How long has it taken you to put your collection together?

[orrimarrko]

I'm trying to get an idea of scope for 2600 collecting.

 

It's very unlikely that people will divulge their monthly collecting budgets or how much they've spent on their collections, so I won't bother asking. (However, I am curious just how much this hobby will cost, so if you wish to volunteer that info, super.)

 

So, here's my question, and I honestly hope that some of the collectors with ridiculously amazing collections chime in, because that kind of information will really help me have a realistic idea about collecting for the 2600.

 

How long have you been seriously collecting for the 2600; how long has it taken you to put together your collections?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

Steve

[Marco]

Almost 25 years now (ever since I got my original Atari). However, access to the internet - about 12 years ago for me - gave a real boost to my collecting.

 

Cheers,

Marco

[ATARIPITBULL]

I had a small collection as a kid, but my real collection started to grow around 5 years ago and is still growing. To tell you the truth an Atari 2600 collection almost never stops growing, it just depends on the money you are willing to spend.

 

[Cassidy Nolen]

Started collecting for the 2600 back in the 80's (as a kid I wanted every game I could find) but active collecting I started in 2001.

 

Boxed makes it more expensive to collect for but I find it more challenging. Loose collections are for the players, I think. I am a collector first, player second. Many will argue the other way. If you go with commons, the cost is not that bad. If you get into the rare stuff it gets expensive, fast. Some titles will cost you as much as the rest of your collection combined (and double that number!).

 

 

Cassidy

[dwh]

Got some stuff while in high school(1 year)+started bidding on stuff and buying stuff online in 2000(6 years)=7 years total, and since I mostly collect 2600 stuff, it will be many years more;there is just so much stuff out there.

[Rick Weis]

i've been collecting for 28 1/2 years. got about 85% of my NTSC games before 1990. 95% by 1995. internet and ebay helped me mostly if not all of my PAL games and sears boxes. got on the internet around late 1998.

 

make it a life long hobby and enjoy!

 

Rick

[Atariboy2600]

I been collecting from 1976 to today here's a time line of my video game life.

 

1972: Born in NYC, Atari was open for the first time with Pong.

1976: Mom gave me Atari Super Pong.

1977: Got the Atari Video Computer System for my B-day from Mom.

1979: Uncle gave me all the Odyssey units he had from first to Odyssy 2.

1980: One of my mom's friend got me the Intellivision and 4 games.

1982: The first 2600 game I got was Barzerk. My aunt got me the 5200.

1983: The last two console mom got me was the Colecovision & Vectrex.

1984: Got alot of used pong units from the flea market in Brooklyn.

1985: The first console I got by my self was the Nintendo NES with Rob.

1986: Found Famicom with 20 games in China town.

1987: Got Master System, Atari 7800 & XE. Also found more old consoles.

1989: Sega Genesis, Gameboy, Lynx, Plus got lots of 2600 games for .99

1990: Game Gear, dad and uncle got me the Neo-Geo and two game.

1991: Super NES, found more old units Arcadia 2001/Telstar/Channel F.

1992: CD-I , more old games like 2600/5200/7800 carts 4 for a dollar.

1993: 3DO, Jag, and got more imports in downtown like Super Famicom.

1995: Saturn, VirtalBoy, PS1, plus found lots of used carts & units.

1996: Got both Japanese and US N64.

1997: Metal Gear Solid is my all time fav PS1 game EVER!

1998: Got the Japanese Dreamcast.

1999: Got the US Dreamcast on 9.9.99

2000: Y2K came and left, still alive, plus got the PS2 both Japanese & US.

2001: Got the Gamecube both Japanese and US units. And the Xbox.

2002: I got my own plase to live in Brooklyn. Good for me now!

2004: Last game unit I got sofar is the GBA SP (NES Classic)

2005: The PS2 (smaller unit), PSP and DS.

2006: Xbox 360 and still collecting old games.

[Dusk2600]

started collecting for the 2600 a year ago in june. i have a pretty serious collection for the time ive been collecting, my money source and age around 300 games

[Dino]

Almost 25 years now (ever since I got my original Atari). However, access to the internet - about 12 years ago for me - gave a real boost to my collecting.

 

Cheers,

Marco

 

Out of curiosity Marco, how many different 2600 titles/variations would you estimate you have in your collection?

[jpfalcon2003]

Got my Atari 7800 for Chrismas 1988, almost 1989. But got and bought a bunch of games during 1989 and 1990 that turned out to be rare. I played my atari till 1993 then put it in the closet. In 2003, I pulled it out and have been doing some serious collecting since then for the system. I have some really great games and lots of them considering that I got my system so late and started collecting just 3 years ago. I'd say I have about 130 games now. Almost all of my games are complete in the box. All in excellent condition too. I sold all my loose copies and rebought them complete. It did cost alot for some of the games though. I had threw the boxes and instructions away for all of them when i was a kid. I never knew how important they really would be. My 7800 collection is fully complete with box and instructions, including Sentinel and Klax. I'm only short of the boxes and instructions for Rampage and Titlematch Pro Wrestling.

The 2600 I don't want complete anyway. I just have the best games for the system. The ones I do have are complete. Only want 4 more 2600 games. I have everything else I need for the 2600, including some VERY Rare ones.

The ones I'm looking for are only rarity 6's and rather inexpensive that I can pick up anytime. I've been focusing on new Homebrew games recently though. They have some really great one's out there.

 

J.P.

[jpfalcon2003]

started collecting for the 2600 a year ago in june. i have a pretty serious collection for the time ive been collecting, my money source and age around 300 games

That is awesome for just one year of collecting. I am very impressed. I didn't get my Atari 7800 till right at 1989, and just started collecting not quite 3 years ago. I have some VERY RARE games, almost everything is complete in box, but I only have about 130 games. I've learned complete sets are very expensive.$$$$ My 7800 collection is fully complete.

[Marco]

Almost 25 years now (ever since I got my original Atari). However, access to the internet - about 12 years ago for me - gave a real boost to my collecting.

 

Cheers,

Marco

 

Out of curiosity Marco, how many different 2600 titles/variations would you estimate you have in your collection?

Around 2400.

 

Now back on topic

 

Cheers,

Marco

[crunchysuperman]

Got my first 2600 back around '81, but I've only been really collecting for about 8 or nine years now.

[Foxsolo2000]

I stopped collecting in 2003. I got my first Atari in 1981 and up to 2000 had gained around 75 titles through junk shops, small adds etc. My collection suddenly amassed when I discovered Ebay back in 2001 and I truly enjoyed it for around 2 years before I discovered that I had all the mainstream games and far too many pirates. In 2003 I grew too jaded to even care and my collection has been slowly gathering dust in the spare bedroom for I now devote a great deal of my time hunting down pirate titles and bringing them to the public notice. I love to find new pirate titles but have no immediate desire to add any further to my collection

[grimbasement]

I mostly collect for the 2600 but I also like boxed console too. I have about 300 unique loose titles and around 50 boxed complet titles. Nothing really all that rare. But condition of my stuff is above average. I am the player type of collector but I'm waiting to replace my bedroom TV with an HD so I can take my 20 year old tv into the game room so I can actually play my consoles without cluttering up the bedroom. I won't be doing an AV mod to my atari stuff except for the Flashback2 hack I have in the works.

 

I have a original heavy sixer

 

A sears light sixer (Boxed complete)

 

A couple of 4 switch woodys (one boxed complete)

 

A darth

 

a junior

 

a 5200 (boxed complete)

 

a 7800

 

an XE (boxed complete)

 

Jaguar (boxed complete)

 

I've collected off and on for the last 5 or 6 years.

[Dusk2600]

started collecting for the 2600 a year ago in june. i have a pretty serious collection for the time ive been collecting, my money source and age around 300 games

That is awesome for just one year of collecting. I am very impressed. I didn't get my Atari 7800 till right at 1989, and just started collecting not quite 3 years ago. I have some VERY RARE games, almost everything is complete in box, but I only have about 130 games. I've learned complete sets are very expensive.$$$$ My 7800 collection is fully complete.

 

 

Thanks one of my only accomplishments in life thanks

[weezleme]

I would have to say that collecting 2600 is a life time thing...there will always be another game, another boxed game, a better label, another system and so on. I have been collecting for 6 years and have close to 300 games. And if a boxed game comes up, that i already have as a loose cart...i'll buy it. You are always updating the collection. Ebay is great, for carts you don't have, but expect to pay more than what you could pick up a whole box full at a yard sale or second hand shop!

 

Have fun! I feel that 2600 games (thats all i collect) are hard to come by now days at second hand shops and yard sales, i suggest you get out there fast, before they are only available on ebay!

[BassGuitari]

For only the Atari 2600? 6 years. I've got about 300 cartridges, counting label variations (give or take), 4 consoles (4 and 6 switch woodies in excellent condition, a Sears heavy and Video Arcade II...had more but hocked them) Game Brain, a Supercharger and 3 cassettes, a MagiCard repro, and some other cool hardware/accessories that I can't think of at the moment. Not too much to brag about, but it's enough for me!

[Godzilla]

I've been collecting since 1980, and haven't stopped. Gotta catch em all.

[Dusk2600]

Not too much to brag about, but it's enough for me!

 

In the end.... thats all that matters

[The_Laird]

This little LOT (post 307) has taken me in the most part 2 years to collect although I did have some stuff that I had stored away. The rest came from my friend e-bay.

[Cobra Kai]

Probably about 20 years for the 2600 stuff. I have one bookcase devoted to my 2600 games, and its maxed out right now. I have over 200 carts, with about 100 of those complete! I pride myself on keeping my collection clean and properly displayed.

 

I have just recently upgraded and rearranged my collection. I think it looks nice, so I took a new picture. I guess I should post this in Classic Gaming collection thread.

 

Edited April 5, 2006 by Gunstarhero

[Omegamatrix]

p.s., can someone show me how to make a thumbnail out of my pics that you can click on so I don't take up so much bandwidth on this thread. This is a pic out of my AA gallery, but I can't figure out how you guys make clickable thumbnails out of pics.

When you are posting you'll see a button labeled Browse directly above the Add Reply and Preview Post buttons. Use this to browse your computer until you find the picture you want to attach (note it has to in a format that will be accepted like jpeg, but yours already is). Locate the picture and then hit the Add This Attachment button. Now you will see a new white box for your attachment with a Remove or Add into Post button. Move your cursor to the spot in your post where you want the attachment to appear, and then go down and click the Add into Post button.

 

Nice collection too.

[Cobra Kai]

p.s., can someone show me how to make a thumbnail out of my pics that you can click on so I don't take up so much bandwidth on this thread. This is a pic out of my AA gallery, but I can't figure out how you guys make clickable thumbnails out of pics.

When you are posting you'll see a button labeled Browse directly above the Add Reply and Preview Post buttons. Use this to browse your computer until you find the picture you want to attach (note it has to in a format that will be accepted like jpeg, but yours already is). Locate the picture and then hit the Add This Attachment button. Now you will see a new white box for your attachment with a Remove or Add into Post button. Move your cursor to the spot in your post where you want the attachment to appear, and then go down and click the Add into Post button.

 

Nice collection too.

 

Thanks I got it. I didn't realize I could just upload the pics straight from my PC to the forums. Not use to that. It's certainly a very generous feature from the Admin. Thanks and Thanks!

[MattG/Snyper2099]

I've been collecting atari games since 1997. I am missing 17 2600 games. I don't care about boxes either. They take up too much space.