Flack
01-23-2004, 07:35 AM
Not so long ago, I was rummaging through a local Goodwill when I ran across an Atari 2600 for $2.98. Not that I would have probably remembered the price, but I just noticed that "$2.98" is still written across the top of the unit in red grease pencil.
It's not like I don't have a 2600 already. Or two, or three ... in fact, at last count I had 5 others. Since coming here I've learned that they are a six switch, a couple of four switches, a Darth Vader, and a Jr. I didn't set out to find them. It's almost like they found me.
Some people take in homeless animals; some, homeless people. Me? Homeless consoles. Now I don't feel compelled to buy every one I see. Recently at Game eXchange they had cute little Atari 2600 bundles (console, joysticks, paddles and three common games) for $79. I felt no need to pick that up -- for that price, someone who really wants it will end up with it. But at a thrift store, I almost feel like they need rescuing. I feel like someone who loves it should take it home. The problem is, I feel like if I leave it there it will either get bought just to be resold on eBay, or worse, never bought and eventually thrown into the garbage.
So, I buy them.
The perfect ending to this story would be, "and then I fix them up and give them to people." But I don't. For the most part I put them on a shelf and look at them. Like a Beanie Baby collection gone awry, I look over to my shelf and see six or seven Atari's all piled up, wires neatly coiled.
Due to lack of space, my Ataris (along with most of my other vintage gaming stuff) has been boxed up. With our new game room, I have tons of space to spread out and hook up anything my heart desires. Unfortunately, my power supply did not make the trip, and I ended up having to buy another one. It came in yesterday, and I spent the evening going through and testing Atari consoles and cartridges. They all work, and I Laser Blasted and River Raided my way through the night. It was one of the most fun gaming nights I've had in a while, and the irony of the fact that I was doing it on a console with "$2.98" written on the top of it did not escape me.
Even as I shut everything off and neatly rewrapped joysticks, I couldn't help but to think there are other Ataris out there. Old consoles, starving, ribs showing, waiting for someone to play with them. Waiting for me to take them home.
Hang in there. I'm coming.
It's not like I don't have a 2600 already. Or two, or three ... in fact, at last count I had 5 others. Since coming here I've learned that they are a six switch, a couple of four switches, a Darth Vader, and a Jr. I didn't set out to find them. It's almost like they found me.
Some people take in homeless animals; some, homeless people. Me? Homeless consoles. Now I don't feel compelled to buy every one I see. Recently at Game eXchange they had cute little Atari 2600 bundles (console, joysticks, paddles and three common games) for $79. I felt no need to pick that up -- for that price, someone who really wants it will end up with it. But at a thrift store, I almost feel like they need rescuing. I feel like someone who loves it should take it home. The problem is, I feel like if I leave it there it will either get bought just to be resold on eBay, or worse, never bought and eventually thrown into the garbage.
So, I buy them.
The perfect ending to this story would be, "and then I fix them up and give them to people." But I don't. For the most part I put them on a shelf and look at them. Like a Beanie Baby collection gone awry, I look over to my shelf and see six or seven Atari's all piled up, wires neatly coiled.
Due to lack of space, my Ataris (along with most of my other vintage gaming stuff) has been boxed up. With our new game room, I have tons of space to spread out and hook up anything my heart desires. Unfortunately, my power supply did not make the trip, and I ended up having to buy another one. It came in yesterday, and I spent the evening going through and testing Atari consoles and cartridges. They all work, and I Laser Blasted and River Raided my way through the night. It was one of the most fun gaming nights I've had in a while, and the irony of the fact that I was doing it on a console with "$2.98" written on the top of it did not escape me.
Even as I shut everything off and neatly rewrapped joysticks, I couldn't help but to think there are other Ataris out there. Old consoles, starving, ribs showing, waiting for someone to play with them. Waiting for me to take them home.
Hang in there. I'm coming.