memorex vis question

[qbertandernie]

so i got this vis today, and i noticed on the box that it had been shipped to the buyer, but it also looks to have had a ship date to a radio shack - 2 years earlier.

im wondering if this was sent to a radio shack and returned to the warehouse after not having sold through the store, then was sold to a wholesaler(the 'tigerdirect' place). it may have then been shipped out to a buyer via mailorder or QVC or something... ?

any ideas?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/qbertandernie/100_2383.jpg

This is the game box...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/qbertandernie/100_2384.jpg

the 'to radio shack' ship date...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v509/qbertandernie/100_2385.jpg

ship date to consumer...

[Steve W]

It could have happened that way. I know they didn't exactly rush off the shelves at Radio Shack. There was an electronic junk store around me that used to have loads of them in the '90s, all most likely dead stock they couldn't get rid of in their stores.

Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for your boxed VIS?

[qbertandernie]

the vis and the box of programs next to it were $25.

[Steve W]

That was a good price. I originally bought mine in a Goodwill for $10, loose, and without a remote. Luckily, that electronic junk shop had a couple laying around. Later, in another Goodwill not too far from Radio Shack headquarters, I picked up a decent amount of software for it for $1.99 each. And the sad thing is, I still have yet to plug in the VIS and try it out. I bought it more for collecting purposes than trying to eke out some fun from the edutainment software on it.

[coreys429]

You're not missing much. I have played with one...played isn't a word I would use for this though.

[Bojay1997]

so i got this vis today, and i noticed on the box that it had been shipped to the buyer, but it also looks to have had a ship date to a radio shack - 2 years earlier.

im wondering if this was sent to a radio shack and returned to the warehouse after not having sold through the store, then was sold to a wholesaler(the 'tigerdirect' place). it may have then been shipped out to a buyer via mailorder or QVC or something... ?

any ideas?


Radio Shack was the exclusive retailer for the Memorex VIS and when it didn't sell, they sold the remaining stock to several liquidators including Tiger Direct and a company out of Utah. When these liquidators resold them, they simply slapped a new mailing label on the box and shipped them out to purchasers. I got mine from the place in Utah and at the time, it was like $75 shipped for a system, memory card and a bunch of NIB titles. This is one system which has steadily gone down in price as I have never seen one go for more than $25 on Ebay with software and extras.

[Marriott_Guy]

Tandy Corp owned Memorex and Radio Shack at the time this console was released. The Memorex version was the second release of this console. The first version was named the Tandy VIS and was sold exclusively in Radio Shack stores. After failing to catch on with the public, it was rebranded as the Memorex MD 2500 VIS in an effort to drive sales and was only available through catalogue purchase. Like Bojay said, unsold units after this console flopped were sold to several third party distributors.

I got my CIB unit for $120 with around 30 titles NIB. Not a great deal I know, but hind sight is always 20-20.

[vintagegamecrazy]

That was a good price. I originally bought mine in a Goodwill for $10, loose, and without a remote. Luckily, that electronic junk shop had a couple laying around. Later, in another Goodwill not too far from Radio Shack headquarters, I picked up a decent amount of software for it for $1.99 each. And the sad thing is, I still have yet to plug in the VIS and try it out. I bought it more for collecting purposes than trying to eke out some fun from the edutainment software on it.

Don't worry, it's better that way!

[qbertandernie]

i havent seen a vis sell in ages, but when i was looking to get one i never saw one go for under $75. otherwise id have had one already...

i had to drive a piece to get it, but i never had one while collecting, so there was a part of me that really wanted it... i didnt really realize the box is gigantic and itll be a bitch to ship!

ah well...its xmas, someone will buy it!

[swlovinist]

Nice find, the box for the system is harder to get these days. I got mine several years ago. I keep mine around just to laugh as I put in "the sampler" demo game disc

[Steve W]

Don't worry, it's better that way!

I do happen to own The Manhole, supposedly the only 'real' game for the system. And yet, still no desire to hook it up. Kind of like my Philips CD-i. I've got games for it along with a whole bunch of edutainment and reference software, but still, I played it a couple of times and that was enough.

[TurboGenesis]

Another "real" game for this unit is 'Links' golf and I think they have the Sherlock Holmes games as well.

I had found a box of 30 titles at a garage sale years ago. Many sealed, but with moisture damage (wavy). I could never find console to use these "softwares" on though.

Nice find fellow!

[vintagegamecrazy]

There pretty rare now but it's for nill. I had one that I got or $40 with 29 discs and it sat around for so long that I sold it. It wasn't even worth it for collector's value.