Will values go up, or sell now?

[atarilovesyou]

I'm no dreamer about this topic and there's plenty of things that don't appreciate in value, but I personally think that as long as your stuff is in good, unmodded condition, it will indeed be worth something in twenty years. Think of all those old toys you see on those shows like Pickers and Storage Wars. True, there's not much of a market now (like the goof who thought his NES was worth a grand) but as these systems and games get discarded over the years, the stuff that's left will become more valuable. The VCS was an icon, as was the NES. Those systems will become collectors items someday. I wouldn't be surprised if working ones, sealed box types go for $1000 in the next 20 years.

 

So yes, they're lame investments, but my advice is to keep the good stuff. You never truly know. Don't think that just cause something's not popular that it won't become collectible.

[fiddlepaddle]

Investment-wise, you're probably better off with $200 worth of gold or silver.

[roberto]

Investment-wise, you're probably better off with $200 worth of gold or silver.

 

Definitely true, but it's not as fun as hunting down a R9 cart!

[Keatah]

Nostalgia is the driving factor in getting a buyer to part with money.

Today, emulation and the internet can fulfill a lot of that.

Once the nostalgia passes as it does in many cases; folks move on and the "item" drops in value.

 

So I see a long slide to worthlessness. There aren't folks chasing these things anymore. And every generation will have a sweet spot for nostalgia. It's a moving window. Atari's window is fast closing. And only a fraction of the folks that visit Atariage are going to be spending money.. why, they already have 2600 consoles and games, and they know all about emulation.

 

If you can hang on to an Atari for another 20-30 years, it might become antique status. MIGHT. Just keep in mind that today's youth is into smartphones and ipads and shit like that. So that's another blow for Atari. If anyone wants to experience the nostalgia, I always recommend emulation, and perhaps a real joystick or two. Sometimes a cartridge to see in person. But that's about it. The hassle and time required to set one of these up just doesn't jibe well today. Not in the instant-on smartphone gaming world.

 

Emulation and some great speeches and storytelling of how we walked to school, up hill both ways, and with snow in summertime; this seems to fill the curiosity of how gaming was for us old farts. I'm happier than a pig in shit with emulation, I'm totally mobile with my collection and not weighed down. Nor do I worry about parts wearing out and boxes and manuals fading or stinking up the place. Crisp, clean, reliable. When the PC I jam my emulators on breaks, well now, I could just go buy another one. And the lady can't find reason to bitch either. A nice little set-up without 25 consoles and 5,000 boxes strewn all over the place. I believe the current and future generations are going to enjoy the classics this way. Emulation, while not perfect, is getting better and better! If I had a choice of getting back my 27 gaming systems and 4000+ games, or continuing on with my emulation collection. I'd say emulation definitely wins out!

 

Here.. look.. For example, I have some Sony D5 cd players. This was like one of the first portable cd players. It had no features other than track skip and fast forward/pause/rewind. The bare minimum basics to play a disc. 5 years ago I could have gotten $300+ on ebay for each one, perhaps more! Today, they are not even moving at $40. That says a lot. The economy is in the shitter. AND the folks that are on nostalgia trips for this item have already had sex in the hotel and boarded ship.

[Keatah]

I'm no dreamer about this topic and there's plenty of things that don't appreciate in value, but I personally think that as long as your stuff is in good, unmodded condition, it will indeed be worth something in twenty years. Think of all those old toys you see on those shows like Pickers and Storage Wars. True, there's not much of a market now (like the goof who thought his NES was worth a grand) but as these systems and games get discarded over the years, the stuff that's left will become more valuable. The VCS was an icon, as was the NES. Those systems will become collectors items someday. I wouldn't be surprised if working ones, sealed box types go for $1000 in the next 20 years.

 

So yes, they're lame investments, but my advice is to keep the good stuff. You never truly know. Don't think that just cause something's not popular that it won't become collectible.

 

I got $900 for a nib mib Big Trak, and close to $450 for a set of microvision games and 2 consoles.

I was offered just over $500 for a set of SW NIB MIB Goofy Gears. Amazing! $2,000 on a voodoo 6000, and about 700 on a non-working one. buyer fixed it up and got it working!

 

That was 2-3 years ago. Today, I'd be lucky to move any of that at any price over $50 bucks except for the voodoo boards.

I'm trying to dump a C-380 for around $25 and can't seem to do it.

I also have a Combat cart that I can't PAY anyone to take it off my hands. SHIT!

 

I agree with the $1,000 price tag 20 years is about right. I always thought 30 - 35 years. But 20 could do I suppose.

[Keatah]

I also sold a shitload of those trs-80 pocket computers at $90.00 each, 2 years ago too. PC-1, PC-2, PC-4, and some of the successors like PC-8 and it's derivatives.

 

AND today, I couldn't give them away for $5.00 and postage. Threw them out because I got tired of looking at them take up space.

I fear the same thing will happen with the Ti-59 stuff, if I don't dump it, the lady will, if she hasn't already. And I won't complain.

[AtariLeaf]

Just keep in mind that today's youth is into smartphones and ipads and shit like that. So that's another blow for Atari.

 

Not to derail the thread but this jumped out at me and yes, I agree. Talking to a young 24 year old work mate the other day and the subject of video games came up and I mentioned how I collect Atari and other old systems and I got this condescending chuckle while he proceeded to "school" me on the merits of the xbox 360 and call of duty and how "cool" it is compared to my dinosaur games.

[xDragonWarrior]

Thanks. Yeah, I just don't think today/future gamers will appreciate the Atari for what it is and will think it's just too old of technology to have any fun with.

 

I don't think I have any real rare games. My for sale is listed in the Marketplace forum and I did list all of my games. Shipping won't be cheap either for the entire lot given the size and weight of the box. I use this same name on Ebay with 100% positive feedback. Maybe I will just try an auction on ebay and let it ride!

 

I'm 35. I also wonder when I should try to sell my other toys from my 80's childhood, like original Transformers figures and GI Joe, etc, most are in decent shape and have been boxed up for years. I have a Colecovision system too somewhere at my parents house.

Well im not one of them.im 15 and i LOVE retro games and systems like the Nes,Genesis,2600,Playstation,Master system,Gameboy,Gamegear,Lynx etc. Actually i like retro system and games more than modern games.I had fond memories of my Nes.My cousin gave me her Nes with 15 games and i loved it.remember playing Super Mario bros.3 with my sister on the Mario bros. arcade stage.remembers having to blow in the Nes carts too,great memories

[nofrills100]

Nostalgia is the driving factor in getting a buyer to part with money.

Today, emulation and the internet can fulfill a lot of that.

Once the nostalgia passes as it does in many cases; folks move on and the "item" drops in value.

 

I don't really agree with what you said in those last three posts.

No doubt there are many things that see a resurgence due to nostalgia and disappear again, but a lot of things including the atari 2600, will go beyond that.

Perhaps it is nostalgia that is the catalyst to sparking a revival into many objects, but there is something that transcends nostalgia that keeps the collectability in them. What it is exactly I'm not 100% sure, but it could include elements of historical importance, and/or timeless design, its practicality, or a cult following for that item.

I also tend to think it is the collectable nature of things in itself, that keeps people collecting them. Some people (like me ) love the challenge of completing a set, and the hunt, and to show it off, and sometimes the financial reward.

If retro games were simply a case of nostalgia, and emulation exists to fill that void, then nobody would pay $1000+ for rare games that are in some instances pretty crappy game play.

Or to use a few broader range of examples of mass produced items that have been 'emulated' but never-the-less remain collectable:

Vinyl records

Books

Cars

Crockery

 

Unlike the atari 2600, a lot of the items you quoted as losing value, such as the Sony D5 CD players, are still relatively young in the scheme of things (i was thinking of the minidisc players) and are at the bottom of the bell curve of value - perhaps as the Atari 2600 was in the early 90's. And some of those things you said you sold are simply outdated bits of technology that don't inspire a enough of a cult following... kind of like me trying to sell my state of the art toaster in ten years time

Edited April 6, 2012 by nofrills100

[Ranthulfr]

I think some items will go up in value and some will not. The supply of loose, common games will remain greater than the demand, so they'll continue to be dirt cheap. However: People will continue to collect classic games for various reasons. I suspect the value of rare or mint-condition items could potentially go up. Look at coin collectors. Do they only want the new stuff? No... Old coins are sought after, and rarity and condition are major price factors.

[Pong]

Nostalgia is the driving factor in getting a buyer to part with money.

Today, emulation and the internet can fulfill a lot of that.

Once the nostalgia passes as it does in many cases; folks move on and the "item" drops in value.

 

Emulation can not fulfill that and it will never replace the place of the real item. Trust me, I've tried, but it works a lot better if you're using a real console, cursing at the forks and cleaning carts with a q-tip.

[Keatah]

Thanks. Yeah, I just don't think today/future gamers will appreciate the Atari for what it is and will think it's just too old of technology to have any fun with.

 

I don't think I have any real rare games. My for sale is listed in the Marketplace forum and I did list all of my games. Shipping won't be cheap either for the entire lot given the size and weight of the box. I use this same name on Ebay with 100% positive feedback. Maybe I will just try an auction on ebay and let it ride!

 

I'm 35. I also wonder when I should try to sell my other toys from my 80's childhood, like original Transformers figures and GI Joe, etc, most are in decent shape and have been boxed up for years. I have a Colecovision system too somewhere at my parents house.

Well im not one of them.im 15 and i LOVE retro games and systems like the Nes,Genesis,2600,Playstation,Master system,Gameboy,Gamegear,Lynx etc. Actually i like retro system and games more than modern games.I had fond memories of my Nes.My cousin gave me her Nes with 15 games and i loved it.remember playing Super Mario bros.3 with my sister on the Mario bros. arcade stage.remembers having to blow in the Nes carts too,great memories

 

I'm not so sure I'd associate "retro" with Mario Bros. anything. Gameboy, GameGear, that too isn't really retro. Lynx? Perhaps in the right context.

 

What is the definition of retro anyways? Is there a certain date or age point? A certain technology? Is it some event in the marketplace that occurs and the "retro" status is bestowed upon the device..?

[Keatah]

Nostalgia is the driving factor in getting a buyer to part with money.

Today, emulation and the internet can fulfill a lot of that.

Once the nostalgia passes as it does in many cases; folks move on and the "item" drops in value.

 

I don't really agree with what you said in those last three posts.

No doubt there are many things that see a resurgence due to nostalgia and disappear again, but a lot of things including the atari 2600, will go beyond that.

Perhaps it is nostalgia that is the catalyst to sparking a revival into many objects, but there is something that transcends nostalgia that keeps the collectability in them. What it is exactly I'm not 100% sure, but it could include elements of historical importance, and/or timeless design, its practicality, or a cult following for that item.

I also tend to think it is the collectable nature of things in itself, that keeps people collecting them. Some people (like me ) love the challenge of completing a set, and the hunt, and to show it off, and sometimes the financial reward.

If retro games were simply a case of nostalgia, and emulation exists to fill that void, then nobody would pay $1000+ for rare games that are in some instances pretty crappy game play.

Or to use a few broader range of examples of mass produced items that have been 'emulated' but never-the-less remain collectable:

Vinyl records

Books

Cars

Crockery

 

Unlike the atari 2600, a lot of the items you quoted as losing value, such as the Sony D5 CD players, are still relatively young in the scheme of things (i was thinking of the minidisc players) and are at the bottom of the bell curve of value - perhaps as the Atari 2600 was in the early 90's. And some of those things you said you sold are simply outdated bits of technology that don't inspire a enough of a cult following... kind of like me trying to sell my state of the art toaster in ten years time

 

 

 

I can indeed tell you that the nostalgia factor in these consoles, like the 2600 and others of the period is strictly a thing generated by the owner - assuming they had good times with the games. It is also niche far beyond what I (being a child of the late 70's and mid-80's) would have expected. Niche' in the extreme I tell you.

 

The 2600 is gonna live on another 100 years? That's going to be interesting to see! I think it will be the cult following that keeps the system alive. That and electronics historians. It's only going to take another 50 years to see the original owners die off. And when they're flapping around in the nursing homes, the last thing on their mind (if they still have one) will be the 2600 and Missile Command.

 

I made a post about this earlier -- I went around the other affluent neighborhood here. Mine would not do because they know of my obsession with old electronics and emulation. And, and, I asked the other neighborhood what they thought of Atari. Folks in their 40's more or less remembered the 2600 system, some could discuss games and strategies. But it was the Commodore-64 and Apple 2 series which adults seemed to know about almost universally. And the Apple 2 memories are from school days - playing Oregon Trail. The C-64 memories was always about how the floppy drives never worked and crashed constantly.

 

When I questioned the under ~20 crowd I was met with blank stares and had to do a complete introduction to the original classic systems. Some of them knew about classic gaming through Apps from the iTunes store and the like. When I was done with the youngsters they buried themselves back in their smartphones. The adults went back to doing more sensible things.

 

Nowhere did I see even the slightest hint of interest in figuring out the value or collectability or rareness of any classic systems. This means Intellivision, 2600, 5200, 400/800, Colecovision, Astrocade, Vectrex, C-64 and Vic-20, O^2, Apple II, TRS-80.

[Pong]

Thanks. Yeah, I just don't think today/future gamers will appreciate the Atari for what it is and will think it's just too old of technology to have any fun with.

 

I don't think I have any real rare games. My for sale is listed in the Marketplace forum and I did list all of my games. Shipping won't be cheap either for the entire lot given the size and weight of the box. I use this same name on Ebay with 100% positive feedback. Maybe I will just try an auction on ebay and let it ride!

 

I'm 35. I also wonder when I should try to sell my other toys from my 80's childhood, like original Transformers figures and GI Joe, etc, most are in decent shape and have been boxed up for years. I have a Colecovision system too somewhere at my parents house.

Well im not one of them.im 15 and i LOVE retro games and systems like the Nes,Genesis,2600,Playstation,Master system,Gameboy,Gamegear,Lynx etc. Actually i like retro system and games more than modern games.I had fond memories of my Nes.My cousin gave me her Nes with 15 games and i loved it.remember playing Super Mario bros.3 with my sister on the Mario bros. arcade stage.remembers having to blow in the Nes carts too,great memories

 

I'm not so sure I'd associate "retro" with Mario Bros. anything. Gameboy, GameGear, that too isn't really retro. Lynx? Perhaps in the right context.

 

What is the definition of retro anyways? Is there a certain date or age point? A certain technology? Is it some event in the marketplace that occurs and the "retro" status is bestowed upon the device..?

 

I think it's the fifth generation of gaming (N64) and earlier that's classic, and third and earlier (7800) that's retro.

[Rev]

Thanks. Yeah, I just don't think today/future gamers will appreciate the Atari for what it is and will think it's just too old of technology to have any fun with.

 

I don't think I have any real rare games. My for sale is listed in the Marketplace forum and I did list all of my games. Shipping won't be cheap either for the entire lot given the size and weight of the box. I use this same name on Ebay with 100% positive feedback. Maybe I will just try an auction on ebay and let it ride!

 

I'm 35. I also wonder when I should try to sell my other toys from my 80's childhood, like original Transformers figures and GI Joe, etc, most are in decent shape and have been boxed up for years. I have a Colecovision system too somewhere at my parents house.

 

 

If your gi joes and transformers are in the packages...or maybe even loose...some of them sell really good. Oohhhhh i would love me some Dinobots in the boxes. or Jetfire....or.....All of them! Except beast wars from the 90's .....what were they thinking.

[ntavio]

Sell Mortimar, sell. This hobby isn't about investing or holding an Atari worried about future prices.

 

It's to play, have fun, relive your youth, and for some of us, collect obsessively.

[roberto]

When I questioned the under ~20 crowd I was met with blank stares and had to do a complete introduction to the original classic systems. Some of them knew about classic

 

That will always be the most likely reaction by the average person but it doesn't mean there won't be a niche of enthusiasts who will keep retrogaming and collecting alive and well. After all, you would get the same (or even worse) blank stares if you'd have asked about Mozart, Bach or Handel but still their legacy lives on, conservatories of music are still in business and concerts and operas are held daily all around the world.

 

Anyway, like with the music analogy, I think education will play an important role and this is our generation responsibility, actually.

Luckily there are several good books on the history of gaming around and universities are getting more and more interested in the subject too so it's not going to be overly difficult for a teenager to get to know this world. Sure, most will see it as a boring oddity but there will always be some, like our own xDragonWarrior, who will understand their appeal, be intrigued by them and keep classic gaming alive.

 

Cheers!

[SteveVFX4]

If your gi joes and transformers are in the packages...or maybe even loose...some of them sell really good. Oohhhhh i would love me some Dinobots in the boxes. or Jetfire....or.....All of them! Except beast wars from the 90's .....what were they thinking.

 

no they are all loose. I meant I just kept them nice in shoe boxes or other boxes and stored away for years. I think I have around 30 loose ones. I forget how much GI Joe I have, but I know the big piece I still have is the Cobra Terror Dome.

 

Back to my Atari lot, I had a local email offer of $145 yesterday. I wrote back and haven't heard back since? Looks like I may just try Ebay.

Edited April 7, 2012 by SteveVFX4

[atarilovesyou]

Lots of good reads here.

 

For me, emulation isn't good enough and never will be.

 

It's like vinyl records and CDs and ultimately MP3 tech: yet look at how much new vinyl is selling for today. Why?...well I coulnd't tell ya, because it's not like the majority of those buying vinyl today are the people from the 80s when that format was last popular. The new records are better quality and for some reason, folks seem to enjoy buying their music this way. There's something about putting a piece of plastic, watching it spin around, handling a big piece of artwork (the jacket sleeve) and listening to it through a decent system. That's the way I look at my old systems.

 

I'm not really saying anything new here but that's how I look at my old machines. They look like new, play like new and other than the handy muliticarts (which I highly recommend), you get the full experience.

 

Times are hard but times get better. Any collector realizes this. In the late 70s, people were dumping Gibson Les Pauls at far, FAR below market value...and even through the 80s. A mere twenty years later, those guitars are the most prized instruments in the electric guitar world: they're only increasing in value.

 

Collectors want the early stuff, and in good condition. There's simply too few of those kinda systems in existence, even now. I mean, who has a mint heavey sixer with fully functional sticks? They are rare, and someday they will fetch thousands of dollars.

 

But you need that popularity factor, something that translates across years. The VCS and the NES have that. The Colecovision and Vectrex do not, even though I find those systems incredibly cool. And yet minty fresh Vectrexs go for a pretty penny today.

 

Hoarders who collect everything for every system in any condition aren't doing it for the money, and that's good because those collections aren't worth a fraction of what was paid for them. The Playstation might have been king of the systems at one time, but there was always an alternative like Sega or some other system there. In the days of the VCS, there were years where that was the only game in town...same goes for the NES. That's why you won't find the same effect with a mint Master System, even though it was the #2.

 

The really collectible stuff will almost certainly have all those factors I mentioned. The true fanatics who shell out thousands for the NWC original carts, well...they have something rare and collectible for an entirely different reason. And in reality, I don't think that anything past the original VCS heavy sixers will be put into the realm of the Les Paul (not really a fair comparison, but giving some contrast).

 

I guess we'll find out and I hope to be around to see it! Mind you, nothing I own is in that collectible realm. I'm purely a fan from the stuff I grew up on. I have no intention of selling nor keeping minty fresh for the 'just in case'....that stuff ya gotta track down and most is probably already in the hands of folks that aren't likely going to just give it away for nothing.

 

I agree with the guy who said to buy precious metals!

[sqoon]

I'm no dreamer about this topic and there's plenty of things that don't appreciate in value, but I personally think that as long as your stuff is in good, unmodded condition, it will indeed be worth something in twenty years. Think of all those old toys you see on those shows like Pickers and Storage Wars. True, there's not much of a market now (like the goof who thought his NES was worth a grand) but as these systems and games get discarded over the years, the stuff that's left will become more valuable. The VCS was an icon, as was the NES. Those systems will become collectors items someday. I wouldn't be surprised if working ones, sealed box types go for $1000 in the next 20 years.

 

So yes, they're lame investments, but my advice is to keep the good stuff. You never truly know. Don't think that just cause something's not popular that it won't become collectible.

 

I got $900 for a nib mib Big Trak, and close to $450 for a set of microvision games and 2 consoles.

I was offered just over $500 for a set of SW NIB MIB Goofy Gears. Amazing! $2,000 on a voodoo 6000, and about 700 on a non-working one. buyer fixed it up and got it working!

 

That was 2-3 years ago. Today, I'd be lucky to move any of that at any price over $50 bucks except for the voodoo boards.

I'm trying to dump a C-380 for around $25 and can't seem to do it.

I also have a Combat cart that I can't PAY anyone to take it off my hands. SHIT!

 

I agree with the $1,000 price tag 20 years is about right. I always thought 30 - 35 years. But 20 could do I suppose.

 

I don't think the downturn in recent prices has so much to do with lack of collector interest, as it has to do with lack of good paying jobs and expendable income. Same things that have hit the housing market hard. If this economy ever turns around, then I think buyers will return to buying classic video games and consoles, and paying decent prices for those items.

[Dr Manhattan]

I'm not in this for the money. I'm in this for the pure joy.

 

I wouldn't care if the whole market tanked, that would just make it easier and cheaper for me to buy stuff.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Dr Manhattan

[JPjuice23]

I'm 19, and I get no nostalgia whatsoever from Atari 2600 games. I play them because a select few are fun for me, and I like history, and videogame history in general.

 

I've tried to get my friends into the Atari 2600, but they don't like the games like I do, and I can't blame them. Playing Combat does seem silly when we can play Call of Duty... to them anyways.

 

With that said, I hope prices will go down, and I think they will. My generation is looking forward, a small nanopopulation is interested in the past, and even most of them only look as far back as the NES. Even the Atari is too ancient for them unfortunately. But I'd like to own more Atari 2600 games, and if prices keep going down, that'd be great for me.

[Keatah]

People that do Southeby's aren't interested in Atari 2600. Get over it!

[nofrills100]

People that do Southeby's aren't interested in Atari 2600. Get over it!

 

Sotheby's auction art and antiques. Atari is not in their sights, and probably won't be for a long long time.

[maiki]

I agree with the opinion that this retro gaming market will dry out, because it is all about that particular generation of gamers reliving their childhood. Of course there are some newcomers but they represent very small minority in this market. So in 50 years, noone will really care...