Need appraisal: Astrocade-sealed in outer shipping container

[Goblin]

I've spoken with a few of you personally over the past few months regarding the following item which a friend found while cleaning out old stock in his parent's store. It is an Astrocade System still sealed in the outer shipping container. You can find pictures here:
http://home.comcast.net/~gamesfortrade/

Now that you have seen it we would appreciate any help you can give us in determining a value. Is this really as rare as we think it is? I've done a bit of searching over the past few months and have not come across anything else that resembles it. As I far as I can tell it is one of a kind (at least until someone is able to disprove me).

As you can guess we are looking to sell this, although my intention of posting today is try and get any information on it, and to share this find with everyone.

Feel free to PM me, or else send me an email: gamesfortrade@comcast.net with any information, or questions.

[Goblin]

I'm not one to bump my own posts, although I thought for sure after 40+ views someone would have have had a comment and hopefully some information to the rarity of this item.

I'll chalk it up to a lazy Sunday afternoon. Maybe Monday when the 'experts' returns someone can assist.

[goatdan]

Double post, see below.

[goatdan]

It is a rare item, but shipping boxes generally do not raise the value of something too much. Just because the system is uber-rare doesn't mean that someone will fork out an additional $200 (or whatever) for that box.

I think you are looking for a general price on a new Astrocade. I don't kow what price to tell you, other than it is a really nice find. Sometimes, rarities like that are best priced by places like eBay...

[video_game_addict]

Shipping box may not necessarily raise value, but just knowing you're getting a New in Box system over a used means alot. I'd pay an extra couple hundred easily for a NIB 5200, if I knew it was new in box.

I'm surprised to see it in a single box like that. I would have thought there would be more than one if they were sent in shipping boxes. Kind of costly to make shipping boxes for each system like that. Would have thought they'd come in boxes of 4 or 6.
There were also a couple different models of the Astrocade, is there much difference in prices? I've never owned, or paid much attention to them, but some I've seen are woodgrain like Atari some came in white. I'm wondering if there's any way to tell by serial & model numbers on box.

I think I'd probably open the shipping box up slide what's in it out and take more pictures if I were to ebay. It's not much to look at as is, if I were to buy I know I'd open it up out of that box, keep it of course, but having that box sealed adds very little for me. For all we know could be a box of rocks inside, and glued back down around the staples :P

[Balloon Fight]

I agree with video_game_addict in that you should open up the shipping box to make sure it is actually in there. If you do sell it on ebay, pictures of the actual new Astrocade will help you a lot.
It is extremely hard to determine a price on something like that since I've never seen one before. What I'd do is check out what the a complete Astrocade went for on ebay, and double it. That would be just an estimate of course.

[Kid Ice]

I'm not one to bump my own posts, although I thought for sure after 40+ views someone would have have had a comment and hopefully some information to the rarity of this item.

I'll chalk it up to a lazy Sunday afternoon. Maybe Monday when the 'experts' returns someone can assist.

I read your post but didn't reply before because I find this item difficult to appraise. Except for ebay, I haven't seen Astrocades get around much and I've never seen one NIB. My guess is a serious Astrocade collector would give you from 200-300 dollars for it, problem being I've never met a serious Astrocade collector.

[o2william]

I think 200-300 may be in the low range for something like this, as I've seen loose, used Astrocade consoles fetch up to $100-$150 on eBay. Serious Astrocade collectors tend to be few and far between, but I think that's only because the system is kind of scarce. Otherwise, it's a cool machine.

I'd try contacting Adam Trionfo, publisher of Bally Alley (http://www.classicgaming.com/ballyalley/), an Astrocade newsletter. Adam's a good guy, and maybe he can put you in touch with a collector looking for an item like that. I see the newsletter hasn't been published in a while though; hopefully Adam's still around.

You might try Bally Alley's Yahoo Astrocade discussion group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ballyalley/) too.

[Cmosfm]

Just another one to say DEFINATELY open it before selling because there could be a MAJOR problem with it that you dont know about...hell....might not even be an Astrocade at all. Wouldnt want to find out the hard way now would ya?

[Ed Oscuro]

For starters, does anybody actually know what a Astrocade usually goes for?

Wow, whatever it IS it's original Astrocade merchandise and I think Goblin hit the nail on the head - a museum piece.

Could it be possible that this is a case of software? A peripheral (did Bally make any themselves)?

Whatever it is, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if this won't turn up again, ever.

Oh, and by the way, I saw somebody's Bally handbag last summer when I was in Britain (fellow traveller). Never asked about it though. Just thought I'd throw that out there before it slips my mind again :P

[Goblin]

Thanks for all the advice, although I don't know if I am any further along with trying to acertain a value.

I will say that it isn't mine, so I'm not going to open it. Even if it was mine opening it still isn't an option. If you have a sealed copy of video life, or quadrun would you open it? - Just in case there was no cartirdge inside? No. Until proven otherwise I would consider along the same lines and likewise it will stay sealed, opening it would be foolish. Whoever eventually buys it can open it if they wish.

For the record I do know for a fact that there is a console in there. This wasn't just a random find. As I mentioned the family of the guy who found it ran a store which sold them and they confirm that it it is indeed a console. If you aren't willing to accept that, then likely you wouldn't be looking for one anyway.

Privately a few have contacted me, one of whom (I respect on the subject) said it could see upwards of $500. So I'm somewhere between $150 and $500+. I'll see if my friend wants to set a reserve and ebay it, we may run a forum auction, or else maybe we will just fix a price on it and see who bites.

Feel free to continue offering up any comments.

[vision89]

I've sold a couple Astrocades on ebay. One had a defective controller and went for around $70, the other was in good condition and worked great, it went for around $90. Neither had their' boxes. Opening the shipping box isn't really comparible to opening a sealed copy of video life. It's more like, if you had a sealed copy of video life in the shipping package that came from the factory, would you take it out? If you did you'd still have a sealed copy of video life. Now, would taking it out of the shipping box decrease the value? I think it depends on the collector. I would rather not have it in the shipping box because then I could be sure of what it is. You may run into some people who don't trust that there is even an Astrocade in there, and it's hard to blame them because there are so many people trying to rip people off every day. I of course AM NOT in any way implying that this is what you or your' friend are doing. If I were you I would do this; I would put it for sale and let it be known that the highest bidder has the option of having the shipping package opened before payment. Therefore you are secured the money and if the collector that wants the Astrocate wishes the shipping box to be opened to see what's inside then it can be. I would say a collector would have to be pretty hardcore to want their video games to be in the original shipping box though. It certainly doesn't make much for show :)

[Ed Oscuro]

First of all my apologies to Mr. O^2 for not noticing that he gave an approximate eBay value for an Astrocade. Shoulda read that reply.

If you did you'd still have a sealed copy of video life. Now, would taking it out of the shipping box decrease the value?[/img]
Yes, yes it would.
[quote]I think it depends on the collector.
Yeah, just like some people wouldn't pay $.11 for a no-mint mark 1982 dime, and some would pay a maximum of $10, some are looking through their change for one, and some will pay the full $60 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=544&item=3915529090&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW) for one in worn condition. Now that's what you're saying, but I wanted to put an emphasis on this: it is worth more, and one or two people saying it isn't will not change things one bit.

I'm not going to say that people who won't pay more for extra boxes aren't real collectors. That's not true and I don't feel that way - after all it's healthy to have an upper limit for what one will pay for an item. On the other hand, people who are willing to pay more for these extras and view them as special will be there with the money, and that money will speak loudly as to how dedicated they are - or, if you don't approve of that, you can consider it proof positive of how deep their obsession runs :D

All things considered - it IS worth more with the box, make no mistake, but that's assuming you find the right time to sell it, assuming that nobody cheats you, that (of course) it really IS an Astrocade in there, etc.

Personally it's been years since I looked at a photo of this machine, and that was from a contemporary personal computing book (Computer Graphics Primer). It's rumored (according to said book) that the machine's BASIC was a version of that used to generate the Star Wars Death Star map sequence, fun.

[vision89]

Yeah, just like some people wouldn't pay $.11 for a no-mint mark 1982 dime, and some would pay a maximum of $10, some are looking through their change for one, and some will pay the full $60 for one in worn condition. Now that's what you're saying, but I wanted to put an emphasis on this: it is worth more, and one or two people saying it isn't will not change things one bit
I see you're point, but I think you misunderstood mine. What I'm trying to get across is this. When selling a collectible they are only worth what the person you're selling them to will pay, and that price guides and what other people sell the same things for does not reflect how much you get for the item. Now, is a collector going to pay more for the Astrocade in the shipping box over the one buying the mint sealed Astrocade? They very well could but it's reasonable to think that they may not. By keeping it in the shipping box the seller may lose the collector who just wants a sealed mint Astrocade on account of a lack of trust, and since they don't know which system is in the box. After all which Astrocade is in the box, the woodgrain or the limited edition white? Hopefully the seller knows. Likely it's the woodgrain, but what if it's the white, a collector would pay more for the white one but no one knows if that's the one it is cause it's still in the shipping box. Therefore the seller could lose money there. A seller could lose money because the collector doesn't want to take a chance that there may not even be an Astrocade in that shipping box, therefore doesn't put their bid in, and he is then possibly losing the collector that is willing to pay the most. That is why I said he should give the highest bidder the option of having the box opened. Which I think would help maximize the money he gets for the system.

All things considered - it IS worth more with the box, make no mistake
I see what you're saying here, and I agree for the most part, but what I'm asking is this. Where does it end? The shipping box was not part of the Astrocade. In stores it was not sold in the shipping box, in ads it wasn't featured in its' original shipping box. Should we start making price guides and include prices of things in their' shipping boxes? How about if it's on the original factory skid with 10 systems wrapped in the original factory plastic to keep it on the skid, how much value does that add per system? How about if a worker signed for the skid of Astrocades then it's autographed by the original factory worker and is worth even more. You may as well retire then because there is obviously a collector out there looking for this very item and will give an absolute fortune for it. Do you see what I'm saying? There comes a point where these things really don't have anything to do with the item being collected for. Now of course I was exagerating with my Astrocades on a skid rant, after all the original shipping box MAY add value, but it is very feasible to think that there is a collector out there willing to pay more for just the mint system, since it's really on an individual level and that is the actual item that is being collected.

[AlanD]

Just as an aside, I wouldn't consider them one-of-a-kinds by any means. I personally found 8 of them in my hometown in South Carolina in the shipping container around 4 years ago and was able to bundle them with 12 NIB games I got at the same time. Another collector around the same time had about 50 of them in the same condition. Possibly it was just the sheer number of them available at that time but I was only able to get about $150 each for them. On top of that 50% of them were defective right out of the box. If I were you I would carefuly open the flap on the box and test the system unless you plan to sell it as-is. Regardless it is an excellent find and will make a nice centerpiece to someone's collection. Congrats. Hope that helps you out.
AlanD

[chadtower]

Seriously, that is the type of thing I usually have high interest in, but as a potential buyer I would want the shipping box opened to make sure that is what is actually in there. For all we know there could be a dead cat in that box. It HAS been sitting in a storeroom for 20+ years and there is no guarantee that no one played with it during that time. The shipping box is great to have but I don't find any value in having unknown contents inside of it.

[christianscott27]

i dunno, guess it depends what kind of collector you are. i enjoy system boxes for the graphics and that "christmas morning" feel. the box is in store advertising, in some cases like the O2 the box is cooler looking than the system itself.

that box, the shipping container, is about as exciting as a box of mop heads. its just blah looking cardboard that would add nothing to the eye candy of a good collection. besides the whole "to open or not" thing is enough to give a serious collector a kniption fit.

oh well theres bound to be a few bidders who will go high for it, i just prefer something that looks like a game.

[christianscott27]

i dunno, guess it depends what kind of collector you are. i enjoy system boxes for the graphics and that "christmas morning" feel. the box is in store advertising, in some cases like the O2 the box is cooler looking than the system itself.

that box, the shipping container, is about as exciting as a box of mop heads. its just blah looking cardboard that would add nothing to the eye candy of a good collection. besides the whole "to open or not" thing is enough to give a serious collector a kniption fit.

oh well theres bound to be a few bidders who will go high for it, i just prefer something that looks like a game.

[y-bot]

I have a near mint Astrocade in the same shipping box. If you open it you will have a mint or like-new Astrocade that may or may not work. If you are going to sell it I wouldn't open it. Sealed Colecovision and Intellivision systems sell for 2 or 3 times what a mint opened one sells for. I don't think a sealed Astrocade is going to be worth that much more than a mint opened one just becaue there is a much lower demand. If I were keeping it I would open it but if I were planning on selling it I would not open it. I would be surprised if it sold for more than $300.
Thanks, y-bot

[TheRedEye]

Thanks, y-bot

Welcome.

[Ed Oscuro]

I see you're point, but I think you misunderstood mine. What I'm trying to get across is this. When selling a collectible they are only worth what the person you're selling them to will pay
Bingo. I think I know such a person!

As for the issue of the contents, I have a few simple solutions:

a.) Take it down to the lab for a CAT scan
- OR -
b.) Seller weighs the box, and this is compared to the weight of a known Astrocade with original materials - perferably one complete with this same shipping box (y-bot's help would be appreciated) - posted after Goblin releases the results of his weighing.

As for that $300-tops mark, well, we'll see. I guess some folks know better than others how much to pay for something http://www.digitpress.com/forum/images/smiles/js_wink.gif

[Ed Oscuro]

... 50% of them were defective right out of the box.
OUCH. Did you determine what sort of defect we're talking about? ROMs going dead?

[vision89]

Take it down to the lab for a CAT scan
Ha Ha! Well that never crossed my mind, I hope that Astrocade has some good health insurance :D

[AlanD]

OUCH. Did you determine what sort of defect we're talking about? ROMs going dead?


Has been quite a while but I believe the majority of them were dead CPUs with maybe one of them having a bad bios chip. One of them I know had a bad power supply. Pretty sure that was the main problems but again it was a while back and I have the memory of a floor lamp :)
AlanD