Why do major collectors here talk down the prices of games?

[Crazy Climber]

Ok, here is the last thing I will say about why I Speculate/Invest/Collect. Fact is I do not make much money. While other people go on trips I spend that on Atari 2600. While others get new clothes I spend it on Atari. Why do I do this? Because, I will probably go nowhere in my life. I have resigned myself to the fact the I will probably always make just enough to scrap by. Buying this stuff gives me hope as a person that one day maybe my life won't be so strugling. This is the same reason that you see people buy the Lottery. They believe that theirs is the one in the 150 Million that will actually be the ticket to get them out of their poverty. I would probably be one of those habitual lottery buyers, but I am too rational of a person to ignore the fact that it is 1 in a 150 million. With the Atari 2600 I can atleast visually see a scenario where the video game market will turn into something that has happened previously to the comic market and the baseball card market. I also buy because this is one of the few things I can actually have a decent collection in. I honestly feel that I have one of the top 100 Atari 2600 collections in the United States. I can't think of another hobby where a person of my limited income can say something like that. And one more thing I really do love the Atari 2600. I truly believe it is the pinicle of game play. A time when what mattered was the game play, not how shiny and cool the graphics are. Ok, I am going to self impose a 5 year moretorium on certain things that I do here on atarage.

1. Speculate what some game will go for in price when it is on Ebay.

2. Speculate on what a game is worth. If you want to PM me and ask I will be glad to assist.

3. Defend one of my games value if someone starts to talk trash on it. Yes even the great Atlantis II with Docs.

4. Give the reason I Speculate/Invest/Collect.

I will still respond when a game sells for a certain price but I don't really count that as speculating. Believe it or not I believe the market is stronger than a ton of peope trying to talk up a price and I beleive the market is stronger than a ton of people trying to talk down a price. In the long run the market will always bear the truth no matter what people say. This is the last time I will post in this thread. So if you have some question, I will not respond to it in this thread. I think that some people here really believe that I am responsible for some of the high prices recently. By doing this it will show that it had nothing to do with me. If I slip up you guys got to get on my tail about my 5 year moretorium on this stuff.

I wasn't going to say anything else but this post really got me to thinking man. As said by many people already, 2600 games is a very bad investment, but you have already heard that so I don't need to repeat the reasons everyone has already said. If you are truely just scraping by in able to have a couple carts that are worth a few thousand bucks I would recommend selling as well (I personally have zero interest in either of them so this is not a ploy to buy them off you)

Atari 2600 games will go up in value but it is and always will be a niche market, and they will not go up in value enough to make it worth the struggle you will endure now to afford them. Even...*Gasp....US Savings bonds would mature faster then 2600 games in my opinion. I know you would love for this to be the next Baseball card or Comic fad but the fact is it won't be, think more a long the lines of Pogs as far as an investment goes. I won't ramble any more and this isn't meant to bash you at all, I consider the members here as friends and this is just meant as friendly advice. Don't let high hopes of Atari games maturing into big bucks prevent you from living life. Sell your high dollar games and put the money down on a house or something.

[Scumdogg]

I know you would love for this to be the next Baseball card or Comic fad but the fact is it won't be, think more a long the lines of Pogs as far as an investment goes.

 

 

Sweet, i have a huge box of pogs in my toy room closet! I will trade them for Atari carts to the first interested party.

[Marco]

Talking down the prices based on a very clear and recent pattern in the trade market is a different matter altogether though and would be considered a nice gesture. Talking up the prices based on patterns also is a pretty cool heads-up in my book, because I really hate to waste my time.

 

I'm talking about 10 year patterns (and believe me, I know what it is to overpay for an Atari 2600 item)

 

Cheers,

Marco

Edited May 30, 2007 by Marco

[DeusExMachina]

Talking down the prices based on a very clear and recent pattern in the trade market is a different matter altogether though and would be considered a nice gesture. Talking up the prices based on patterns also is a pretty cool heads-up in my book, because I really hate to waste my time.

 

I'm talking about 10 year patterns (and believe me, I know what it is to overpay for an Atari 2600 item)

 

Cheers,

Marco

 

Marco has been around long enough to see many collectors come and go...and sometimes come again. He has seen many prices go up and down over the years.

 

I still can't believe I sold him a Boing! Box for $15

Edited May 30, 2007 by DeusExMachina

[Video]

I know you would love for this to be the next Baseball card or Comic fad but the fact is it won't be, think more a long the lines of Pogs as far as an investment goes.

 

 

Sweet, i have a huge box of pogs in my toy room closet! I will trade them for Atari carts to the first interested party.

COOL!!1!

 

I got an UlTrA rare Pac-=man cart for 2600/5200/7800/Nintendo Atari atari whatever that I'll trade you for that.

 

On a more serious note. I seriously doubt Atari will ever be worth anything. Only a few uber rare (confirmed, that is) games will ever go up in value, as they simply are going to get rarer. If you want to collect games for rarety sake, try NeoGeo stuff instead (the console, not the handheld) Of course, you'll fork out a lot of cash to start with there too. But it's almost certainly not going to go down in price.

 

Was I the only person on the planet that didn't buy pogs when they were new thinking they would never be worth anuthing? I got a bunch, but I got them as donations from friends who finey figured tey wouldn't be worth anuthng and just gave them to me

 

And hey, I like them personally...

[Crazy Climber]

I know you would love for this to be the next Baseball card or Comic fad but the fact is it won't be, think more a long the lines of Pogs as far as an investment goes.

 

 

Sweet, i have a huge box of pogs in my toy room closet! I will trade them for Atari carts to the first interested party.

COOL!!1!

 

I got an UlTrA rare Pac-=man cart for 2600/5200/7800/Nintendo Atari atari whatever that I'll trade you for that.

 

On a more serious note. I seriously doubt Atari will ever be worth anything. Only a few uber rare (confirmed, that is) games will ever go up in value, as they simply are going to get rarer. If you want to collect games for rarety sake, try NeoGeo stuff instead (the console, not the handheld) Of course, you'll fork out a lot of cash to start with there too. But it's almost certainly not going to go down in price.

 

Was I the only person on the planet that didn't buy pogs when they were new thinking they would never be worth anuthing? I got a bunch, but I got them as donations from friends who finey figured tey wouldn't be worth anuthng and just gave them to me

 

And hey, I like them personally...

Remeber ALF? Well he's back.....in POG form.

[Atari2600Lives]

So lemme ask you, 2600lives, did you get to have some fun with Lochjaw and Pepsi Invaders? If so, then they were worthwhile purchases.

 

 

You bet I did. I do absolutely feel that even if I "over pay" for something I truly enjoy, then it is worth while.

 

I also collect Muscle cars. That is a whole other world. I know some guys that hold out for 2 years to save $1000 on a $60,000 car. I will pay the extra $1000 and enjoy the heck out of it for those two years...so who is getting the better vlaue then? /shrug...who knows....

Edited May 31, 2007 by Atari2600Lives

[CPUWIZ]

I also collect Muscle cars. That is a whole other world. I know some guys that hold out for 2 years to save $1000 on a $60,000 car. I will pay the extra $1000 and enjoy the heck out of it for those two years...so who is getting the better vlaue then? /shrug...who knows....

 

Got a pic of your collection of cars?

[+remowilliams]

I also collect Muscle cars. That is a whole other world. I know some guys that hold out for 2 years to save $1000 on a $60,000 car. I will pay the extra $1000 and enjoy the heck out of it for those two years...so who is getting the better vlaue then? /shrug...who knows....

You take your muscle cars out of the crate and play with them? Now they're not worth nearly as much!

 

 

[DeusExMachina]

So lemme ask you, 2600lives, did you get to have some fun with Lochjaw and Pepsi Invaders? If so, then they were worthwhile purchases.

 

 

You bet I did. I do absolutely feel that even if I "over pay" for something I truly enjoy, then it is worth while.

 

I also collect Muscle cars. That is a whole other world. I know some guys that hold out for 2 years to save $1000 on a $60,000 car. I will pay the extra $1000 and enjoy the heck out of it for those two years...so who is getting the better vlaue then? /shrug...who knows....

 

 

Are your muscle cars CIB or loose?

[Atari2600Lives]

I also collect Muscle cars. That is a whole other world. I know some guys that hold out for 2 years to save $1000 on a $60,000 car. I will pay the extra $1000 and enjoy the heck out of it for those two years...so who is getting the better vlaue then? /shrug...who knows....

 

Got a pic of your collection of cars?

 

 

heheh I like the responses

 

I will start a thread on general chat on my car collection. I do not think it is fair to hijack this thread...see you there car lovers.

Edited May 31, 2007 by Atari2600Lives

[Lord Thag]

Interesting points being made. I agree that game collecting as an 'investment' isn't the best way to spend your money. A lot of folks justify spending way too much money on stuff by calling it an investment, but it's really not the best way to spend your money if profit is what your after.

 

Some people go nuts and buy everything in site over the course of a year or two, and then sell out, and a lot of the rarer games are really worth what someone is willing to spend at the time. If you get someone who wants what you got, and has the money to throw around, then you get a nice profit above the usual goinmg price.

 

What it comes down to, in the end, is whether or not you enjoy what you buy. I think a lot of people feel the need to justify their collecting hobby, but really, what's the difference between someone who spends $800 on rims, or stereo equipment? If you enjoy it, didn't put yourself in hock to do so, and live a (reasonably ) well adjusted life, who cares?

 

I'm by no means a 'major' collector, and I certainly do not know anywhere near the current market value for a lot of this stuff, but I will say this. I know a few of the bigger collectors around here outside of these boards, including one who has just about every Atari 2600 related thing ever made. If they are telling you how rare/valuable something is, then you may want to listen. These are guys who have been collecting for decades, and know their stuff. That's what I've found to be true, anyway.

 

Just my two cents.