Interest Check: Atari 2600 Cartridge Lamps

[kevates]

I’m thinking of making 10-20 of these.  They would be made out of 17 original Atari 2600 picture label carts.  Cost would be about $125 plus shipping. If you send in your own carts, cost would be $45 cheaper. Hardware would be silver/steel instead of gold/brass in the picture.

 

To be clear, just judging interest, NOT taking orders, reservations or preorders.  Posting here guarantees you NOTHING... but I’d still appreciate your feedback.

 

Trying to find out:

1. Would you be interested in purchasing one of these at this cost?

2. Would you be more interested in one with 17 DIFFERENT Atari picture label carts or one with 17 of the SAME Atari picture label carts?

PackratVideo made this one for me years ago...

 

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Edited July 19, 2020 by kevates

[0078265317]

While that is cool 125 is too much for me.

[RamrodHare]

I'll be honest, most people with even minimal skills can make these. The lamp hardware is fairly cheap and the construction is simple. Also I feel it's a waste of carts, even non working games can be used a  source for cart shells for homebrews. 

 

As far as price goes,  I estimate I could make a similar lamp for $40, which is still more than I'd pay for one.

 

 

Edit:

I can see how my post may come across as being rude, which is not my intention. I was only stating my position.  I've made quite a few custom lamps and hanging lanterns from brass, wood, steel, glass, and other assorted materials. The lamp hardware can be bought at hardware stores, online, or even at Walmart for almost nothing. The lamp shades can get a little pricey. Standards shades can be bought for $5 or less at discount stores. The amount of time and effort to put a lamp together varies  based on how intricate the lamp is. I've made lamps that only took minutes to assemble. Some took an hour or so. I know there would be added time and a little work in connecting the carts, but this depends highly on how they are attached to each other. I would probably use screws and a thin plywood interior. The easy way out would be to epoxy them. Either way is quick and relatively hassle free, making the labor cost minimal. If this project required skills beyond using basic tools and connecting a two wire cord, then the price of labor would go up. As it stands, based on the price of needed parts and the skill required, I stand behind my initial cost estimate. That said, there are people who have no clue how to use a screwdriver or wrench and have massive disposable incomes, ready to jump on this at $125. If you can find buyers, sell as many as you can.

Edited July 19, 2020 by RamrodHare
Added something.

[0078265317]

Not rude 125 is too much for a lamp.

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Besides the price, I’m sorry to tell you that I find this very ugly. Just my opinion, no harsh intended.

[kevates]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

[+cvga]

4 hours ago, RamrodHare said:

Edit:

I can see how my post may come across as being rude, which is not my intention.

Totally agree, even with the edit. He's charging $80 if you supply your own carts. Maybe he has cheaper parts but a quick look on amazon suggests that even the cheapest kit and shade would be about $25. Charging $50 or so to construct the lamp doesn't seem egregious to me although I get that it's not going to be for everyone.

 

I have an atari lamp that I bought from Cebus years ago and I still love it.

[0078265317]

Even on ebay the lamps are about 65 to 85.  Even a custom lego lamp is 150.  So its not cheap I guess to make lamps.  This is the only cheap I saw.  But not as nice looking.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/123895522551

[RamrodHare]

I went on a quick run to my local Walmart to do some shopping and checked prices while there, since it's been a bit since I made a lamp. My estimate, including tax for the hardware, epoxy and the shade comes to about $15. That's with a 12 ft. cord. You save about $2 if you go with a 6 ft. cord.  Depending on cart prices and availability, I can see $35 in materials, buying hardware in bulk lowers the cost.  My actual labor time would be less than an hour per lamp, if working on multiple lamps, I could speed that up. Waiting on the epoxy to dry would take more time than the assembly. If I were to say my time was worth $20 an hour, (which it's not for a project like this), that puts my total at price at $55. I would consider my $20 labor as pure profit. I'd consider $60 plus shipping to be a fair deal for buyer and seller. Based on the other posts, I feel like interest would be low even at that price.    

 

If you wanted to make them to sell,  buy the supplies and make one as an experiment.  Figure up your material cost, including tax. Once you know your cost, calculate your time and effort.  Then you have a baseline to work with. Keep in mind that people always put too high of a value on their time. When it comes to a lamp like this, there really isn't any skill required, so you can't charge like you're writing computer code or building a high performance jet engine.

When you do multiple lamps, you can lay out the parts and streamline the assembly process, cutting down the time. You'll also get faster as you get used to each step. I'd also route the cord out the bottom,  it looks "cheap" coming out like it does on the one in the photos.

 

You can't get rich doing something basic, but you can use it as a starting point. I'd consider a lamp like this as a flea market item,  taking away the cost of shipping makes it cheaper on the buyer, which makes it easier to sell. However, it's still a niche lamp.

 

Other than the price you mentioned in the first post (and the lack of demand) the issue I see is that the design is very simple, there's no hidden secret to making it. One picture gives away the entire design. That means anyone who wants a lamp like this can easily make one for nothing more than the cost of materials once they see it. 

 

[kevates]

Wow, you've certainly got it all figured out.  Let me know when you are ready to take orders... 

[+Karl G]

How about a lamp with removable carts? I could get behind that idea, I think.  ? 

[0078265317]

7 hours ago, Karl G said:

How about a lamp with removable carts? I could get behind that idea, I think.  ? 

You mean like a cartridge holder.

 

I konw.  Take some wood and make a box like the shape of the cartridges above.  Then velcro the carts to the box.