1 00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:06,333 GUEST: It's a video game system called Vectrex, which I believe is from 1982. So in the early 2 00:00:08,566 --> 00:00:12,600 '80s, my parents built a retirement home on the far eastern tip of the North Fork of Long 3 00:00:14,666 --> 00:00:19,266 Island. No cable TV, before internet. My mom, who had worked at the Gimbels department store, 4 00:00:21,433 --> 00:00:25,466 wanted there to be something in the house for the kids, and she bought this. 5 00:00:25,466 --> 00:00:30,466 APPRAISER: You could not ask for, like, a more niche, specific part of video game history. So 6 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:36,900 you are correct in that it is the Vectrex system. It uses a vector display, which, 7 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:41,866 a vector display utilizes drawn lines instead of pixels. Right now, I could already feel the 8 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,133 collector cravings watching this segment. They're very tough to come by, very tough to find with 9 00:00:50,133 --> 00:00:53,633 the games. But the pièce de résistance that you have over here is the 3D Imager. 10 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,333 GUEST: Now, that my mom didn't buy. I had it just boxed away. 11 00:00:57,333 --> 00:01:01,633 And when I started to get reinterested, I realized that there was an accessory of 12 00:01:01,633 --> 00:01:06,033 some importance that was missing. And I bought this online in 2011. 13 00:01:06,033 --> 00:01:09,700 APPRAISER: Do you remember what you paid for it in 2011? 14 00:01:09,700 --> 00:01:11,866 GUEST: $615. 15 00:01:11,866 --> 00:01:16,066 APPRAISER: You made a positive investment buying that in 2011. And if you were curious, 16 00:01:17,733 --> 00:01:19,700 before we jump to that, though, what your mother would have paid for this 17 00:01:19,700 --> 00:01:23,733 in 1982 would have been $199. That was the retail cost of a Vectrex back then. 18 00:01:24,966 --> 00:01:26,566 GUEST: Ah. That sounds like a lot for '82. 19 00:01:26,566 --> 00:01:28,666 APPRAISER: It is a lot. That's equivalent to over $500 today. 20 00:01:28,666 --> 00:01:31,100 GUEST: Right. 21 00:01:31,100 --> 00:01:33,700 APPRAISER: The 3D Imager, such a cool video game accessory. But the reason why in particular it is 22 00:01:35,766 --> 00:01:40,066 so rare is that in 1983, the video game world was turned upside down. Literally, it's the 23 00:01:42,166 --> 00:01:46,433 video game crash of 1983. And unfortunately, the Vectrex fell right at that time period. 24 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,000 GUEST: Ah. 25 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:51,966 APPRAISER: There was such an oversaturation of video games. There were so many consoles, 26 00:01:51,966 --> 00:01:54,333 there were so many developers. There was too much for the market. So it's like 27 00:01:54,333 --> 00:01:58,833 the process of natural selection. Only the greatest few could survive. The 3D Imager, 28 00:01:58,833 --> 00:02:03,800 only three games were ever released for, to be used with the 3D Imager on the Vectrex system. 29 00:02:05,933 --> 00:02:09,866 The Imager was released early 1984. By the time the Imager was hitting the store shelves, 30 00:02:11,366 --> 00:02:13,700 the system was already failing and becoming a market flop. 31 00:02:13,700 --> 00:02:15,700 GUEST: Had, had no clue. 32 00:02:15,700 --> 00:02:19,400 APPRAISER: Today's market, the Imager alone is a $2,000 to $3,000 accessory. 33 00:02:21,033 --> 00:02:22,766 GUEST: (chuckles) Mo, Mom would be happy. 34 00:02:22,766 --> 00:02:26,433 APPRAISER: Yeah, Mom did a great job, because the whole package today, 35 00:02:26,433 --> 00:02:31,433 at auction, everything here, easily going to be $3,500 to $4,000. 36 00:02:32,633 --> 00:02:34,400 GUEST: You're the first person to take this out 37 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,333 of the box. I didn't even take it out of the box when I bought it. 38 00:02:36,333 --> 00:02:38,733 APPRAISER: Well, guess what? I'm also going to be the first person to try 39 00:02:38,733 --> 00:02:43,733 this on right now. Because I can't even imagine playing a game with this back in 40 00:02:45,733 --> 00:02:49,500 the day. (chuckling) And using-- there's a color wheel in here that spins super-fast. 41 00:02:51,066 --> 00:02:53,066 GUEST: I see-- I see it. (laughing) 42 00:02:53,066 --> 00:02:55,366 APPRAISER: Here's the color wheel right here. And you would have to change the 43 00:02:55,366 --> 00:02:59,766 color wheel depending on what game you would be playing. All right, so you ready to turn it on? 44 00:02:59,766 --> 00:03:01,766 GUEST: Let's do it. 45 00:03:01,766 --> 00:03:05,900 APPRAISER: Look at the home screen! 1982. (chuckling) Unbelievable. It's 46 00:03:08,633 --> 00:03:10,833 the last thing I would have ever expected... 47 00:03:10,833 --> 00:03:12,000 GUEST: Mm-hmm. APPRAISER: ...to see here today.