Hi - I am a regular at Audiokarma but this is my first post here at VK. I teach recent U.S. history at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, and I've done a number of summer "time capsule" classes in anniversary years. Last year I taught a class on the U.S. in the Summer of 1981 and I had the students play Atari 2600. They loved it! This summer I am doing a class on the U.S. in the Summer of 1972. I am trying to find a working 1972 Magnavox Odyssey for them to try out. I know they show up on eBay but they are mighty pricey. Anyone have any suggestions - or have a unit - they might be willing to sell? Thanks!

Unfortunately ebay sounds like your only hope, or best hope actually.

Im sure one of us has one, but as we collect them, i doubt most would sell below what theyre worth.

I've got a console Magnavox out in my garage/storage building that has the game built into the cabinet. It's a project for later. It's got a brand new 25V black matrix CRT in it.

I hope you find one. They are fun to play. This is coming from a person that owns no modern video game systems at all.

Is it anything like this one?
I think I still have one of these stashed somewhere.

There was one in the box at a local antique mall about a month ago. As usual, I was interested in it, therefore it had no price tag!

This is coming from a person that owns no modern video game systems at all.
While I own some modern consoles, they aren't used for games, but server other purposes.. Me, I prefer my old game systems, including an Atari CX2600.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj3egHVqkS8

While I own some modern consoles, they aren't used for games, but server other purposes.. Me, I prefer my old game systems, including an Atari CX2600.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj3egHVqkS8

The Magnavox system was old when your Atari stuff was built.

Is it anything like this one?
I think I still have one of these stashed somewhere.
Eric, the machine in your picture is newer than the original Odyssey, probably from 1975-76. It is still a nice device to have at this point, too.

Yes, I'm sure Eric's picture actually depicts an Odyssey II which was launched in that time frame. They were popular in my area, as Magnavox had a major presence in East Tennessee with their plants there, and later on headquarters.

for 1972, a Pong game would also be fairly representative. I was a kid then and the first video games i saw were black and white pong type games. The first system i saw with removable cartridges was the Fairchild Channel F, but that came out later, more like 1976-77. Another type of game that was popular back then were the electromechanical sports games, My relatives had several of those, one was titled something like "electric football" but I don't recall who made it. Road racing sets were also very popular then.

^^Agreed^^

Finding an Odyssey would mot likely be a complete pain not worth the one time use your talking about. First find the system hope/make it work, then the cartridges (just jumpers really, the carts could be remade) and finally the screen overlays. If you can find them they will either be beat up or cost way more than anyone should pay.

Here is an idea,
http://www.pong-story.com/odyemu.htm

Emulators don't give you the accuracy or the feel of the real hardware, but your students could at least see the games and play for themselves a bit.

This emulator is old and you will need a dos emulator or a dos/win9x pc to play. If you need help with that than I am your guy. I have things in stock from 486 to Pentuim III.

Honestly I think a $25 pong game would do just fine.

I know this thread is a bit old, but I'll throw my hat in the ring anyway...

I managed to find an original Magnavox Odyssey (http://www.electronixandmore.com/adam/temp/odysseycollection.jpg) at a hamfest, of all places, a couple of years ago for $125. It came with the controller boxes, the 'cartridges', the overlays, and most of the accessories which go with it. I have only played it fairly briefly, but found it rather fascinating, given that they were able to manage a decent amount of gameplay from extremely limited graphics (two player-controlled squares, a bouncing square 'ball', and a line on the screen).

In addition, I also own three of its follow-ups: an Odyssey 100 (still in its original box!) and an Odyssey 300 (signed by its inventor, Ralph Baer; more on that below), and an Odyssey^2 (a later follow-up meant to compete with the Atari 2600). I also own some Atari Pong home systems (Super Pong and Super Pong Ten, plus a Sears Super Pong IV which was made for them by Atari), and a number of Pong clone systems made from the mid '70s to the early '80s. They might not be as capable as the systems which came later, but they still provide a fair amount of amusement.

A few years ago I, along with members of the antique radio club I belong to, got to meet the inventor of the Odyssey (and home video gaming in general), Ralph Baer (http://www.electronixandmore.com/adam/temp/ralphbench.jpg). The conversation was quite fascinating; among other things, he talked about his days in the radio repair business, his service in the military during WWII, coming up with the concept of playing games on a home television, and his design work on toys and whatnot afterwards. In addition, I got to play against him (http://www.electronixandmore.com/adam/temp/adamvsralph1.jpg) on one of the replicas of his "Brown Box" prototype (http://www.electronixandmore.com/adam/temp/brownboxodyssey.jpg) he'd had made for museums (the original protos are in the Smithsonian, of course), and was schooled handily (http://www.electronixandmore.com/adam/temp/adamvsralph2.jpg) by the master! :D

A few months later, Ralph gave an excellent talk at one of the radio club's swapmeets. I had my Odyssey 300 set up there (I didn't yet own an original Odyssey at the time), and a fair number of people played it, including some kids. When I mentioned this to Ralph, he said that "A game is a game." :yes: Sadly, he passed away a couple of years ago. :tears: I feel privileged to have been able to meet him, and am proud to own some examples of his creations. :)
-Adam