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Speculation going on with Vectrex consoles?


classicgamesnut

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     Since I'm on US Ebay frequently I like to check in on prices of Vectrex and other classic consoles.  With many if not most consoles, a "buy it now" price is generally 20-30% higher than the average final selling price of the same unit on auction, and that's convenient for buyers, myself included, who really want a specific item and don't want to wait for it to show up on auction.  Here in the past year, though, that percentage has jumped off the scale with Vectrex consoles.  The final selling prices of Vectrex consoles on auction have risen a small amount during this time, but the "buy-it-now" prices I've never seen so high.  $1500?  $2000?  Even seen $3000 for nice CIB units with a handful of games but there was nothing exceptional about the packaging or games, at least by common standards of the past.

     Nothing in this post is intended to be critical of anyone, but I am curious why this is going on.  Speculators branching out from the Nintendo speculation boom, maybe?

 

     Larry

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Vectrex has always been expensive in my opinion.  But that is really expensive.  Speculation?  I don't think so.  I think it is the vast wads of expendable cash people have lately due to freebies handed out by Uncle Sam, etc.  I know several video game store owners and they have had an incredible couple of years with all of that free cash people got that was so imperative for them during covid.  So imperative they bought Switch consoles and new Xbox and Playstation consoles and games along with vintage gaming systems, too.  That is why the prices are high.  Many people are throwing cash at these toys that was intended to help them survive.  Wait and see what happens when the piper comes calling.  I think we will see the bottom drop out of these insane prices then.  People will need cars and gas, not video games.  In the USA there is a lot of money being spent on entertainment instead of necessities.  When the expendable cash dries up because people are buying food or paying for housing or utilities these frivolous things will be worthless.  We'll see.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Oh some people are, believe me, which is unfortunate. Hopefully the "bubble" pops soon! That's all we can hope for. ?

 

Try to stay patient and keep your eyes peeled.. Good deals still do pop up once in a while though, even on ebay, and when they do, you better be quick on the draw. ;)

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On 9/19/2021 at 9:29 AM, jgkspsx said:

Nobody is buying them at those stupid prices. I have often heard that such auctions are the result of a promise to a spouse to put something up for sale that one does not want to sell…

 

Stuff is definitely selling.  I moved about 4k worth of atari 8bit stuff last year.  Selling high as fast as I can list it. People complain about ebay's commissions but for me, compared to the speed of selling on forums, it was worth every penny.

 

I can also say, that the prices have even gone up since I sold last year.  

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Not that people aren’t buying games for stupid prices, but nobody is paying $3000 for a Vectrex console.

Not nobody. I thought about it for a new in box Vectrex. They are about $2000-$2500. But your average Vectrex is between $450-$650. A nice minty one $800-$1100. Ofcourse you might get lucky, and hopefully this is just a bubble.
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15 hours ago, adamchevy said:


Not nobody. I thought about it for a new in box Vectrex. They are about $2000-$2500. But your average Vectrex is between $450-$650. A nice minty one $800-$1100. Ofcourse you might get lucky, and hopefully this is just a bubble.

Holy moly, that's just insane.  It really makes me pause to appreciate the stuff I have when I read crap like this.

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..as people buy the stuff at higher prices, those higher prices become the norm.

I’ve thought a lot about that as I’ve looked for a Vectrex recently. I don’t think I would realistically pay over $1500 for a Vectrex new in box. The problem is how rare these items have become. After talking with a few Vectrex collectors the consensus is that there may be 500 or less new Vectrexs in the box.

As strictly a player and not so much a collector it horrifies them when I tell them I just want one so I can open it and have that new console experience.

I would be just as happy opening a reproduction Vectrex, but I don’t think we will see one anytime soon.
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Holy moly, that's just insane.  It really makes me pause to appreciate the stuff I have when I read crap like this.

Really the prices haven’t changed much over time. A mint Vectrex was $500-$750 when I first started buying them in 2014. An increase of $150-300 isn’t that insane.

 

The Vectrex is a very different system than any other, especially retro systems. It’s not like you can go buy a new vector monitor easily and replace the one you have.

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It is kind of like how every kid deserves a puppy, every classic gamer enthusiast needs to experience the Vectrex.  There is nothing like it and you'll never forget it.  Minestorm by itself almost makes the sizeable purchase worth it. 

 

But I would never, ever want to ship (or be shipped) one of these delicate babies......local pick up only!

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It is kind of like how every kid deserves a puppy, every classic gamer enthusiast needs to experience the Vectrex.  There is nothing like it and you'll never forget it.  Minestorm by itself almost makes the sizeable purchase worth it. 
 
But I would never, ever want to ship (or be shipped) one of these delicate babies......local pick up only!

I’ve had every one of them shipped to me and they have all worked. I even had one shipped from the Netherlands all the way to Utah. I’m not sure they are as delicate as you think. I’ve owned 4 different Vectrex Units.
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4 Vectrexes and you're looking for another one?!  OK it's not market speculators, it's you that's the problem!  Kidding, kidding :P

 

@adamchevy I am scratching my head as to why you'd want to put that much money down on an new/unopened Vectrex when you already have one or more that you can play right now.  Also, when you refer to a "mint" Vectrex, do you mean without box or complete in box?

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4 Vectrexes and you're looking for another one?!  OK it's not market speculators, it's you that's the problem!  Kidding, kidding [emoji14]
 
[mention=36990]adamchevy[/mention] I am scratching my head as to why you'd want to put that much money down on an new/unopened Vectrex when you already have one or more that you can play right now.  Also, when you refer to a "mint" Vectrex, do you mean without box or complete in box?

Oh how I wish I hadn’t sold my Vectrex consoles over the years to fund other projects/interests. But as has been mentioned they cost quite a bit and they hold their value.

Im now slowly rebuilding my Vectrex collection. I started with games, then moved on to controllers. I’ve been looking for a really nice minty/new one but they are pretty much non existent from what I’ve been able to find so far. Im sure it is do to the fact that some collectors own 4 or more Vectrex consoles these days. I’ve been thinking the same thing myself the past few weeks.
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My interest in buying a Vectrex began in 2000 and they were usually around $400 then, although deals were to be found for the lucky or diligent buyer. In 2015, after 15 years of searching and trying to be that lucky or diligent buyer, I finally bought one for $400. If anyone is really serious about buying a Vectrex, my advise is do it now. 

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To answer my own question, I guess there is the scopetrex. But you need to find an Oscilloscope monitor to hook it up to. I’ve also seen a guy on Hackaday that turned an ordinary CRT Tv into an XY monitor and hooked it up to a Scopetrex. That’s all really nifty but it looks like a pretty serious project. I think the Vectrex will be possible to emulate accurately once a technology like Oled or Mini Led becomes mature. I’m not sure if it will look the same, but possibly it might look better?

 

I’m sure there’s a display technology that will come along that will emulate it accurately. It just might be 10-20 years from now.

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Can vector graphics be converted to raster graphics?
Answer: A raster graphic, which is made up of a specific number of pixels cannot be translated into a vector graphic, an image made up of paths. While it is possible to create a vector image (i.e. an EPS file) from a raster graphic (i.e. a JPEG image), an exact conversion is not possible today and I doubt it ever will be even 10-20 years from now, unless technology finds a way to turn apples into oranges.
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