Vic-20 or C64, which will be more valuable?

[jeremysart]

I am gegtting a C64 in the box, I already have a Vic-20 with about 13 games.
I was thinking about trading the Vic 20 for some Intellivision stuff.
Which will be more valuable in the future? The C64 or Vic20?
I mean, the C64 is better to have right?
Can the C64 play Vic-20 cartridges? (I really enjoy Jupiter Lander for the Vic, its much cooler that the Atari Lunar Lander)

 

[RetroHacker_]

The Commodore 64 cannot play Vic-20 cartridge. The computers are very different from each other, despite being able to share disk drives, tape drives and joysticks.

I don't think either computer will be especially valuable ever. There are LOTS of both of them. From a 'rarity' standpoint, there are more Commodore 64's than Vic-20's, but that's like saying that there is more water on the planet than there is wood.

From a "doing fun stuff" perspecitve, the C64 wins, hands down. The VIC-20 is just far too limited in comparison. 22 column screen, 3.5k of RAM free after BASIC, etc.

The only thing that the VIC does better is communicate with the disk drive. Believe it or not, the 1541 communicates faster with the VIC-20 than it does with the C64. It's still slow, but it's faster than the 64's IEC bus.

-Ian

 

[jeremysart]

Thank you for the informative reply! :D

 

[barythrin]

With the value (or lack of) with those systems it's really which means more to you. You stated you do like some games on the Vic, it may be worth more to you and also is an earlier system if you're collecting that way. The 64 of course is notorious, and was great for the RAM evolution as well as the best selling computer in history (to date). So with that many sold, XXX,XXX still working the "value" may be lower but more people will recognize and remember it.

On the bright side, they don't take much space since lack of monitor. The c64 used to be worth about nothing but I have seen auctions (usually with accessories here and there) around $40-$60 lately so it's not lost.

 

[carlsson]

Depending on your region (I know you already filled in Michigan), the VIC-20 may be a bit hard to come by. I've read that in the UK, it is almost uncommon and fetches surprisingly good money. Some people consider it a "decoy", a cheap computer Commodore shelled out while working on the "real" entry in the home computing business. I strongly disagree this was the case: Commodore already from the beginning wanted to get a foot in the market, and rather due to the VIC-20 did sell well, they had reason to release an improved computer. It would be stupid to produce a place-holder computer if you didn't know if you will be able to sell it.

For that reason, the VIC-20 is Commodore's first home computer with sound and colour graphics. Whether it will be valuable in 20, 50, 100 years time we don't know. The C64 however will be more famous and sold in those enormous numbers, which perhaps makes it an item almost everyone want to have. As pointed out, neither is really uncommon so collectors of today or in five years time will not put much value to them. I don't think the Intellivision is neither, in case you're asking.

I own all three systems, and frankly out of those Intellivision games I've played, I'm quite a bit disappointed. Some are reasonably good, but many of the early games are truly horrible, like a type-in Basic listing with slightly improved graphics. I know many VIC games are rather bland too, but I think within the selection of cartridge games (thus once upon a time more expensive to get), the VIC may have more playable games than the Intellivision. Maybe I just had a bad selection of games and am making an unfair comparison though.

By the way, if I compare the Commodores from a programmer's point of view, I prefer the VIC-20. It is more limited in graphics and sound, but has bigger characters and is more of a challenge of getting anything decent done than the C64 which is quite over exposed. Anything you develop for the C64, someone else has already done a better version of while the VIC still is a bit more like breaking new ground.

 

[willowmoon93]

Around here in the Green Bay area, Intellivision systems are not particularly easy to come by. They are, by no means, "crazy rare", but in all my collecting in the past three years or so, I've only been able to find three of them in the area and one of them I gave as an early birthday gift to a fellow video game collector who had been looking for one for ages.

Out of the three systems that you mention, Commodore 64's are the easiest to find, at least out here.

Each system has its charm -- there are definitely standout games on each system as well as its share of dogs too.