Why are so many collectors selling off stuff?

[akator]

I've noticed a lot of people selling off a lot of stuff. I got rid of things for years, and now I regret that. I also hate "re-purchasing" things I once owned. Just wondering why I see so much great stuff and in such quantities now available that wasn't a year ago...

Edited November 28, 2008 by akator

[godslabrat]

I'm sure the economy will get a lot of votes, but I just can't see that logic. Classic gaming is a specialized market, you're going to have to really work to get any real cash on your collection... and the bigger your collection is, the harder it will be to find someone willing and able to pay what it'd be worth. Unless, of course, you plan to just take a massive loss on it all... but if that's the case, you're probably in money troubles that have their roots in something other than the economy.

 

I think a lot of people are just going through life changes now. The 30ish group has had their nostalgia fix, and may have decided some of these things are best left in the past. The tweens have started preparing for the next big thing to hit Hot Topic. And yes, some just lost interest. Life goes in stages, sometimes you need to leave stuff behind.

[+Random Terrain]

Main reason might be marriage. They say that guys think with their peckers instead of their brains, but it's not the pecker doing the thinking, it's the beast that the pecker is plugged into that is doing all of the thinking. Unplug your pecker and think for yourself. Unplug your pecker and be free!

[kevincal]

Definitely the economy in my opinion. I remember 4-5 years ago, I was buying systems and games like crazy. And I could afford it! Then 1-2 years ago, even though I had the same job and was making the same money, I started falling behind on my bills! I had to start selling off bits of my collection bit by bit which TOTALLY sucked of course... I guess what changed is the gas prices skyrocketed and along with that most of my bills jumped as well... Thank god gas has gone back WAY down now, but a lot of these huge corporations used the expensive gas as an excuse to raise prices of EVERYTHING. Now how much do you want to bet that even though gas is now as cheap as it was TEN years ago!; They won't be lowering their prices back down much if not at all!!! We shall see though.

 

But also I think a lot of people are getting totally screwed on their home loans etc. I know a lot of people are really hurting because they paid too much for a house 2-5 years ago... Also probably a lot of people are smartly cutting up their credit cards...

 

But definitely it all revolves around MONEY... Everyone needs the shit... Videogames are great! But a house over your head with the heater on in the winter is better... I dream of the day I have enough money where I could just buy every videogame ever made in the world and not have to worry about selling any of it off.

[wccw mark]

i been slowing selling my doubles and less played systems and games over the past 6 months,and the reason is i have too much stuff.im currently debating what other systems/games im gonna be selling soon.i know im keeping all my current gen stuff(wii,ps3,xbox360,ds)but am really thinking about selling my psp and the 25+ games i have for it.as for classics,i know im keeping my nes,sms,7800,intellivision,genesis,tg-16,but am considering selling my 2600, 5200 and snes.the stuff in the middle(3do,saturn,dreamcast,jaguar,n64)im still on the fence about selling them.also considering selling many video game mags as well(die hard game fan,egm from late 80's-90's)as there in big storage chest that take up way too much room.

Edited November 28, 2008 by wccw mark

[jboypacman]

It was/is three things for me.......

 

1) Am getting rid of things i just do not play anymore.

 

2)Space....as i just do not have the room to store a big collection.

 

3)I really just do not have the money to spread out between a lot of game systems so i rather just buy for the systems i play and not the one i do not play.

[CARTRIDGE STEALER]

I'm sure the economy will get a lot of votes, but I just can't see that logic. Classic gaming is a specialized market, you're going to have to really work to get any real cash on your collection... and the bigger your collection is, the harder it will be to find someone willing and able to pay what it'd be worth. Unless, of course, you plan to just take a massive loss on it all... but if that's the case, you're probably in money troubles that have their roots in something other than the economy.

 

I think a lot of people are just going through life changes now. The 30ish group has had their nostalgia fix, and may have decided some of these things are best left in the past. The tweens have started preparing for the next big thing to hit Hot Topic. And yes, some just lost interest. Life goes in stages, sometimes you need to leave stuff behind.

 

 

im afraid that your wrong with your thoughts. classic gaming is not a specialized market. Its just like any other collectible out there. I am a huge star wars and gi joe collector and I want to sell some items. it too, takes hard work to sell to get any decent cash back.

Edited November 28, 2008 by CARTRIDGE STEALER

[Ghost Soldier]

I've sold duplicates this year.

[Mirage]

Just in the mindset to get rid of some dupes. My main collection is recently expanding.

[Atarifever]

I'm getting rid of what I don't play, to fund what I do play. As well, time-wise, I have the time to play only so much. Now it's narrowed down to the 7800 (which I play a ton, for both 7800 and 2600 games), the Lynx and N-Gage (my handhelds of choice), the SMS (I can't get rid of it due to nostalgia for the system), the Odyssey 2 (kind of my, when I'm bored with Atari 2600 classic system), and the Wii (my modern system). That's less than a third of my original collection, and I still don't have the time to use a lot of it.

 

A lot of people say they go through phases of playing one thing, then another. I kept waiting for the phases on the other systems and just didn't get them. Meanwhile, I never really get out of the 7800 phase, so I've focused most of my collecting there, picking up some 2600 and O2 stuff when I can get it cheap.

Edited November 28, 2008 by Atarifever

[shadow460]

I sell dupes off on a regular basis. My 2600 collection is around 275 games, and I'd bet that I have sold at least that many 2600 carts since 2005. The reason I don't have a massive sell off is simply that there isn't much to sell off at any given time.

My game collection as a whole does take a ton of space. It's packed tightly into a couple different areas. I've actually considered renting a two bedroom apartment when I move so that I've got a dedicated game room. I have to think before I buy consoles, too...do I really have room for this console or for that controller?

 

Economy wise, well, that's not a big deal. I buy a little here and a little there, usually spending between $50 and $150 a month if that.

[+pboland]

I sold most of my collection off about 4 years ago. I'm one of the few who made money. This is because most of my collection was amassed in the mid 90's. Back then, I could get 2600, 5200, 7800, intv, and coleco consoles for about $5.00 at local goodwill's. Most of those consoles were complete with controllers, power supplies, and RF switch boxes. When carts were $.25 you tend to buy a lot of them. I didn't want to sell my collection but, in 2004 a lot changed in my life and needless to say I needed the money. I had one hell of a large collection of stuff, now it is a shadow of what it once was. Sometime life throws you a curve ball and you just have to adjust.

Edited November 28, 2008 by pboland

[thrax]

If you lose your job and you have to downsize your apartments or move to another state/country then you may have to sell some of your collection to make space.

[Rik]

Anything I've gotten rid of in the past,I've regretted it,so I wont get rid of my collection for any reason.

[Starhopper]

I have to vote 'economy' on this one, too. I've been out of work for three months now and, though I have a job starting up in December, you still have to pay bills.

 

I have been limiting my sell-off to duplicates, as I have thinned the collection down to a few systems that I am still really rabid over (i.e. 2600, NES, SNES). I'm hanging onto my Jaguar, even though I only have one game for it. I really only bought it as a curiosity, but I haven't given up on finding carts in the wild.

 

Has anyone else come to hate eBay lately?

[iswitt]

As someone who is basically a "beginner" at collecting consoles/games, I am kind of depressed at the thought of having to give up things that I worked hard to get. I'm in college and work part time. I don't make tons of money, so it has to be a slow rate of collecting or else I won't be able to buy things I need or other things I want. So selling off my stuff is NOT a priority, and I hope it never becomes one.

[MN12BIRD]

I've certainly noticed as X-Mas is coming up and people are losing Jobs etc there are WAY more vintage gaming hardware going up for sale. Great for me!

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi guys,

 

To me, I don't really sell my collection of video game stuff. Once I own it, I keep it. However, I have so much in my apartment that I'm running out of space. But I always seen to manage and still have room inside like a european compact car.

 

Unfortunately, my collecting of video games goodies is on hold to concentrate on my other childhood interest of collecting novelty cuckoo clocks. Plus my personal health has been heywire for the pass couple of months (and that's going to be long term) so i've been taken it easy both ways.

 

Anthony....

[kevincal]

Ya for sure health comes first. When you're not feeling well, it's hard to have fun or appreciate anything in life! Especially video games...

[Rik]

Ya for sure health comes first. When you're not feeling well, it's hard to have fun or appreciate anything in life! Especially video games...

Yeah,and then depression sets in,which makes one feel 100 times worse.

Edited November 29, 2008 by Rik

[+Charlie Cat]

Ya for sure health comes first. When you're not feeling well, it's hard to have fun or appreciate anything in life! Especially video games...

Yeah,and then depression sets in,which makes one feel 100 times worse.

 

 

Hi Guys,

 

Right. Health first and others second. I thank God everyday for still walking the Earth.

 

I still have to race Rik with his Fiero. That should be Rad.

 

Anthony....

[+Charlie Cat]

Hi guys,

 

Oh heck yeah. After all the medication that they doctors gave me, I lost my sense of taste and my left eye was bleeding causing months of blurry vision!!

 

I thank God once again for regaining both after the terrible experience that I went through.

 

That's why I spread the word of God these days and explain his magnificent work to others who are lost or in dire need of help.

 

Anthony....

Edited November 29, 2008 by fdurso224

[accousticguitar]

That's why I spread the word of God these days and explain his magnificent work to others who are lost or in dire need of help.

[shadow460]

wow, people like me are getting to keep their game collections...looks like I've been right all this time...there is a God after all!

[Christophero Sly]

Just wondering why I see so much great stuff and in such quantities now available that wasn't a year ago...

Don't forget that as time goes on more and more items are found and put into the marketplace.