How to Buy Atari 5200 Game Cartridges

Although the Atari 5200 had a limited library of games compared to its predecessor the 2600, many of the games remain popular with collectors and retro-gamers. You'll find that some games are easier to find than others, so the rarity of the game you're looking for will determine the difficulty of locating a copy and the price range you'll expect to pay.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Research the rarity of the games you want. By researching a particular game's rarity, you can determine how much it's likely going to cost. This will also give you an idea of how hard and long you'll have to look to find it. Rarity charts (see Resources below) are based on a number of factors including the number of games originally manufactured for each particular title and numbers reported by vintage game collectors.

2. Find stores that buy, sell and trade vintage console video games. Zutco and 4JAYS are good places to start (see Resources online).

3. If you buy classic Atari 5200 game cartridges the sellers might not have the original instruction manuals. You can find online game manuals at sites like Atari HQ (see Resources below).

4. Ask about testing. If you're buying used games, always ask if the games have been tested and try to buy from stores or individuals that offer some kind of a guarantee or return policy in case the games don't work. Whenever possible, test the games yourself if buying them in person.

5. Determine the top amount you're willing to pay. Loose games tend to be pretty cheap, except for the rarer games which will always be higher priced. If you're buying games strictly for collecting with no intentions of playing them, then you most likely want sealed versions that you'll have to be willing to pay a premium price for, especially for the more rare titles.

6. Shop on eBay. This online auction site is a good place to find Atari 5200 games of all types including bulk quantities. Again, be sure you ask about testing and return policies before bidding on a live auction or purchasing products from the "Buy It Now" section.

Tips & Warnings

• Finding an Atari 5200 console to play your games on is a pretty easy task, but finding working controllers is a whole different story since one of the biggest complaints about the system were the numerous design flaws that caused the controllers, especially the analog ones, to be damaged too easily.
• The Atari 5200 offers a much smaller library of games to buy than the classic 2600 and many of these were games previously offered on the old system that didn't fully utilize the added graphics available on the new system and disappointed many users.
• Some Atari 5200 titles are homebrew or reproduction titles, meaning they were manufactured by an outside company. Many of these games were released well after production of the system ceased with new games still being produced today, but they tend to carry a fairly hefty price tag.

Resources

• Atari 5200 Game Manual Archive.
• Atari 5200 individual game rarity guide.
• Buy, sell or trade games at Zutco.
• Boxed, used Atari 5200 games from 4JAYS.