Classic 80's Home Video Games Identification & Value Guide

Every Christmas, my parents ask me what I would like under the tree. Usually my wishes are video game related, so I just point them in the direction of my Amazon wish-list. This year, I had left on there a book I was mildly curious about but not expecting as a gift. This book was Classic 80's Home Video Games Identification & Value Guide. I am glad they picked it up though. It's immensely informative and entertaining.

Classic 80's HVGI&VG is more or less a price guide for systems and cartridges from the pre-NES days of console gaming. Naturally, the bulk of the book covers Atari VCS (or 2600) items, but that's only because there's a ton of cartridges and peripherals for the venerable home system. Attention is also given to the Intellivision, Colecovision, Odyssey2, Vectrex and Atari's follow-up consoles, the 5200 and 7800.

It would have been easy for the publisher (Collector Books) to simply list the title of a cartridge, throw a number next to it an call it a day.   However, the authors made sure to includes pictures for most of the listed items, and even lovingly described variations of the same game whenever possible (particularly the many different labels Atari used on its games).   Prices are also listed for boxes, manuals and overlays.

Part of the peril of this book is knowing exactly how much I undersold many of the items in my collection.  I didn't have anything insanely expensive (like the Johnson & Johnson branded Tooth Protectors VCS cartridge that the book values at $2,200 complete-in-box.)   But there are a few Colecovision cartridges I suddenly wish I held onto.

$2,200? For that price I can get my teeth fixed for real. 

Overall this book is an invaluable aid on my quest to add to my collection.  I only wish they had a version of this guide for later-era consoles like the NES.  Sadly, a quick peek at the publisher's website blog shows that they are no longer publishing new titles due to competition with free information that can be found on the internet.