Your evolution as a collector

[Keatah]

I really don't evolve as time goes on, I de-evolve. When i start collecting something, I jump all the way in the deep end. Then as time goes on, I start looking at my collection and start to slow down. Case in point, Atari carts. When i started to seriously collect like 3 years ago, I was grabbing everything, label variations,system variations,etc. Now, I'm putting the variations on the back burner and concentarting on just getting carts i don't have. I've done this with everything I collect over the years, toys, monster stuff, comics, etc. I should know better now, but I always get too excited and overdo it.

 

That's a natural evolution many many collectors experience. Going from the general to the specific. Going from acquiring everything to only certain things or simply becoming more selective no matter how slight.

 

[AtariLeaf]

On this go round of collecting I went from 2008 to about 2011 buying everything. In the following years I bought less and sold more. I would do big purges every couple of years until now my entire retro game collection fits in one small box. I still have way too many systems but one of the reasons for that is parts machines in case certain chips die so I have some backups like TIA's, etc.

[Keatah]

The worst thing I ever did is start cataloguing my games. I did this because I was finding they were being stored more than being played. They were being stored because I had so many, and had started inadvertently buying doubles of games.

 

I agree completely with this. I had done the same. And to top it off (and make it worse) I used a database program on the Apple II (back in the day) called PFS. It was very fast at first but quickly slowed down. And to my late discovery, about 400 entries into the creation of the database, it only remained fast on the first data field. Anything else was beginning to take several minutes to locate.

 

So it was a disappointing bust - trying to electronically and modernly catalog all my cartridges and systems.

 

Today it is so much different. Today in a virtual digital collection you can keyword search and get results in seconds or less. Even across a multi-TB JBOD array. And in an emulation collection its even easier to build as each entry itself IS the information you want. the program you want. And you rely on the host OS disk routines to do the organization. It's made to be fast and efficient and expandable. The whole concept revolves around the file-search feature present in all modern OS'es, your personal favorites cache, and a semi-organic folder/file tree that uses descriptive filenames as the entry itself.

 

If I want to see all the systems Defender was made for I can do that, or if I want to find the obscure BASIC program I wrote in the 7th grade I can do that too. in seconds. And once found, it can be run instantly in the appropriate emulator.

 

It's not unlike Rom Hunter's rom collection. If you want to see games by a certain author you can do that. If you want to see all Atari Inc. games you can do that. If you want to see all games made in a certain year of a certain revision level or proto, you can do that too!

[Keatah]

On this go round of collecting I went from 2008 to about 2011 buying everything. In the following years I bought less and sold more. I would do big purges every couple of years until now my entire retro game collection fits in one small box. I still have way too many systems but one of the reasons for that is parts machines in case certain chips die so I have some backups like TIA's, etc.

 

Impressive! What is it you collect for? Sounds like from mention of TIA you're doing VCS and Harmony cart. But what else?

[Machine]

From my first VCS(late 70'S) to 2013, I bought games I liked. Ended up getting almost complete collections for ALL the usual suspects. Figured I might as well complete them. This was a dangerous turn. Ended up collecting more than playing.

Collection was amazing, but it was more like a job than a fun hobby.

 

Then, 6 years ago my home and everything I owned goes up in flames in the Colorado Forest fire(2013). I was/am sick about it. Ended up figuring out I will never get most of it back so I decided to focus my game collection.

Decided to go full Jagaur, and just a few other interesting games on other systems. Luckily, I re-bought most of the Jaguar stuff over 5 years ago.

 

I like focusing on one system. It is a lot of fun when a new Jag game comes out. I get excited and it seems more special than just buying stuff for EVERYTHING.

[Keatah]

From my first VCS(late 70'S) to 2013, I bought games I liked. Ended up getting almost complete collections for ALL the usual suspects. Figured I might as well complete them. This was a dangerous turn. Ended up collecting more than playing.Collection was amazing, but it was more like a job than a fun hobby.

I'm not exactly sure when my slow accumulation of videogame cartridges turned into a collection. I was happy and content when it reached 2 systems and about 30-40 carts each. That would be the VCS and Intellivision. Incidentally, or not, most of our local arcades seemed to have about 30-40 games. So maybe I unwittingly used that number as a defining point.

 

---

 

In the months leading up to getting rid of my storage and warehouse efforts it felt more and more like a job. One of the precipitating factors was when ports started proliferating. There's only so many versions of Defender one can play while still enjoying it. And trying to get multiple 5 or 10 ports, 1 for each system, instantly became a hollow chore. I couldn't enjoy the games. My buddies couldn't enjoy the games. And it was a major hassle going to storage to retrieve something.

 

If you really think hard about and grind down to the very basics, collecting beyond 2 or 3 systems is very very self-defeating.

 

So. Currently I maintain a couple vintage PC rigs and a modern one. This covers all my electronic needs past, present, and likely future. They're repairable and replaceable and extremely versatile.

 

By staying in the virtual digital realm, punctuated by a few special physical items, I'm free to easily segue from topic to topic. For example I just finished up organizing and collating all my older versions of X-Plane, all nice and tidy. Kept the mail order boxes too, btw. Next it will be all the versions and printed and scanned material for Doom. That's a week-long gig. But it'll be fun and there's no timetable to completion. Just having a couple of strategy guides and books is more than enough to lend a sense of physical presence.

 

 

I like focusing on one system. It is a lot of fun when a new Jag game comes out. I get excited and it seems more special than just buying stuff for EVERYTHING.

 

That's the ultimate evolution of a collection. Every acquisition becomes a special treat.

 

Collectors often think the speed at which something is growing is a benchmark of how well their collection is doing. It is not.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Keatah

[BassGuitari]

My collecting arc is probably pretty similar other those of others. When I started out, I picked up just about anything I could find. I also had the benefit of starting out while stuff was still cheap and plentiful, in the late '90s. I slowed down a bit around 2010, probably due to a combination of factors, such as the seemingly exponentially increasing popularity of the hobby (and, ergo, also prices); I was back in school; I had recently purchased a house with my wife; the space my collection was taking up was starting to become a problem; I had already collected most of the common/ish stuff I was interested in and it tended to be relatively big ticket items that were left (or finding yet another system to branch out to and start fresh with!)

 

These days I'm pretty much in maintenance mode--managing, organizing, re-organzing, repairing/refurbishing, and culling excess. And playing, of course! Although with so many different systems and games, it's challenging to spread the love.

Edited May 21, 2019 by BassGuitari

[Flojomojo]

Collectors often think the speed at which something is growing is a benchmark of how well their collection is doing. It is not.

 

Yikes. I am an accumulator. I do not like the sound of that word.

[AtariLeaf]

 

Impressive! What is it you collect for? Sounds like from mention of TIA you're doing VCS and Harmony cart. But what else?

 

No harmony cart but I only have about 70 2600 games, 15 7800 games, 30 NES/Famicom games, a handful of gameboy and a half dozen each of SNES and Genesis. They all fit pretty well into a smaller box. The only reason I know this is that I had to box up my collection temporarily since my game room has become temporary storage for everything needed for a long overdue bathroom renovation.

[AtariLeaf]

 

 

These days I'm pretty much in maintenance mode--managing, organizing, re-organzing, repairing/refurbishing, and culling excess. And playing, of course!

 

Weirdly enough I found that I play more the less I have.

[+MrBlackCat]

 

Weirdly enough I found that I play more the less I have.

I experience this also... I should stop looking on eBay and Amazon and stop posting on AtariAge and go play some games!

 

Is kind of like flipping channels for some people I think. I don't actually watch television and haven't done so in almost 20 years now. I haven't ever owned cable or anything like that. I am not anti-television, just non-television. The point being that although I don't experience it, I have seen first hand "flipping channels" and never stopping... and I relate that to my own struggling to pick a game or system to play at times. Years ago, I never had difficulty with game selection, when I had only a few systems and a few games each. (Maybe I have forgotten?) Handheld gaming is the same... there are 7 handhelds on my nightstand right now. SO many games just right there... Sudoku or GTA: LCS? Such a massive range is available. DooM on the GBM (e.g. run and gun) or something deep and odd like The Unfinished Swan or Flower on the Vita?

 

I would like to believe I enjoy the nearly unlimited options, but I am not so sure anymore. I find this with many of my hobbies which can now offer a great deal of options. My next hobby needs to be a study course in decision making maybe.

 

Maybe this is the edge of what it is like to be extremely financially wealthy... the more stuff you have, the less satisfying it becomes. I must be wealthy!

 

MrBlackCat

[Keatah]

Decision making regarding which game to play is equalized by emulation. It is no more difficult to play PS1 than it is VCS or PC. Virtual "setup" time is the same and therefore isn't a factor.

 

A typical gaming session may run from 10:30pm to 2:00am.

[masschamber]

no real changes, just got really good at finding stuff, but I do keep every unique item (no label variations, except some of the really wild sears variants) because I don't need money anymore (hence why I still have Eli's Ladder

[atarilovesyou]

I think Keetah has a good point...I liken it to music. Now that the majority of people stream their music, you can byoass everything that gets in the way: packaging, media systems. Just listen amd enjoy.

 

Of course, I couldn't ever go that route with music. I love physical media...for better or worse.

 

It's that very sense of speed that I do not like with modern media. Just click, and you have it. It can cause you to jump from game to game, song to song, movie to movie...and never really give the time these things require.

 

There is a middle ground, I believe. I have a very focused collection for a few systems. I also have multicarts. I also own the mini system compilations. I keep it all organized and find just as much enjoyment in the cataloging and curating as I do the games themselves.

 

Everything I own must work as intended. It requires upkeep, of course. Some of it is worth money, but let's be honest, I'm not selling anytime soon. Probably never.

 

I love looking at the collections here and other sites. I cringe at the horded stuff and the mess...but understand how things can get that way, and don't blame the collector. Unless it's medical in nature, these compulsions tend to sort themselves out.

 

Ultimately, my only change has been the end point of systems. For a long time, it was the 16 bit era. Then came some 32 bit stuff...and a Wii...and a Wii U. The later systems, I keep things on the cheap and more focused. Nostalgia doesn't rule with those yet but just wait twenty years! I don't ever see myself getting an XBox anything but...nah, not those systems. They're just not me.

 

Most of my hobbies follow cycles...and video games tended to be cyclical, until I settled on retro. My last purge was PS1, stacks of gaming mags (a weak spot for menonce upon a time)...at a time when J had zero qualms about throwing stuff out in a dumpster once I had had enough. Now, it just goes to a thrift shop or I try to sell it.

 

And neither of those happens much anymore now that I have become much more selective in what I purchase. I buy for keeps. I don't feel bad about it either. Which is more than I can say about my other hobbies! There's just something so satisfying about plugging in a new 2600 homebrew from the AA store and playing for as long as my current lifestyle allows (read that as...not nearly enough time) but it's the best, for me.

 

Budget amd space. Think about both, respect them. And enjoy your stuff while you can. Walk away if you need to, but there's no shame in boxing it up in some bins and storing it for a while. You'll know of you should keep it around or move on.

 

Most of all, don't judge. Everybody is unique. Keeps life interesting, and that's the point. Enjoy this stuff on your own terms. That's my goal, anyway.

[Keatah]

The instant loading and availability that emulation gives you also means you have more fuss-free time -- provided you can control yourself and stick with a title long enough to enjoy the finer points.

 

There are many phases or stages to a collection, any collection, and it's fine no matter where you're at. You will progress through them all.

[Eltigro]

My collection is pretty small compared to many I've seen. All the games, for example, fit on one small bookcase from Ikea (except the Intellivision games but that's just because they have their own storage case thing...).

 

Anyway, despite it being small, it's pretty unfocused. I have about 25 systems (console and handheld, excluding doubles) and a few games for each. I've never really counted them as it always just seemed a boastful thing to me. People saying, "I've just reached 4000 games!" Yeah... 4000 games that you never play.

 

But I have noticed that as it has grown some, there are more games that I don't play, even with as few as I have. Some are for reasons currently beyond my control... I have about 8 PS3 games that I've never played because my PS3 won't read discs... I've got a CDi game I've never played because I don't have a CDi... I have a GameWave game I've never played because I don't have any controllers for my GameWave... but then there are some that I've never played simply because I've never booted them up. There's a PS2 game I got simply because the main character is voiced by Henry Rollins. There's some others that I've never played because I told myself I wanted to finish the previous game in the series first and have never finished that game. There's tons of reasons why...

 

I'm kind of going through a bit of change right now... considering selling off a lot of physical stuff so I can focus more... and go to emulation on some of the things that I still want to play. I mean, there's some physical stuff I'll never get rid of because of sentimental value or whatever, but the rest... who knows.

[high voltage]

 

Then...……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……….……….….Now

Edited May 23, 2019 by high voltage

[Jettgogaming]

The origins of when I officially started collecting are a bit hazy. I know I got super serious back in 2011. Before then, I mostly just collected what I played, but then it morphed into collecting for the consoles that inspired me or in some way shape or form fascinated me. My main two loves are Nintendo and Atari. Even though Atari was a bit before my time I still found myself being drawn to learning more about it and finding some of the games incredibly fun (my favorite being Yars Revenge).

 

Something very important to me is being able to answer two questions:

1.Why are you collecting all this stuff?

2. What is the significance of what you are doing?

 

I have two very strong answers for these questions. For one, I was raised in a family with a father who is a huge collector and has been my whole life. He instilled me at a very young age with the passion for collecting. Albeit, he loves collecting old west antiques like postcards, bottles, and tokens, he still taught me that a true collector lives it, breaths it, and understands whatever they are collecting inside and out. Never have a room full of things that don't talk to you and tell you some kind of story that gets your heart racing with excitement. Have fun with what you are doing and find a purpose in it that matters to you.

 

As for the significance of what I am doing. I consider myself a preservationist. It is very important to me that the future generations of this world understand the humble beginnings of gaming and how it started. Yeah, I get the "well you can dump the eeproms and just play them on your PC or emulator," but to me that isn't the same. Cultural impact is not only about playing the game, but tuning into the fine details of manufacturing, packaging, and marketing. Those things are the first to be lost as time goes on. My game room is my time capsule, a blast from the past, a place I feel happy, a place I can reflect on my youth, and a place where I admire and appreciate how far we have come in the world of gaming and how it has truly impacted our culture. It's very important to me.

 

These are the things that have really influenced my evolution as a collector. Learning something new every day. Becoming fascinated by the obscure nuances of a prototype or a label variant. Learning the story behind those things and it leads me to another door that I want to open which then leads me to another system or game I want for my collection. It's all about learning and enjoying the path it leads me down, and it makes my collection evolve in ways more important to me than just "filling a shelf with games."

[AAA177]

I read as much of this thread as I could. Sometimes it's hard because it's so painful to read about other people being able to collect so much when I unfortunately am limited in what I can buy (although I am proud of the little collection I have; and I do try to play the games, not just keep them sealed away). That being said, I salute all collectors and hope they continue the hobby, because it is cool to read about (I especially loved the photos of the collection of the Duke Nuke-em guy; that's a game I never got into, but it is still an awesome story to read).

 

But the real reason I am posting this reply is because it seems like an apt thread in which I can post a question that has been on my mind (hopefully the small change of subject won't be too jarring). Which is:

 

I'm curious to what extent video-game collections have become an asset class. Are there big buyers out there strategically acquiring collections for purposes of investing? Is a collection no different than a Picasso painting? I'm thinking about stuff we see on YouTube, all those big collections of enthusiasts who show off (I don't mean that negatively, I enjoy watching them) their complete collections of Nintendo 64, or PlayStation, or Atari 2600 (do people have complete collections of Atari 2600, actually? What about the computer systems?), or whatever...what is the value of this stuff? I wonder too if hedge-fund managers are getting into this, or billionaires, or even retailers...should retailers buy up collections and then hold onto the inventory as an investment? Should Warren Buffet/Berkshire Hathaway invest its cash in game collections? I wonder how many estate sales these days yield video games.

 

I guess, in a sense, what I'm really asking is if someone has a link to a long article about this topic, or maybe someone on the board who writes pieces that are industry-based (I'm fairly certain there are several people here who do) could perhaps try to do so. Lately this topic has been fascinating me. If I were a billionaire, I seriously think I would buy up as many collections as I could not just for myself to play (and I would play them, to be certain) but also to duplicate them for investment purposes. I'm thinking, for really rich people who love video games and who own several homes and a lot of real estate, it would make sense...if you have the space, make use of it.

 

Then again, am I overvaluing game collections? I just don't know. Maybe museums just buy them, or libraries. But going back to retail for a second, it's odd a company like Toys R Us never thought to hold on to inventory that never sold (even beyond video games) and simply store them away until they appreciated in value and then sold them during specially-branded events..."Shop 1983 again, pick up Atari ET carts!" I'm also surprised Amazon/eBay don't allow people to buy games but not take delivery...buy some rare game that goes for $200 but keep it at Amazon and immediately put it up for resale, sort of like buying a stock.

 

Sorry for this side topic, but it's sort of related. If there is a better forum for it, please let me know...(note: not sure if I have posted something like this recently, if I have, please forgive; I think I have discussed this only on other forums, but memories can sometimes be faulty; thanks...)

Edited May 24, 2019 by AAA177

[Keatah]

I believe that classic games (VCS, Odyssey^2, Intellivision, C64, and likewise) are part of a moving window. The people that are willing to pay big bucks for those will come and go. And then we're back to fodder value. I have observed this in the Apple II community directly.

 

And, besides, there are multi-carts, emulation, fpga, and other methods by which to enjoy the games. I feel that only top-quality NIB CIB specimens may be worth any sort of money in the future. And they'll be worth something for reasons that common used stuff isn't.

 

There simply are too many young people "coming of age" that don't give a rat's ass about classic games. They'll be interested in the stuff they had as children. Not grampa's games.

[Keatah]

As for the significance of what I am doing. I consider myself a preservationist. It is very important to me that the future generations of this world understand the humble beginnings of gaming and how it started. Yeah, I get the "well you can dump the eeproms and just play them on your PC or emulator," but to me that isn't the same. Cultural impact is not only about playing the game, but tuning into the fine details of manufacturing, packaging, and marketing. Those things are the first to be lost as time goes on. My game room is my time capsule, a blast from the past, a place I feel happy, a place I can reflect on my youth, and a place where I admire and appreciate how far we have come in the world of gaming and how it has truly impacted our culture. It's very important to me.

 

Preservation of physical attributes and context and fine technical details is highly subjective and opinionated as to what's important. And its reproduction today is influenced by cost-cutting and other basic realities of business. Despite the fashion boxes that cellphone companies use I always thought packaging of the 70's and 80's was better all around. And don't even mention eco-friendly. I really don't give a rat's ass about the environment. And any one big company disposes of 20x the amount of waste I produce in one year, in one minute. So pffthhht!

 

Examples may include things like making reproduction controllers that don't use the same dimensions and don't use the same materials. Or controllers that don't have the exact tactile response.

 

Some people's idea of "retro" and "classic" and "vintage" gaming/computing might simply mean displaying or showing a Pac-Man icon or the Galaga ship. Or something "Mario'ish". Very generalistic. Very undefined. To some, retrogaming may mean two chairs (or a jaopy couch) on a plot of puke-green carpet, with a wooden console television, and wood-panel walls. Very idyllic. Very picturesque. Very much someone's vision of how they thought it was. Not 100% photo accurate.

 

Yes details like the shape of a 70's font is different than something Metro'ish today. And that is important. Something as basic as color combinations. Back then it was Harvest and Earth tones, including Avocado greens. Today it is harsh contrast or Teal & Orange.

 

Everyone is going to focus on different details and it is going to be rather difficult to preserve every nuance. Just even knowing what is important is a huge task.

 

As far as the Roms go. They are more important than ever. They are as timeless as a photograph. They are the essence of the game. They are are 100% accurate and perfect representations of the games we played as a kid. They ARE the games we played as a kid.

[Mikebloke]

I read as much of this thread as I could. Sometimes it's hard because it's so painful to read about other people being able to collect so much when I unfortunately am limited in what I can buy (although I am proud of the little collection I have; and I do try to play the games, not just keep them sealed away). That being said, I salute all collectors and hope they continue the hobby, because it is cool to read about (I especially loved the photos of the collection of the Duke Nuke-em guy; that's a game I never got into, but it is still an awesome story to read).

 

But the real reason I am posting this reply is because it seems like an apt thread in which I can post a question that has been on my mind (hopefully the small change of subject won't be too jarring). Which is:

 

I'm curious to what extent video-game collections have become an asset class. Are there big buyers out there strategically acquiring collections for purposes of investing? Is a collection no different than a Picasso painting? I'm thinking about stuff we see on YouTube, all those big collections of enthusiasts who show off (I don't mean that negatively, I enjoy watching them) their complete collections of Nintendo 64, or PlayStation, or Atari 2600 (do people have complete collections of Atari 2600, actually? What about the computer systems?), or whatever...what is the value of this stuff? I wonder too if hedge-fund managers are getting into this, or billionaires, or even retailers...should retailers buy up collections and then hold onto the inventory as an investment? Should Warren Buffet/Berkshire Hathaway invest its cash in game collections? I wonder how many estate sales these days yield video games.

 

I guess, in a sense, what I'm really asking is if someone has a link to a long article about this topic, or maybe someone on the board who writes pieces that are industry-based (I'm fairly certain there are several people here who do) could perhaps try to do so. Lately this topic has been fascinating me. If I were a billionaire, I seriously think I would buy up as many collections as I could not just for myself to play (and I would play them, to be certain) but also to duplicate them for investment purposes. I'm thinking, for really rich people who love video games and who own several homes and a lot of real estate, it would make sense...if you have the space, make use of it.

 

Then again, am I overvaluing game collections? I just don't know. Maybe museums just buy them, or libraries. But going back to retail for a second, it's odd a company like Toys R Us never thought to hold on to inventory that never sold (even beyond video games) and simply store them away until they appreciated in value and then sold them during specially-branded events..."Shop 1983 again, pick up Atari ET carts!" I'm also surprised Amazon/eBay don't allow people to buy games but not take delivery...buy some rare game that goes for $200 but keep it at Amazon and immediately put it up for resale, sort of like buying a stock.

 

Sorry for this side topic, but it's sort of related. If there is a better forum for it, please let me know...(note: not sure if I have posted something like this recently, if I have, please forgive; I think I have discussed this only on other forums, but memories can sometimes be faulty; thanks...)

 

I dread getting into the SNK AES. I would love to have a complete UK release collection, at least of cartridge systems, but the AES is particularly prohibitively priced. The only game I have ever paid more than £40 for so far is one for the videopac (magnavox odyssey 2) which I hunted for ages and couldn't find cheaper. I wait. A lot. I don't buy as cheap as I can because I want to resell high, I buy as cheap as I can so I can buy more. I buy to play, not to fill shelves, however the balance has moved slightly more towards collecting than playing its still firmly in the play side of gaming. I track how many games I've finished so far (consoles and handhelds: 581 games out of 1,213 or 48% and part way through another 10%) and admittedly a little too much time is spent tracking that data (spent 20 minutes just looking at a spreadsheet today already!). I've bought sealed games and opened them, I bought them because they were being sold cheap, I would never purposely buy a sealed game for the sake of it being sealed.

 

Complete collections can fetch a high price, there is always someone who will say: "Sod it, I'm going to buy this complete collection rather than taking 10 years to find everything, and I'm willing to pay that price", but for most of us that is out of our capacity.

 

Not a particularly thrilling interview, but there is this one here: http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/05/ninterview_ahmed_bin_fahad_discusses_building_the_worlds_biggest_nintendo_collection that guy is a policeman, but I think he comes from some degree of money.

[phoenixdownita]

I dread getting into the SNK AES. I would love to have a complete UK release collection, at least of cartridge systems, but the AES is particularly prohibitively priced. .....

The NeoSD is around 500US$ (or NeoSD Pro around 630), there are around 150 total MVS/AES games so that comes down to about 3.3US$ (or 4.2US$) .... now assuming you only actually like say 20% of it that's 16.7US$ (or 21US$) .... the only caveat is that you have to buy it up whole (the whole 500 or 630) which is kind of scary but once you slice it down per game it's not really that bad (even assuming only 20% fits your cup).

 

I understand that 500+US$ upfront in gaming is a little hard to justify but "this is NeoGeo".

 

EDIT: crap, just ordered a NeoSD Pro ... look at what you made me do ... the wife is gonna get so pissed .... gotta sell my NeoSD to recoup some of the "impulse buy".

[jhd]

I'm curious to what extent video-game collections have become an asset class. Are there big buyers out there strategically acquiring collections for purposes of investing? Is a collection no different than a Picasso painting?

 

I would be very surprised if anyone is holding a large collection purely as an "investment". Among other reasons, unlike other, more typical investments, the market infrastructure is not there. If I wish to invest in art, for example, I can deal with reputable galleries and learn from knowledgeable experts about what artists to collect. There is no equivalent information available in the gaming sector (at least not in the same, systematic and organized fashion). Likewise, there are established dealers for art (or securities or classic cars), whereas for video games, most are sold online by random people or the occasional find at thrift shops and specialist stores.

 

Buying games in the hope that they will rise in value is rather more speculative since the market is so much more volatile. As there are no publicly available auction or catalogue sales records (eBay does not count) as there are for art, there is no way to really assess value. There is no information on long-term market trends (e.g. x game has risen in price 15% per year over the past decade; y game has remained flat or even declined over the same time).

 

I suppose that someone could buy random pieces of "art" from unknown artists at a thrift shop and hope that they will rise in value, but that would be a very poor investment "strategy".

 

 

 

Then again, am I overvaluing game collections? I just don't know. Maybe museums just buy them, or libraries.

 

I am aware of one very modest academic library collection of video games and a few museums with representative pieces of gaming hardware, but, for the most part, museums and libraries do not have either the budget or the mandate to purchase large collections of anything. They may accept a donation, but not pay cash outright. Building a major collection with the hope of ultimately selling it to a public institution is also not a great investment "strategy".

[hizzy]

I would be curious to hear John Hancock or Metal Jesus chime in. These guys have amassed some serious collections. John has spoken about creating a museum from his collection. I hope that comes to fruition!