¢VCS FUTURA¢May/June 1995¢¢¢CARTRIDGE COLLECTING¢by David Wyn Davies¢¢ Recently, I discovered a Usenet newsgroup on the Internet called rec.games.video.classics which is dedicated to discussions about old 8-bit consoles, like the Atari VCS.¢¢ The newsgroup is full of diehard systems and cartridge collectors swapping VCS cartridges at some ridiculous prices. Most collectors will auction their unwanted equipment on this newsgroup, with the highest bidder receiving the goods. This way, some rarer VCS cartridges have been known to fetch up to $75!¢¢ Before you rush off and start putting $100 price tags on your Pac-Man carts, I think I'd better warn you that most ROMs only fetch a couple of dollars because they are far too common. However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't collect them. Afterall, they could be used as trades for rarer items. Some collectors will buy whatever they find. If they then have more than one copy of a game, they can auction or trade it.¢¢ Some diehard collectors will buy absolutely anything. For example, did you know that there are at least five different forms of the Combat cartridge? They all have different labels and some people have all five! There are several cartridges around that have had different labelling at some point during their production lifespan. Some of the rarer labels can more than double the collector's value of even the most common of games.¢¢ Collectors will buy carts even if they have no box or instructions. Of course, the value of an item increases if it is complete.¢¢ My own meagre collection of thirteen ROMs isn't exactly the most valuable in the world. So, armed with a VCS price list supplied by Jerry Greiner, a US collector's supplier (see the address below), let's see what my kit is really worth on the open market...¢¢ATARI 2600 (no PSU or joysticks) = $20 (12 pounds)¢¢ATLANTIS - Imagic - Plain Silver Label = $3 (2 pounds)¢¢BERZERK - Atari - Illustrated Label = $2 (1.50 pounds)¢¢COMBAT - Atari - Standard Label = 50c (any point in converting this??)¢¢FROSTBITE - Activision - Blue Illustrated Label = $10 (6 pounds)¢¢GALAXIANS - Atari - Illustrated Label = $4.50 (3 pounds)¢¢GORF - CBS = $7.50 (5 pounds)¢¢JEDI ARENA - Parker - Illustrated Label = $5 (3 pounds)¢¢KEYSTONE CAPERS - Activision - Red Illustrated Label = $3.50 (2 pounds)¢¢PELE'S SOCCER - Atari - Illustrated Label = $3.50 (2 pounds)¢¢RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX - Imagic - Illustrated Label = $3.50 (2 pounds)¢¢SMURF: RESCUE IN GARGAMEL'S CASTLE - CBS = $7 (4 pounds)¢¢THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - Parker - Illustrated Label = $2 (1 pound)¢¢VIDEO OLYMPICS - Atari - $3 (2 pounds)¢¢ All the cartridge prices quoted above are for carts that are missing the box and instructions. Most of my collection is complete and that would be reflected in the prices that collectors would be willing to pay. For example, Jerry sells complete Jedi Arena cart packages for $9 (6 pounds). That is practically double what the price is for the cartridge alone. On this basis, we can see that in my own collection, the Frostbite cart is the most 'valuable' and would be doubly more so for a collector since it's boxed and complete - it may be worth anything between $15 and $20.¢¢ I think I'd better say now that I'm not sure how accurate these prices actually are, since Jerry has to set his prices partly on collectability and partly on the price he himself had to pay to get hold of his stock. As a result, the PAL cartridges he sells tend to be more expensive than the American NTSC versions since they've mostly had to be imported to the States from Europe. However, the price lists can act nicely as a guide for the uninitiated.¢¢ Recently, I saw an advert in Micro Mart from someone selling various carts for a pound each. Most of them were not all that collectable, but one did stand out from the crowd. Rampage, at $20 for the cartridge alone would be enough to make some diehard fanatics jump up and down in glee! Especially since the one being sold for a quid was complete with box and instructions.¢¢ Those who advertise in Micro Mart tend to not know the value of the goods they are selling. Most VCS cartridges are put up for sale for about 2 pounds. This makes full-blown cartridge collecting an inexpensive hobby that I intend to get into during the summer (besides, if I get the VCS up and running again, it'll help keep my neice away from the 8-bit... my copy of 'The Complete and Essential Map' is starting to look more like a doodling pad in some places). Even if you end up with twenty copies of Combat, it could all become worthwhile if you find that elusive copy of Q*Bert's Cubes, which has been valued at $60 and would almost certainly fetch more if you put it up for auction in the Usenet newsgroup.¢¢ So, as I leave you to ponder the pros and cons of cartridge collecting, here are a few more items of interest from Jerry's price list...¢¢* Duplicator SP280. Copies your carts to EPROM carts.¢* Leatherette Protective Cover with Atari logo¢* ROM Scanner¢* Sears Arcade II (Atari 2800). Limited edition release of the next generation 2600. Hard to find (impossible to find over here).¢* Starpath Supercharger. Increases VCS memory to 16K (I think) and uses cassette software instead of ROMs.¢* Videoplexer. More expensive clone of the ROM Scanner.¢* Videogame Computer. 2600 compatible PAL system with 500 built-in games.¢¢ Carts of interest (or... if you have these you're laughing)...¢¢* Any HES two in one cart (e.g. Alien Force / Hoppy).¢* The Atari 32 in 1 cartridge.¢* Any of the Atari prototype boards.¢* Some of the Sears releases of Atari's own carts (e.g. Asteroids)¢* Just about any Imagic title re-released by Activision (e.g. Atlantis).¢* Base Attack - StarSoft - Supposedly only exists on Multi-Game systems, but at least one known cartridge in existence.¢* China Syndrome - SpectraVision.¢* Die Hungrigen Frosche - StarSoft.¢* Dschungel Boy - Quelle.¢* Forest, Sancho - only available in PAL.¢* Galactic - Suntek. Rare release.¢¢ There's a lot more interesting stuff in Jerry's price lists. If you want a copy, you can either write to him direct at the address below, or contact myself and I'll get Jerry's latest list downloaded and passed onto you. Please bear in mind, however, that it's a pretty hefty listing so if you contact Jerry, remember to send him some International Reply Coupons to offset the postage costs. If you would rather get a copy from me, then please send a postal order for two pounds to cover the P&P.¢¢ If anyone wants to contact me for rough valuations on their VCS equipment or to trade VCS items (I'm looking to buy a Starpath Supercharger, ROM Scanner and SpectraVideo keyboard during the summer) then feel free to get in touch.¢¢Jerry Greiner's address is 14700 NW Bonneville Loop, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA. e-mail: jerryg@hevanet.com¢¢My address is The Atari Classic Programmer's Club, Pen-Tyddyn, Capel Coch, LLangefni, Anglesey, Gwynedd, LL77 7UR, Wales. e-mail: mbitdc9306@newi.ac.uk (only until July 1995)¢
