Collection vs. Speculation

[Ze_ro]

After posting in the "Ethics?" thread, I figured I should make this it's own topic...

 

I consider myself more of a player than a collector, and I hardly ever trade any of my stuff away (only when I have doubles). I usually avoid getting duplicate games, even when they're a great deal, and I have a hard time bringing myself to sell any of my stuff (I have 6 Atari 2600's, and I can't even bring myself to sell one to a friend of mine). Generally, everything I buy, I play.

 

For the last while, I've noticed a lot of people come into these forums and ask how much something is worth, when it's obvious they are curious as to how much they can profit off of their thrift finds. Obviously this is nothing new, and people do this stuff all time with other things (real estate speculation, stock markets, etc), but for some reason, this strikes me as being "wrong" for some reason. Finding a cheap game at a pawn shop and buying it solely to profit by selling it to someone else just seems immoral in a very subtle way. Especially when it's obvious that the originally seller doesn't know the value of what they're selling.

 

Does anyone else feel like this? I know a lot of people will say that if the original seller didn't know it's true value, then it's their own fault... or "let the seller beware" or whatever, but it still doesn't sit right with me. I guess I'm just not cut out for capitalism.

 

I recently bought a second copy of Final Fantasy (NES) for a good price from a pawn shop without realizing the I actually already had the game (Can you believe I actually forgot that I owned a copy of this game? Weird). I plan on selling it to a different store, and I'll likely make a few bucks off the deal... but I'd just as soon trade it straight across for a different NES game, even if it wasn't worth as much (Before anyone asks, I really don't feel like sending stuff through the mail... I'm sure I could trade straight across with the guy I was thinking of selling it to anyways).

 

--Zero

[Galaga_Freak]

I don't know if 'wrong' is the right word. I think the speculation thing comes with the territory of collecting popular stuff. Besides, the only reason speculation exists is because someone is willing to pay speculation type prices

 

All in all, I would say that us game collectors, in general, have had it pretty good. You can get a lot of stuff for relatively cheap (still) in this hobby, verses something like classic cars or rare coins. Most games can be had for a fraction of what they sold for originally. I don't think that is something that is going to change, at least drastically. Sure ebay has made collecting a little more expensive, but it has also increased the availability of some stuff I thought I would never find.

 

I think one reason you might think 'doing it for the money' is wrong to you is that collecting (and gaming) is something dear to you, maybe since your childhood. Moreover, this is a hobby about fun (playing games) and the thought that someone would ignore the fun factor just to make a buck is something to be considered blasphemous!

 

Personally, I'm not in this for the money at all. I like the idea that my collection might be worth something to someone, but I'll never sell this stuff, at least the stuff that is dear to me (atari and intellivision).

[Snider-man]

Those who "speculate" as to the eventual sky-high worth of video game carts, I have a few words for you:

 

Beanie Babies

Tickle-Me-Elmo

Magic CCG cards

Cabbage Patch Dolls

Assorted pre-bagged comic books with foil covers

Baseball cards

Pound Puppies

Etc.

 

Every single one of these items above were "discovered" by the speculation/profiteering markets. Shitloads were purchased then resold for insane amounts of money. However, not one single item will now even fetch its original selling price. So let the speculators come, we'll be in misery for a bit. Then they'll wander off, looking to exploit the next-big-thing. (While selling off their bloated collections to us for one-tenth what they paid for it, just to make ends meet.)

 

This too shall pass gang.

[sku_u]

I will occasionally come across something that I know is worth a lot more than the selling price. Usually the item I find is an antique of some sort. If I have the cash on hand, I usually will buy that item then turn around and sell it for a profit. This is the basically how I raise cash to buy the videogames I want. There's nothing wrong with this practise. I have a lot of the big ticket games in my collection already and bought them because I enjoy having them and not to resell them someday. I think I've spent maybe $500 out of my own pocket for my entire game collection which surpasses 1100 games across 12 game platforms. The rest came from the profits I received from buying then turning around and selling.

 

When it comes to speculation on hobby items, I fully agree with Sniderman that the prices will quickly come to pass. Those who invest in hobby items solely to invest are wasting their money. All hobbies eventually peak and prices fall. If I want to invest my money, I will do so in real estate or the stock market. These items if bought at the right time will always give me a return on my investment.

[Flojomojo]

I don't go in for collecting, just playing, which is why emulators are so great ...

[Lemmi]

Well if i found a quadrun at a thrift shop for $3

 

i would play it for awhile then i would sell it off and make some major cash, i am a collector/player but i would rather a rarity like that go into the hands of someone who would like it even more

[Hydian]

Selling things that I play with never did appeal to me. I've done it (and still do) in order to get more toys to play with, but I couldn't do it as a source of income per say.

 

Speculation is a dangerous thing. It destroyed the trading cards market (baseball, etc) and threatened the comics market. The money in the old video games market just isn't there to make it worth investing the time into for the big players I don't think. Sure, there will always be speculation but it isn't likely to take over this hobby like it has with others.

 

Oh, and Beanie Babies as well as Magic: the Gathering cards are still worth insane amounts. They've slowed down (magic due more to fewer players than anything I'd think) but that Black Lotus was still worth a couple hundred bucks the last time I bothered to look.