Collection Fever

I blame YouTube. A few of the channels I subscribe to have had videos recently where people have received boxes full of classic PC games or have unboxed old computers I have fond memories of. Last week I browsed through eBay for old computers, games and accessories and I've been taking a regular look since then. I hadn't realised how active the vintage computer market was.



My first console - An Odyssey 2 known to me in the UK as a Phillips G7000
 

I haven't bought anything yet but I came close to buying a Commodore 64 on eBay. It wasn't quite what I was looking for though (in terms of accessories and games) and the final bidding went a bit higher than I thought it would. You can even search for Commodore 64's and buy them through Amazon it appears! In addition I really want to create a much more comfortable work and play environment / office at home with a proper desk. This would provide enough space for a couple of old timer computers in addition to my main work set up.

The original model of the Commodore 64 which I had back in the 1980s

If I do go ahead and buy some old equipment I want to use it - I don't want to just have them sit in a cupboard or gather dust. I would play some of the original games and would possibly be interested in trying a bit of old style game development. It seems the tools are out there now to make this a lot easier. Maybe a "Stone of the Citadel" "light" edition on the Commodore 64 :)

So what would I be interested in? My first console / computer was an Odyssey 2 but I never really liked it very much so I think I would skip that. An original "Breadboard" Commodore 64 would be my first choice. I was lucky enough to get a new C64 when I was about 11 years old and had it up until the 1990s. Lot's of memories of playing Elite, Alternate Reality: The Dungeon and Ultima IV -  good times. I followed that with an Amiga 500 which I went on to replace with an Amiga 1200 when it was released. The Amiga 1200 was reluctantly sold about 1995 to pay for a holiday to Egypt when a promised job extension fell through. A decent Atari 8bit machine and Spectrum (rubber keys version of course!) would also be good. Which model of Atari would people recommend as I'm not really up to speed with the various models. Obviously it would need to play Alternate Reality well! I'm also interested in picking up old games across most platforms - mainly RPGs.

The original Commodore Amiga 500 which I used to play Eye of the Beholder and Speedball 2

I also fired up the CCS64 emulator and had a lot of fun with my son playing Commando, Elite and Delta. He especially enjoyed Commando (which reminds me to get Mame set up properly some time) and just kept having "one more go". Just shows how a 30 year old computer can still be fun for a child who has access to the modern gaming platforms.

Do you have any tips or stories on collecting? Either post on the blog or drop me an email at acrin1 @ gmail . com. Any reasonably priced, good sources, preferably in the United Kingdom but will look internationally too. Funds don't allow for spending much so I'll be looking over the long term but would love to hear any related advice or experiences.