1 Jul
2003
1 Jul
'03
6:20 a.m.
From: Jim Battle <frustum(a)pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: APF Imagination Machine
kurtk7(a)visi.com wrote:
Most certainly. I wish I would have had the money to bid on that my self.
Usually when they are up there it's just the Imagination Machine component
without the MP1000 or M1000 (MP is the seperately sold game console, M is
the bundled version, as far as I know they are identical).
Hello all,
I have contributed to the lists on occasion, but now I have a special favor. I
don't expect a response given the system, but you never know. Hope springs
eternal. On a regular basis there are requests for this system or that. For
reasons from simple curiousity to treasured memories of youth. Mine is the
latter. The first computer I ever saw, way back when in my younger days, on
the East coast, was the APF Imagination Machine ...
At least you have the pleasure of having driven up the price for the guy
who won it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2737531463&categ…
They don't show up very often on ebay (not the computer part) and
certainly the one that just sold was the most complete such system I've
seen.
In my own limited experience, you can probably get the system you want,
but the highest leverage way I've found takes these two things:
1) put up a web page dedicated to the machine. a good one.
one that shows you are serious about it and one that supplies
a lot of interesting information. one that other people will
find first when they do a web search. some day one of those
people searching will be an owner of such a machine and
they'll contact you.
Speaking of which:
http://dynamic5.gamespy.com/~gamingmuseum/apfentries/mp1000.php
http://dynamic5.gamespy.com/~gamingmuseum/apfentries/imagination.php
The galleries aren't finished yet, but you should get a general idea.
The site isn't released publicly yet so please don't link to it publicly.
It's part of my site re-design (www.classicgaming.com/gamingmuseum).
2) patience. lots of it. I'm sure right now that feeling of
needing to own one is overwhelming since you just got so
close, but you must also realize that you spent the previous
20 years in bliss after having forgotten about the machine.
It may take two or three years, but it does happen. The bees do
eventually find the flowers.
You can also go out and beat the bushes, do frequent google searches
looking for other owners or people who mentioned owning one in an old
usenet posting, haunt every goodwill/salvation army, hit lots of yard
sales, etc, etc. The best approach is to do all of the above.
Sly DC is a big collector of the Imagination, you might try visiting his
homepage and contacting him:
http://www.chez.com/slydc/
Marty