OPENING UP BOXES OF ATARI CUSTOMER RETURNS

[Video 61]

hi everyone,

 

 i put this in history, because it sorta is. these boxes are a sample of what i received from atari decades ago, at least three plus decades, and i have hundreds such boxes. and we are just getting to them now. you will notice third party software in there. atari explained to me that retailers just looked at the games, as atari games, even if atari did not manufacture them. so they sent most returns to atari, even the ones atari never made.

 i asked why didn't atari just send them off to their original manufacturers? atari explained to me it would cost more than the games were worth, so the third parties told atari to do what you will with them. i bought it all. there are thousands and thousands of these games.

 

lance

www.atarisales.com

 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

I see video Olympics and 7800 Joust, two I'm after.  That is cool to see.  Almost like opening a vault and seeing items that had been frozen in time.  It makes one wonder what some of those games went through before you got them.  Hehe ... I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of those games gets reunited with someone here who returned it.  Now THAT would be awesome to see happen.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Atari 5200 Guy

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Dumb thought...but I wonder.  Could it be possible some brand new 5200 controllers could be in those boxes?

[Jinroh]

Very cool Lance! This is like opening up the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark! 🙂

Thank you for sharing!

 

Very interesting how people just returned everything to Atari. Though I am sure consumers today are just still as clueless, even with the information age in full swing. 😛

[CrossBow]

On 3/4/2023 at 4:02 PM, Atari 5200 Guy said:

Dumb thought...but I wonder.  Could it be possible some brand new 5200 controllers could be in those boxes?

If there are some in there, they still won't work as time itself is enough to cause oxidation on the contacts of the mylar and breakdown the graphite of the carbon pads. In fact I'd argue that NOT using the controllers on a routine basis might be worse than using them all the time because of that.

 

[Video 61]

7 hours ago, CrossBow said:

If there are some in there, they still won't work as time itself is enough to cause oxidation on the contacts of the mylar and breakdown the graphite of the carbon pads. In fact I'd argue that NOT using the controllers on a routine basis might be worse than using them all the time because of that.

 

hi crossbow,

 

 that is correct. its like parking a car and leaving the battery in it. come back a few years later, lift the hood and stare at the corrosion on the battery cables.

 

lance

www.atarisales.com

 

 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

That Pac-Man looks brand new.  Star Master looks unopened as well.  Man...I believe you are opening a lot of returned childhood memories.  Those are nice to see, Lance.   Can't wait to see what all you uncover as you open more of those.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

I'm glad you managed to get those returns and saved them from going to a landfill.  There's no telling what all is in those.  I bet if they could talk they'd have some stories to tell.

[DegasElite]

On 3/4/2023 at 3:52 PM, Atari 5200 Guy said:

Hehe ... I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of those games gets reunited with someone here who returned it.  Now THAT would be awesome to see happen.

I am sure that has happened at least a few times to some lucky people. I wouldn't doubt it. :O)

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Seeing all those games takes me back to a store my family frequently visited, watching them open up a new shipment and stock their shelves.

What does that label say on Asteroids?

[Video 61]

23 hours ago, Atari 5200 Guy said:

Seeing all those games takes me back to a store my family frequently visited, watching them open up a new shipment and stock their shelves.

What does that label say on Asteroids?

hi atari 5200 guy,

 

not sure on the label, might be from atari's mexico division. that division was a mess for sure. nether atari or i could get back what ended up lost. it was like dealing with organized crime.

 

lance

www.atarisales.com