How does it end ? (if it does at all...)

[Lord Thag]

I've had a friend pull solid state TV's out of the LAKE (where they've sat for 20+ years), hose them out, and have them fire right up. I think the Atari stuff will last a long time. I also thing that 75 years from now, a working vintage system will sell for BIG bucks. Look at the prices for vintage pinball and other turn of the century items. Certainly (I think) over the long haul, they will hold at least comperable value.

 

This doesn't mean that the 'fad' game of the moment (say Air Raid) will hold it's value over the long term (look how chase the chuckwagon has dropped). However, I do think the stuff in general will be worth something.

 

That being said, who cares? I collect the games to play. I'm going to put up a sign on my gameroom door that says 'The Labyrinth of Worlds'.

 

What other hobby allows you to collect alternate, digital universes?

 

You can keep your stinking coins and stamps, thank you very much!

[Paranoid]

 

This doesn't mean that the 'fad' game of the moment (say Air Raid) will hold it's value over the long term (look how chase the chuckwagon has dropped). However, I do think the stuff in general will be worth something.

 

1019650[/snapback]

 

There is a difference here. The "fad" game of the moment isn't always (or even generally) a GOOD game. Chase the Chuckwagon is a great example of this. The auction for a jogging mat and game that was bidding at $550 last time I checked is another example. This is just collector mania based solely on *rarity* and has nothing to do with the REAL reason that this hobby exists, which is to relive *great* games. A fool and his money... will soon own a game that was a waste of materials when it was first released and have an empty checking account.

 

Whereas River Raid *is* clearly one of the shining classic examples of great game play on the Atari 2600. Pitfall is another. A lot of times, these games are less valuable from a collector's perspective simply because they were much more common (because they were acknowledged hit successes in their own day). But the truth is, over the LONGEST haul, I think these obscure, rare, and generally crappy games will disappear... and it will be the classic HITS that eventually emerge as the titles with TRUE longevity.

 

It really strikes me as ironic that a lot of the most sought after games today were the ones that sold in dismally poor numbers when they were NEW because everyone *knew* they were garbage. I often wonder if the serious collectors stop to question themselves when they're dropping a C note or more for a game that originally couldn't sell in the $5 bin at Kay*Bee.

[Red 5]

A lot of interesting theories here.

 

I agree that games like Kaboom and Adventure will be the sought after games of the future. However a few 'rare' games will still be sought after as well.

 

I think that Chase the Chuckwagon, Swordquest Waterworld, Tooth Protectors and Quadrun have built up enough fame to be considered the rare gems just on reputation alone. Video game collectors who do not collect 'die hard' for Atari have probably heard of those four at least, if not a few others. Therefore, those MAY be popular and retain value in the distant future.

 

Unless there is a lot more talk about Video Jogger in the future, I agree it may disapear into a 'who cares' obscurity. I also don't think that people will be dying to get their hands on the 'Color Bar Generator' but right now a lot of people would jump at it if it popped up on Ebay.

 

I love speculating on this stuff.

 

For those of you who yell, 'who cares, I collect for fun!' I just wanted to let you know that I do as well. I just am hypothesizing about what Atari collecting will be like 70 years from now (or, as the title says, if anyone will be collecting it at all.)

Edited February 17, 2006 by therealred5