellivision games. 

[onemoretime]

Went to Traders Village in Houston today to a shop called "Hey Bro Video Games". They had a few (eh, probably 20?) loose 2600 carts, and zero 5200 stuff. Dropping into "Replay Games" afterward. He had some 2600 stuff, and like 5 or 6 5200 carts. Guy also had Retrons in stock, Intellivisions, Odyssey II, and a lot more in boxes for sale. Super cool guy and had a little of everything in what is a pretty small store. Had it left me grocery money, a Retron 5 would have come home with me.

Edited August 18, 2019 by onemoretime

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Millipede man, Millipede. I keep hunting around for a copy locally since buying it online would double the cost after shipping, but it never seems to show up anywhere.

[hizzy]

I finally got two NIB copies of Bowling. Been waiting on that for a while!

[Philflound]

On 8/17/2019 at 4:06 PM, fluxit said:

O'Sheas had Jungle Hunt.  Mine was dead out of the box.

According to what I understand, O Shea has nothing. Got rid of everything for the scrap of gold.

 

Finding new in box in general is not easy short of the large supply of games from Venezuela.

[+GoldLeader]

On 8/17/2019 at 12:13 PM, DoctorSpuds said:

I have never seen a copy of Slot Machine loose or otherwise, and for the longest time I couldn't find Frogs & Flies, when I did get one it was dead.

 

Interesting to see it mentioned, because my first game was Combat, then Space War,  then I got  5 games from my sister for Christmas 1980 (in boxes of course)...One was Slot Machine!   (Also Air Sea Battle, Space Invaders, Flag Capture, and Surround, just for the record)...

 

She bought them where she worked as a cashier;  A Safeway in Las Vegas.   I always thought it was neat to remember a time when you could buy video games at a supermarket. 

[+wongojack]

I don't think I have a Slot Machine either.  I also don't have a Roulette for Intellivision.  However, it is possible that I have just looked right past them when browsing bins, shelves and lot listings.  Its not like I actually WANT to play those games.  I do still look out for that Star Ship with the unusual label, but I don't think that is considered 'common,' and I actually passed up buying it at least once in a retail store.

 

There are some Activision titles that seem like they are harder to find than they should be.  I don't think I've ever just stumbled into Bridge or Checkers.

 

 

[Video]

Ebay killed "common" at least in the wild. Yeah you can still find ultra commons, like combat or pacman, but most commons really aren't that common.

 

I was lucky as I got into ebay in the late 90's so I got most everything I was interested in that I couldn't find locally.

 

this day in age though, even ebay is little help as hostile (and expensive) it has become. No I'm not going to get PayPal and agree to let people steal from me just cause they feel like it.

[Shannon]

I was able to get some pretty decent deals on Ebay as well way back when.  But over time I started seeing a decline in the "quality of service".  So I decided to get out before things got worst.  From what I can tell I stopped at a good time.

 

[Philflound]

Sealed is tough, but complete in box is not on many games. Combat I probably have 15-20 boxed copies, several different variations. Pac-man, at least 10, same with Asteroids and Missile Command. Space Invaders I'm probably down to 5-8 complete. I haven't looked at my inventory lately. I always keep one for sale on Ebay though and when I sell it, I go and get another to put on. Video Olympics is rather common along with Video Pinball. Warlords tan box I have a few along with Street Racer. Star Raiders is really common. I believe I have at least 7 boxed with controller.

 

A tough one to get many times is Ms. Pac-Man 1982 version. I see many of the later ones being sold, especially sealed, but that 1982 is difficult and not easy to get a nice box too.

 

Loose on the other hand, you can get pretty much anything common to rare for under $10. I usually do not sell loose games. Don't have an Ebay store and only use their free listings when they give them to me.

 

Phil