Stupid Things You Hear Collectors Say

[Keatah]

No! That's what you want them to think!

 

Anything that deflates the collectards is good.

 

I like making fun of them and even irritating them from time to time. I was pleased to point out at one time that the shrink wrap on a cartridge was not original and that it was re-done outside the factory. Panties were bunched up for months while the collectard went hunting all over town for a "real" copy.

 

[Keatah]

Some good ones here, but the absolute stupidest thing I've ever heard and continue to hear from muffins is: "I'll have to ask the wifey before I can make that purchase".

 

Maybe not that strange. I've had to get purchase approval for any Apple II item or anything that could lead to hoarding and cause another garage to be built.

 

It goes something like this.

 

ME: I'm want to purchase this SuperSerial Card. Can I?

WIFE: Will it make us have to build another garage?

ME: No.

WIFE: Ok. Just make sure it doesn't fill up the living room.

ME: Great.

 

Repeat more than 700+ times and running to date.

[7800fan]

Forgot to mention "Games are valuable because Antique show said so" Remember that big price tag they put on 2600 stuff some years ago?

[atari181]

Forgot to mention "Games are valuable because Antique show said so" Remember that big price tag they put on 2600 stuff some years ago?

I really don't think anyone has ever uttered those words.

[Keatah]

Maybe not those precise words but I remember a post saying that Antique Roadshow was the cause of the start of higher priced games.

[Keatah]

I was in a local antique shop the other day and the fatass proprietor had a classic and old looking circuit board of unknown origin for sale, for like $90. It looked like it was worth $5 tops.

[Professor Gull]

 

Maybe not that strange. I've had to get purchase approval for any Apple II item or anything that could lead to hoarding and cause another garage to be built.

 

It goes something like this.

 

ME: I'm want to purchase this SuperSerial Card. Can I?

WIFE: Will it make us have to build another garage?

ME: No.

WIFE: Ok. Just make sure it doesn't fill up the living room.

ME: Great.

 

Repeat more than 700+ times and running to date.

 

Funny my wife and I have the same conversation especially when I took over the movie shelf for more games.

 

ME: "Oh thats a cool set of games or game."

WIFE: "just buy them."

ME: "What about space?"

WIFE:"Build more shelves and while you are at that how about replacing the back door, redoing the floors, and building me that pergola."

ME: " yeah I don't need the games just yet."

 

Always a compromise typically but at least I don't buy stuff then hide it. I think that would bring on a whole other set of rage.

[atarifanboi]

Some good ones here, but the absolute stupidest thing I've ever heard and continue to hear from muffins is: "I'll have to ask the wifey before I can make that purchase".

 

Another one that really gets me in this day and age, are people that ask to put off a purchase until so and so a date or "pay day". Used to be understandable when you paid with cash or a money order BITD, but since the age of PayPal and easy to obtain credit cards, WTF?! And then they end up paying with credit, Smart Connect or PayPal anyway. Again, WTF?! Stop that already!

That's a pretty poor statement IMHO.

 

My wife and I are a partnership, and we have limitations on what can be spent, without us having to fall back on the small amount we have saved, so if it is a purchase of over a certain value, we will discuss. I can usually go up to about £100 a month, if it's not a 5 week month.

 

PayPal comes directly out of our joint account, and not a credit card. I do have a credit card for emergencies, but it's almost never used, and certainly not for fripperies like extending my retro collection.

 

It's not a stupid statement, it's working together to stay within our modest budget.

 

I'm sure there are folks out there who do wait until payday, but still use credit anyway, but after recovering from some serious debt due to my business folding in the 2008/9 crash in the UK, managing and maintaining safe levels of spending, even for small amounts, is important to us, and we will discuss.

[Inky]

"Nobody wants X system games". Well clearly I do, or I wouldn't have mentioned it! (Usually comes up when I find a new place and discover they don't carry pre-crash systems).

 

 

To which I respond "Are you calling me a nobody?"

[Professor Gull]

I had another interesting quote the other day I thought I would share. Its from a collector but not one specific to gaming just old stuff in general.

 

It was a beautiful garage sale day. Sun was shining and the wind was colder than poop cause Spring did not feel like helping out at all.

 

Garages full of interesting old items and as I sift through I pull something which just shocked me. The patron at the sale stalks up behind me and says.

 

"Pretty rare to see one of those." he says.

"I guess." I replied.

"Not too common in these parts but I can tell you got an eye for such things. $100 and its all yours."

"Oh hmm that's nice of you to offer but I don't know."

"I can tell you want it tell you what $80 and you can take it home today. You wont find another here like it at all."

"No I am sure I won't but I have to ask you one question."

"Sure go right ahead."

"Why do you have an Atari 2600 4 switch which is missing the top and most of one side along with the video cord which has been removed and a Dust Buster which melted together with the bottom of it?"

"Its one of a kind $60 and its yours.Amazing collector item one of a kind."

"Have a nice day sir."

 

I wish I had the sense to take a photo but I just wanted out of there quick. He had lots of other mismatched stuff there which should never go together and the garage smelled of ancient fire and moldy stuff.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Professor Gull

[Osgeld]

I don't *do* credit. I don't believe in credit cards.

 

Also, "payday" for me is the first of the month, or the last non-bank-holiday weekday before it.

I usually don't I have one now just in case of the car or house breaking (cars getting old now and they were made cheap)

 

But yea I never understood the can you wait till payday thing, my theory is if I don't have the money for object x then maybe I shouldn't buy it

 

 

On an impulse or limited thing well maybe I'll just miss out, and if it's something that's going to be around then I can scrape up the money

 

Cause of that I usually do have some fun funds... cause I don't buy every shiny trinket that my eye catches

Edited May 24, 2016 by Osgeld

[icemanxp300]

I have awesome credit near 800. I use to have almost 800 back when I was younger and I screwed it up bad back on 2004, bombed down into low 600's. It took me like 8 years to build it back up in the 700's. Having credit cards helps you build credit. I personally do not own a single "normal credit card" like a visa or such and never have.

 

I however have a sears card, and lots of other store cards and I charge them but only if I have the funds available. I pay it off the next week soon as it is processed. This is how you build and keep high credit. You "should" only finance major purchases like a car or a house. I could see maybe a refrigerator but ONLY if you are in a pinch and make sure you get 0% interest for the duration.

 

You should never buy "extras" you don't have the cash for. That is just setting you up for failure. If you don't have credit take out a store card and buy with it and set that money aside, consider it spent. Soon as you can pay it, don't even wait for a bill to come in just pay that shit! You will build credit so fast you will not believe it.

 

Credit is highly based on responsibility and if you have 5 lines of credit open and they have zero balances that helps more than having none. Do not be late on payments, even a late phone payment or electric payment will affect your credit rating!

[thadsilverfox]

Or you could run up all your credit cards and file bankruptcy. That seems to be the norm these days.

[78001987]

I have awesome credit near 800. I use to have almost 800 back when I was younger and I screwed it up bad back on 2004, bombed down into low 600's. It took me like 8 years to build it back up in the 700's. Having credit cards helps you build credit. I personally do not own a single "normal credit card" like a visa or such and never have.

 

I however have a sears card, and lots of other store cards and I charge them but only if I have the funds available. I pay it off the next week soon as it is processed. This is how you build and keep high credit. You "should" only finance major purchases like a car or a house. I could see maybe a refrigerator but ONLY if you are in a pinch and make sure you get 0% interest for the duration.

 

You should never buy "extras" you don't have the cash for. That is just setting you up for failure. If you don't have credit take out a store card and buy with it and set that money aside, consider it spent. Soon as you can pay it, don't even wait for a bill to come in just pay that shit! You will build credit so fast you will not believe it.

 

Credit is highly based on responsibility and if you have 5 lines of credit open and they have zero balances that helps more than having none. Do not be late on payments, even a late phone payment or electric payment will affect your credit rating!

If your credit only dipped as far as the low 600's, you didn't screw up anything. 620-650 is average credit, good enough to qualify for a Mortgage, credit cards and car loans.

 

Not to discount yoru advice here, as it's solid, but very few people make the kind of income required to to the things you suggest. Especially in states where the cost of living is really high.

 

also - Store credit cards are pretty much the worst credit cards you can own. They have no positive effect on your credit, and ususally don't even show up on your credit unless you miss payments or default.

[icemanxp300]

If your credit only dipped as far as the low 600's, you didn't screw up anything. 620-650 is average credit, good enough to qualify for a Mortgage, credit cards and car loans.

 

Not to discount yoru advice here, as it's solid, but very few people make the kind of income required to to the things you suggest. Especially in states where the cost of living is really high.

 

also - Store credit cards are pretty much the worst credit cards you can own. They have no positive effect on your credit, and ususally don't even show up on your credit unless you miss payments or default.

 

I greatly disagree. I am not rich by far, my advise is simple if you can't afford it then you don't buy it. The reason everyone is up to there eyeballs in debt is because they charge everything and obtain more than they have the means of affording. It has nothing to do with how much you make but everything to do with how much you spend!

 

Well you can tell me store credit cards have no positive effect but my credit union and credit proves otherwise. The fact the only purchases I make besides a car and a house were made using store credit cards and my credit is around 800 and it was like 770's before I made the car or house purchase proves your assumption to be wrong.

 

I have had credit checks pulled in the past and I guarantee all lines of credit show on that report.

[+GoldLeader]

I used to sometimes search ebay for video game auctions containing the word "Rare" to see what would come up, and I remember one for a "RARE Colecovision Donkey Kong cart". He even put the word RARE in all caps like that. Cracked me up.

[Gentlegamer]

I used to sometimes search ebay for video game auctions containing the word "Rare" to see what would come up, and I remember one for a "RARE Colecovision Donkey Kong cart". He even put the word RARE in all caps like that. Cracked me up.

 

R@R3 L@@K

[BydoEmpire]

"A collector is stupid for saying/liking/buying/paying XYZ."

Live and let live. If someone has fun collecting sealed games, more power to 'em. If someone wants to buy a sealed game and open it, more power to 'em. If someone buys games and doesn't play them, hey, more power to them. It's not my money. I bet a lot of us have games we haven't played.

 

I agree with some of the historical inaccuracies that get propagated.

[AceHart]

"Why do you have an Atari 2600 4 switch which is missing the top and most of one side along with the video cord which has been removed and a Dust Buster which melted together with the bottom of it?"

"Its one of a kind $60 and its yours.Amazing collector item one of a kind."

 

Wow. Good grief. I've seen boxes of stuff in this condition for sale at swap meets, but the seller always admits it is a "junk box" and will let the whole collection of whatsits go for $5. Basically he's trying to get rid of stuff whose value is only in spare parts, with the hope of not having to throw it away. But this guy -- that's something else.

[Ransom]

"My collecting impulses are totally under control."

 

"Collecting is normal. It isn't a mental health issue."

[Schizophretard]

"My collecting impulses are totally under control."

 

"Collecting is normal. It isn't a mental health issue."

Guilty.

[+FujiSkunk]

"Not a word."

 

Often said to roommates when collectors come home with, say, a fresh armload of vinyl records. Not that I would know anything about that...

[DustyKramKram]

"Please don't divorce me." Every time I walk in with bags full of whatever I'm on at the moment (VHS and old video formats lately).

[78001987]

"Please don't divorce me." Every time I walk in with bags full of whatever I'm on at the moment (VHS and old video formats lately).

dear god, why?

 

I mean, I can kind of understand video game carts or CDs/DVDs/Vinyl.

 

any tape/magnetic format isn't worth shitballs.

Edited May 26, 2016 by 78001987

[Ransom]

I can imagine someone new to the game saying, "Wow, I must have hit eBay on a lucky day! Look at all the listings for rare stuff!! There must be a dozen listings for Pac-Man carts alone!!!"