Odds of getting my hands on an RDI Halcyon by my 30th birthday (about 8 1/2 years from now)?

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

The Halcyon is THE ONE item I want the most (in the ultra long term...)

With about 8 1/2 years to go (until December 2022), will I be able to find one, and where would be the best place? I know they are stupidly rare. I'd trade an NWC for one (if I had NWC, the rarest thing I have is a Casio Loopy CIB)

[vintagegamecrazy]

I'd hate to say it but I think it's wishful thinking. There's only about 3 or 4 of those known and that's it. Save lots of cash and pray that one turns up for sale it that time.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

I'd hate to say it but I think it's wishful thinking. There's only about 3 or 4 of those known and that's it. Save lots of cash and pray that one turns up for sale it that time.

I think there are more than that. I saw an old Computer Chronicles where there were dozens in one room. I'd say there's at least 20 out there. "Wishful thinking" would be to say I'm going to get a Halcyon in the next year. 8 1/2 years... that's a heck of a long time.

[Atarileaf]

You'd have better odds successfully navigating an asteroid field at 3720 to 1.

[Atarileaf]

"Wishful thinking" would be to say I'm going to get a Halcyon in the next year. 8 1/2 years... that's a heck of a long time.

Yes, because rare things become less rare as time goes on ;)

[Tron 2.0]

It belongs in a museum !!! Just kidding still the halcyon is so rare that the odds are stack against you.

[Bojay1997]

I think there are more than that. I saw an old Computer Chronicles where there were dozens in one room. I'd say there's at least 20 out there. "Wishful thinking" would be to say I'm going to get a Halcyon in the next year. 8 1/2 years... that's a heck of a long time.

Hate to burst your bubble, but since 1999, only two have been sold on Ebay and one was mislisted but still sold to a laserdisc and arcade collector. The last one was listed in 2008 and none have been listed since. I believe the Videogame History Museum just got one as a donation, but I haven't seen any private sales happen lately. You're also looking at something that is coveted by collectors and your competition is going to be extremely tough if one does pop up. I know I have had offers of $25K for one of my complete Halcyons and I didn't even hesitate in turning them down.

[ProjectCamaro]

I wouldn't plan on it happening, there aren't many more consoles that are as rare and highly sought after.

[Leo_A]

1 in 100 million.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

Hate to burst your bubble, but since 1999, only two have been sold on Ebay and one was mislisted but still sold to a laserdisc and arcade collector. The last one was listed in 2008 and none have been listed since. I believe the Videogame History Museum just got one as a donation, but I haven't seen any private sales happen lately. You're also looking at something that is coveted by collectors and your competition is going to be extremely tough if one does pop up. I know I have had offers of $25K for one of my complete Halcyons and I didn't even hesitate in turning them down.

How many Halcyons do you have? @_@

[AceAerosmith]

You'd have better odds successfully navigating an asteroid field at 3720 to 1.

Never tell me the odds.

[Steve W]

And also take into account that the Halcyon's medium of choice, the laserdisc, suffers from bitrot very easily and in 8 or so years there may be no surviving game discs to even be able to play on one. I'm not an expert on laserdiscs, but I have seen some older discs that the silver data layer inside the disc has crumbled up like a dry lake bed.

[Zap!]

Good luck with that, I've been trying for the past 10 years. what are your odds? Pretty good if you start offering $50,000 in as many video game forums as you can. I'd trade my Adventurevision in a heartbeat for one.

[Jorpho]

The Halcyon is THE ONE item I want the most (in the ultra long term...) It will sit in a corner and collect dust, and you will be out a great deal of money.

[Zap!]

It will sit in a corner and collect dust, and you will be out a great deal of money.

The money will come back. The chance to own a Halcyon again might not. Just the thought of having it is a natural high.

[phil_consollection]

As I was just talking to a friend about this system: has this really been sold officially, or should the system be considered as a prototype? I heard contrary stories about the release / planned release. As it is so incredibly rare, I really can not imagine how it ever went on sale and only sold like 5 units in total.

I'd be happy to hear that it never was sold officially, with only the few produced items being swapped in some way - as it would be out of my collection-scope then. :)

And HOW THE HELL could anybody own more than ONE Halcyon, Bojay1997? O_O

[Zap!]

As I was just talking to a friend about this system: has this really been sold officially, or should the system be considered as a prototype? I heard contrary stories about the release / planned release. As it is so incredibly rare, I really can not imagine how it ever went on sale and only sold like 5 units in total.

I'd be happy to hear that it never was sold officially, with only the few produced items being swapped in some way - as it would be out of my collection-scope then. :)

And HOW THE HELL could anybody own more than ONE Halcyon, Bojay1997? O_O

I can't say this is 100%, but I have tried to find out as much as I can on this system for years, and from what I understand is it was sold in extremely limited quantities to investors only. No idea how many made it out, or how many still exist.

Another weird thing is that I have never seen a box. Even the games I have seen for sale don't have a box.

[phil_consollection]

I can't say this is 100%, but I have tried to find out as much as I can on this system for years, and from what I understand is it was sold in extremely limited quantities to investors only. No idea how many made it out, or how many still exist.

Another weird thing is that I have never seen a box. Even the games I have seen for sale don't have a box.

This is part of the reason why I tend towards "prototype". The games not only miss a box, they have this strange DIY-white label feeling, no manual, ... It feels like 2 dozens of trade show samples with some games have been sold back then to a small, privileged group of people - and that was that. Even pictures of the system never show a box.

I discussed this matter before, but never was anyone able to "prove" a real launch. I'd be happy to learn more...

[Jorpho]

Just the thought of having it is a natural high.The thought of having something sitting in a corner collecting dust is a natural high?

[Zap!]

The thought of having something sitting in a corner collecting dust is a natural high?

For me, absolutely. My Adventurevision sits on a shelf and rarely gets played, but it is a joy to me every time I look at it. I'd rather have that then 10 systems that I play daily. I'm very proud to own one.

[Atarileaf]

curious as to what they're worth. What have they sold for in the past?

[phil_consollection]

curious as to what they're worth. What have they sold for in the past?

A suggested retail price of 2.500 USD is floating around for the "launch" back then. Todays price is in my eyes impossible to define, as almost noone ever knows about a sold one on the "free market". As you can see here, somebody turned down offers for 25k.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

That's ONE guy with ONE psyche. Halcyons have, in the past, sold for under $5,000, so I would say $10,000 would be more than enough to get a Halcyon in good condition with both games. I would say the next Halcyon would sell for $5,000 - $8,000.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Forgive my ignorance, but would anyone even want a Halcyon to begin with? Just to put on their shelf to collect dust? the collecting of some things just really confuses me, and this is one of them.

[Atarileaf]

Forgive my ignorance, but would anyone even want a Halcyon to begin with? Just to put on their shelf to collect dust? the collecting of some things just really confuses me, and this is one of them.

Agreed. 25k or a useless piece of crap. Hmmm. This is hard. . . :hmm:

[Jorpho]

Well, people have spent a lot more than that on coins and stamps in the past, I guess. (Not that I can particularly figure out those people either.)

[phil_consollection]

Forgive my ignorance, but would anyone even want a Halcyon to begin with? Just to put on their shelf to collect dust? the collecting of some things just really confuses me, and this is one of them.

Yes. I own a lot of systems who are basically not worth playing, and you can always argue if this was "worth the money". They collect dust, yes. As so many things in museums and collections. Still, their existence important to some. However, I can totally understand why one would not understand "collecting".

Back to the case: If somebody has proof that the Halcyon saw an official release (see below), in store, sold to normal people, this is definitely on my want-list - although maybe never reachable due to insufficient funds. :) Still, I try to compile a collection of every system (with exchangeable games) ever released and to be able to play every game, and thus the Halcyon should be part of it. With 250+ systems, I can not use them all regularely, but that is not part of my understanding of collecting. Guys with 4000+ games have the same "problem". If you only keep what you really like and really played through, this is also collecting, but with a different approach.


However, to come back to the previous topic: to me, it looks as if there was a limited prototype run with maybe 5-50 systems which were used for presentation, and with some being sold to some kind of inner circle, like investors and the likes. It is really too rare to believe it was sold. Even with the high price, the system would have sold different quantities. Also, for a real release, some hundreds or thousand units would have been produced in order to be available at more than 2 stores in the USA. Where should they be now if that was the case?
Maybe I should start a mission to contact some of the people who were responsible back then...

[Bojay1997]

That's ONE guy with ONE psyche. Halcyons have, in the past, sold for under $5,000, so I would say $10,000 would be more than enough to get a Halcyon in good condition with both games. I would say the next Halcyon would sell for $5,000 - $8,000.

You're correct that the two that have sold on Ebay in the past 15 years have gone for $1500 and I believe $3500 respectively. Having said that, the market since 2008 when the last unit was sold has gone crazy for rare items. You also have the added problem that the units that are out there are now in the hands of collectors who won't sell or museums that can't sell. I just think it's something that no reasonable amount of money is going to get you at this point as I believe almost every unit produced has been accounted for and if one does pop up, the guy who made me the $25K offer is going to grab it without even thinking about it as I've seen some of the prices he has paid for stuff recently and he literally spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on rare video games and consoles.

[Bojay1997]

Yes. I own a lot of systems who are basically not worth playing, and you can always argue if this was "worth the money". They collect dust, yes. As so many things in museums and collections. Still, their existence important to some. However, I can totally understand why one would not understand "collecting".

Back to the case: If somebody has proof that the Halcyon saw an official release (see below), in store, sold to normal people, this is definitely on my want-list - although maybe never reachable due to insufficient funds. :) Still, I try to compile a collection of every system (with exchangeable games) ever released and to be able to play every game, and thus the Halcyon should be part of it. With 250+ systems, I can not use them all regularely, but that is not part of my understanding of collecting. Guys with 4000+ games have the same "problem". If you only keep what you really like and really played through, this is also collecting, but with a different approach.


However, to come back to the previous topic: to me, it looks as if there was a limited prototype run with maybe 5-50 systems which were used for presentation, and with some being sold to some kind of inner circle, like investors and the likes. It is really too rare to believe it was sold. Even with the high price, the system would have sold different quantities. Also, for a real release, some hundreds or thousand units would have been produced in order to be available at more than 2 stores in the USA. Where should they be now if that was the case?
Maybe I should start a mission to contact some of the people who were responsible back then...

When I acquired my Halcyon units, I also acquired the remnants of RDI that were liquidated at their bankruptcy auction. That included thousands of documents including every part they ever ordered and every expenditure they ever made. I believe that the Halcyon was never sold at retail as I have never seen evidence of any purchase orders from a retailer or regular customer and that almost certainly would have been in the materials I received. The units that I have tracked over the years have all been in the hands of investors in the company or former employees. While the Halcyon did have a high end retailer ready box for both the laserdisc player and computer components (similar to packaging that laserdisc players and stereo components were sold in at the time), the games did not appear to be ready for retail as they were in white boxes as you describe. Having said that, they weren't designed to be sold separate from the unit originally, so it wouldn't have made much sense to pack the football game or Thayer's Quest in mass market retail style packaging. The other games were in various states of completion, but at least the animated ones had a long way to go before they could be ready for release. Whittier Mansion was completely shot (it was a FMV style live action horror title), but there was a lot of programming left to do to make it into a functional interactive move/game. I do have sketches of proposed future game packaging, but RDI hadn't reached the point of ordering samples yet.

[Zap!]

Forgive my ignorance, but would anyone even want a Halcyon to begin with? Just to put on their shelf to collect dust? the collecting of some things just really confuses me, and this is one of them.

See post 20. It's also bragging rights. Knowing you own one could make you feel like the ultimate video gaming historian.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

right. It's owning something completely useless simply for the sake of rarity, not quality.

I personally don't understand that notion at all. If you're going to collect something, it should have some value besides rarity. That's why I'm always incredibly confused when people pay big money for rare NES games that are incredibly terrible like Caltron 6 in 1.

[phil_consollection]

When I acquired my Halcyon units, I also acquired the remnants of RDI that were liquidated at their bankruptcy auction. That included thousands of documents including every part they ever ordered and every expenditure they ever made. I believe that the Halcyon was never sold at retail as I have never seen evidence of any purchase orders from a retailer or regular customer and that almost certainly would have been in the materials I received. The units that I have tracked over the years have all been in the hands of investors in the company or former employees. While the Halcyon did have a high end retailer ready box for both the laserdisc player and computer components (similar to packaging that laserdisc players and stereo components were sold in at the time), the games did not appear to be ready for retail as they were in white boxes as you describe. Having said that, they weren't designed to be sold separate from the unit originally, so it wouldn't have made much sense to pack the football game or Thayer's Quest in mass market retail style packaging. The other games were in various states of completion, but at least the animated ones had a long way to go before they could be ready for release. Whittier Mansion was completely shot (it was a FMV style live action horror title), but there was a lot of programming left to do to make it into a functional interactive move/game. I do have sketches of proposed future game packaging, but RDI hadn't reached the point of ordering samples yet.

Bojay, that is some very useful and intersting information. Thanks for sharing this. So, just when I decided to reach out to the people who ran stuff back then, you came across. :) Nice!

Would you be willing to elaborate on that acquisition of the Halcyons and the remaining RDI stuff? That sounds really exciting! How many units did you buy? In which year was that?

Also, you mention there was a shipping box. I think nobody ever saw a picture of this. Would you be able to provide one? Do you have a boxed system? Maybe there were just designs for the boxes, but none was ever produced?


Following your statement, it underlines my impression that it never got a release. There were an unknown number of prototypes, probably <50 units, and they have gotten into the hands of employees, investors and friends. Probably all without any retail packaging, although you mentioned that there was one.

Don't get me wrong, I find a lot of stories surrounding prototypes extremely exciting, e.g. the Panasonic 3DO M2, but IF it is confirmed that this never got released publicly, I just saved 25k and can cross this one off my list. :rockets::)

Oh, and about that guy buying stuff like crazy: is he from Australia? Any publicly known collector?

[Zap!]

right. It's owning something completely useless simply for the sake of rarity, not quality.

I personally don't understand that notion at all. If you're going to collect something, it should have some value besides rarity. That's why I'm always incredibly confused when people pay big money for rare NES games that are incredibly terrible like Caltron 6 in 1.

I don't understand why a friend of mine likes to jump out of planes and go skydiving whenever he's free (he has 100's of jumps, and could even be considered a pro). However, I know for sure it makes him happy and I fully support him and his enjoyment for his hobby.

Some of us here (me!) collect out of rarity (I collect out of quality too). It's sad they the same respect isn't shown towards us.

[Bojay1997]

Bojay, that is some very useful and intersting information. Thanks for sharing this. So, just when I decided to reach out to the people who ran stuff back then, you came across. :) Nice!

Would you be willing to elaborate on that acquisition of the Halcyons and the remaining RDI stuff? That sounds really exciting! How many units did you buy? In which year was that?

Also, you mention there was a shipping box. I think nobody ever saw a picture of this. Would you be able to provide one? Do you have a boxed system? Maybe there were just designs for the boxes, but none was ever produced?


Following your statement, it underlines my impression that it never got a release. There were an unknown number of prototypes, probably <50 units, and they have gotten into the hands of employees, investors and friends. Probably all without any retail packaging, although you mentioned that there was one.

Don't get me wrong, I find a lot of stories surrounding prototypes extremely exciting, e.g. the Panasonic 3DO M2, but IF it is confirmed that this never got released publicly, I just saved 25k and can cross this one off my list. :rockets::)

Oh, and about that guy buying stuff like crazy: is he from Australia? Any publicly known collector?

I think I have posted about the collection of RDI stuff I acquired here and elsewhere in the past. You should be able to do a quick search and it will pop up. I don't have ready access to my photos of the stuff, but if you go to the Facebook page for the Videogame History Museum, they have a bunch of photos of the Halcyon they just received and it has good photos of the packaging.

https://www.facebook.com/vghmuseum

[Bojay1997]

right. It's owning something completely useless simply for the sake of rarity, not quality.

I personally don't understand that notion at all. If you're going to collect something, it should have some value besides rarity. That's why I'm always incredibly confused when people pay big money for rare NES games that are incredibly terrible like Caltron 6 in 1.

I can only speak for myself, but I recall being a kid and reading the spread in Electronic Games magazine about the Halcyon and it immediately became my holy grail. I have always been a huge laserdisc collector and fan, I love FMV animated games like Dragon's Lair and I just like crazy technology ideas. The Halcyon checks off all of those boxes and as such, it has a ton of nostalgia value for me and I know it does for many other collectors as well.

[phil_consollection]

I think I have posted about the collection of RDI stuff I acquired here and elsewhere in the past. You should be able to do a quick search and it will pop up. I don't have ready access to my photos of the stuff, but if you go to the Facebook page for the Videogame History Museum, they have a bunch of photos of the Halcyon they just received and it has good photos of the packaging.

https://www.facebook.com/vghmuseum

Thanks for the Links. Interesting to see a boxed system - I never saw that before. Wonder where they got this one from...

Read all your posting rgd the Halcyon now - quite interesting, and confirming my assumption that this system was never really after prototype stage. However, the printed boxes from the VGHM point towards a different direction...

[Bojay1997]

Thanks for the Links. Interesting to see a boxed system - I never saw that before. Wonder where they got this one from...

Read all your posting rgd the Halcyon now - quite interesting, and confirming my assumption that this system was never really after prototype stage. However, the printed boxes from the VGHM point towards a different direction...

It's a little more nuanced than that though. The initial Halycon (the laserdisc player, games, keyboard, headset and control unit) was never really intended to be a mass market retail item. The basic sales plan as far as I can tell from the documents and conversations I have had with investors and former employees over the years was to distribute sample units at high end audio-video stores and specialty retailers and then take orders for units which would then be assembled at RDI's headquarters in Carlsbad, California in Northern San Diego County on an as-needed basis. I know that at least one person I have heard from has claimed that his father owned a higher end audio-video dealer in the mid-1980s and had a sample unit provided to the store that at some point his father either purchased or got to take home. There was never a plan to build thousands of units up front and then stock them in stores like most video game consoles. Indeed, the only reason RDI had to purchase so many LD-700s up front is that Pioneer refused to sell them in smaller quantities with the customized badging installed and still provide a discount. Rick Dyer and the team at RDI seemed to understand that the price tag was just too high for mass market sales and I think retailers made it clear at the trade shows RDI exhibited at that they weren't willing to purchase inventory up front.

The longer term plan was to market a package consisting of the control unit, games, keyboard and headset to existing laserdisc player owners as the LD-700 that the Halcyon came bundled with had an MSRP of $1,000 and that would have cut the price of the system by almost half.

The units that are out there are all final versions of the hardware and would have been what customers would have received had they placed an order. Although I have never seen a non-insider order in any of the documents I own, I suspect if someone had called RDI after seeing the unit at a trade show or in Electronic Games magazine or on the Computer Chronicles, they probably could have ordered one. I just think time and the high price made that impossible as within 45 days of the initial units being ready to go, the company was shut down as it ran out of cash and the investors and creditors moved in and liquidated everything.

[phil_consollection]

It's a little more nuanced than that though. The initial Halycon (the laserdisc player, games, keyboard, headset and control unit) was never really intended to be a mass market retail item. The basic sales plan as far as I can tell from the documents and conversations I have had with investors and former employees over the years was to distribute sample units at high end audio-video stores and specialty retailers and then take orders for units which would then be assembled at RDI's headquarters in Carlsbad, California in Northern San Diego County on an as-needed basis. I know that at least one person I have heard from has claimed that his father owned a higher end audio-video dealer in the mid-1980s and had a sample unit provided to the store that at some point his father either purchased or got to take home. There was never a plan to build thousands of units up front and then stock them in stores like most video game consoles. Indeed, the only reason RDI had to purchase so many LD-700s up front is that Pioneer refused to sell them in smaller quantities with the customized badging installed and still provide a discount. Rick Dyer and the team at RDI seemed to understand that the price tag was just too high for mass market sales and I think retailers made it clear at the trade shows RDI exhibited at that they weren't willing to purchase inventory up front.

The longer term plan was to market a package consisting of the control unit, games, keyboard and headset to existing laserdisc player owners as the LD-700 that the Halcyon came bundled with had an MSRP of $1,000 and that would have cut the price of the system by almost half.

The units that are out there are all final versions of the hardware and would have been what customers would have received had they placed an order. Although I have never seen a non-insider order in any of the documents I own, I suspect if someone had called RDI after seeing the unit at a trade show or in Electronic Games magazine or on the Computer Chronicles, they probably could have ordered one. I just think time and the high price made that impossible as within 45 days of the initial units being ready to go, the company was shut down as it ran out of cash and the investors and creditors moved in and liquidated everything.

Again, thanks for your information. It is very interesting to read from some insider on that matter and brings light to some areas I had darkness and question marks for years.

[General Catastrophe]

The Halcyon is THE ONE item I want the most (in the ultra long term...)

With about 8 1/2 years to go (until December 2022), will I be able to find one, and where would be the best place? I know they are stupidly rare. I'd trade an NWC for one (if I had NWC, the rarest thing I have is a Casio Loopy CIB)


Hate to burst your bubble, but since 1999, only two have been sold on Ebay and one was mislisted but still sold to a laserdisc and arcade collector. The last one was listed in 2008 and none have been listed since. I believe the Videogame History Museum just got one as a donation, but I haven't seen any private sales happen lately. You're also looking at something that is coveted by collectors and your competition is going to be extremely tough if one does pop up. I know I have had offers of $25K for one of my complete Halcyons and I didn't even hesitate in turning them down.

You will find this very recent Ebay auction of interest:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RDI-Halcyon-034-NFL-Football-034-and-034-Thayer-039-s-Quest-034-video-games-/201062662259?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item2ed044c073&nma=true&si=KaX5n1gKjr1cawf4G1U8DbXcWjc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Both Halcyon games boxed with overlays and discs, though only Football had the game cartridge, and a system owners manual. Look at the bid history too- it's all one guy. So, stuff DOES turn up, and where a manual exists a system might not be far away...

Bojay: your thoughts on the listing are especially pertinent and appreciated! :)

[dgdgagdae]

For me, absolutely. My Adventurevision sits on a shelf and rarely gets played, but it is a joy to me every time I look at it. I'd rather have that then 10 systems that I play daily. I'm very proud to own one.

Hey, collect what you want, more power to you. But do you really feel "proud" to own a particular piece if electronics? You didn't design it, you didn't create it. You bought it. Is this your source of pride?

I find that sad.

[Bojay1997]

You will find this very recent Ebay auction of interest:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RDI-Halcyon-034-NFL-Football-034-and-034-Thayer-039-s-Quest-034-video-games-/201062662259?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item2ed044c073&nma=true&si=KaX5n1gKjr1cawf4G1U8DbXcWjc%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Both Halcyon games boxed with overlays and discs, though only Football had the game cartridge, and a system owners manual. Look at the bid history too- it's all one guy. So, stuff DOES turn up, and where a manual exists a system might not be far away...

Bojay: your thoughts on the listing are especially pertinent and appreciated! :)

I've seen the games pop up fairly regularly over the past decade or two. In fact, I recall being at an arcade auction in the late 90s and one of the lots being just a bunch of the NFL games in a shipping case. There was also a guy selling the loose Thayer's Quest discs and NFL games discs on Ebay for probably 10 years from the late 90s through late 2010 or so. Like the laserdisc player, far more of the game discs were printed than Halcyons built as there were minimums through Pioneer for disc replication. Having said that, these games are in the actual boxes that they would have been shipped in with the Halcyon and the manual is not something I have seen sold apart from the full system before. Still, the fact that someone paid almost $1K for one complete game and just a Thayer's Quest disc in some fairly poor condition packaging along with a system manual is a pretty clear indication that prices are continuing to increase.

[Bojay1997]

Hey, collect what you want, more power to you. But do you really feel "proud" to own a particular piece if electronics? You didn't design it, you didn't create it. You bought it. Is this your source of pride?

I find that sad.

This might be the single dumbest argument I have ever seen on this forum. You do understand that many, if not most, of us here are collectors, right? We collect video game systems and games. As such, many of us do feel proud of owning particular pieces of electronics. It's the same pride that anyone that collects something feels. If you have no interest in collecting video games, you're definitely in the wrong place.

[dgdgagdae]

This might be the single dumbest argument I have ever seen on this forum. You do understand that many, if not most, of us here are collectors, right? We collect video game systems and games. As such, many of us do feel proud of owning particular pieces of electronics. It's the same pride that anyone that collects something feels. If you have no interest in collecting video games, you're definitely in the wrong place.

Of course I enjoy collecting video games. But I would never say that I'm "proud" of owning some collectible or another. That's a sad way to measure self worth, which is what pride is. If someone thinks he's a better person because he owns an Adventurevision than he would be if he didn't, then he needs to rethink things.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

At some point during my time on Earth, I WILL own a Halcyon. Maybe before I'm 30. If it comes to it, I don't care if I'm 47 and have to pay $10,000 in 2014 dollars to borrow someone's Halcyon for six months. Still six months with a Halcyon. One day, someone born AFTER the Halcyon was ever on sale needs one. I'm almost 8 years younger than the Halcyon. My parents didn't even know each other when the Halcyon came out. They were both in high school then (early 1985). The Halcyon was long discontinued and forgotten by the day I was born. Of course, maybe - hopefully - someone born after 1985 has a Halcyon already. Then again, the more pressing point is that I just love rare, obscure stuff from rare, obscure companies.

[bb_hood]

Of course I enjoy collecting video games. But I would never say that I'm "proud" of owning some collectible or another. That's a sad way to measure self worth, which is what pride is. If someone thinks he's a better person because he owns an Adventurevision than he would be if he didn't, then he needs to rethink things.

I dont think anyone here associates self-worth with their collections.

I think a person can 'take pride' in doing something by doing something well and not have it associated with one's self-worth.



At some point during my time on Earth, I WILL own a Halcyon.

keep dreaming.

[Bojay1997]

Of course I enjoy collecting video games. But I would never say that I'm "proud" of owning some collectible or another. That's a sad way to measure self worth, which is what pride is. If someone thinks he's a better person because he owns an Adventurevision than he would be if he didn't, then he needs to rethink things.

I don't think you understand what pride is. It can be as simple as the satisfaction of knowing that you've accomplished a personal goal. Pride isn't necessarily about thinking that you're a better person. I think people should be proud when they obtain certain milestones in their collection, particularly if there was a long and sustained effort toward reaching a particular goal or some kind of innovative or creative solution employed to solving a problem. I know that over the years I have engaged in complex and difficult negotiations, sought out unusual sources of items and done a lot of things that were personal accomplishments in the pursuit of my collection. Having said that, there's also nothing wrong with being proud of the fact that you've earned a good living such that you can pay a premium for items on Ebay or elsewhere. It seems pretty clear to me that you have a lot of resentment and possibly jealousy for collectors who have made better choices than you have in life and as a result can obtain truly rare items.

[ProjectCamaro]

I guess I don't understand why people care what a person's reasons are or how they feel about owning something. If it makes him happy and is worth the investment to him then more power to him.

While I personally won't buy any gaming related item I can't or won't play it doesn't mean I have any sort of issue with someone else doing it. We're all different so why should I think less of him or put him down simply because we have different beliefs?!

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

I found one on eBay for $10k, no bids with 20 hours left to go. Hopefully it doesn't sell for all $10k and gets sold for four figures :-D

I probably overestimated myself saying I could get one by 30. 35 seems very likely though.

Then again, if the date I get a Halcyon is set to September 5, 2014, then I was probably born in the Atari 2600 era, got an NES instead of a PS1 as my first major console, and PS2 is the "latest and greatest" console now.

[Zap!]

Hey, collect what you want, more power to you. But do you really feel "proud" to own a particular piece if electronics? You didn't design it, you didn't create it. You bought it. Is this your source of pride?

I find that sad.

Yes, I feel extremely proud. I didn't invent it. But I own it, and the vast majority of classic gamers do not. To me, that's a great feeling. Not saying it's right or most will agree, but it's me. I sometimes enjoy "wow factor." It's who I am and doesn't make me a bad person.

[leatherrebel5150]

Of course I enjoy collecting video games. But I would never say that I'm "proud" of owning some collectible or another. That's a sad way to measure self worth, which is what pride is. If someone thinks he's a better person because he owns an Adventurevision than he would be if he didn't, then he needs to rethink things.

The pride does not come from owning the object itself (at least not for me) the pride comes from working my ass off and saving money and overcoming setbacks in order to obtain something I want. The object is a representaion of effort and that is the source of pride. If someone thinks that the object I wanted is stupid or pointless, that does not matter, it doesn't take away the fact I achieved something I set out to do. There is no shame on being proud of achieveing a goal.

[Bojay1997]

I found one on eBay for $10k, no bids with 20 hours left to go. Hopefully it doesn't sell for all $10k and gets sold for four figures :-D

I probably overestimated myself saying I could get one by 30. 35 seems very likely though.

Then again, if the date I get a Halcyon is set to September 5, 2014, then I was probably born in the Atari 2600 era, got an NES instead of a PS1 as my first major console, and PS2 is the "latest and greatest" console now.

There is some weirdness going on here. He had a bidder at $5K and was willing to initially do a BIN of $10K. The $5K bidder cancelled his bid and at one point the seller claimed he had offers of $10K. He then set the starting bid at $10K with a BIN of $25K. He then removed the BIN for some reason. He's missing some of the packaging, everything has wear and he can't even confirm that the computer unit is working. As such, this might be more of a display piece than an actual working unit unfortunately and that's gonna likely impact the value especially since there are quite a few custom parts inside the computer unit including a hard to find proprietary custom power adapter. It's also possible the power adapter failed at some point and caused damage inside the computer unit. Hopefully the new owner is handy with vintage computer component and electronics repair.

On a side note, I'm not following why you think this makes obtaining a Halcyon more likely unless you're planning to buy this one. This is only the third complete unit to be sold on Ebay since 1999 and the first one since 2008. The pool of units out there remains the same size and each time they seem to go for higher and higher amounts.

[Zap!]

Can you guys post a link to the posting on eBay? I could not find it.

[Bojay1997]

Can you guys post a link to the posting on eBay? I could not find it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RDI-HALCYON-Rare-Vintage-Video-Game-Console-System-/121423693278?pt=Video_Games&hash=item1c456a85de

Looks like it sold for $10K assuming the buyer and seller follow through.

[Rickstilwell1]

Here's a for parts one for $3000 http://www.ebay.com/itm/RDI-HALCYON-Laserdisc-player-and-2-LD-Games-Thayers-Quest-NFL-Football-RARE-/111465362785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f3da7561

It actually still works but the seller won't guarantee it getting to you in one piece.

Oh and it's missing the parts that actually let you control the games.

[Oldskool]

It belongs in a museum !!! Just kidding still the halcyon is so rare that the odds are stack against you.

Funny you mention. It was in the museum at CGE 2014 this year and will be a part of the Video Game History Museum when it finally opens up. I couldn't believe what I was looking at and you don't even want to know what they had to go through and the cost to acquire it was. It was also boxed and complete although the box was a bit tattered.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

I'm most interested in the Halcyon market between 2019 and 2027. I get my bachelor's degree in 2018 or so, and will work full time from (around) that point. The prices on these things are ridiculous. Ideally, one comes up for sale in 2025 for under $12,000. The prices of rare items nowadays are fucking ridiculous.
7854
This is my car. It has heated leather seats, a 271 horsepower V6 engine, a built in navigation system, dual zone climate control, a 6 disc CD changer, six airbags, and ample room for five adults. It's supposed to last me many years, and unfortunately has put a major damper on my video game collecting hobby. But it was worth it, I love this car. At 2 years old with 41,589 miles, in perfect condition, it was $21,990. A Halcyon isn't worth that much, and neither is any other rare video game item. Some things are expensive, and deservedly so. But the rare item market wasn't this apeshit when I started collecting at age 13 in 2006. Rare stuff cost a pretty penny, but nothing - even one of a kind prototypes - cost what a 2 year old loaded Honda Accord did. The problem is in many other collecting fields. Art is really bad. $150 million for a painting? If you bought something like my car every day, it would take 6,821 days - 18.7 years - to get to $150 million. By that time, someone born the day you bought the first car could DRIVE that car. At least a Halcyon, even at 25 grand, if you put away 3 grand a year, you could get one in a little over 8 years. Not sure if I want one that bad.

[retroguy]

Not sure if I want one that bad.

I'm glad you're coming to your senses. If you feel like your entire reason for existing is to get your hands on something that for all intents and purposes is completely unobtainable, you're not going to have a very happy life. My advice would be to forget about it. If your mania persists and you feel you simply must have some uber-rare item, go after something like NWC. Still hard to find and very expensive, but ultimately not impossible to get.

[Zap!]

I'm most interested in the Halcyon market between 2019 and 2027. I get my bachelor's degree in 2018 or so, and will work full time from (around) that point. The prices on these things are ridiculous. Ideally, one comes up for sale in 2025 for under $12,000. The prices of rare items nowadays are fucking ridiculous.
7854
This is my car. It has heated leather seats, a 271 horsepower V6 engine, a built in navigation system, dual zone climate control, a 6 disc CD changer, six airbags, and ample room for five adults. It's supposed to last me many years, and unfortunately has put a major damper on my video game collecting hobby. But it was worth it, I love this car. At 2 years old with 41,589 miles, in perfect condition, it was $21,990. A Halcyon isn't worth that much, and neither is any other rare video game item. Some things are expensive, and deservedly so. But the rare item market wasn't this apeshit when I started collecting at age 13 in 2006. Rare stuff cost a pretty penny, but nothing - even one of a kind prototypes - cost what a 2 year old loaded Honda Accord did. The problem is in many other collecting fields. Art is really bad. $150 million for a painting? If you bought something like my car every day, it would take 6,821 days - 18.7 years - to get to $150 million. By that time, someone born the day you bought the first car could DRIVE that car. At least a Halcyon, even at 25 grand, if you put away 3 grand a year, you could get one in a little over 8 years. Not sure if I want one that bad.

It's nice (except for that CD changer, why is it even needed with an iPod attachment?), but for that price I'd rather get a 2011 Camaro SS. I don't care about comfort. I care about raw, unabridged 400 horsepowerr. And it must be stick or I don't want it. But that's just my taste. :)

Of course, you can't really compare common cars to systems. In 2025, the Honda will be worth under $2,000. The Halcyon will only continue to grow in value. The way I afford my rare systems (like my Entex Adventurevision) is just just drive around in my 2003 Durango. Holds 9, has a ton of room, goes over snow with ease, and costs only $2,500. And I'[ve got that GPS too. And two airbags is pleanty enough for me. :D

[ProjectCamaro]

Edited

[JoshDragon]

The pride does not come from owning the object itself (at least not for me) the pride comes from working my ass off and saving money and overcoming setbacks in order to obtain something I want. The object is a representaion of effort and that is the source of pride. If someone thinks that the object I wanted is stupid or pointless, that does not matter, it doesn't take away the fact I achieved something I set out to do. There is no shame on being proud of achieveing a goal.

I agree. Except I'm like that about sports competitions.

Generally speaking, material items don't mean a whole lot to me. There are of course exceptions but I'm trying to move away from collecting things.

Actually, planning to sell off some of my old video games.

What you do with your life, matters more than what you owned.

[YoshiM]

If you want one for less than that last auction, here's one with a BIN of $1,500:

EDIT: saw someone post the link. It's not at 3G's anymore, though.

[Zap!]

If you want one for less than that last auction, here's one with a BIN of $1,500:

EDIT: saw someone post the link. It's not at 3G's anymore, though.
Too bad it's not complete though. :(

[Tron 2.0]

Funny you mention. It was in the museum at CGE 2014 this year and will be a part of the Video Game History Museum when it finally opens up. I couldn't believe what I was looking at and you don't even want to know what they had to go through and the cost to acquire it was. It was also boxed and complete although the box was a bit tattered.
That's some thing id like to see.

[Gameguy]

I'm glad you're coming to your senses. If you feel like your entire reason for existing is to get your hands on something that for all intents and purposes is completely unobtainable, you're not going to have a very happy life.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWRMUP1k-4E

[retroguy]

lol. Well, you've got me there. I guess Don Quixote was happy in his own way. Insane, but happy.

[Atarileaf]

The think the ironic end game for the OP is after a lifetime of pursuit, he'll be retired and finally buy one for an insane amount of money and after 5 minutes with it he'll have buyers remorse