C64 "Amazing Maze" rarity?

[zektor]

I have been collecting C64 carts on and off for years now. Not really aggressively, but any time I saw a good deal on some cart games I'd take it. Now, after years, I have around 60 or so carts. Today I received a handful of carts from someone, and one of the carts, "Amazing Maze" was in there.

The cart is the same style as my "Dot Gobbler" cart from Mr. Computer. I grabbed my trusty DP Guide and saw no listing for the cart, so I took a look at it here in the rarity database. Is this really an R10? An R10 would basically mean that no more than a dozen are known to exist...or at least that is what my DP guide states. Or is this rarity value in error?

[Mayhem]

It wouldn't happen to be the auction on eBay last week, hmmm? I saw it in there and uttered a small gasp to see another one. Had almost considered bidding as well if it wasn't for the starting price. No lie on the rarity. Aside from the (complete) one I own and the one you own, I believe I only know of two others out there held by collectors. So four known copies total so far since I took the reigns of doing the C64 section. And yeah, the first one didn't pop up on the radar until after the last printed classic book shipped, which is why it isn't listed in there.

[zektor]

Wow, thanks for the info. Yep, it WAS that auction. You know, I noticed it before last week as the seller had it on a 7 day listing and it ended without anybids and I missed it (max I would have spent was the starting bid). I emailed the seller and asked him if he could re-list it with a buy it now, but re-listed it without the BIN option...because he didn't know how to change the listing. I then asked him if he would end the auction with me as high bidder at the $48, and after walking him through that he finally did.

I know it was something special, but I honestly did not check the rarity until I received it. I automatically assumed it would have been in the guide with a similar rarity as the other Mr. Computer carts in there. And, this ebay bundle had a slew of common carts that I did not have.

Well, glad I did what I did to get it. Seems like a pretty decent little maze game to boot.

BTW, I was looking at your site database and your "Amazing Maze" and "Dot Gobbler". My label for AM is orange, and I noticed yours was white. Also, my DG label is *completely* different than yours. Mine basically mimics the boxart. But, I guess you know about the variations anyway since it looks like you have a very solid collection :)

[Mayhem]

Those orange labels on the OEM carts do NOT scan very well; I've tried three different scanners with the same effect so it must be the colouration in the paper but it fades out and disappears. I have had to manually try to recolour them in Photoshop for the website. Looks like I either forgot or didn't bother for Amazing Maze!

As for Dot Gobbler, I own three different label variations for it: yellow plastic label (http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/cart/dot_gobbler1.jpg), orange paper "lair" shot (http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/cart/dot_gobbler2.jpg), and silver full maze shot (http://www.mayhem64.co.uk/cart/dot_gobbler3.jpg).

[zektor]

Haha...the orange and silver versions *really* look like the game was a basement job :) The yellow one is the one I own. I still get a kick out of the artwork!

[Mayhem]

For the most part, these were truly bedroom coded and manufactured. Very unusual cartridge shape of course, but the Vic20 ones are similar (just horizontal instead). The yellow label is the most common of the three.