Rare Atari Prototype boxes?…

[Sparky]

Digging around at a local fleamarket last weekend i came across a box with a rough looking intellivision system inside and a bunch of boxed common carts but i also found some Atari 2600 game boxes, i have never seen boxed Atari games in the wild or cool titles like these but when i opened the box they were only common intelly games and believe it or not i put them down and left them behind!!!! not knowing what they were & then came to my senses and went back for them yesterday (saturday) and they were still there :)

confirming what these are?? i have been researching and have got some feedback from others as well on them and they are saying prototype display boxes.
Im trying to gather as much info on these as i can as there is not alot out there, how rare are these? has anyone else seen these before? and of coarse im curious on what these are worth? But any feedback would be great to hear so thanks for your time.

oh, in the box was a insert for Bubba: Until it hurts… an 80's cheese workout video, it looked like it was made to go in the box, anyway it made me laugh so i thought i would share.

EDIT: sorry, the image crapped out so hopefully photobucket can keep it up.

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x114/sparkss_photo/At-boxeslow.jpg

[tmlfan]

that bubba till it hurts manual is probably worth hundreds, nay thousands. Throw the rest in the garbage

[Buyatari]

All of the PB prototype boxes I have seen (that can be traced back)came from Toys R US employees.

It tough to say what they are worth. The last Hulk I saw sold for ~$300 years ago to a HULK collector but prices on unreleased boxes have gone up since then. I recently sold my prototype Dumbo box for $950.00 but it was mint and unused.

The lord of the rings from the same seller went to John Hardie and they put it in the CGE musuem. Unsure about the James Bond if it has poped up before or not.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230134609018

The condition on the ones you found isn't the best still the unreleased ones are worth several hundred bucks each. I'm sure Joe would be interested in the ones they don't have for the CGE museum.

[sniperCCJVQ]

Wow!

Great finds ! espacaly found those in Canada.

Those are rare and can fetc great amount on Ebay.

Bubba is da bomb !

[Kitsune Sniper]

I...

Is That Hightower?!

[Blitzwing256]

yup

I guess those police academy movies didn't pay the bills back then ;-)

[swlovinist]

Worth alot, sell them on ebay, you will get lots. Dont get lowballed, and you might generate the pics on atari age as well. Let a world auction determine the price. You have found something unique and I hope you get paid well for it!

[TheRedEye]

Two questions:

1. Anything on the backs of the boxes?

2. Would you be willing to scan these? If you don't have access to a scanner, I'm sure your local library does. I'd even be willing to compensate you for the trip, if it came to that!

[Buyatari]

Two questions:

1. Anything on the backs of the boxes?

2. Would you be willing to scan these? If you don't have access to a scanner, I'm sure your local library does. I'd even be willing to compensate you for the trip, if it came to that!

1. The boxes are blank. All PB proto boxes are blank

2. There is no need for a scan. You can see them clear enough with a picture. Unless he wants fakes poping up its not a smart move on his part.

[Bratwurst]

2. There is no need for a scan. You can see them clear enough with a picture. Unless he wants fakes poping up its not a smart move on his part.

I can see the underlying desire to protect an investment by thinking this, but a scan lower than 300 DPI is easily discernable by eye when it has been printed (And I can find flaws personally in a 300 DPI print out with some scrutiny) You can't 'up' a picture's original resolution either, it looks very obvious when you try.

[Gamingking]

What did you pay for these?.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

I...

Is That Hightower?!
LOL...Believe it or not, back in the mid-80's my local video store (long since defunct) used to have a cardboard stand-up display of that.

[Kitsune Sniper]

1. The boxes are blank. All PB proto boxes are blank

2. There is no need for a scan. You can see them clear enough with a picture. Unless he wants fakes poping up its not a smart move on his part.

Scans of these items would be great for museum sites and the like... as long as they're heavily watermarked to prevent idiots from making reproductions.

[Sparky]

hey guys thanks for the feedback so far, to answer a few questions…

I payed a whole $8 for these believe it or not & even haggled a bit for that price :) and yes the boxes are blank on the back sides (2 are cardboard coloured & the other 2 are white cardboard) but they all have some marker writing on them, names of the common intelly games they were holding :(

Guys, I did not even think about people making reproductions of these!!
So which museum sites are out there for these to be displayed?

[Ed Oscuro]

I can see the underlying desire to protect an investment by thinking this, but a scan lower than 300 DPI is easily discernable by eye when it has been printed (And I can find flaws personally in a 300 DPI print out with some scrutiny) You can't 'up' a picture's original resolution either, it looks very obvious when you try.
This is not always going to be true (Intel was working on some program to increase the resolution of pictures via a computing method), but for the moment that's solid advice...

[Promophile]

I agree with Buyatari, don't scan these. Fakes would be way too easy to make. Watermarks wouldn't help. Anyone who really knows how to use photoshop knows how easy it is to get rid of them. Even if the scan was crappy, A crafty scammer would take a picture of the box with a bad camera, and you couldn't tell until you were holding the box in your hands.

[Buyatari]

Not only is a high res scan a possible link to future fakes (before anyone attacks me I don't own prototype boxes of ANY of these titles so this isn't personal interest) but they really aren't even needed. You can see the boxes just fine as they are.

[TheRedEye]

Christ you people are paranoid. THEY'RE BOXES.

Sparky, I'm sending you a PM about where I'd personally like to display some nice scans, as my project isn't public yet.

[Keir]

Wow. Awesome find. That is all.

[MarioAllStar2600]

If you are going to do close scans, I would recommend cutting something out of the scan in photoshop. Don't tell people what you took out either, but if a fake pops up YOU can be the one to tell everyone it is 100% fake or real. That's really popular in psychopathic records collecting, and if you would like to showcase these rarities, without frauds, a small photoshop job is your best bet.

Crazy find though. Nice to see there are still some 2600 gems floating around out there. I have never seen that Hulk box before in my life. And holycrap at $950 for the Dumbo box. That's crazy, the cart I can justify... but a box? cmon.

[Buyatari]

Christ you people are paranoid. THEY'RE BOXES.



Not paranoid. Go do a database search on the Star Wars boxes!

Very real concern.

[Buyatari]

Ok I found an old thread about it.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83903

[Bratwurst]

Even if the scan was crappy, A crafty scammer would take a picture of the box with a bad camera, and you couldn't tell until you were holding the box in your hands.

By that logic, I could take the art from one of the boxes in the photo that's up right now and blow it up, snap a picture from some distance away and you'd be none the wiser.

[Griking]

Christ you people are paranoid. THEY'RE BOXES.

Agreed. Christ, I'd like to see him say that he burnt them and picture the expression on peoples faces

[MarioAllStar2600]

Agreed. Christ, I'd like to see him say that he burnt them and picture the expression on peoples faces

I thought you guys respected collecting? Those boxes are awesome in my eyes, and I would give alot of the games in my collection for them. Look at what there worth on ebay as well, there not worth petty cash. If you ask me, scan the boxes but change something.....

[Promophile]

By that logic, I could take the art from one of the boxes in the photo that's up right now and blow it up, snap a picture from some distance away and you'd be none the wiser.

The better the scan/picture, the greater the chances someone would try it. It's less work, takes less know-how, and is more likely to be successful. Hell, If someone has enough desire to do so and was talented enough they could look at these boxes and make almost exact replicas with graphic design software.

Why increase counterfeit chances from 5% to 50%.

[Buyatari]

By that logic, I could take the art from one of the boxes in the photo that's up right now and blow it up, snap a picture from some distance away and you'd be none the wiser.

Sure you could. ALL photos of unique items should be watermarked low res pictures.

The harder it is to make a copy the less there are that have the ability to do it. I may just be me but I've found that in my experience the ones with the least ability are the ones always trying to pull a fast one.

Could it still be done? Yes but lets not make it any easier for these guys. If its too much work it won't be worth it.

[Buyatari]

Agreed. Christ, I'd like to see him say that he burnt them and picture the expression on peoples faces

If he burns them he ruins THESE boxes. If copies surface an people find it hard to tell the difference then he ruins these AND all other real boxes that surface from here on out.

I'd like to see your face when you get ripped off for hundreds of dollars.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Agreed. Christ, I'd like to see him say that he burnt them and picture the expression on peoples faces
He should only do that if he finds the box for Bio Force Ape.

In all seriousness, though, awesome freakin' boxes. What a find! :guitar:

[TheRedEye]

So let me sum this up for everyone who doesn't want to read the thread:

Online databases, fans, enthusiasts, and game scholars should not be able to have clean BOX ART FROM A VIDEO GAME because a handful of collectors might theoretically face a small risk of someday buying something that they very well know could be a reproduction, apparently because someone is holding a gun against their temple and making them purchase things.

[FABombjoy]

Caveat emptor.

Anybody that's in the market for rare, high-dollar, print-related items had better be in the know when it comes to spotting fakes.

This is especially silly in light of Parker Bros boxes - there are specific aspects about they way they were printed and the way that they've aged that would require a grand effort to conterfeit. Waaaay more of an investment in time and materials than you'd get back by hawking a few phoneys.

[Griking]

If he burns them he ruins THESE boxes. If copies surface an people find it hard to tell the difference then he ruins these AND all other real boxes that surface from here on out.

I'd like to see your face when you get ripped off for hundreds of dollars.


You wouldn't see my face being ripped off for hundreds of dollars because I'd never spend that much for a few cardboard game boxes.

If all the OP is concerned with are things like investment values and exclusivity then hire a body guard, throw the things in a hermetically sealed vault somewheres and only view them in the shade while wearing medical gloves. If however he's like me and more into the coolness factor and wanted to share his find with others who would appreciate them then I say to take pictures and make them available for all to appreciate, collectors be damned.

[Buyatari]

@Griking - Its doesn't have to be boxes any item will do.

Yes good defense.

Its the I don't buy that type of item so I don't care if people get ripped off argument. Lets create a how make a fake Nintendo seal FAQ since you don't collect sealed Nintendo games. Or maybe you do and if so then thats not cool.

Someone tell me why the picture you already have just isn't good enough? Why is it that the collectors with the smallest collections are always asking for more more more. Do you people even collect Atari or is it just that fact that its free and if someone does get hurt it sure as hell won't be you.


You wouldn't see my face being ripped off for hundreds of dollars because I'd never spend that much for a few cardboard game boxes.

If all the OP is concerned with are things like investment values and exclusivity then hire a body guard, throw the things in a hermetically sealed vault somewheres and only view them in the shade while wearing medical gloves. If however he's like me and more into the coolness factor and wanted to share his find with others who would appreciate them then I say to take pictures and make them available for all to appreciate, collectors be damned.

[Buyatari]

I see there is no confusion here I agree with your statement.


So let me sum this up for everyone who doesn't want to read the thread:

Online databases, fans, enthusiasts, and game scholars should not be able to have clean BOX ART FROM A VIDEO GAME because a handful of collectors might theoretically face a small risk of someday buying something that they very well know could be a reproduction, apparently because someone is holding a gun against their temple and making them purchase things.

Its his property not yours. Don't act as if you have some god given right to view all items to your satisfaction here. He can do what ever he wants with it and I hope he does the smart thing.

I'll sum it up for you.

If you have something of value and there are actions you can take which would cause the value to drop at no real noticable benefit to anyone then don't do it.

Listen to Murphy

[Omegamatrix]

No one wants to see a person get robbed hundreds of dollars here. Lets be honest though if someone really wants to make a fake they will whether you make it easy for them or not. There are dozens of rare boxes scanned out there already, but I don't see batches of Lochjaws and Music Machines popping up. I'm sure the general public would like to see a nice scan of these boxes for history's sake. Go ahead and watermark it if you like. It's not the first of these to be found, and probably won't be the last. IMO this whole fuss and big arguement of whether to scan or not to scan the boxes does more to conivince a person to try then just having scanned them in the first place.


~Omega

[idrougge]

If a 600 dpi scan is let loose on the net, anyone can make his own copy of these boxes. So there is no need to pay for such a box on Ebay. And everyone is happy. Except for people like Buyatari, who care more about their investment and could just as well collect porcelaine figurines.

[Buyatari]

Except I don't collect porcelaine figures I collect videogames and I don't own these boxes so it isn't my investment. I'm trying to stop other collectors from making stupid mistakes that hurt all collectors.

I thought these were JUST boxes. Why do you need a better scan?

You can not justify the need for a better pic. The best defence is a good offense huh?

Yes vilify the collector who deals in material objects in the material world while the typical self proclaimed historian has 100X more games on his harddrive than in his personal collection.


If a 600 dpi scan is let loose on the net, anyone can make his own copy of these boxes. So there is no need to pay for such a box on Ebay. And everyone is happy. Except for people like Buyatari, who care more about their investment and could just as well collect porcelaine figurines.

[Captain Wrong]

Am I the only one that remembers when this hobby used to be fun?

[TheRedEye]

Am I the only one that remembers when this hobby used to be fun?

Quick, delete all of the old posts from the fun days so that their mystique doesn't die. We don't have a god given right to view them, and if they're available, someone might copy-paste them as if they are new forums posts.

[Griking]

@Griking - Its doesn't have to be boxes any item will do.

Yes good defense.

Its the I don't buy that type of item so I don't care if people get ripped off argument. Lets create a how make a fake Nintendo seal FAQ since you don't collect sealed Nintendo games. Or maybe you do and if so then thats not cool.

Someone tell me why the picture you already have just isn't good enough? Why is it that the collectors with the smallest collections are always asking for more more more. Do you people even collect Atari or is it just that fact that its free and if someone does get hurt it sure as hell won't be you.

Its not that I don't care if people get ripped off or not it just that I think that it's silly to hold back quality photos of these boxes just to possibly protect a small minority of people. Yeah, I collect Atari stuff but not to the point where I selfishly feel the need to own everything. I say release them in all their hi resolution glory and let the buyer beware.

Besides, its not as if this guy sold these boxes to someone who expected to have an exclusive and THEN decided to release hi quality photos. How are you losing money on something that you don't own?


Don't act as if you have some god given right to view all items to your satisfaction here. He can do what ever he wants with it and I hope he does the smart thing.

nor do others have the right to expect that every rarity unearthed should be horded away and ony appreciated by those with bulging pocketbooks

[horseboy]

What is wrong with the pictures he already posted? Can you not see them? Are they so distorted that you can't even tell what games they are for? The only advantage I can to having a hi-res scan is the ability to make a fake.

Are you really going to get that much more enjoyment out of a hi-res scan? I promise it will look the same... just bigger. And the only investment to be protected here is the OP's, and I don't see it written anywhere that he is a hoarder with a bulging pocketbook. As I recall he got them for a couple of bucks at a thrift shop.

I think it would be stupid for him to release hi-res scans. Potential fakes can only drive down the value of this find. I have always thought it would be awesome to stumble upon something this rare and cool at a thrift shop, and you can bet your ass if it was me that I would do all I can to protect the value. I agree with BuyAtari 100% here.

[Bratwurst]

You can not justify the need for a better pic. The best defence is a good offense huh?

That's easy, it's preservation of a very fragile medium. It's so detail can be appreciated by someone who wants to see detail. I don't recall anyone asking for scans in this thread demanding that Sparky do it, but I've seen at least two different people call him 'stupid' if he did. That's desperation.

[horseboy]

I've seen at least two different people call him 'stupid' if he did. That's desperation.


Desperate for what? For Sparky to protect his own investment? Uh, yeah, sure, I actually prayed for this last night because it is just that important to me. No one stands to benefit from him not scanning them except him. As much as some of you seem to be jealous of Buyatari for the nice/rare things he has in his collection, I promise that you are way off base on him being desperate here. No matter what way you want to try and spin this Buyatari stands to benefit 0% from this. He doesn't own these, so a fake wouldn't affect him at all. He is just giving Sparky some sound advice on protecting his investment.

I don't get why everyone is getting such a chubby over hi-res scans. You can see everything that you need to right in that pic. Maybe if you slip Sparky a $20 he will snaps some pics with the top off of the box, then you can put those chubbies to use.

[FABombjoy]

As a guy that worked in the printing industry for years (and still do on a limited basis), I still say there is no way you could produce a convincing counterfeit Parker Bros. box without a serious investment in time, materials, and money. Even then I doubt it would stand up to scrutiny.

[Buyatari]

I don't get why everyone is getting such a chubby over hi-res scans. You can see everything that you need to right in that pic. Maybe if you slip Sparky a $20 he will snaps some pics with the top off of the box, then you can put those chubbies to use.

In truth we have the same goal here.

To have as much stuff as we can find. I deal in the real world with physical items and they deal with zip files.

It because they are horders just as collectors are horders and while collectors may have more than they ever need in the physical word these people have more than they will ever need on their hard drive. Its just one more jpg to the collection.

ROOM OF DOOM

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/police_hard-drive_open-lg.jpg

[Captain Wrong]

Quick, delete all of the old posts from the fun days so that their mystique doesn't die. We don't have a god given right to view them, and if they're available, someone might copy-paste them as if they are new forums posts.

Actually, I gotta admit, threads like these are fun in their own way. And fun I mean jaw droppingly ridiculous.

[Sparky]

guys i appreciate all the feedback and i guess the big question is where do i stand with scanning these boxes…

honestly, right now im not thinking to much about it, selling/trading or keeping is my first big decision on these things with all the interest i have received on these and still getting.
This is the best freak'n find of my 12 years collecting and has been the most fun to share and im proud of it, so im taking the time i need to decide what the hell im doing with them, the question of scanning will have to come later for me.

But with you guys on patrol a future bootleg would not stand a chance, man you guys know your shit.

[Dr. Morbis]

In truth we have the same goal here.

To have as much stuff as we can find.

Oh how wrong you are.

Why is it always about value and investment with you? Without people like redeye, I (and the rest of the community) would not have played the dozens and dozens of lost games he's released over the years. Of course, all of the original pcb's from the protos he's released are practically worthless now... boo hoo hoo.

Maybe Carter should have taken all of Tut's treasures and sealed them up in a big vault in his basement. Imagine how OMGRARE$$$ they'd be then? Who cares if the other 6 billion of us never got a glimpse... at least no one would ever be able to try and make a counterfeit copy of that famous funeral mask.

[smork]

ROOM OF DOOM

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/police_hard-drive_open-lg.jpg

Can't say i'm with you on everything in this thread, buddy, but that's pretty damn funny.

[Promophile]

As a collector I WANT rare and unique items to exist. I want to own something special that can't just be downloaded onto a HD. I want protos to exist that I'll never play. I don't want every game to be as common or available as every other game. Thats part of the fun of collecting for me. Call me an Elitist if you will, but if Stadium Events wasn't as rare as it is, most of you wouldn't give a damn about owning it.

I don't collect Atari. I have no desire to own these boxes, and honestly I wouldn't care if these boxes were bootlegged, but for the fact that there are others like me who DO collect for the Atari.

If the owner wants to get HQ scans done, go for it. It's his property, and he has every right to. Do I think it will cause alot more harm to collectors than benefit? Of course.

Answer me this; How does huge high quality scans help "game scholars" do ANYTHING? You can clearly see the details of the boxes perfectly in the pictures already posted. The only thing you couldn't do was print out convincing copies of the covers, or get nice pictures for your online database at the expense of anyone who wants to own these boxes in the future. How is that not as selfish as what people like me and Buyatari want?

[idrougge]

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/police_hard-drive_open-lg.jpg

You're quite right. I think we both benefit from this arrangement. Those who treasure cardboard boxes for their physical rarity and those who just want to look at a scan of the box for whatever purpose can get along much better if they don't bump into each other on Ebay. Those who collect the boxes don't have to be engaged in as many bidding wars for said boxes, and those who just have a voyeuristic need aren't forced to fight wars with said collectors on Ebay. It's a win-win situation.

The thing is that those of us who just want a JPEG or ROMz don't want to harm the physical collectors. We think it's great if someone takes care of the physical artefacts, as long as we just get to see what they have. And it's sad when the people who do the marvelous efforts to dump unreleased or rare games must fight with those who just want to lock up those artefacts for their own viewing pleasure.

[horseboy]

You're quite right. I think we both benefit from this arrangement. Those who treasure cardboard boxes for their physical rarity and those who just want to look at a scan of the box for whatever purpose can get along much better if they don't bump into each other on Ebay. Those who collect the boxes don't have to be engaged in as many bidding wars for said boxes, and those who just have a voyeuristic need aren't forced to fight wars with said collectors on Ebay. It's a win-win situation.

The thing is that those of us who just want a JPEG or ROMz don't want to harm the physical collectors. We think it's great if someone takes care of the physical artefacts, as long as we just get to see what they have. And it's sad when the people who do the marvelous efforts to dump unreleased or rare games must fight with those who just want to lock up those artefacts for their own viewing pleasure.

Like it has been said numerous times in the last 24 hours... he already posted pics of the boxes. You have your viewing pleasure if you want it. The only benefit of a hi-res scan would be the ability to bootleg the box. That is that. Enjoy the pictures.

[Keir]

Actually, I gotta admit, threads like these are fun in their own way. And fun I mean jaw droppingly ridiculous.I don't know, at first I was like :popcorn: but now I'm -_-.

[idrougge]

Like it has been said numerous times in the last 24 hours... he already posted pics of the boxes. You have your viewing pleasure if you want it. The only benefit of a hi-res scan would be the ability to bootleg the box. That is that. Enjoy the pictures.

I think we're just beating a dead horse(boy) here. This conflict is as old as games collecting itself.

[TheRedEye]

I think we're just beating a dead horse(boy) here. This conflict is as old as games collecting itself.

Actually, an argument over cardboard boxes is entirely new to me. I'm so blown away that I don't even know what to say anymore.

[horseboy]

I think we're just beating a dead horse(boy) here. This conflict is as old as games collecting itself.

I honestly don't care what he does with it. I am just defending Buyatari because he has a valid point, and I am defending Sparky's right to do whatever the hell he wants to do with it. I, personally, wouldn't make a hi-res scan.

How do you benefit from a hi-res scan, might I ask? It will be the same damn thing, just bigger. You can see it all right now. Why do you want it so badly?

[Dr. Morbis]

How do you benefit from a hi-res scan, might I ask? It will be the same damn thing, just bigger. You can see it all right now. Why do you want it so badly?

See Bratwurst's post (#42) above.

[Buyatari]

See Bratwurst's post (#42) above.

I had long been perplexed by this question and had been unable to come up with an answer I knew was correct. To help me understand this I asked my good friend Professor X if I could use Cerebro for the night. I found Bratwurst tossing and turning in a restless sleep. While the strength of the emotions was much too stong to sustain contact for more than 10 minutes at a time I was able to record this much.

Bratwurst - "Too blury... too blury...Is this Hulk grey or green. I must know."

[ubersaurus]

I like scans of boxes. They're nice to see the box art with-better than crummy photos. The preservation factor for historians I also agree with-same reason why people dump prototype ROMs after all. It could conceivably hurt the value, but that only matters if you're worried about selling it...and for a box, I don't think that's as big a deal.

[Buyatari]

and for a box, I don't think that's as big a deal.

Last 2 proto boxes I sold went for $1000 and $950.

[ubersaurus]

Last 2 proto boxes I sold went for $1000 and $950.

Good for you! But the few people who care about prototype boxes are a hell of a lot smaller a number than the people who care about prototype games. And boxes are arguably just as vulnerable to damage as the games are, if not moreso.

[Buyatari]

the few people who care about prototype boxes are a hell of a lot smaller a number than the people who care about prototype games.

DING
DING
DING

WE HAVE A WINNER!

If no one cares why do we need a better pic?

Lets increase the chance of future problems just so "the few people who care about prototypes boxes" can click on the link once, go "Hmmp" and then close the link when they already have a picture thats plenty good enough.

[horseboy]

And boxes are arguably just as vulnerable to damage as the games are, if not moreso.


You are exactly right about this. He should scan the box. Then he should burn it to a couple of cd's, and throw them in a drawer. Then it will be preserved. Everybody who wants to see the box already can, though. So he should just keep the scans for himself until they are needed (which will likely be never).

[rbudrick]

Good for you! But the few people who care about prototype boxes are a hell of a lot smaller a number than the people who care about prototype games. And boxes are arguably just as vulnerable to damage as the games are, if not moreso.

Probably true, but those folks sure pay more. Proto boxes are much rarer than proto games. For those who dispute the huge value of such items, the proof is in the numbers. It should not even be debated any longer the need to preserve these as truly as possible.

-Rob

[ubersaurus]

DING
DING
DING

WE HAVE A WINNER!

If no one cares why do we need a better pic?

Lets increase the chance of future problems just so "the few people who care about prototypes boxes" can click on the link once, go "Hmmp" and then close the link when they already have a picture thats plenty good enough.

Way to take my meaning and twist it around, buddy. I thought it was plain I was referring to people who buy and sell proto stuff.

[Bratwurst]

http://www.angelfire.com/apes/madmeat/House/harkonen.txt

[Kid Fenris]

Bratwurst, why must you VILIFY THE COLLECTOR?

[Richter Belmount]

Bratwurst, why must you VILIFY THE COLLECTOR?

Fenris is a girls name. Its ok to pretend. (not near me though..)

[Buyatari]

Way to take my meaning and twist it around, buddy. I thought it was plain I was referring to people who buy and sell proto stuff.

Ohh its been twisted since we started.

I am saying that there are few people with an an interest bigger than a "Hurmp" <closes window>. Do you disagree?

I am also saying that its a risk to post high res scans and the better the scan the harder its going to be to detect with a low res picture on ebay. Do you disagree?

In conclussion with no benefit thats really tangible making high res scans is an unnecessary risk.

Its really a sad state we live in where scammers are everywhere from reseals to fake boxes to posting pictures of rare boxes that they do not own !

read this one !
http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=108785
A watermarked photo would have prevented this scam !

[Dr. Morbis]

Its really a sad state we live in where scammers are everywhere from reseals to fake boxes to posting pictures of rare boxes that they do not own !

It's a really sad state we live in where a simple request (for high-res scans) for a project that is for the good of the community, ends up devolving into a bitter argument with naysayers and doomsday predictors who think the 99.9% of good people in the world should be eternally and perpetually punished in a feeble attempt to prevent the other 0.01% from actualizing their evil plans.

That's post-9/11 America for you, I guess (damn glad I don't live there).

I mean holy smokes! Take a step back and look at what you're arguing against!

[TheRedEye]

Sigh. Sparky, I'm sorry you got caught in the middle of all of this. I hope you know that, at least in my case, I'm not pushing you to do anything other than what you want to do.

OK buyatari, you win. I'm convinced. There's a small chance that a small group of collectors might get scammed if some cool stuff is shared amongst a friendly community on the internet who might enjoy it.

So let's just keep everything under lock and key. Let's put on our tinfoil hats and treat the hobby we claim to love like cold-hearted stock investors. Let's never, ever scan/dump/rip/copy anything that might have monetary value. Let's just sell things to the highest bidder, because only people willing to spend lots of money for closet clutter deserve to enjoy anything. Whenever unwashed sewer urchin ask if we can maybe preserve a little history, let's go all out and make DAMNED SURE that it doesn't happen!

Fifty years from now, when the person who buys these is long dead, and their "junk" cardboard boxes are thrown out at an estate sale, we'll have forever erased the box art from James Bond for the 2600 from history. But, hey, at least some uninformed collectors didn't get scammed!

[DreamTR]

This thread is very funny for a number of reasons.

Certain people in this thread posting don't collect this sort of thing, nor do they collect prototypes in general, yet they feel the need to explain their point of view about things and try and equate value on top of it to something they do not collect.

To top this off, we also have an idiotic person stating that he does not collect "all" the 2600 games because it is "selfish?" You know what? Get out of this thread, get off these forums. Do you realize what video game site you are on? I'm getting a bit sick of seeing this guy's ragged responses and whining in general for something he knows nothing about.

Now, the main issue is the possibility of these boxes being duplicated by those who want easy money. THis is indeed that, "easy money" if someone does this. I personally can't condone the "I don't care" attitude by anyone even posting in this thread, but the problem is real, and it's pretty tough to gauge what is real just from an auction, but the possibility these will be duped as opposed to Star Wars is less likely, but the possibility is still very real.

Personally, I would like to purchase the Hulk box myself, but that's up to the buyer to decide what he wants to do with it. I can say this, though. There are really neat perfect scans of Atari 2600 boxes and labels on Atari Age right now. It's no coincidence that the site with some of the best info and scans for Atari games/boxes/manuals on the net also has people that are capable of recreating copies of these boxes/games to such a perfect tee that only THEY would be able to tell the difference if they were real/counterfeit.

Take that with what you will, I don't see any issue with it being scanned, but I also don't see why there is a necessity for it. I mean, sure, it looks great, but I look at box scans to make sure the ones I have are NOT counterfeit these days (quality, etc). Though more and more systems have scans, and if you are doing magazine articles, a scan of something is pretty cool.

One last thing, there are OTHER people behind the scenes helping acquire these games. Red Eye is just more visible with the website, but a lot of you don't know where a lot of these games came from. DRX releases, Assembler releases, etc.

[horseboy]

It's a really sad state we live in where a simple request (for high-res scans) for a project that is for the good of the community,

It does no good for anybody except scammers. You can already see it. Please make a valid point as to what "good" it will be to have a better picture. Nobody has made that point yet. Please tell me what good a better picture will be, this is driving me crazy.



ends up devolving into a bitter argument with naysayers and doomsday predictors who think the 99.9% of good people in the world should be eternally and perpetually punished in a feeble attempt to prevent the other 0.01% from actualizing their evil plans.

How might I ask are you being punished? Can't make a fake?



I mean holy smokes! Take a step back and look at what you're arguing against!

Holy smokes!! Look at what you are arguing for! You have provided no valid reason to provide the scans.


OK buyatari, you win. I'm convinced. There's a small chance that a small group of collectors might get scammed if some cool stuff is shared amongst a friendly community on the internet who might enjoy it.


Well, I guess the debate is over. He already shared it. Please see the pic in the original post. Wow, I'm glad we cleared that up.

[Griking]

Edit: just deleted what i wrote. TheRedEye pretty much said it best.

[Griking]

It does no good for anybody except scammers. You can already see it. Please make a valid point as to what "good" it will be to have a better picture. Nobody has made that point yet. Please tell me what good a better picture will be, this is driving me crazy..

Just throwing out the first thing that came to my mind when I read your question but how about full sized wall posters?