Getting into 2600 collecting in the UK

[pjedavison]

Hi folks,

 

I've had an Atari 2600 jr. lying around for ages -- my wife bought it from a charity shop for me a while ago primarily because she thought it was just a fun cool thing we could use as a retro "ornament" if nothing else.

 

It didn't come with a power cable, RF cable or any controllers. Controllers aren't a problem, as I have loads of Atari-compatible joysticks for use with my ST and 8-bit machines, but I've just got around to ordering a suitable power cable and RF lead as well as a single cheap cart from eBay (Cosmic Ark) just to see if the thing actually works.

 

Assuming it does work, can anyone in the UK/Europe suggest a good place to find affordably priced 2600 games? US-based YouTubers and bloggers seem to swear by flea markets and the like, but we don't seem to get a lot of them in my neck of the woods!

[Voxel]

In the UK, every vendor who is selling seems to know something about retro systems and wants to make money from a sale.  So wherever you look expect that.

 

It's not popular with everyone but I'm finding ebay can yield some bargains during covid in the UK.  It helps that their market place is saturated with 2600 games.  Please note if your intention is purely for collecting then you'll be paying dearly at this late stage of entry.  However if you're more of a retro gamer and want to sample the delights of the system and you'll not stick your nose up at a tatty looking labeled cartridge, you'll have some fun playing the classics and enjoying their simplistic charm.  Do remember to set the search filter for lowest price first.  You'll get the Combat clutter around the £2.50 mark, you'll find yourself looking for a review site (including Youtube) as you wade through the games.  Then you'll hit the £5 mark, where the you'll find a lot of the good playable games are being pitched.  As you hit the £10 mark you'll find some nice conditioned games popping up too.  I'll add that the prices then begin to climb, between £15 to £30 covers the rest of where I limit myself, with games like Pitfall II and H.E.R.O at the higher end.  Once you get over £30 you're beyond most of the regular games and into the collecting realm.  There are some games though not classed as rare, which are hard to find in the UK, Spider Fighter or Gravitar, may set you back £10 to £15, but you have to find them and with ebay you have to be patient and wait.

 

Many may suggest to get a multi cart of some form and save a lot of expense and they'll be right, but there is still something special about plugging in a single cartridge to play a single game.

 

Please do also get a pair of paddle controllers as there are some good games that use them.

 

 

[Rogerpoco]

I just breezed thru real quick-I don't think John likes to stock the 2600 stuff too much but there is good stuff available, IMO cheap, at ConsolemadUK, and the proprieter is as nice a Guy as can be, I am overseas, and have always had wonderful dealings with him.

 

Mostly agree with Voxel-Collecting is my "thing" now, but get yourself a Harmony Cart-there are other options, but get a Harmony, you'll have access to every atari game-anymore, I actually use my flashcarts as "reference catalogues" to figure out what real game I want to buy next.

 

Mostly, have fun.

Good Luck!!!

Edited July 7, 2020 by Rogerpoco

[pjedavison]

Great suggestions, thank you both. I'm not too worried about collecting in pristine condition or anything -- I just want some fun 2600 games to enjoy that you can't get on more recently released compilations like Atari Flashback Classics and its ilk. I'm very much someone who would rather enjoy his games as intended than have them just sitting on a shelf looking nice!

 

That said, I've always thought a nice stack of 2600 cartridges on a shelf looks really cool!

[Rogerpoco]

18 minutes ago, pjedavison said:

Great suggestions, thank you both. I'm not too worried about collecting in pristine condition or anything -- I just want some fun 2600 games to enjoy that you can't get on more recently released compilations like Atari Flashback Classics and its ilk. I'm very much someone who would rather enjoy his games as intended than have them just sitting on a shelf looking nice!

 

That said, I've always thought a nice stack of 2600 cartridges on a shelf looks really cool!

I think you are on track with your thinking-I would say, go for quantity over quality at first, there is some fun to be found in almost every game, and then you'll find niches you particularly enjoy, and start collecting nicer items that are related-for me(and many others), it's Activision, I have one shelf with "most" of my Atari stuff(2600-5200 and 7800 have their own shelf!), and I have two more shelves that are "Activision Only".

So just get into playing, figure out what you like first, then start mebbe picking up nicer things here and there that you know you are "into".

 

It's a bug, Man, gets into your blood, and is hard to stop once you get started, but it's "forever" stuff when you aquire it.

 

My other hobby is collecting/breeding tarantulas-my "joke" with the games is "at least I don't have to feed them..."

 

I've had great Friends/Mentors-I'm not always able to play a particular game well, but I usually do know what you are supposed to be trying to do, to score well, HMU sometime if you have a specific game you are trying to crack, we'll get you on track!!!

 

Again, have fun-I was old enough to be exposed to 2600 as a kid, but I've only really learned to appreciate it myself about 4 years ago, is still "new to me" as well, there really is some awesome gaming to be had!

 

[pjedavison]

3 hours ago, Rogerpoco said:

Again, have fun-I was old enough to be exposed to 2600 as a kid, but I've only really learned to appreciate it myself about 4 years ago, is still "new to me" as well, there really is some awesome gaming to be had!

 

I'm the same. I grew up with the Atari 8-bit computers so the 2600 never really entered the picture.

 

We did have a Philips G7000 (aka Odyssey 2) though, and I'm pleased to say that still works just fine, though tuning it in to get a decent picture is a bugger!

 

As something of an amateur gaming historian, I find the 2600's library in general to be fascinating. It was an era where a lot of developers were still trying to figure out what a video game really was, and thus there's all sorts of crazy experiments to explore!

[high voltage]

Telegames UK still has a good library, some cheap, a few not so cheap. Choice is yours.

Edited July 7, 2020 by high voltage

[Rogerpoco]

4 minutes ago, pjedavison said:

I'm the same. I grew up with the Atari 8-bit computers so the 2600 never really entered the picture.

 

We did have a Philips G7000 (aka Odyssey 2) though, and I'm pleased to say that still works just fine, though tuning it in to get a decent picture is a bugger!

 

As something of an amateur gaming historian, I find the 2600's library in general to be fascinating. It was an era where a lot of developers were still trying to figure out what a video game really was, and thus there's all sorts of crazy experiments to explore!

I'm sorry-if I am "chatting" too much, I apologize, 46 y/o Grandpa, and sometimes I don't understand the "rules" of friendliness on the 'net to some people, but I'm just "talking".

An Atari 8-Bit is very near top priority for me, haha, and my collection is kinda stupid, most every "console" made, certainly not all.

It has many Activision games on it I'd like to go for high scores on, so near future, for sure!!!

 

The Odyssey 2...

(I have a nice story, if you have the patience...)

A couple of years ago, I became interested, and found one on a local "for sale" site-was an O2, with the Voice module, and 25 CIB games, immaculate condition, for 75USD.

When my Daughter's Boyfriend went to pick it up, the Guy only charged him 50USD, had forgot the price-I contacted him immediately to try to correct it, but he was "No Worries!".

So, anyway(story's just beginning...).

As I got to looking deeper into it, Magnavox was headquartered in Knoxville, TN, the closest real "metro" area to me-I am sorta "middle of nowhere" up here in Mountain City(think moonshine...not metaphorically...), so I considered it my "hometown system".

I compete for high scores elsewhere, and with just the 25 games I got from the lot I got the overall leaderboard spot in about a month and a half!

My "Hometown System!".

I've since lost the top spot, but not by much, I've just been too lazy to take it back(Lol).

I actually have two of them, one is boxed.

 

Yes, for sure-the 2600 games are "simple" by design, but many, many of the games will truly surprise you with their complexity!!!

 

 

 

 

[Keatah]

Why not use Emulator Stella to preview and sample the games. Or even build a virtual collection! 

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I'd suggest looking for multiple game lots to start off with. You'll have less control over which games you get, but you'll most likely pay less per cart than you will buying common games individually and you might end up discovering a few hidden gems you wouldn't have looked for otherwise.

 

An SD cartridge like the Harmony Cart or the Uno Cart is also a great option for playing the rarer/more expensive games as well as the homebrew games that are out there.

[pjedavison]

3 hours ago, high voltage said:

Telegames UK still has a good library, some cheap, a few not so cheap. Choice is yours.

Never been to their site before, but it's bookmarked now! Thank you!

[pjedavison]

2 hours ago, Keatah said:

Why not use Emulator Stella to preview and sample the games. Or even build a virtual collection! 

I have a virtual "collection" already -- as most people here will doubtless be able to relate to, though, there's nothing quite like having bits of plastic with pretty labels cluttering up your shelves. 

 

There's that and the curation aspect; having a huge pile of ROMs is all fine and dandy, but picking up a game or two at a time in cartridge form means that I'm more likely to delve into them properly and discover what they're really about.

[pjedavison]

2 hours ago, KaeruYojimbo said:

I'd suggest looking for multiple game lots to start off with. You'll have less control over which games you get, but you'll most likely pay less per cart than you will buying common games individually and you might end up discovering a few hidden gems you wouldn't have looked for otherwise.

 

An SD cartridge like the Harmony Cart or the Uno Cart is also a great option for playing the rarer/more expensive games as well as the homebrew games that are out there.

This is good advice. I've seen a few multi-cart lots on eBay -- assuming the system actually works I'll look into a few of them.

[pjedavison]

3 hours ago, Rogerpoco said:

I'm sorry-if I am "chatting" too much, I apologize, 46 y/o Grandpa, and sometimes I don't understand the "rules" of friendliness on the 'net to some people, but I'm just "talking".

An Atari 8-Bit is very near top priority for me, haha, and my collection is kinda stupid, most every "console" made, certainly not all.

It has many Activision games on it I'd like to go for high scores on, so near future, for sure!!!

 

The Odyssey 2...

(I have a nice story, if you have the patience...)

A couple of years ago, I became interested, and found one on a local "for sale" site-was an O2, with the Voice module, and 25 CIB games, immaculate condition, for 75USD.

When my Daughter's Boyfriend went to pick it up, the Guy only charged him 50USD, had forgot the price-I contacted him immediately to try to correct it, but he was "No Worries!".

So, anyway(story's just beginning...).

As I got to looking deeper into it, Magnavox was headquartered in Knoxville, TN, the closest real "metro" area to me-I am sorta "middle of nowhere" up here in Mountain City(think moonshine...not metaphorically...), so I considered it my "hometown system".

I compete for high scores elsewhere, and with just the 25 games I got from the lot I got the overall leaderboard spot in about a month and a half!

My "Hometown System!".

I've since lost the top spot, but not by much, I've just been too lazy to take it back(Lol).

I actually have two of them, one is boxed.

 

Yes, for sure-the 2600 games are "simple" by design, but many, many of the games will truly surprise you with their complexity!!!

 

 

 

 

Never apologise for being friendly, good sir -- there's not enough of that on the Internet these days, I find!

 

That's a fun story. It's always nice when you have some sort of personal connection to the things you're collecting -- however tenuous the link might be

 

I have 20 Videopac carts so far -- mostly from my family home, and a couple I've picked up since. I wouldn't mind trying for a complete collection one day... though I suspect those "board game" ones might be tricky to track down in good condition.

[high voltage]

6 hours ago, pjedavison said:

Never been to their site before, but it's bookmarked now! Thank you!

Through him I just finished my Atari Lynx collection, excellent and quick service from Telegames

[juansolo]

These days, and especially now with the pandemic, your only real option is eBay which isn't great to say the least. My advice would be to get a Harmony cart, with the added bonus that it'll play homebrew.

 

The homebrew scene on the 2600 is awesome, and should you think so also you can support that by buying the games through the AA store. It's a bit pricey for us in the UK because we get royally buggered for import duty. I tend to go in with a mate and we order in bulk to spread the cost.

[+Stephen Moss]

It depends on how much work you want to put in but in addition the those options already mentioned there are also...

Car boot sales

Cashconverters/Porn shops and 

Amazon

 

Sadly it is gone now, but I remember when there used to be a stall on Cambridge market.

In regard to Telegames UK, for years now that has consisted of just Pete, so order processing and e-mail responses may be a little slow sometimes (potentially weeks rather than days). That aside I have purchased from him several times over the years and have always found him to be reliable.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

16 hours ago, pjedavison said:

I have a virtual "collection" already -- as most people here will doubtless be able to relate to, though, there's nothing quite like having bits of plastic with pretty labels cluttering up your shelves. 

 

There's that and the curation aspect; having a huge pile of ROMs is all fine and dandy, but picking up a game or two at a time in cartridge form means that I'm more likely to delve into them properly and discover what they're really about.

It's good for when friends come over too. Most people I know couldn't care less about the thousands of ROMs on my computer, but when they see the 2600 with 5 or 6 carts stacked next to it they immediately ask "Does it work? Can I play it?"

[pjedavison]

1 hour ago, KaeruYojimbo said:

It's good for when friends come over too. Most people I know couldn't care less about the thousands of ROMs on my computer, but when they see the 2600 with 5 or 6 carts stacked next to it they immediately ask "Does it work? Can I play it?"

Yeah, this is one thing I love. Before the world went to nonsense, I used to run an annual "Davison Cup" for my friends where we'd play a bunch of games competitively and there'd be a prize (usually something boozy if I remembered to actually pick something up beforehand) for whoever came out on top. Retro stuff was always a big part of that; last time I involved the G7000 and that was a big hit! I could see the 2600 fitting right in with all that too.

[Voxel]

21 hours ago, pjedavison said:

As something of an amateur gaming historian, I find the 2600's library in general to be fascinating. It was an era where a lot of developers were still trying to figure out what a video game really was, and thus there's all sorts of crazy experiments to explore!

Reading your replies I'm wondering what took you so long to get into the system.

 

10 hours ago, Stephen Moss said:

Porn shops

Is that where the adult VCS games have ended up.  I rarely see them these days.

[pjedavison]

2 hours ago, Voxel said:

Reading your replies I'm wondering what took you so long to get into the system.

Other priorities! My longstanding passion is for Atari home computers (8-bit and ST) and I've only relatively recently got into the 2600 (since I never had one back in the day) through compilations like Atari Flashback Classics and the Activision Anthology on PS2/PSP. That and I spend a lot of time writing about games and visual novels on more modern platforms, too, so I've been keeping myself busy

[+Stephen Moss]

11 hours ago, Voxel said:

Is that where the adult VCS games have ended up.  I rarely see them these days.

Yep.

50 years of English as a native language you would think I may have gotten the hang it it by now. Obviously, I meant a pawn shop, where you go to buy your chess pieces & crustaceans for the Barbi ? 

 

[Mikebloke]

The independent game shop is starting to die in the UK unfortunately. The North West has suffered a glut of closures in the last couple of years including the guy in aflecks Palace in Manchester. In my town the indie shop literally got an award and article about the best indie game shops in the country. Then closed the week after due to financial ruin. 

 

Cex probably stole the thunder a little when they started doing pre ps2 games as standard. However they never went as far as 2600 or 7800.

 

Others advice on ebay is best during virus, hopefully we'll get some deals more in person in the future. Other alternatives like gumtree and shpock sometimes works out for local stuff.. Just beware of shpock other than one person I found the level of intelligence is below average, nearly nobody understands the system at all.