A 5200 controller from 1987?

[pollyisagoodbird]

I recently bought a boxed 5200 controller, and upon inspection of the box, I noticed it had a very late copyright date of 1987.

 

That got my wondering...was Atari still trying to sell 5200s long after they were discontinued? Or was this just a matter of having so much excess inventory after the crash of 1983 that they still packaged and sold their obsolete merchandise in hopes folks would buy it? I just think it's kind of weird to see this being sold during the days of Nintendo Entertainment Systems dominating the market,  all while Atari puts all hope into the flailing 7800.

[Omega-TI]

My guess would be that Atari knew the controller was so crappy that people would buy them just so they could continue to play their games.

[pollyisagoodbird]

That's probably not a bad hypothesis. Oddly enough this one works like it's brand new.

[dj_convoy]

I assume they just had a warehouse still full of 'em. It's stuff like this that always messes with my memory of the video game "crash," as my parents still scored 5200 games at least thru 1984 and possibly later.

[jaybird3rd]

I have a 1987 joystick box, too.  When Atari Corp. acquired Atari from Warner in 1984, they inherited lots of excess 5200 inventory, which they gradually liquidated over the next few years.  They built 5200 systems and games using the (sometimes mismatched) leftover parts that they had on hand, printing new labels and boxes as needed.  That's why you'll sometimes see two-port 5200 motherboards installed in four-port consoles, and cartridges with 1986/1987 labels and overlays packaged in 1982/1983 boxes, or vice-versa.  Apparently, they even bundled new 5200 cartridges in plastic bags with photocopied instruction sheets for closeout stores like Odd Lots and Boscov's; I've picked up copies of Super Breakout, Pac-Man, Pole Position, Countermeasure, and Star Raiders that were bundled in this way for Boscov's.  Great for variant collectors!

[+sramirez2008]

@jaybird3rd I’d love to have a baggy Super Breakout, Pac-Man or Countermeasure.  Some of my favs! 
 

Thanks for the info?

[fiddlepaddle]

I remember seeing lots of 5200 joysticks available new in box and easy to find (and pretty cheap) maybe even through the turn of the century. Always made me think they must have made WAY too many.

[jaybird3rd]

On 3/22/2020 at 5:50 PM, sramirez2008 said:

@jaybird3rd I’d love to have a baggy Super Breakout, Pac-Man or Countermeasure.  Some of my favs! 
 

Thanks for the info?

There are a few bagged copies of Super Breakout and Pac-Man on eBay right now:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Breakout-For-Atari-5200/182197584157

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pac-man-For-The-Atari-5200/183175482304

 

(I've bought a few of these from the same seller, and they're legit.)

[0078265317]

 

Edited March 24, 2020 by 0078265317

[0078265317]

 

[+sramirez2008]

19 hours ago, jaybird3rd said:

There are a few bagged copies of Super Breakout and Pac-Man on eBay right now:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Breakout-For-Atari-5200/182197584157

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pac-man-For-The-Atari-5200/183175482304

 

(I've bought a few of these from the same seller, and they're legit.)

Purchased the Pac-Man baggy!

[Karlis]

I remember my Aunt buying me five such games from Boscovs back in the day when I first bought the system about a year before the NES was available in the US.  At the time I thought she must be rich, until I saw the price tag.  I don’t remember now but it was either 99 cents, 1.99, 2.99....something like that.