NOS Q-bert sticks?

[EndTwist]

I bought these on eBay a while ago and they were advertised as "NOS Happs joysticks". I ran across another auction today for "qbert original joysticks used" and saw my joysticks staring back at me. The only difference were the microswitches...(did the original joysticks use microswitches?)

Anyways -- are mine Q*bert sticks?

[paigeoliver]

Are those Even 4-way? They don't look 4-way.

[EndTwist]

Oddly enough, they are...
It seems it is restricted from going to the corners at all.

[koolmoecraig]

Q*bert used leaf switches.

[spidermonkey]

Actually the original Q-bert stick used microswitches. The stick was made by Suzo and actually shipped with the original "Microswitch" brand microswitches. The switches were either red or black in color but usually red on the Q-bert sticks. The early Happ microswitch joysticks looked very similar to the Suzo/Q-bert stick as they both had black handles with a smaller balltop that was molded right into the handle. Two other sticks that had these half assed molded balltops were the old Atari sticks that had "Atari" embossed on the top of the handle and the Aussie made "MCA" sticks. Even the current Suzo 500 sticks have this molded balltop design. But the early Happ sticks are indeed dead ringers for the original Q-bert sticks and can easily be confused with each other. If you look closer at that Q-bert stick in the auction you should see some differences between it and your early Happ sticks. The Q-bert stick was definately a 4-way and those Happ sticks you have are most likely 8-way. I have an original Q-bert stick so if anyone needs any info on them let me know.

[telengard]

I bought these on eBay a while ago and they were advertised as "NOS Happs joysticks". I ran across another auction today for "qbert original joysticks used" and saw my joysticks staring back at me. The only difference were the microswitches...(did the original joysticks use microswitches?)

Anyways -- are mine Q*bert sticks?

<snip pics>

I won that auction thinking I was going to get a few q-bert joysticks.  Turns out the auction was for 1 joystick and I could purchase more if I wanted.   At least it seems from the postings here that they are truly q-bert joysticks.   

[paigeoliver]

Actually the original Q-bert stick used microswitches. The stick was made by Suzo and actually shipped with the original "Microswitch" brand microswitches. The switches were either red or black in color but usually red on the Q-bert sticks. The early Happ microswitch joysticks looked very similar to the Suzo/Q-bert stick as they both had black handles with a smaller balltop that was molded right into the handle. Two other sticks that had these half assed molded balltops were the old Atari sticks that had "Atari" embossed on the top of the handle and the Aussie made "MCA" sticks. Even the current Suzo 500 sticks have this molded balltop design. But the early Happ sticks are indeed dead ringers for the original Q-bert sticks and can easily be confused with each other. If you look closer at that Q-bert stick in the auction you should see some differences between it and your early Happ sticks. The Q-bert stick was definately a 4-way and those Happ sticks you have are most likely 8-way. I have an original Q-bert stick so if anyone needs any info on them let me know.

I hate the Atari logo sticks, typical Atari, completely overengineered to the point of the overengineering causing premature failure.

[DreamArcades]

I'm almost positive you got the above stick from us. It's an old Happs controls 4-way stick.
It was like 2 for 10 bucks or some really cheap price like that, right?
We got it them the big auction (3rd party) when Atari went under.
I don't know what arcade they were used it, but it had to have been some Atari arcade. We had close to 1,000 of them as I recall, so they might have been used in several difrent arcades?
-Mike

[EndTwist]

I'm almost positive you got the above stick from us. It's an old Happs controls 4-way stick.
It was like 2 for 10 bucks or some really cheap price like that, right?
We got it them the big auction (3rd party) when Atari went under.
I don't know what arcade they were used it, but it had to have been some Atari arcade. We had close to 1,000 of them as I recall, so they might have been used in several difrent arcades?
-Mike

Heh, you're the guy who I got it from. Yeah, it was 2 for $10 -- great price by the way . I always wondered how you managed to sell them so cheap...

Unfortunately, I'm unable to use them for my current project (I'm going to be using T-Stiks from Ultimarc that I just ordered), as they are meant for metal panels, and at the time when I bought them, I didn't realize it. Hopefully I can use 'em eventually, they're pretty nice sticks.