Thinking about sellling it all

[krslam]

I'm giving serious consideration to selling almost all of my collection.  10000+ games, another 8000 or so spares, a couple 100 systems, boxes & boxes of accessories, etc.  I'd probably keep a handful of items but not many.  Don't want to go the ebay route or deal with shipping it and not interested in having someone cherry pick the best.

 

Any suggestions?  I tried contacting some of the local people who run 'wanted-games' ads on craigslist but they want to pay 10 cents on the dollar.  A local game store offered to give me a quote but only if I brought the collection into their store.  No, sorry, not going to load up 2 U-hauls full of gear just because you don't want to travel 10 miles.

 

 

[derFunkenstein]

eBay might take a chunk of the funds, but it's the ONLY way to sell stuff without getting lowballed. That's where those people running their ads on CL end up selling. 

 

Also just start by selling the valuable duplicates at first and see if you have any seller's remorse.

[Flojomojo]

I agree that parting it out is the best way to maximize your return. The chances of someone splashing out for a big "estate" pile of stuff are pretty low. 

 

You're going to have to choose between getting the most money possible (plus a crapton of work), or letting it go for pennies on the dollar but with minimal effort. Depends on your time and money situation, and which you value more. 

[krslam]

Seller's remorse won't be an issue as I've been getting rid of stuff locally thru CL and garage sales for some time now, and have had no regrets.

 

It isn't the fees that make eBay unattractive, though charging fees on shipping is unforgivable. It's thier cavalier attitude about buyer fraud and counterfeiting that makes me refuse to deal with them.

 

I'm not trying to get top dollar, but if I got 60-70% of average eBay pricing, I'd be satisfied and given the sheer quantity of stuff, the buyer could reap a high 5 or low 6 figure profit should they choose to part it out.

[128Kgames]

2 hours ago, krslam said:

I'm giving serious consideration to selling almost all of my collection.  10000+ games, another 8000 or so spares, a couple 100 systems, boxes & boxes of accessories, etc.  I'd probably keep a handful of items but not many.  Don't want to go the ebay route or deal with shipping it and not interested in having someone cherry pick the best.

 

Any suggestions?  I tried contacting some of the local people who run 'wanted-games' ads on craigslist but they want to pay 10 cents on the dollar.  A local game store offered to give me a quote but only if I brought the collection into their store.  No, sorry, not going to load up 2 U-hauls full of gear just because you don't want to travel 10 miles.

 

 

Reach out to Bill Loguidice, he used an auction company to sell off a chunk of his collection not too long ago.  He could give you the pros and cons and what his overall experience was.  

[5200Fanatic]

Its so much easier to accumulate than to liquidate. 

[fiddlepaddle]

I've sold a bunch of stuff to several local game stores. You have to sell low enough so they can make some money, but if the systems and games are clean and neat, there are guys who want it and will pay 40 to 50% of what they will sell for, at least in my area.

Realize that ebay prices are a bit high, and be honest with yourself about what you REALLY want to keep. Always talk directly only to the owner, and sell a few hundred dollars worth at a time. Try to find 4 or 5 store owners you can be friendly with. Nobody will really want a box of genesis sports games or Atari commons, and really rare items are harder to sell, so harder for a reseller to justify, but stuff in the middle sells really well, in my experience.

You wont get as much as ebay, and it'll take more time than selling the whole collection at once, but take the opportunity to talk about everything and enjoy the experience.

Lots of stuff has gone out the door at a reasonable price with not much effort.

[Tanooki]

I get the hate on ebay, I also get the feels about being over it or at least overwhelmed and wanting to just say screw it and do it.

 

My suggestion to avoid the disgusting charging of fees on shipping rates along with being cavalier about screwing any single seller like they're some full size business with a loss leading department with a budget for clowning is to try the next biggest audience - facebook.  Specifically find groups that would suit the games, either as a general retro, or by maker.  You still in the end get better/same protection as ebay having to still use paypal.  Places to join like Retro Universe BST, Nintendo Over 30s, Gamers Over 30, MS-DOS Gaming, Buy/Sell over 30s, Neo Geo for Life, The Glorious PCE/TG16 and others allow such sales, it couldn't hurt.  Just adjust the values lower like you were willing to do since they typically require 10-15% under ebay since you're not getting fee raped is more than reasonable.  They all have admin/mods that will patrol the stuff and publicly wreck people if you try and scam and warn other groups around too.

 

I've been overwhelmed with games, been kind of loving/regretting finding the PSP and DS I did over the early summer because I haven't the time but enjoy them.  It's like should I just cut my losses and ditch one of them, or just ride it out and get there in time (which is where I'm at currently.)  I hate having so much unused stuff that doesn't include the games I grew up with I kept because of that.  I know I'd feel bad for a time, but if I lost mY PS1+LCD (w/games) and PSP (w/games) I'd regret it all of a few days/weeks tops then I'd be over it.  I could probably say the same about the DS too because as it is now the Switch is more than I can handle alone for actively using.

[phaxda]

I JUST went through this last year and what worked for me was negotiating with local(ish) buyers through Facebook Marketplace. I sold my entire NES collection this way and the buyer got an awesome deal and I saved a ton of time. Could I have gotten more out of it through eBay? Probably, but listing and shipping, and dealing with buyers...forget it.

 

The things I did sell on eBay: boxed games, shipped in boxes. All of my Genesis games--most were in plastic cases with UPC codes on them, so I could just scan it with my cellphone to add to eBay. Also easy to ship. A couple of logical game lots, the largest using Atari binders and a few other cool storage folders etc. All the Intellivision cartridges in one lot, flat-rate box. A really nice Atari computer lot. Joystick lots, also flat rate box. 

 

Psychologically speaking, the purge has done wonders. I went from a full-on gameroom to a closet in our office and don't miss the cartridges at all. I kept all my multicarts, etc. Found a way nicer CRT TV than I'd had, all my favorite consoles are still plugged in, and I'm honestly playing a ton of old stuff on the Nintendo Switch now! 

Good luck with your sale. It's so hard--drove me crazy for months and I had the same instinct you did--if you look at my posting history you can see how many times I was just hoping someone local would come take it all away.

[Tanooki]

See that's kind of what I'm thinking to a point.  I'm not eating up all that much room thankfully in the first place compared to the old days (15+ years ago) but like I have stuff I care about but have not used at all in months or longer that I haven't had long term such as the PSP I mentioned but I also have a choice small collection of PCE titles, mostly complete hucard games and a very good core grafx 2.  With the PSP I got like 14 or so games, but I've only played just a few thinking I'd get to the others and have not, and I feel bad about it but have no time to correct that.  I see these thigns and know I could be around 40 games less and I like that.  I've got a few random other Nintendo systems titles I could stuff onto a chop block too.

 

It's sad really, the time just isn't there even if the interest is.  I end up tired enough at the end of the day my motivation is gone and i'll settle in for some tv or whatever instead.

[phoenixdownita]

11 hours ago, krslam said:

I'm giving serious consideration to selling almost all of my collection.  10000+ games, another 8000 or so spares, a couple 100 systems, boxes & boxes of accessories, etc.  I'd probably keep a handful of items but not many.  Don't want to go the ebay route or deal with shipping it and not interested in having someone cherry pick the best.

 

Any suggestions?  I tried contacting some of the local people who run 'wanted-games' ads on craigslist but they want to pay 10 cents on the dollar.  A local game store offered to give me a quote but only if I brought the collection into their store.  No, sorry, not going to load up 2 U-hauls full of gear just because you don't want to travel 10 miles.

 

 

Just for shit'n'giggles, would you mind sharing a little list (doesn't have the to be all of them, say your top 50).

If memory serves Bill clocked at 500+ and that's a lot of stuff ... I take you also collected for computers.

[krslam]

9 hours ago, phoenixdownita said:

Just for shit'n'giggles, would you mind sharing a little list (doesn't have the to be all of them, say your top 50).

If memory serves Bill clocked at 500+ and that's a lot of stuff ... I take you also collected for computers.

I assume, since you highlighted the number of systems, that that's what you're asking about.

 

It's not ~200 different systems.  The collection spans about 50 systems and, yes, that includes several 8-bit (and a few 16-bit) computers.  The quantity comes from duplicates.  I've got 15 or so 2600's, 9 5200's, a dozen Intellivisions, about 25 Commodore 64s if you include all the different models (64,64C,SX64,128,128D), etc.  It adds up.

[phoenixdownita]

15 hours ago, krslam said:

I assume, since you highlighted the number of systems, that that's what you're asking about.

 

It's not ~200 different systems.  The collection spans about 50 systems and, yes, that includes several 8-bit (and a few 16-bit) computers.  The quantity comes from duplicates.  I've got 15 or so 2600's, 9 5200's, a dozen Intellivisions, about 25 Commodore 64s if you include all the different models (64,64C,SX64,128,128D), etc.  It adds up.

15 or so 2600? .... lol  

 

The most I have are 3 Megadrives (one MD1 non TMSS [it came bundled with a MegaCD v1], 2 MD2 [I thought I messed up the first CXA2075 encoder upgrade so bought a spare on eBay just to realize I only messed up the audio reference voltage as the CXA2075 produces none (pin14) ... fixed that and back in business I was with an extra Genny]) and 3 SMS (1JP [for FM], 1EU [for the extra height VDP], 1US [that's were I started]) .... everything else is in single copy and if a fire, flood, lightning or pestilence gets to them .... so be it  

 

 

[+Starwander]

One has to consider the cost of labor to list 10,000+ games, plus shipping the items, dealing with customer questions/returns/fraud. This is a major expense and is the reason that you have been "lowballed" If you want someone else to do the work you have to be willing to pay that difference. Also another factor is the listed prices on E-Bay, even the ones with completed auctions are not reflective of what you are likely to get if you sold the items yourself. If you are a power seller with lots of followers you tend to get much better prices for items than people that are just selling occasionally. There can easily be a 50% difference in ending prices. So even if a game tended to sell for $100 from an established power seller you still might only get $50 for it. The economics of selling on E-Bay are very harsh and the fees for E-Bay and and Pay-Pal quickly add up. If you are serious about selling then the first step is to decide if you want to squeeze as much money out as possible or just want to be done. 60% of the total value based on completed auctions from power sellers is still probably higher than what most will pay. 

[TheCoolDave]

Be 100% sure you want to do this... as getting this stuff back 10 years from now, will be very, very hard, if not very expensive. 

 

I'd clear out of all your spares, pick the best one, and keep a collection... so you do't regret it 10 years from now...

[Atari_Bill]

10 hours ago, phoenixdownita said:

15 or so 2600? .... lol  

 

The most I have are 3 Megadrives (one MD1 non TMSS [it came bundled with a MegaCD v1], 2 MD2 [I thought I messed up the first CXA2075 encoder upgrade so bought a spare on eBay just to realize I only messed up the audio reference voltage as the CXA2075 produces none (pin14) ... fixed that and back in business I was with an extra Genny]) and 3 SMS (1JP [for FM], 1EU [for the extra height VDP], 1US [that's were I started]) .... everything else is in single copy and if a fire, flood, lightning or pestilence gets to them .... so be it  

 

 

Unfortunately it’s not uncommon for many to accumulate that many extras over years of collecting.  Buy a lot here and there and they add up.  I’ve been saying for years that I need to thin my stuff out. I’ve got probably similar numbers, but I just never make the time. 

[Tanooki]

Star wander is right. If you batch dump take 50% and basically be happy.  You’re not taking months or years to do it and not dealing with a 15-20% loss in fees not to mention expenses of tape boxes packing materials and dealing with eBay thieves who scam to steal or save. 

 

That said someone offers under half ignore them as they’re trying to take advantage. 

[imstarryeyed]

My recommendation is don't sell it, as you will most likely get pennies on the dollar.  In my opinion many game "collectors" are only looking for the equivalent of dumpster diving deals.  I owned a classic video game store for 11 years and what I found out is that if you sell piece by piece you will do the best but not in large lots.  Since selling piece by piece would take so long it would become a full time job which you most likely do not want either, catch 22.

 

The big catch here is that people only want certain pieces and for dirt, we used to say, "Videogames is the only collecting field that is collected by poor or cheap people and rarely ever pay high coin, gun or art prices."

 

If you are going to sell it do it piece by piece over the next 5 years or so and make it a side job.

 

[Keatah]

It's a long time coming because it's a not an urgent requirement and I want to be sure of "no regrets". But right now all of it is becoming psychologically burdening.

 

In continuing analyzing and trying to decide what is essential in my hoard of Apple II material I think I'm going to stay with what I had as a kid. My stuff was fairly comprehensive and complete back then, so it's a solid starting point. I want to be able to enjoy the best of the II series without keeping track of and worrying about maintaining extraneous hardware that amounts to little more than alternate methods & presentations (of the II series essence). For example: is there a need for a RamWorks, RamWorks II, and RamWorks III card? All three of them? Do I need the AppleModem 300? Do I need the huge 4'x4'x4' box the MHC shipped in? Do I even need that - for what purpose other than to recreate the photo I saw in advertising as a kid? I'd rather keep my original 16K Microsoft RamCard than that behemoth. Do I need more than 4 Disk II drives? A ProFile drive when I never used one, but instead my Sider II HDD which I used daily for years?

 

So, more and more as my interest grows, wanes, changes, and refocuses over the seasons I'm leaning more and more the "kid way".. I'm keeping the II+ console and //e console. I added a Platinum model in the mid-late 1990's so that stays, too, for a total of 3 units. I didn't have a Platinum //e as a child, but I've grown attached to mine. It's highly reliable and efficient compared to the previous incarnations. And it has II series "genetics". But anything else is a gonner.

 

I've already dumped the /// series and have only a ///+ remaining. The /// is nostalgic to me only in memory. And that was instilled by reading catalogs. Since memory and rainbow goggles go together my perception & imagination (of the ///) is so much better than what it could ever be in real life. Owning one isn't the grandiose experience suggested by high eBay prices or infatuated users waxing poetic. Then or now. The /// series scene is relatively dead compared to other classic Apple machines anyways.

 

The //c. I'm fairly sure they'll be gonners too. Because they are simply cut-down or size-optimized versions of the enhanced //e. I never really had one as a kid and only read about them till after y2k. I think I have 2 or 3 of them now. I don't see any advantage they have over a //e Platinum other than smaller size. I never became nostalgic for them. Sure they could fit smoothly into a reading alcove or small den and such, but then an R-Pi or SFF PC can do so much more so much faster via emulation. It's a wash.

 

The IIgs..? I'm still pondering what to do with my gs stuff. I don't think it's a II series computer in spirit or practice. For a brief instant I visualized it as a bastard hybrid 8/16 bit child. Not able to efficiently utilize any of itself. There will always be half of the computer left hanging when in one mode or the other. Is it a bastard child with a //e-on-a-chip patched into a 16-bit wannabe? Or is it a weak Amiga / AtariST with an Apple //e patched in? Well.. Got a couple of motherboards, 2 consoles, and more than enough parts to completely re-assemble 2 more consoles. Got some accelerators and memory boards and other peripherals. Couple of monitors, drives, SCSI crap, and other odds'n'ends. All of which I hadn't powered up in a long time. So it's likely to go.

 

Seems the essence of the II series lies firmly in the realm of the //e. Seems all modern-day 8-bit apple hacking and classic computing and takes place there. And I had my best of times with the II+ and //e. I clearly recall doing my first 16K upgrades and drive upgrades as well as transitioning into the //e from the II+! We gained so much, MouseText, more firmware features, lowercase, 80-columns, more memory capacity, more cpu instructions, DHR-graphics. More keys on the keyboard. Yet it gave up so little. It remained compatible with nearly all that came before. And what wasn't compatible was usually patched. Even today, things "II+ only" are being fixed to work on the //e.

 

And that's where I'm at with that. I stopped with CraigsList junk hauls and use that time for other hobbies. I'm only sporadically buying some books and documentation // series and PC related docs. Perhaps some some spare parts too. But no more console or peripheral acquisitions. Likely no more card or drive purchases. No more monitor purchases, not that I've done that in a while.

 

But I am highly nostalgic for literature and books of the period so there's that.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Keatah

[Keatah]

1 hour ago, imstarryeyed said:

The big catch here is that people only want certain pieces and for dirt, we used to say, "Videogames is the only collecting field that is collected by poor or cheap people and rarely ever pay high coin, gun or art prices."

That is very very true. There was a time when I was hoping Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak would pay my collection a personal visit and bestow their blessings on a job well done. But, alas, I discovered I was quite full of shit and needed an enema.

 

I don't think anyone is impressed by my hoard no matter how nicely I have/had it displayed. No matter how rare or unique the pieces were nobody gave a damn. And Apple computers are a step-up from mere dumb-ass videogames some would say. No matter. The respect level is the same low-point any videogame collection garners.

 

The only saving grace is I accumulated a lot of this stuff when eBay was new and got some hella-deals. Like the SuperDrives, $25 each. Or a ZipGSX under $100. Or a RocketChip for $9.95. A //c for $3.95 from the resale shop? Hellyeh! Atari 800 $0.00 please-take-it! Ohh and here's a C64 circuitboard want that too? ..and the shit piles up!

 

Sometimes I just want someone to come take it all away and be done with it!

Edited September 24, 2019 by Keatah

[Tanooki]

Ugh I know how you feel, it is a burden and I have been splitting away towards the what I got in the 80s and 90s (earlier 00s for GBA+Cube) stays and the rest can slag off.  I don't have the time and it's impacting my fun with the newest because I'm racking up unfinished regrets while having to not get new stuff as it would add to the problem.  Right now I'd love to be playing Switch Zelda and DQ when that hits in days, but that isn't happening.

 

Despite really enjoying the DS and PSP I got over the summer, and a PCE I've had 2 years now, I'm waffling hard on just giving in and pulling out the camera and clearing some future shipping shelf space, maybe even the little PSone+LCD and my few titles.  Less distraction would let me focus on what is going on but I'm just not comfortable with it.

[krslam]

Good suggestions, all.  Looks like I'm in for a few years of work as I dispose of it piecemeal. 

[+GoldenWheels]

Don't do it!

 

OTOH

 

Ten bucks for all of it!

[Flojomojo]

3 hours ago, krslam said:

Looks like I'm in for a few years of work as I dispose of it piecemeal. 

Also a steady stream of tax-free income!

 

[VectorGamer]

I had a selloff a few years ago and was able to turn a bunch of stuff that was just sitting around into $4000. I didn't have as much stuff as the OP obviously. Little by little, week by week I sold this and that on eBay and made weekly visits to the post office for shipping. It took me about 3 months to sell and ship everything and I don't miss anything that I sold.

 

This weekend I plan on getting the garage cleaned out and hope to begin my final selloff on eBay. I need to raise some money and I have a low tolerance for stuff sitting around the house that doesn't get used.

 

I think the Vectrex will be the last thing I sell. I'm still undecided. If there's one thing to keep I think it would be the Vectrex.