Finds: Tandyvision & ... Yars' Revenge?

[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic.]

[Geez, these always end up longer than I intend. I guess I'm naturally long-winded. Does anyone actually read them?]

Went to the thrifts yesterday and saw a Radio Shack Tandyvision One (semi-rare Intellivision rebadge, if you didn't know) in the box for $10. I didn't have that on me and I had to get back to work, so I left it in hopes it would be there tomorrow. (OT: In the store before this, I bought MS Office Pro & Bookshelf for Win95 for $4! Now I've got to make room on my hard drive for it.)

Went back today and it was still there. The console was the only thing in the box (no docs and no switchbox (like I need another one)). It was in good shape and so was the box except for one side that had had some clear packing tape torn off of it. Ten dollars is higher than I would have liked, but this is only the second one I've ever seen and I let the first get away. (I wasn't collecting Intellivision then and eBay didn't exist.) I asked if any games had come in with it, and the cashier called in back. There was some confusion, but the answer seemed to be no. Turns out the confusion was because they'd also had an Atari come in early in the week. I did not need to hear that, because there had been no trace of it.

I also picked up a Midway promotional, bulk mail video (Midway Rocks the House), which includes games like Rush and Rampage World Tour. I've never seen one of these from Midway before, just Nintendo. Since video tapes are usually cheap at thrifts, I've started collecting video game related one, no matter the age. Anyone else collecting these? Got a Mixed Game Bag 2 cassette for the Timex-Sinclair 1000 lot I'm gonna put up on eBay one day, too.

For some reason I wasn't satisfied with my find, so I went back to two thrifts I'd already visited this week. At the first, I still can't quite convince myself to pay $3 for a Colecovision Ladybug cart, and I needed what was left of the money I had for lunch anyway. At the second, I found a bag of about 10 common games for $5. (Pass.) In another spot, I found a boxed Yars' Revenge. Picking it up, I found the $1 price tag and, for reasons I'm not sure of, felt the box. It became obvious there was more than one cart in it. It was taped shut, so I didn't know what it was and just assumed one of the was Yars' Revenge. For $1, I bought it. (I don't think I actually have an original, orange Yars' Revenge box, but I'm probably wrong.)

Upon getting to the car, I cut the tape and found . . . Video Chess (text) was the extra cart. The other was indeed Yars' Revenge. But it was in near mint condition! It obviously wasn't used much. Also included were near mint copies of the docs, comic, and rev. E (red, 49 games) Atari catalog. Ths box is in fair shape. The tape was easily removed without harm. (If I'd known that, I would have tried it in the store.) I also removed the thrift price tag to see the original Hills tag under neath it. It seems the previous owner got it for a whopping $0.97 + tax.

[10 Nov 2011 comment: You might note that this is at least the third copy of Video Chess I found in just over a year, after never finding any "in the wild" prior to that. I found the first just after buying one online and the second complete in the box just a few days later.]

FIND: Super Simon & Inty games

[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic.]

Okay, so that should probably be "[FINDS]".... Anyway, earlier this week I found a Super Simon in nice condition & with both battery covers in the box. Can anyone tell me (Lenny?) if Ralph Baer created this sequel to his most popular game? I couldn't find a price on it, but as luck would have it, one of the main pricers was by the cash register when I got there, so he let me have it for a buck. (Then he saw the $2.49 price written in small print, but let it go.) I also picked up a Sega Menacer, missing one eyepiece but otherwise complete, also in the box for $2. I saw it shortly after they got it, when it was marked at $12. I wasn't going to buy it at that price. Glad I checked the price again this time.

Off-topic, I also picked up the paperback Gidget Goes New York, thinking my wife might like it since she likes the movies. On a lark, I checked for it on eBay and was surprised at the profit I can probably make selling it. She said if I sell it before she reads it, that's fine.

Today I picked up a bag of 10 unboxed Intellivision games for $2.50. I broke my personal rule about only getting common carts if they were complete (box, docs, overlays) because it had Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in it. The only other game in the batch I didn't have was Triple Action. I was pleasantly surprised to find most of the games had the overlays tucked in their manuals. (I couldn't tell this before I bought it.) Here's the complete list (I=instructions, O=overlays):

• Auto Racing (I(x2?),O)
• Sea Battle (I,O)
• D&D (INTV label)
• Star Wars: TESB
• LV Poker & Blackjack
• Sub Hunt
• Major League Baseball (O)
• Triple Action (I,O)
• NFL Football (all I,O)
• Utopia (I,O)

[Ralph Baer is the creator of the world's first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey (not Odyssey²). He also created the original electronic Simon game. "Lenny" was addressed to Leonard Herman, who hung out on the group at the time. He confirmed Mr. Baer did indeed create Super Simon as well.]

Brag: Weekend Intelly finds

[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic.]

[As usual, I seem to have rambled on longer than intended. Skip to the list if you're in a hurry.]

I had to get a new battery for my car, which is not too far from a weekly flea market that I don't normally make it to. (A real flea market with junk, not so much new stuff.) First I spotted a bare Intellivision (I) console. (Pass.) Then I spotted a pong system in the box. As I was looking at it, I spotted another Intellivision (I) with some carts nearby. She wanted $15 for the console and 11-15 games (I forget).

Being light on cash (and not really needing another console and common carts to clutter up my already overcrowded space), I asked if she would consider selling any of the games separate. After mulling it over and realizing she could make more money that way (she actually said that), she agreed to sell the games for $1 each. I took seven that I thought were at least semi-rare. I passed on the pong since it didn't seem to be anything special. (I didn't even ask the price.)

I got home and found out most of the games weren't overly rare, but I did make one really good score. None of these are tested yet, but here's what I got (all loose unless otherwise indicated):

• AD&D Treasure of Tarmin
• Centipede
• Congo Bongo (w/manual, missing one page)
• Frogger (w/manual)
• Q*bert
• River Raid
• Shark! Shark!

There's something odd about the Congo Bongo (the rarest of the batch by far). One of the screws has detached from the bottom half of the case, yet the label is intact and, except for peeling at the end, in great shape. In other words, the screw's still there under the label, but it's no longer screwed in.

Brag: NES Arkanoid controller

[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic.]

Okay, so I don't officially consider the NES classic, but if I stuck to the true classics, I'd hardly ever post a brag or find these days. 8(

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I took a short trip to another city. Visited a mall and discovered my first GameStop store. Inside, with the other NES controllers was an Arkanoid controller marked $1.99. When the cashier rang it up, it came up as about $4 instead, to which I objected. The manager, who was just at the end of the counter going through papers, saw it and said they weren't supposed to sell it without the cartridge. (He'd remembered when it came in and thought it had been pulled from the shelf since the cart was missing.) I said I was willing to pay $2 for it, so he had the cashier ring it up at the marked price.

Today provided an interesting footnote. At my local, overpriced, used video game store, I saw they had an Arkanoid controller which was marked $19.99. No thanks! (BTW, this makes up for the one I passed by a few years ago because I didn't know how rare/desirable they were.) Now I just need to find the game so I can test it.

[If I remember correctly, I found it at the GameStop in Century Plaza, Birmingham, Alabama. — 18 June 2010]

Brag: Instant Astrocade collection & more

[Originally posted to rec.games.video.classic.]

This is shaping up to be a good week. No doubt about it, it's spring cleaning time! First, at a church yard sale this weekend, I picked up a few common (Dr. Mario) and not so common (Klax) NES games that I didn't have yet for $0.50 each. I'd also spotted an NES Game Genie box, but didn't give it a good look. A kid came up behind me and asked if he could see it. I handed it to him and kept digging through the games. He said he thought it was actually a Super NES GG and handed it back. He was right! I got it for 50 cents, too! (Thank goodness he didn't decide he wanted it.)

Other finds at weekend yard sales were mostly more Nintendo stuff. (And I'm not a Nintendo collector, dammit!) I did pick up an Atari ST/Amiga/Atari 8-bit trackball.

Monday I found a couple dozen boxed, complete Intellivision games. I picked up Mouse Trap and Beauty and the Beast (which I may already have, I forget), and some box upgrades. Tuesday I remembered to take my not-up-to-date list and got some more as box upgrades.

Tuesday something had told me to go to Value Village, but I didn't have time! So I went today. The first thing I see, sitting right next to the door, is a boxed Sega Master System. I'm not really interested, especially for $38.99, even though I see some boxed games inside. So I wander around the store some more. As I make my way around to the second electronics section, I'm confronted by a big box that says "arcade" on the side. What's this?!? A Bally Profesional Arcade in the box!

I've never seen a single Astrocade item in the wild before. It's marked $24.99. Not knowing how much they go for on eBay, I debate buying it, but quickly decide it's worth it since I've never seen one before. (I also pick up NES Spy Hunter for $2.99 for the heck of it.) I get outside and it's raining. The box is already heavily taped, but I don't want to get it wet as well. So I decide to sit down and see what's inside.

I find 17(!) cartridges, 10 big game manuals, 9 small game manuals (plus three Football playbooks (Why do I have two for the blue team?)), the system manual, a keypad overlay, power supply, and four(!) controllers. No switchbox and no dust cover, but I'm not complaining! None of the cartridges are more than a 3 in rarity by the DPG. Somewhat annoyingly, I have manuals for Star Battle and Artillery Duel, but no carts. All the cartridges/manuals are the "Bally" versions except The Incredible Wizard and Artilery Duel.

Then I went down the street to another thrift and picked up a pair of Starfighter joysticks with a standard 9-pin (2600/C64/etc.) connectors. Never come across this particular type of joystick before.

Now, I just hope everything I've picked up this week works. I haven't had a chance to test any of it yet, and don't forsee being able to do so until next week.

[To date, this is still my only Astrocade find ever. — 18 June 2010]