Atari Anomaly [DP Store]

[digitalpress]

I was about an hour from closing last night (a Saturday), when a young couple entered and immediately asked if we sell Atari 2600 stuff. After directing them to the system and games, they began rummag...

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[swlovinist]

That is pretty cool that you had some young people know what a 2600 was. I had a young couple over at my game room, and they picked up an Atari cart and asked, "So is this what an 8 track looks like?" I explained what Atari was and how it was the staple of gaming in late 70s to mid 80s. They then told me that their first game system was a playstation!

[TonyTheTiger]

You have to make allowances for the natural progression of time. I was born in 1984 but a passion for this stuff drives me to explore the 12 years before my time. But you can't really talk down to people who aren't familiar with old stuff. After all, we don't have much experience with "penny candy" either but our parents do.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

They then told me that their first game system was a playstation!
Man...stuff like that makes me feel old.


But you can't really talk down to people who aren't familiar with old stuff.
It's not really "talking down"...it's more that their ignorance is just funny (or shocking).

[TonyTheTiger]

Man...stuff like that makes me feel old.

I have to remind myself sometimes that my 10 year old cousin is younger than Mario 64.

[MrRoboto19XX]

While reading this, I could only remember that classic commercial:

"I'd like an Atari 2600 system please, and everything that goes with it."

[cyberfluxor]

Fun times. In your business, seeing people purchase games never seen or played by them before must be fun to experience. You really can't laugh at them (as some do) because they're interested in this and you don't have a clue as to their background. Hanging out in game stores I sometimes pick up on those conversations and want to laugh at some horrible sales clerks explaining topics they, themselves don't know. Joe, I'm sure it's one hell of an awesome impression you put on the average gamers.

[darkhades]

While reading this, I could only remember that classic commercial:

"I'd like an Atari 2600 system please, and everything that goes with it."


Seriously, I just watched the commercial about 20 minutes ago on youtube, first time I ever saw it.

[Pantechnicon]

The first couple might have been on a retro impulse, and that's not a bad thing. On the other hand, my inner cynic says two middle-aged ladies looking for a 2600 have been watching Antique Roadshow reruns and are now looking at some starting some sort of resale racket. But of course this begs the question: Then why would they trade in some 2600 carts :? ?

I was in a Gamestop once a few years back and I remember watching this middle-aged couple, looking like refugees straight out of the Cracker Barrel gift shop, come in and ask for "something really old...like an Atari or a Nintendo." The writing was on the wall there: stupid Ebayers digging for gold in all the wrong places. The clerk started trying to sell them one of those Jakks 10-in-1 joysticks LOL.

[TonyTheTiger]

You could have shown them an Xbox and told them it was an Atari and they probably wouldn't know the difference. Hell, I would love to have done that just to amuse myself when eventually I'd find an Ebay auction for a vintage Atari with pictures of an Xbox.

[FrakAttack]

You could have shown them an Xbox and told them it was an Atari and they probably wouldn't know the difference. Hell, I would love to have done that just to amuse myself when eventually I'd find an Ebay auction for a vintage Atari with pictures of an Xbox.

A Flashback would be cheaper and much more convincing. http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m112/FrakAttack/smileys/smileythumbsup.gif

[digitalpress]

Fun times. In your business, seeing people purchase games never seen or played by them before must be fun to experience.

I can't even begin to explain how much I enjoy making sales like these. Thinking back, this is why I decided to do what I do.


The first couple might have been on a retro impulse, and that's not a bad thing. On the other hand, my inner cynic says two middle-aged ladies looking for a 2600 have been watching Antique Roadshow reruns and are now looking at some starting some sort of resale racket. But of course this begs the question: Then why would they trade in some 2600 carts :?

Nah, the younger couple were "re-discovering their youth", for sure. The guy explained that he had recently acquired a working NES and then then found out about my store. The young lady was chirping titles across the store "Did you get Pitfall? Do they have Frogger?". Impulse buy perhaps, but at least they had some roots. I didn't get the impression that the middle-aged ladies were re-sellers at all. There was some fellow in the mix, and it seemed to me they were buying this second Atari 2600 for a brother, a friend, an uncle... something along those lines.


You could have shown them an Xbox and told them it was an Atari and they probably wouldn't know the difference.

I know that I sometimes put my everyday customers in a bad light, but the truth is, most of the adults are pretty cool and pretty knowledgeable. I'd even go so far as to say that both of these couples knew the difference between a four switch and six switch system.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

While reading this, I could only remember that classic commercial:

"I'd like an Atari 2600 system please, and everything that goes with it."
This one (http://www.thelogbook.com/pdfmedia/?page_id=218) with the Erik Estrada lookalike? LOL

[debian4life]

Actually I enjoy the fact thatmy 6 year old enjoys our NES as much as the PS2.

[GarrettCRW]

This one (http://www.thelogbook.com/pdfmedia/?page_id=218) with the Erik Estrada lookalike? LOL

He looks more like Paul Rodriguez.