Item Number 30: Coleco Telstar

Time in possession: About 4 years

Description: White plastic Coleco Telstar dedicated game console. Features two knobs for game play as well as several switches for game variations and a reset button. Runs off of AC power or 6 D batteries. Face has several decals, one of which is a peeling faux-wood panel motif. Because when you think video games, you think WOOD.

Cost: $10 at the local flea market, the Mulvey Market.

Story: When I first began collecting video games, a friend of mine informed me that he had an original Pong TV game machine. I instantly wanted one. Well, I didn't really want it, but I felt like I should have one, that no video game collection could be complete without it. Little did I know at the time that there were actually many, many different pong clones out in the world. The Telstar was simply Coleco's attempt at it: One that would be re-iterated over and over until the market was glutted with game systems that played Pong and Pong variations. Still, at that time I thought the idea was quite novel and so I mentally reinforced my desire to own a machine.

When, years later, I came across one, I bought it almost on instinct. Plus, $10? I've spent more money on CANDY. Well, I can't actually back that up. Stupid stuff, though, I've definitely spent more than $10 on stupid stuff. That, this blog backs up pretty well, I think. The thing was, did I care? Umm... not so much. Once I got the system home, it took me weeks to attempt to hook it up, and, after one unsuccessful attempt, I gave up on it. So now it sits on my game systems shelf, gathering dust and wondering when I'll get around to tinkering with it again. Time is probably not coming any time soon. I mean, if I want to play a two player game, I've got tons that are better then a Pong machine, and if I really want to play Pong, I'll probably just play Air Hockey in Wii Play instead.

For now it remains a $10 conversation piece, and only really appreciated by nerds. Maybe I could turn it into a lunchbox or something....