I recently listed my Atari 2600 gaming console for sale and, within minutes, I had a bid on the item.

That made me wonder why someone bid on the item so quickly, so I started to do a little research.

I am selling the console along with 37 games, two joystick controllers, the TV/Game A/B switch, and the cable to bridge the gap between the console and the television.

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The first person to bid has an eBay username of atarisandmore, so it sounds like that user is someone who is expert at all things Atari.

As I started to browse through atarisandmore's offerings, I realized that there were NO Atari game cartridges for sale on the profile for less than around $9.

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That means that, if atarisandmore wins the bid (it opened at $44.10), after shipping he (or she) will have spent around $60 for the console, the two controllers, and 37 games.

On atarisandmore's profile on eBay, he lists an Atari 2600 (4-switch) with 20 games as a package for $199.

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And if he is able to sell the remaining 17 cartridges he buys from me (if he wins the auction), he'll sell each of those for at least $8.99. All-in-all, he stands to make almost $200 by reselling what he just bought from me.

So, what does that tell you?

It tells you this: I am not good at eBay-ing.

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I only looked up a few consoles that were up for sale and they were selling for between $35 and $55 dollars, so I thought that I would list mine for around $45. A happy medium, right?

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What I didn't do was price each of the games individually before including them with the console. Had I done that, I would have realized that they were each worth at least $5.

So I shorted myself by at least $200 if this thing sells with the current bid.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don't own a business.

Oh, there is also one "mystery" game cartridge included in my listing. There is no label on the game cartridge, so I have no idea what game it is. With my luck, it's a super rare game that he'll be able to sell for a nice profit!

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It is one of the Parker Brothers games, which include titles such as Star Wars, Frogger, Q*Bert, Popeye, Super Cobra, and even McDonald's. Some of these titles are going for as much as $20!

Well, here's to hoping that I'll get some more bids on my Atari 2600 console and the games. They have provided me with lots of great fun over the years, but it's time to declutter!

If you have an old Atari laying around with some game cartridges, it might be worth it to check the values.

For instance, the Atari 2600 Beam Rider game is selling online right now for around $65. There's an Asteroids cartridge (Silver Label) for sale for around $60. Night Driver: $50. Tax Avoiders: $40. Tanks, But No Tanks, Donkey Kong Junior, Jawbreaker, Rubik's Cube, Pitfall - all above $30.

But if you have a factory-sealed Legend of Zelda game, it could bring you a LOT of money! There's one listed on eBay, right now, for $100,000. ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS?  How crazy is that??

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How about this Atari 2600 factory-sealed E.T. (Extra Terrestrial) game? Would you believe that it's for sale for almost $20,000?

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Check the closets, the attic, the basement, and your storage unit - if you own an Atari 2600 Video Computer System, you might be in for a small windfall.

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