This is what is ruining 2600 collecting

[THE AtariGuy]

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/234383967774?hash=item36925f861e:g:eCkAAOSwL4tgtsRJ

Nearly $100,000 cad for a sealed adventure 

 

 

[bikeguychicago]

I'll offer what it's really worth ($30) and see how well that goes over. Hopefully no one is stupid enough to actually pay what he's asking.

[+cjherr]

Forgive what may be a silly question, but as someone who collects to play and not to display, is something like this even in the realm of possibility? Are there collectors  who would actually pay this, or is this someone who is grossly inflating the value in order to hopefully snag someone to pay for their kid’s college?

[delmero]

31 minutes ago, cjherr said:

Forgive what may be a silly question, but as someone who collects to play and not to display, is something like this even in the realm of possibility? Are there collectors  who would actually pay this, or is this someone who is grossly inflating the value in order to hopefully snag someone to pay for their kid’s college?

Both

[JetSetIlly]

Good video on the topic

 

 

 

[Jasonhrb]

4 hours ago, bikeguychicago said:

I'll offer what it's really worth ($30) and see how well that goes over. Hopefully no one is stupid enough to actually pay what he's asking.

I outbid you. I offered 50 usd, but it was instantly rejected ?

[+KaeruYojimbo]

7 minutes ago, Jasonhrb said:

I outbid you. I offered 50 usd, but it was instantly rejected ?

Probably payed the scammers, I mean graders more than that.

[Atari_Bill]

1 hour ago, cjherr said:

Forgive what may be a silly question, but as someone who collects to play and not to display, is something like this even in the realm of possibility? Are there collectors  who would actually pay this, or is this someone who is grossly inflating the value in order to hopefully snag someone to pay for their kid’s college?

For many it is has become an “investment” scam. WATA continues to buy up items and keep an inflated price out there while manipulating “the market”.  Im hoping it goes away soon, but as long as they’re making money off these, it’s going to continue.  

[Linndrum]

Just like NFT's, it's a bullshit way for people to make money while ruining everyone else's good time.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Linndrum

[MrMaddog]

I thought the whole point of online auctions was to start at the absolute lowest bidding price, since when did eBay became Sotheby's?

 

[delmero]

As long as there's people paying up for this nonsense, it will continue. 

That WATA company why nobody has reported them to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). 

[stepho]

I see the same thing on other types of auctions.

I see an item that I would value at, say, $100 .
But the item is listed at $2000 .
Nobody in their right mind would pay that.
But the auction remains up for a couple of years.
Eventually somebody sends an offer of $500 - which is accepted.
Seller got way more than it is worth.
Buyer thinks he got it for a fraction of its value.

 

Or it might just be the seller parking it for a while without paying list/delist fees to eBay - or possibly just doesn't want to recreate the listing details again.

[waynel]

Some people speculate that it's a method of money laundering. 
 

There are easier ways (selling commercial kitchen equipment comes to mind), but perhaps there is value in diversifying. 

[AtariBrian]

On 3/6/2022 at 12:54 PM, delmero said:

As long as there's people paying up for this nonsense, it will continue. 

That WATA company why nobody has reported them to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). 

I thought I just recently seen that WATA was bought out by PSA.

[vrocko]

I can see that with comic books, my friend does CGC grading all the time for his store, but most comic books are $10.00 tops if you want one to read and one to keep aside depending on the book. An Action Comics first issue will cost you a couple mill so I'll just look for it online to read. Videogames you could do the same but really why? You can't play the game, you can't read the manual, you don't want to open it. I suppose you could say well there's emulation so I'll play it that way. I know games have been going up, look at Jag games, NES games, Sega Saturn games, etc., but I'd like to play it on the original hardware, can't do that sealed in a plastic box. 

[azure]

On 3/5/2022 at 7:58 AM, bikeguychicago said:

I'll offer what it's really worth ($30) and see how well that goes over. Hopefully no one is stupid enough to actually pay what he's asking.

I put in an offer also. He turned me down instantly. Sigh.

Edited March 8, 2022 by azure

[Mockduck]

I agree the current WATA/auction inflation is a real bummer, but as a collector I tend to have to play the long game anyway, and I have to believe that eventually this nonsense will end and the circle of people involved will get tired of sending each other stupid money for stupid plastic boxes, or law enforcement will finally start looking into it all. 

 

Here's hoping. Also hoping that Jaguar games have their bubble burst, but at least that has a reason for it (relatively low numbers produced and still around, mostly.)

[CapitanClassic]

I don't really do video game collecting any more, and am much happier with a Harmony cart (or other flashcart) and original hardware, or even emulation.
 

These prices won’t last forever though. Adventure (1980) should have hit its price peak about 25 - 35 years (2005-2015) after its release, when nostalgia kicks in and people have hit their peak earning years. Everyone who wanted a copy of the game likely bought a copy years ago. Eventually people die, and the market for people who grew up with these games (or transferred their excitement to their kids) disappears. At that point (65-75 years), the majority of those games are just old peoples junk, and most will end up in the dump.

 

Just hope you aren’t the sucker holding the bag when this bubble collapses. It will by 2055 (or earlier).

[keithbk]

Well, if you KNOW it's a bubble, RIDE IT OUT. Otherwise, now may be a good time to sell.

 

My son decided to sell his Pokemon cards this past year and made out VERY well. And he used Heritage Auctions. The prices started to decline AFTER he sold.

[Keatah]

I had my emulation collection graded recently. It came in at just under $2,000.

Edited March 8, 2022 by Keatah
Fix price.

[keithbk]

4 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

I don't really do video game collecting any more, and am much happier with a Harmony cart (or other flashcart) and original hardware, or even emulation.
 

These prices won’t last forever though. Adventure (1980) should have hit its price peak about 25 - 35 years (2005-2015) after its release, when nostalgia kicks in and people have hit their peak earning years. Everyone who wanted a copy of the game likely bought a copy years ago. Eventually people die, and the market for people who grew up with these games (or transferred their excitement to their kids) disappears. At that point (65-75 years), the majority of those games are just old peoples junk, and most will end up in the dump.

 

Just hope you aren’t the sucker holding the bag when this bubble collapses. It will by 2055 (or earlier).

Because Atari Adventure is a key plot point in the "Ready Player One" movie, I think it has a bigger value now than a few years ago, just by putting the title in front of all the younger generations. 

 

 

Anyone else find it annoying they put the Adventure "win" sound in for finding the Easter Egg, when the real game doesn't do that? LOL

Edited March 9, 2022 by keithbk

[R.Cade]

3 hours ago, Keatah said:

I had my emulation collection graded recently. It came in at just under $2,000.

Haha..

 

[jhd]

On 3/8/2022 at 7:27 PM, Keatah said:

I had my emulation collection graded recently. It came in at just under $2,000.

 

I have this vision of a flash drive sealed in a plastic case proudly on display in Keatah's living room as the centerpiece of his gaming collection. 

[Keatah]

Amazing.. You must be a grade-A seer. Because that wouldn't be far off! A little flair with a plexi-glass pyramid does the trick.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Keatah

[roadrunner]

Grading is not going away.

No matter what you collect, every hobby seems to have graders, resellers or hoarders.


Happy collecting.