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Topic: Things I don't understand about game collectors

Posts 1 to 16 of 16

KoolAidPitcher

I am relatively new to the retro gaming scene and have begun recompiling my NES collection after I sold my NES at a garage sale in the late 90's (I was 13 years old at the time). In the past few years as I've been building up a small library of games for my NES, I have come across a lot of awesome people, as well as a couple of elitists (more on them later). I understand most of the culture of the retro scene; however, there are a few things which I do not understand. Perhaps someone could explain any of these things to me...

  • Sealed Copies of Games
    Is a sealed game that is sitting on a shelf really a game at all? I think taking a sealed copy of a game and having it sit on a shelf is turning a game into something it isn't-- a collectable. In a way, I die a little on the inside when I see a rare game being purchased for a thousand dollars or more to sit on display, like it is in someone's personal museum. Also, I never really understood why it mattered whether a game was sealed.
  • Perception of Games is Based on Value or Rarity
    Most collectors and I can have a conversation about why a game, such as why Contra or Bubble Bobble is awesome. Sure, those games are common, but they're still awesome games! There is however, a small subset of collectors where as soon as you mention a game, their first question is usually "How much is the game worth?" It makes you question whether they are gamers at all. They don't even care about whether the game is a good or a bad game-- they only care about the value or rarity. This is most ironic, because often times the rarest games on a platform are some of the worst. There are many reasons for why a game could be rare, but usually, the reason they are rare is because they sold poorly and there is an extremely limited quantity in circulation.
  • The Need to Own Every Game in a Console's Library
    I don't know what this is... perhaps it is obsessive compulsiveness? I've never understood the need to have a 'complete' collection, including some of the worst games in the history of mankind. Yes, there are occasionally rare games that are awesome like Little Samson or Snatcher, but most of a console's rarest titles are rare for a reason-- they stink!

Below I will give a few examples of games I don't understand the need to collect:

Nintendo World Championship: This game is the equivalent of a demo disc you would receive with a new console. On the cartridge is the first few levels of Mario, the first level of Rad Racer, and Tetris, but you can only play Tetris for a limited amount of time. These were used in the NWC competition or given out as Nintendo Power freebies and are rare for that reason.
Logical Value: 0$ (The game is a demo disc, after all!)
Actual Value: $11K - $25K

Zelda Test Cartridge: It's exactly the same as the Legend of Zelda, but the cartridge is yellow. Not much to say here.
Logical Value: $25 (same as the Legend of Zelda)
Actual Value: $1500

Cheetahmen II: A game so bad, it was never sold in stores. There is no way to beat the game because it freezes after you complete level 4. The game doesn't even have it's own label-- it's just an Action 52 cartridge with a Cheetamen II sticker on it. These games sat in a warehouse until 1997 when they were rediscovered and sold.
Logical Value: <$1 (I probably wouldn't even pay a dollar for this game)
Actual Value: $800

Stadium Events: This is world class track meet, but with a different name. Nintendo bought the rights to this, but before all of the games could be recalled, a few of them were sold.
Logical Value: $5
Actual Value: $500

Color a Dinosaur: This 'game' is recommended for ages 3 - 6, but is it even a game? It's more like a coloring book. There's a dinosaur, and you color it.
Logical Value: $1 (I guess I would pay that much for this game...)
Actual Value: $100

I don't need a lecture on economics. I understand supply and demand. What I don't understand is the need to own what is essentially, a plethora of overpriced junk (Zelda is NOT junk, but paying $1500 for Zelda is absurd) listed above.

I don't mean to start any arguments over this stuff; however, I do want a reasonable discussion with the retro gaming community about strange things in the retro-gaming scene. Is there anything which annoys you about the retro gaming scene? Anything here you disagree with?

Edited on by KoolAidPitcher

KoolAidPitcher

Chaoz

Simple anwser to a simple question. How many copies are available. Even if the game is crap it still could be rare. Plus, a game that is opened loses it value by a lot. You collect games to collect, not really play them.

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nacho_chicken

I don't understand why this is strange. This kind of behavior is exhibited by collectors of all kinds; not just video games.
A First Bureau Issue stamp with Thomas Jefferson on it is worth around $100 if it has been used. If it was never used, they go up to around $750.

But the stamp says "50 cents" on it! Why would anyone in their right mind pay more?

As more people go into collecting, and the objects being collected get older, the prices will continue to rise. There are only a certain amount of any given object made. This number will only ever go down in time, yet the number of people that want it will only go up.

Edited on by nacho_chicken

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KoolAidPitcher

Chaozrush21 wrote:

Simple anwser to a simple question. How many copies are available. Even if the game is crap it still could be rare. Plus, a game that is opened loses it value by a lot. You collect games to collect, not really play them.

I understand supply and demand. What I don't understand though, is the need to own Cheetahman II. That game is terrible. As for collecting games simply to collect-- that is defeating the purpose of it being a game in the first place. I would tell those collectors to go collect something else, such as stamps or baseball cards.

nacho_chicken wrote:

I don't understand why this is strange. This kind of behavior is exhibited by collectors of all kinds; not just video games.
A First Bureau Issue stamp with Thomas Jefferson on it is worth around $100 if it has been used. If it was never used, they go up to around $750.

But the stamp says "50 cents" on it! Why would anyone in their right mind pay more?

As more people go into collecting, and the objects being collected get older, the prices will continue to rise. There are only a certain amount of any given object made. This number will only ever go down in time, yet the number of people that want it will only go up.

This is not necessarily true. There is a booming market for Nintendo games because many of the kids who grew up playing Nintendo are now adults with money, wanting to be nostalgic with their old NES and SNES. Atari game collecting was in a boom around 10 years ago, but that market crashed because the collectors grew out of it.

Edited on by KoolAidPitcher

KoolAidPitcher

CanisWolfred

I thought the Atari market crashed because people realized all Atari games were crap no one wants to remember?

...not that that has anything to do with what we're talking about...

Also, Cheetah Man II is "infamous". A guy made a video ripping on it, and it got popular, so now everyone has to own "The worst game EVAR according to that one guy in that one video (and the zillions of others from people who imitated him)". It's like, well, how most stupid things get popular, actually. Don't try to make sense of it, because the whole system is stupid. Emperor's New Clothes has to be one of the most relevent stories whose lesson is lost on everyone ever...

Edited on by CanisWolfred

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the_shpydar

I can say with authority that the Atari collecting market has not crashed. It leveled-off, or "normalized", so to speak. There was a spike because more people were getting into collecting Atari, but after an initial boom-spike in prices, things leveled out. It's (very) slowly happening with NES collecting as well now, where there has been a big spike in collecting due to increased interest (YT has played a big part in that), but prices are starting to level off now as well (with obvious exceptions for the more rare or sought after titles — just like in the Atari collecting market).

As for the sealed games thing — the best comparison would be people who buy first-editions of books (or comics), or first-pressings of LPs. They are never going to be used for their original "purpose", they are a collector's piece.

KoolAidPitcher wrote:

I would tell those collectors to go collect something else, such as stamps or baseball cards.

Why? Why can't people collect what they want, regardless of what they do with it? Your premise lacks logic.

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martinskrtel37

lol @ "logical value = $0". based on what you said about that Nintendo World Championship promo, it's logically worth loads. it's extremely rare. a one time thing. a one off thing. it's not like a game you can buy anywhere. surely you can see why it's value is high. mostly anything made one off has more value. why? BECAUSE THERE'S ONE OF IT.

i agree, people who buy sealed games just to have them sit on a shelf are idiots. but what do you know? there are millions of idiots on planet earth, of course some are going to collect games.

again, your logical value just doesn't hold up. if there's ten million red carts and 1 blue cart the blue cart is going to be worth more. logical.

Edited on by LzWinky

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everyone needs to relax and enjoy the games that are released today and stop worrying what Nintendo will do in a year or two from now.

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KingMike

From what I understand, you could technically play all of Super Mario Bros., if you never collect 50 coins and can finish it before the timer runs out.
So I'd give the logical value a few dollars.
I have Super Mario Bros. and Rad Racer, but not the Nintendo NES Tetris. (but last I knew the three normal games combined were maybe worth like $10 "I can even play the full game")

KingMike

Klimbatize

I'm glad people have a hobby that they enjoy and that doesn't affect others. Yay for them. I don't see the need to "figure them out".

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Gerbwmu

People collect all sorts of things. I have games to play them so I've never considered myself a collector but I do have other collections....Beer marketing signs and mirrors. Old coin banks. Coins. I don't spend lots of money on any of it but if I find something that I like and can afford I add it to my collection.

What it ends up being is nothing more then things I like to look at that my children will sell for next to nothing when I die and I'll be screaming from the great beyond about how it is worth so much more.

I guess I should add WW2 items to that as well. Seems like I've been inheriting a lot of different WW2 things lately that other family members didn't want

Edited on by Gerbwmu

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RancidVomit86

I only leave sealed if I already have a copy of a game or can get one cheap. I tend to only buy games I will play unless they are just too cheap to pass up.

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Mk_II

I'm a collector and yes, i do feel the need to "complete the set" but i just buy what i come across. Many of the games i buy are pure shelf-fillers that i will never actually play. But i don't buy from auction sites etc because that's just too easy. For me, collecting is all about the hunt and not knowing what you will discover.

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Pkmns

I agree with every single word of the OP.

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sr388survivor

Mk_II wrote:

I'm a collector and yes, i do feel the need to "complete the set" but i just buy what i come across. Many of the games i buy are pure shelf-fillers that i will never actually play. But i don't buy from auction sites etc because that's just too easy. For me, collecting is all about the hunt and not knowing what you will discover.

Nice. I feel that way too. Sure you can go online and buy everything (well if you have money lol) but it's so much more exciting and fulfilling to physically go somewhere and find that one game you've been looking for.

And while I agree that a game being expensive or rare doesn't make it good, like some have stated collecting is a hobby and if they wanna spend $1000 on a sealed copy then they can. There's definitely a market for sealed collectibles, like action figures, comics, books and lots of other things. I don't think it's fair to call someone an idiot to collect sealed things. Besides, I wouldn't spend that so it's not like they're taking the sale away from me. I have tried to keep games sealed but never could lol.

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Ryu_Niiyama

I break collectors into High end and realistic. I consider myself a realistic collector. I open boxes (though i keep them), I but the game I want and I don't trade or sale things. I also don't buy multiple copies...usually (I'm having a crisis of faith due to amiibo and figmas). However If I had money to burn I might buy multiples and keep the extra sealed them sealed. I wish I had a sealed copy of ALttP because it has sentimental value to me (I still have my copy but I'd like a pristine one) I don't get the multiple sealed systems though. However for some people this is their big spending hobby. All of their disposable money goes into it. Me I have, Taiko, anime, woodworking and a new telescope that also takes my money. I'm sure if i put all of that to games I'd have a crazy massive collection as well.

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ogo79

Untitled
i work a lot so i blow my money on whatever i want.
i work a lot but i make easy money. so easy come easy go.

Edited on by ogo79

the_shpydar wrote:
As @ogo79 said, the SNS-RZ-USA is a prime giveaway that it's not a legit retail cart.
And yes, he is (usually) always right, and he is (almost) the sexiest gamer out there (not counting me) ;)

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