FS: Atari Cones $3.50 each

[Teaganm]

Hey All,

Back in January I went into production with the Atari Start Button Volcano
cones. Many of you who know me know this is a hobby for me and not my
business. I felt there was a need for this product and wanted to contribute
back to the collecting community.

Apparently there are others who also saw this need and want to fill it as
well. I believe competition is good and keeps "honest" values on
reproduction products. This competition also slows everyone's sales since I
believe this is a fairly small market. So, I have decided to temporarily
reduce the selling price of my cones. This move will allow me to reclaim my
initial cash investment in a minimum of time. Once I have accomplished this
I will be making decisions on future pricing and future product offerings.

If you have purchased cones from me already, Thank You. I have issued
refunds for the difference back to your Paypal accounts.

For everyone else, I am selling Tall Black Aluminum Cones for the Atari
start buttons for $3.50 each shipping included in the US (and many other
places). You can send Paypal to tea...@yahoo.com If you want greater than
20 pieces please email me first. Cones are in stock and ready to ship.
Orders will be filled first come first served.

You can see photos of my cones at www.atariswitch.com , which has been
recently updated. Also, don't forget I can rebuild your old start switches
for only $10.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

www.atariswitch.com

[Art M - Artfromny]

If the HONEST value of these, in your opinion, is $3.50 each, how come you
tried to get $7 or so for them before?
Yes I got the same pricing you did; the difference is that I always thought
$6 or $7 was not only honest, it was realistic and would encourage people to
do other repros since there was profit in there at that price.
Oh well, time will tell

--
Art
"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message
news:l_ednS71uNu7tgLZ...@comcast.com...

[prOk]

Competition is great in 'normal' commerce situations where you're competing
for customers in a large customer base.. THIS however is not 'normal'. It's
a very small highly specialized hobby market. More than one person making
the same thing just takes what few dollars (relatively speaking) there are
available and dilutes it to the point where nobody makes enough to justify
anything else and the venture is short lived. Best thing you guys can do
is work together to stabilize a price because a price war will just kill you
both in the short run.

/brian

"Art M - Artfromny" <artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:c%Fng.53792$3B....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

[Teaganm]

Hey Art,

I feel $7 is a fair price. But everytime I put up a post you seem to want
to undercut me by a few pennies. I didn't want a price war, I wanted my
outlay of cash back.

If you are now selling for $2.95 are these the same ones you were selling on
June 9 for $9.50 each?
If I hadn't been in the market would you still be selling them for $9.50
each?
What is YOUR honest price $2.95 or $9.50?
Did you refund everyone who already purchased them at $9.50 or $7.50 or $7?
Will you? I have.
If I drop my price again what will be your "new" honest price?
If I match your price what is your new price?
What if I go to $2.50 will you go to $1.95? Let's see how much profit
you're really making.
Let me ask you are you here serving the community or just here to make a
profit?
Sounds like you're getting pretty pissy just cause you have some
competition.
What are you gonna do when http://www.ram-controls.com/ starts shipping at
$4 each. Can't undercut them, they might cut you off.

And you have NO idea of my cost. I didn't just go buy mine from
http://www.ram-controls.com/ . I worked personally with the manufacturer,
who you do not know, who produced them specially for me. Do they look the
same? Probably, they were both made using an NOS as a model. Are they the
same? No.

I'd be interested to hear your answers to these questions, as I'm sure the
rest of the group will.

Steve

www.atariswitch.com

"Art M - Artfromny" <artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:c%Fng.53792$3B....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

[Teaganm]

You are right Brian (and I know you understand).

When Art and I both entered the market I wished him luck and replied by
undercutting my price. I offered to sell him my inventory and back out of
the business and he replied with "guess I will have to start throwing in
free switches with mine". With Ram-Controls entering the market I figured
it was time to get my cash out and look for new projects. Art seems to
think everything's about profit and undercutting everyone else until he is
the only supplier.

I always respected Art and felt he made some great contributions to the
hobby. I guess that holds true until you sell something he has. I've lost
a lot of that respect for him over this last month. I guess money brings
out peoples true colors.

I'm not here for the money. I wanted to help the community with a product
that was non-existent when I got together with my manufacturer. I also
hoped the profits would feed my next game related project. Doesn't look
like that will happen anytime soon. Time will tell how it all ends.

Steve

www.atariswitch.com

"prOk" <bso...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:NI-dne_TT_nLrALZ...@comcast.com...

[Art M - Artfromny]

you offered me your inventory at about 5% off retail - for 225 pieces, I
would have expected more of a discount than that for the quantity involved.
As it is, I offered you damn near what you are selling them for now and you
turned me down.

As far as everything being about profit, what the heck else would make
someone invest in repros? Everyone talks about it being "for the good of the
collecting community" but I wouldnt expect anyone to do a project at a loss.

As to how it will all end, I dont really know. I can buy as many as I need
from RAM, and I doubt that you are going to want to go for more than your
original committment to your producer, which I think was around 225 pieces.
I can match you dime for dime on price until you sell out, and then go back
to whatever the market will bear - I will probably sell eBay only after this
mess sorts out, and let the market set the price.

--
Art
"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message

news:T-idnfnGiOsGqwLZ...@comcast.com...

[zinfer]

I'll be buying some of those from you Steve. See what you can do
about the shorts if you can.

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 20:17:54 -0400, "Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com>
wrote:

[Art M - Artfromny]

Not that I want to deal with you but if you want shorts let me know

--
Art
"zinfer" <rmas...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:449f408a....@news-server.woh.rr.com...

[Art M - Artfromny]

If you go to $2.50 I will likey offer to buy your entire supply at that
price and put an end to this mess once and for all. If you dont want to
sell to me at that price I will just use proxy buyers and accomplish the
same goal.

I havent seen any of your cones; I am quite sure that the ones I have from
RAM are top of the line; yours may well be as good, it would be interesting
to compare - mail me a few of yours and I will mail you a few of mine if you
want - hell I will mail first.

As far as RAM goes if Dave wants to sell these at $4 per thats his business.
There wont be any worries on my part about getting more, because I wont be
interested in selling them at that price long term.

As far as asking what my motives were for getting involved selling these, I
can tell you right now that profit was 100% of the motive. I am in business
to make money. Those that say they 'want to help the community' would stop
doing things in an awful hurry if there was no profit involved. I have made
no bones about my motives from day 1 that I have been on RGVAC - I am a
businessman not a collector and never pretened otherwise.

I am not pissy because there is competition; I am merely amused and
surprised that someone would go to all the trouble to make this product and
sell them for a 50% markup, rather than sitting back and getting 3x cost.
THAT is how you truly help the community; make enough on each project to
fund the next.

--
Art
"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message

news:CZ6dnfEOHPtTrwLZ...@comcast.com...

[Chuk]

I don't think anyone does repros intending to lose money. However, I think
some people have taken on projects in the past as a labor of love with the
only intention to break even and have a product available that they need. I
think that is sometimes where the hobby side and the business side clash,
because they don't have the same goals. The last project I did was to get
some replacement SCSI cables made for MCR boards. I was just interested in
20 or so sets for myself, and Bob Roberts price was too high. I didn't
intend to steal business from him, but I could sell them a lot cheaper
because I had a cheap source, and I wasn't interested in profits. Now, I'm
sure Bob could care less about a few cables, but I can see how the
businessman and the hobbyist won't always see eye to eye on things.

"Art M - Artfromny" <artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message

news:1sHng.53804$3B.1...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

[RedWolfJC]

Thats the beauty of money, it doesn't matter who it comes from it all
spends just the same :) Kum-Ba-Ya m'lord (everybody sing) Kum
Bayyyaaaahhhh!

[Art M - Artfromny]

"RedWolfJC" <redw...@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1151288890.7...@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...

> Thats the beauty of money, it doesn't matter who it comes from it all
> spends just the same :) Kum-Ba-Ya m'lord (everybody sing) Kum
> Bayyyaaaahhhh!
>

Aint that the truth ;)

[zinfer]

I second Brian's opinion and I know exactly where your coming from
although that may not help your case any. Honestly it doesn't matter
Steve if he's selling the same thing you are or not. If he's not
selling it, your the asshole. If he is selling it, your the asshole
for selling it too. He pulled the same routine with my labels and
whatever else I sold. Believe me I'm not in it souly for the money.
I suppose if I took everything for sale off my site, then he wouldn't
have anything to bitch about other than my breathing. He denigrates
not only your product but your character as well, downright personal
and mean spirited.
I know, noones paid a tad-bit of attention to me over the last 5 years
saying this guy is one mean-spirited bully. Calling it entertainment
and laughing at someone else's expense has been nothing more than a
slap in the face. But when YOU actually get bit by him that all goes
out the window and then called first hand experience. It will end
when popular opinion sides against him just as it has with psycho
Markline. The difference is, that it only matters to him because it's
business and it directly influences the flow of dollars. Not because
he wants to be a nice guy or sees collectors anything other than
dollar bills on legs. He plays hard ball but he may play nice now
that Prok stepped in.
My forecast is that he will reach an agreement with you and I'll take
the lumps and be his sole target in saving face. In that event, glad
I could help..I guess...
I just don't get it. He criticizes everyone else's products and
practices. But doesn't expect the same in return? Well where I'm
from you can turn the other cheek just so many times or fight fire
with fire and my flamethrower is itching to be scratched.

On Sun, 25 Jun 2006 21:21:39 -0400, "Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com>
wrote:

[Art M - Artfromny]

Zinfer stop being such an asshole - and learn how to spell. I never sold
labels, or anything else that you sell, I dont even know what you sell. I
dont believe I ever commented on your merchandise, other than to wonder if
it would be damaged while you were living under a bridge during your
psychotic "pretend homelessness" episode.

As far as quality of product I never said Steves was not 100% I just offered
to compare, and send him samples of mine for that purpose.

As far as settling this, I offered a long while ago to buy Steves entire
stock for $2.80 per, which is probably around a 75 cent per cone profit. He
replied that I could have them for around $6.90 each, which was assinine
considering he wanted to sell 225 or so of them at once.

He talks about how wonderful competition is and then complains when I
undercut his price again - he cant have it both ways, either competition is
wonderful for the collector and results in an honest price, or I am just
being pissy because I am not the only source.

As far as my 'playing nice' - you really are delusional :) I have no
interest in saving face because I really dont think I have lost any, and I
dont see any need to apologize for being in business for the sake of being
in business.

As far as being a nice guy, I really am, as long as I am not dealing with
assholes like you. Ask around a bit.

--
Art
"zinfer" <rmas...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:449f4a00....@news-server.woh.rr.com...

[zinfer]

On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 03:22:50 GMT, "Art M - Artfromny"
<artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

>As far as being a nice guy, I really am, as long as I am not dealing with
>assholes like you. Ask around a bit.

You get what you pay for. You get what you deserve, All things have a
habit of coming full circle and You GOT what you WANTED. Act like an
asshole with me, and you'll get it right back at you. And I am
anything but predictable. Unless of course your considering that i'm
going to treat you anything different than how you've treated me. Now
that's predictable. And that's human nature-duh..

[mikeO]

Can I just jump in with a simple question as a potential customer...

Who needs just new cones? I have 5 atari machines, w/ 10 cones amongst
them- all in perfect shape. Do they get dented or messed up at some
point (it's been 25+ years, should I really worry about spares?)

I would think most people would want new lighted switches (one of mine
is a little sticky). I wish there was a price war on those! $40 for a
pair seems pretty steep, and even $10 for a rebuild seems a little
high. Is there really no source of new replacements?

[Chad Tower]

I could see that if the new ones are powdercoated, then people with
scratched up cones may want to replace them with new fresh ones.

And there are a LOT of people out there with MAME machines sporting
these buttons that didn't have cones to mount them with.

[mikeO]

Where are people getting these switches w/o the cones, is I guess my
question. Or are they using regular non-led switches and they want the
cones for the basic look?

[Chad Tower]

When buying a 20+ year old bunch of buttons, they don't always come
with cones. Often you have to buy what you can find.

[Shatter Proof]

I also end up with games with the wrong size cones and wrong color cones..
"Chad Tower" <to...@gis.net> wrote in message
news:1151353138....@c74g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

[Teaganm]

Hey Mike,

To answer your first question. When you buy old machines from a warehouse
or auction often parts are missing. I have picked up many machines with
stripped control panels. I've also picked up some with the lighted switches
and no cones. Many of the old Atari's used the plastic cones which become
worn or are cigarette burned. Additionally, the black anodized coating on
many of the original aluminum ones has worn thin and the silver shows
through. Many people don't mind some of these cosmetic blemishes. Others
like to make the machine look as new as possible (I'm one of them). Others,
like you, have beautiful condition original ones. If yours look good,
great! You don't need new cones. Used in a home environment they should
last you a LONG time.

As far as your second question.... I wish there was a replacement source
for the lighted switches. Prices have been climbing on those for a long
time. I started the rebuild service when I was having trouble even finding
USED working switches. As for the price... When I rebuild a switch, the
original rivets must be drilled out. (this is a major pain in the butt to
do without damaging the original housing that needs to be reused.) All the
gunk is cleaned out of the button. The new LED is silver soldered to the
original contacts. A new microswitch is installed. And the unit is
reassembled using cold rivets similar to the original. The unit is then
tested. This all takes about 30-45 minutes. Add to this the cost of the
shipping material and mailing costs and I think you can understand the $10
price.

Regards,

Steve

--
www.atariswitch.com
"mikeO" <mi...@ogrinz.com> wrote in message
news:1151345574....@b68g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[Scott Caldwell]

My Missile Command has several cracked and damaged cones, but I
want the game to look nice. Simple.

Scott C.

[Daniel Mosmeyer]

James McGovern of Retroblast (www.retroblast.com) has posted a short
quip about the "Cone Wars" taking place. You guys are now
famous....sort of.

Daniel

[Craig Yarbrough]

Eh, slow news day.

- Craig

(NOW I'm famous! :-)

[Teaganm]

My Atari cones are now sold out. I want to thank everyone for their
purchases and most of all your support. It's people like you who supported
me both publicly and privately that make ventures like this worth while. I
haven't decided whether to produce any more cones at this time or what
projects my come in the future, but I'll post here when that happens.
Thanks again.

Steve
--
www.atariswitch.com

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message
news:l_ednS71uNu7tgLZ...@comcast.com...

[Art M - Artfromny]

I am glad - seriously - that you were able to sell you entire run. It was
just an unfortunate coincidence of timing that 2 people decided to do these
at once. As you mentioned before though, it sure led to a hell of a deal on
cones for those people who were ready to buy in the last few days.

--
Art

"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message

news:3vWdnTrMu6VwvzzZ...@comcast.com...

[Gary Vitagliano]

All this Cone talk is making crave an ice cream or some titties!

[Art M - Artfromny]

36D $495
36DD $695
48DDD $9

--
Art
"Gary Vitagliano" <v-...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:13367-44A...@storefull-3212.bay.webtv.net...

[Craig Yarbrough]

Does anyone know where we can download the new cone ticker software?
:-)

- Craig

Art M - Artfromny wrote:

[Art M - Artfromny]

I got to thinking about that - maybe we can start a little 'cone exchange'
and start doing options, calls, covered calls, and the like - probably more
money in betting on the future price of cones than there is in selling them
;)

--
Art
"Craig Yarbrough" <hyar...@harris.com> wrote in message
news:1151413546.0...@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...

[Teaganm]

I satisfied my original goal of supplying a product to the community.
Unfortunately I didn't make enough profit to fund another project so when
that happens, it will again be from out of pocket. I had an email
conversation with David at Ram-Controls and it sounds like he's in the
reproduction business for the long haul. Hopefully these parts will be
available for years to come. In the meantime alot of people got a great
deal and it looks like a fair market value has been established.

Until next time ;)

Steve
--
www.atariswitch.com

-------------------------------------------------------------

"Art M - Artfromny" <artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message

news:BM9og.54356$3B.5...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

[Chad Tower]

Art M - Artfromny wrote:

> 36D $495
> 36DD $695
> 48DDD $9

You're sure not charging by the pound.

[Art M - Artfromny]

Basing the rate on the fact that DDDs are usually hanging off 325# women ;)

--
Art

"Chad Tower" <to...@gis.net> wrote in message

news:1151417830....@b68g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[Art M - Artfromny]

Yep, the fair market value for now is $10.95 a pair - do you REALLY think
that giving them away for $2.95 or $3.50 was fair to you, who invested money
in production, or me, who invested money in inventory? Fair is a price that
the customer is comfortable with, that leaves the seller with enough profit
to continue in business, and encourages others to enter the repro business.
Selling cones for a 30 cent per profit (before paypal and postage fees) is
not exactly my idea of a fair price - but I can also see that buyers dont
understand that triple cost is a fair return for a seller.
I guess it boils down to motivation - yours was to benefit the community and
make a profit if you could, mine was to make a profit with the assumption
that the profit could not be made unless the community benefitted, and
Dave's was to produce cones so he had stock for a project(s) he is working
on, and apparently with the equipment he uses, it was just as easy to make
4000 or so as to make a few hundred.
Anyway its been a learning experience.

--
Art
"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message

news:I8WdnZ2iJrWSpzzZ...@comcast.com...

[bl...@spamcop.net]

Hey!

I've got replacement cones for sale, black anodized tall buggers. $14
each plus $6.79 each shipping to the lower 48 states, $49 each
international.

We'll even throw in a free plastic pouch!

Lub,

Blarg

[bl...@spamcop.net]

Hey, I bet that your competitor(s) will bring their prices back up to
the pre-'cone wars' pricing, regularly scheduled, without interruption.
After this break.

I dare you to have a run of a thousand produced, and sell 'em for $4
each.

At least it'll be cheaper than what I'm selling for, and we'll all be
happy!

-Blarg

[bl...@spamcop.net]

I'll buy a few dozen from you at $2.95 each.

If you don't hold that price, then we'll get the attorneys involved.

You've posted to an international community - and here, prices are good
for thirty days!

That's because I say so!

After all, I have to supply my business, I mean, repair my Space Duel.

Blarg
xoxo

Art M - Artfromny wrote:

[bl...@spamcop.net]

I'll buy a few dozen from you at $2.95 each.

If you don't hold that price, then we'll get the attorneys involved.

You've posted to an international community - and here, prices are good
for thirty days!

That's because I say so!

After all, I have to supply my business, I mean, repair my Space Duel.

Blarg
xoxo

Art M - Artfromny wrote:

[Art M - Artfromny]

why does this sound like my good buddy Mark out on the island? :)

--
Art
<bl...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:1151457270.9...@d56g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...

[Eric]

I though of it more like a battle of the coneheads or something. ;)
~eric

[Teaganm]

Well, you didn't have to follow my lead.

Steve
--
www.atariswitch.com

-------------------------------------------------------------
"Art M - Artfromny" <artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message

news:b7kog.54594$3B.1...@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

[Art M - Artfromny]

"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message

news:Msydna0Rsa6FDz_Z...@comcast.com...

> Well, you didn't have to follow my lead.
>
> Steve
> --
> www.atariswitch.com

Youre right and in retrospect I should have just kicked back and let you
sell off your few hundred tall cones and then stepped in and sold mine.
Nevertheless, I think the fact that I demonstrated that I am willing to
strip the margins right out of the product if I need to will discourage
other cone manufacturers.

And again, there should be some verifiable way of exchanging intent to repro
information about items without someone else grabbing the idea (I realize
that didnt happen in this case)

[plogr]

> Youre right and in retrospect I should have just kicked back and let you
> sell off your few hundred tall cones and then stepped in and sold mine.
> Nevertheless, I think the fact that I demonstrated that I am willing to
> strip the margins right out of the product if I need to will discourage
> other cone manufacturers.

no, all you demonstrated is you're willing to undercut a nice guy like
Steve to make a quick buck, and it will only encourage everyone to
support someone whose efforts reflect his true love of the hobby over
someone who cares about money and little else.

[RedWolfJC]

I doubt that, I think people will buy the cheaper product as long as
the quality is comparable. We all love the hobby, but most of us
aren't rich.

[Art M - Artfromny]

Um...... not so - not that Steve may or may not be a nice guy, I dont know,
but I was selling them for $13.95 a pair and he announced them reduced to
$3.50 - what does that tell you?
Yes I did counter that $3.50 with a $2.95 price ( and will do so agiain
regardless of who the seller is if they offer cones at $3.50) but that makes
me merely a businessman, not someone out to get poor Steve, who, if you
noticed, didnt complain and was able to sell all his stock at his price of
$3.50, so no one really got hurt - I sold a few hundred, Steve sold a few
hundred, and decided not to run any more - which was my intent in the first
place

As far as "true love of the hobby" that aint me and I have never pretended
it was - all I offer is quality prodcuts, reasonably quick and reliable
shipping almost all the time, and decent customer service - if someone
doesnt want to deal with me because of that, I understand, but dont care

--
Art
"plogr" <izzyc...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1151594317.0...@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...

[Teaganm]

Want to know what I think? I think it's time to put this thread to bed.

Steve
--
www.atariswitch.com

-------------------------------------------------------------
"Art M - Artfromny" <artg...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message

news:ll_og.8258$O35....@twister.nyroc.rr.com...

[Art M - Artfromny]

Gee, I dont know, its getting me lots of sales . . . . :)

--
Art
"Teaganm" <st...@atariswitch.com> wrote in message

news:d5adnZKeHvPxFTnZ...@comcast.com...