looking for tips from collectors

[Shannon]

OK.. I've gone down the path and there is no turning back, but I was wondering if you pro's can feed me some tips etc, on methods you use to "contain your habit".. or in other words stay focused. I'll give some examples as to be more clear.

 

I currently own a (maybe broken NES) , SNES, Genesis 2, 7800, Atari 130XE, Nintendo 64, 2 Dreamcasts, Playstation 1&2, Gamecube, Xbox, GB color, GBA, GBA SP, and various accessories/games for these (I'm currently working on creating an inventory list so I can keep track of everything I have "FUN!.. NOT!".

 

Anyways I got the bug, after having a nostalgia attack from visiting here, and actually stumbling across a local store with some old goodies. I have seen the light and decided to catch up on all those cool systems I missed out on.

 

Here is the current situation. I decided for the most part to start off with handhelds that I passed over the last 10 years. So I acquired a neogeo pocket, gamegear, sega nomad, atari lynx II. I eventually will get the turbo express and maybe that handheld that plays NES games. My current plan of attack is to start with necessary accesories (like rechargeable battery packs, power supplies, carrying cases, etc). Then to tackle the games.

 

Here is the rub. I'm not sure where to start. More on that in a minute. I'm currently in negotiations for a 2nd Sega Saturn system, and possible in the near future a 3DO system. In addition I got my grubby little paws on a 5200 system in pretty decent shape w/ about 5 carts.

 

As you can see I'm like a little kid in a candy store that can't make up his mind what to do. I'm sure as you more experienced collectors know a hobby like this can really eat into the budget. So I wanted to "manage" myself a little. So I was looking for little tips from the pro's.

 

Like... Where to start? Should I bother with just getting carts? Or should I hold out for box and manual to save money in the long run? Where are some good places too look to buy or for rarity/going price lists for comparison. Being that my collections are fairly new I obviously don't have dups/etc sitting around. Also some systems like the 2600 I probably have not intention of "playing" alot of carts except for testing. With emulation at the point it is I can do just fine playing them emulated. Although I do plan on making use of my newly acquired handhelds.

 

I'm pretty sure over time I'll get dupes, etc for trading purposes but for now as a beginner I just need that kick start to get the juice going. So is it best to try and focus on one system? Or grab the bargains as you see them? One thing I've been realizing it's very tempting to pick up some of the CD based console games that are still floating around in the stores simply because they are pretty much in "new" unopened state. Especially after seeing the lousy condition some places keep used items in. But I also figure I'm more likely to get some mileage concentrating on the cart based systems simply because of the prices!

 

As you can see I'm a little confused and am just looking for some advice from some vets on methods the use, lessons learned, experience gained so I can save myself some trouble in the long run.

[Galaga_Freak]

Well as for boxed games vs. cart only, what are your intentions as to your collection? If you collect to play the games I would say get the carts first, then find the boxes later. In my experience boxes tend to be a lot harder to find than the carts themselves especially for the older systems like 2600 and intellivision (see my other post in the marketplace forum )

 

I would also humbly disagree with the playing on an emulator, there's just nothing like playing on the original system (numb thumbs and all! ).

 

J.

[sku_u]

I'm pretty sure over time I'll get dupes, etc for trading purposes but for now as a beginner I just need that kick start to get the juice going.  So is it best to try and focus on one system?  Or grab the bargains as you see them?  One thing I've been realizing it's very tempting to pick up some of the CD based console games that are still floating around in the stores simply because they are pretty much in "new" unopened state.  Especially after seeing the lousy condition some places keep used items in.  But I also figure I'm more likely to get some mileage concentrating on the cart based systems simply because of the prices!

 

Hey Shannon, it looks like you are experiencing a case of game collecting ADD.

 

One tip I have for you is to focus on one system until you get most of what you want, then turn your attention to other systems. You will of course run into some problems when collecting for the 2600 which, to my knowledge, no one has a complete 2600 collection of. There are simply too many pirate carts, R10s, prototypes, label variations, etc to make this a legitimate possibility.

 

While out on the hunt for the system you are focusing on, never turn away from great deals even if they are for systems you are not even remotely interested in. This is a good way to add to your trade bin. Even if you don't collect for a system like the Channel F, there are plenty in this and other similar communities who do who will in turn have games you collect that they don't necessarily need.

 

A good starting point (and I STRESS starting point) would be to purchase the DP rarity giude. It is a great place to get a general idea on rarity and value for many of the collectable systems out there. There are also some great sites to check out like www.vintagegamer.net where you can familiarize yourself with NES systems.

 

Posting and reading though these forums can be a great help to you as well as there are tons of very knowledgeable collectors and some of the original game designers as well.

 

I hope this is some help to you and hope to trade with you in the future.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[jetset]

Just go with it and spend your money!!

 

The one cool thing you mentioned though is the use of emulators. True, the real thing is better, but if you are into collecting for the fun of playing the games, it is a good way to test and see what you like. Spending a ton of $$ on a rare cart is all well and good, but remember MOST of the rare games are rare for a reason. Most of them SUCKED and nobody wanted to play them so not many were made!

 

I mostly have commons right now myself, but I love my collection of 2600/5200 games. Most of the ones I acquired are fun to play. I wish I had more manuals, and it would be nice to have boxes, but the boxes (to me) are not important. They just take up space really.

 

As far as getting dupes, there are plenty of great people right here @ AA to trade with, so it doesn't hurt to have dupes to trade...

 

Have fun with it!!!!!

[Shannon]

ok well apparently at least creating this message helped me clear my thoughts a little. So I'll provide some environmental information in to explain some of my reasoning. As well as my logic based on deduction.

 

I'm assuming that finding games in boxed condition is probably something less likely than finding them loose. Also I figure it is unlikely I'll actually play these systems (outside emulation) for reasons listed next. My thinking being, in the long run, since I'm using emulation why bother with loose carts until I've exhausted the boxed cart route. Chances are if I had a boxed title I would leave it that way, but I have no problems opening it to use the cartridge. I'd probably leave the rest inside for safe keeping.

 

If I came across a loose cart cheap that I know is rare I'd probably grab it regardless.

 

When it comes to CD based systems. My thinking is similar. I'm more concerned about protecting the case and the manuau. I'm not afraid to use the CD, although if I can I use back-ups instead. One nice thing about originals, they are easy for my son to identify since he can't read.

 

Space is one of the biggest limitations. I only have so much "open" space available to keep systems where they can be used. Emulation currently provides the best way of playing some of these classics until I can create a larger "gaming room". My son is the other. There is no way I'd let him handle some of the more easily broken/less common systems (like my newly acquired 5200 controllers). I'm constantly having to keep him from "discovering" the systems I do not want him to know about. He's got a keen eye for "games".. lol

 

As for the handhelds. I'm hoping to make good use of these. So except for games I don't like I'll probably be carrying a handful of carts around loose. But again my reasoning is if the box is hard to find, why not start there? I only need a handful of games to satisfy my game playing cravings.

 

When it comes to accessories and add-ons. To me the pecking order is... Essentials (power supply, etc), carrying case (for protection and storage), anything that enhances gameplay, gadgets (like a gboy camera and printer which I would never use), other (things like link cables, etc). But for really rare stuff... I have not really gotten to that point. Again I'd pick something up if I felt it was rare and the price was right.

 

Things I don't know. How much would any of you pay for a cart, vs for a cart w/manual, vs a cart boxed w/manual, for a fairly common game. Doesn't matter if it is opened.

 

For example I can get some 2600 carts loose (no manual) for a buck a piece. Is that too much? is $4-$10 bucks for a 2600 game with box and manual too much, too little? Same goes for the 5200 games, and probably 7800 games.

 

I see sega genesis, gamegear, nes, and SNES carts all the time loose selling for about $4-$10 bucks a piece. Is this too much? Out of the systems that I listed that I have, which ones are the harder to find? This is why I'm asking collectors, cause they are more familar with "availability".

 

I'm not too interested in the really rare stuff like prototype boards and such which I could end up spending hundreds on. Though if I do get lucky and see an extremely rare item cheap I'll probably try to shoot for it. Although at some point I'll probably look into console variations (like 4/6 switch 2600, 2600 jr, different color gameboys, etc).

 

I'm not real real picky about condition (unless it is a CD), but as long as the label is intact, manual not completely ruined, even if the box is slightly wrinkled/crushed.. I can live with that.

 

I'm not familar with traps/drawbacks with ordering online, or on using ebay. I do know that shipping can affect end price. On ebay I usually see what rating a seller has, glance thru the feedback, see what other stuff they sell. All to get an idea if they can be trusted. Luckily I'm not too gullible and can usually tell if an ebayer knows what they are talking about, or at least appears to be being honest.

 

Tonight I spent some time flipping thru ebay 5200 auctions. (Man it was tempting to jump in on some of them). I'll probably monitor the current ones to get an idea of how things go.

 

A couple other systems I'll probably be able to "acquire" in the next month or so would be. The 32X, sega cd console, (may grab a gen 1 too), intellivision, odyssey 2 (in original box too, although box is in shabby shape), sega master console (boy are these things ugly!). Had my eye on a psone with those attacheable monitors as well (for road trips).

 

Anyways thanks for the info so far!

[Shannon]

Well as for boxed games vs. cart only, what are your intentions as to your collection?  If you collect to play the games I would say get the carts first, then find the boxes later.  In my experience boxes tend to be a lot harder to find than the carts themselves especially for the older systems like 2600 and intellivision (see my other post in the marketplace forum  )

 

I would also humbly disagree with the playing on an emulator, there's just nothing like playing on the original system (numb thumbs and all!   ).

 

J.

 

I meant to reply to these. I agree there is nothing like the real thing, especially with certain systems. But I still like emulation as well, especially for two joystick robotron with a gamepad. I sorta kinda remedied this by getting a pc with a tv out so I can hook it up to my widescreen tv.

 

Emulation is especially convenient for disk based systems, or even some of the 3d bases systems like PSX/N64 where the graphics are enhanced. I always hated the fish eyed graphics of the PSX. The NES is another example where those things are just plain finicky.

[sku_u]

If you ever have any questions about the best system ever made (the 5200), drop me a line and I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

[Atarinuts]

I pretty much had the same problem. I GOT the DP guide at the show in Vegas and prety much went nuts when I saw all the systems I didn't know anything about in there! I have pulled back however. I've always been a rarity or bulk collector, whether it was comics, toys, or now games.

 

I've been sticking to the Atari 2600 lately and collecting anything with a 7 or above rating on AA. Sometimes 6's if it's a good deal. Also, I like large lots. If you have the money it's a good way to get stuff at a reasonable price.

 

I will tell you the graduation to the 2600 was a natural one. I just started focusing on it one day without really noticing. I still check out the other systems in case a good deal comes along, but I think what you're going through is natural and you need to go through it to FIND your focus.

 

Sessions over, see you next week.

[Shannon]

Hey thanks for bringing up the digital press rarity guide... I completely forgot about this place (stumbled across it about 3 weeks ago).

 

Warming up the printer right now! Now at least I have an idea if I'm paying a little too much for a title.

[CPUWIZ]

IMHO, the digitalpress price guide is way off in many cases when it comes to the Atari 2600 (and a few others) but who am I to pass judgement.

[sku_u]

IMHO, the digitalpress price guide is way off in many cases when it comes to the Atari 2600 (and a few others) but who am I to pass judgement.  

 

I totally agree. It is a good source for someone just getting into collecting, though.

[Pitfall Harry]

IMHO, the digitalpress price guide is way off in many cases when it comes to the Atari 2600 (and a few others) but who am I to pass judgement.  

 

I agree with your humble opinion.

 

The model of a dozen or so "knowledgeable" collectors getting together at a roundtable once a year, comparing scribbles in notepads and setting the price for all other collectors to abide by is quaint yet preposterous. The twenty-first century is world of broadband information and eBay. Hundreds of Atari cartridges -- sometimes thousands -- are bought and sold every single day. Intimate details such as condition, number of bidders, identity of bidder and seller (frequently) and the winning bid are all a matter of public record. Anyone so inclined may funnel this transaction data into a computer and see that cartridge values fluctuate daily, and in some cases spectacularly, all throughout the year. Atari cartridge values are far better modeled by the minute-to-minute dynamics of the New York Stock Exchange than they are by an accountant with an adding machine and a library book.

 

Any organization who assigns dollar figures to Atari cartridges, puts them to press only once a year and expects those figures to retain a semblance of accuracy throughout that term is either deluding themself or merely turning the crank on an established but woefully outmoded revenue machine.

 

I also believe it is impossible for any organization of collectors heavily invested in their own collections to provide unbiased information about the component values of their holdings. Whatever the motivation, I find the valuations in the DP guide to be consistantly low. Reality is far better reflected by what bidders are paying on eBay, where the unbiased laws of Supply and Demand establish the value.

 

 

Ben

[sku_u]

I find the valuations in the DP guide to be consistantly low. Reality is far better reflected by what bidders are paying on eBay, where the unbiased laws of Supply and Demand establish the value.

 

 

Ben

 

Have you ever read the prices and scarcity ratings disclaimer on p6 of the guide?

[Bratwurst]

Have you ever read the prices and scarcity ratings disclaimer on p6 of the guide?

 

It doesn't matter if he has or not- the fact remains that many individuals take the guide at face value or so seriously anyways. I consider the DP guide as one source of many available for determining value, and more as an indicator of availability and rarity than actual worth.

[sku_u]

I know. I wish people didn't take the prices to heart like they do. When I see someone consulting that guide when determining how much they'd like to sell a game for, I usually just walk away.

[Bratwurst]

I know.  I wish people didn't take the prices to heart like they do.  When I see someone consulting that guide when determining how much they'd like to sell a game for, I usually just walk away.

 

Indeed, I get quite discouraged myself.. a recent scenario would be finding a game sealed, new on ebay for the same price someone else wanted for a used, incomplete copy, thanks to DP pricing.

[CPUWIZ]

I agree with your humble opinion.  

 

The model of a dozen or so "knowledgeable" collectors getting together at a roundtable once a year, comparing scribbles in notepads and setting the price for all other collectors to abide by is quaint yet preposterous. The twenty-first century is world of broadband information and eBay. Hundreds of Atari cartridges -- sometimes thousands -- are bought and sold every single day. Intimate details such as condition, number of bidders, identity of bidder and seller (frequently) and the winning bid are all a matter of public record. Anyone so inclined may funnel this transaction data into a computer and see that cartridge values fluctuate daily, and in some cases spectacularly, all throughout the year. Atari cartridge values are far better modeled by the minute-to-minute dynamics of the New York Stock Exchange than they are by an accountant with an adding machine and a library book.

 

Any organization who assigns dollar figures to Atari cartridges, puts them to press only once a year and expects those figures to retain a semblance of accuracy throughout that term is either deluding themself or merely turning the crank on an established but woefully outmoded revenue machine.  

 

I also believe it is impossible for any organization of collectors heavily invested in their own collections to provide unbiased information about the component values of their holdings.  Whatever the motivation, I find the valuations in the DP guide to be consistantly low. Reality is far better reflected by what bidders are paying on eBay, where the unbiased laws of Supply and Demand establish the value.

 

 

Ben

 

Ahhh, exactly my thinking. Nobody could have said it in better words.

[badbrad]

I use my DP guide as more of a checklist than anything.

[Atarinuts]

I agree with badbrad. I use mine strictly as reference. I learned a long time ago that prices in a price guide don't mean much.

[Miqorz]

I've said this before and I'll say it agian something's value is only worth as much as someone's willing to pay for it.

[Shannon]

ok guys calm down... I need advice, not a digital press rarity guide criteria thread.

 

But I have to admit I think I agree. I browsed thru several lists and although a few seemed fairly accurate, I nearly gagged when I saw the dreamcast list. Gimme a break! I've yet to see DC games selling at the price, much less with the original case in good condition like these guys claim.

 

BUT!

 

It makes a great list of available games, with a little info on each, as well as a possible semi accurate rarity guide. I plan on using these at least as a check list. I plan on printing them out and sticking them in a three ring binder.

 

I even stumbled across a thread where someone compiled statistics on sales of intellvision carts on ebay and the digital press guys jumped all over him about how innacurate that can be. LOL

 

Anyways don't worry.. everything is cool with me, but thanks for the warning about digital press. At the very least it saves me the trouble of creating an "available games" list.

 

Bratwurst.... If you see a grey haired guy in his mid 30's consulting one of these, don't panic. It's just me.

[Bratwurst]

Bratwurst.... If you see a grey haired guy in his mid 30's consulting one of these, don't panic.  It's just me.  

 

Oh, I plan on getting the book eventually myself.

[MegaManFan]

My view is collect for everything, but focus on one system you'd like to "complete" at any given time. I started with SMS, then moved to 7800. Next on my list is 5200, although I admit that one's gonna be really tough - but as I work towards my goal I can always buy reproductions of unreleased games and homebrews for the system; and continue to collect for the rest in general. I also collect by manufacturer on consoles that have a large enough library, such as getting all the Tengen games for NES, or all the US Games for 2600. Whenever you have a "focus" it makes things much easier.