Building a collection. $$$$$$$$$

[wrldstrman]

I know I dont post many messages and havent been a member here for very long although I have been coming to the site for a while.There's just one thought that has had me wondering for a while but I think to myself its not my business I shouldn't even say anything but I cant help myself. What it is. how in the world can some afford to spend all the money on atari stuff that gets spent.I understand that a few do it as a living and some may be wealthy but I myself like collecting as much as the next guy but I got bills to pay car payment ,house payment ,feeding a family, braces ,doctor bills , although I am no Bill Gates ,I do make a comfrontable living but to spend 300 on quadrun I would just have to save a little here and there for a while to even think about it.So I guess what Iam asking is how do you all do it. How can one spend thousands on atari stuff monthly and still afford to survive those combats tapes just cant be to filling :wink:

[robsbucs]

I am in the Navy(rank E-5) and my wifes an accounts supervisor(accountant). We make a very good living and i have several bills(2001 Mustang gt convertible, 140,000 home, 1998 jeep payment....etc...etc...etc....) I have plenty of money i guess to spend on them...its like collecting baseball cards when i was younger. But this is a little more expensive sometimes. I look at it like 20 years down the road these games im buying that are in my fireproof safe will be worth more than what i am paying for them now.

[Jrock1977]

I do it by buying sparingly. Sure you could have all the games right now if you spent a fortune, but its way more fun to scrounge for stuff for weeks only to come across a great thift or flea market find. It sure makes you appreciate it more. I have been able to get a ton of 5200 games, and have yet to spend more the $1.50 on any of them. It took me a year and a half to find a reasonably priced 5200 console, but man when I finally got it....

 

Well I think you get what I'm talking about.

 

Course thats just my opinion, I could be wrong,

[jetset]

It's a sickness....

 

Seriously, not EVERYONE here spends that kind of money. Some do of course, but that's their thing is all. Everyone has a hobby!

Myself, I've been buying mostly in little dribs and drabs here and there and have built up a nice collection thank you very much....

I agree it's tough to fathom spending $300 bucks on one cart, but haven't you ever spent a large amount on anything? How about CD's? DVD's? How about the player? How much was that?? Or maybe you like restoring old cars.....

I just spent $130 on one game myself, which I swore I'd never spend more than $25-$30 ! The wife isn't too happy, but she has own hobby that she spends money on herself.

Well, that's just my 02 cents at least.

[Dolt]

Quadrun goes for $300?! Wow--I found mine in the wild for $2 (with instructions, no less).

 

Well, I'm basically with you on shelling out big bucks. I was lucky in that I started collecting 9 years ago and came across a few awesome finds that, as time goes on, I appreciate more and more (like that Quadrun, for instance--now I appreciate that about 150 times more). Mostly I agree with the others in that the search is most of the fun, especially when you consider that some of the most sought-after games are among the worst to play.

 

Personally, I still hunt in the wild though the scores are few and far between these days; last weekend, I found 2 2600 Pro Joysticks and about 20 manuals for $10 and that was huge excitement, sad to say. When it comes to buying stuff on ebay, I tend to take it out of money made selling on ebay. I don't deal in video games, but I've been known to make more than a few bucks on there. Call it a second job if you like; it's a diversion to me--just like collecting.

[the 5th ghost]

I know I dont post many messages and havent been a member here for very long although I have been coming to the site for a while.There's just one thought that has had me wondering for a while but I think to myself its not my business I shouldn't even say anything but I cant help myself. What it is.  how in the world can some afford to spend all the money on atari stuff that gets spent.I understand that a few do it as a living and some may be wealthy but I  myself like collecting as much as the next guy but I got bills to pay car payment ,house payment ,feeding a family, braces ,doctor bills , although I am no Bill Gates ,I do make a comfrontable living but to spend 300 on quadrun I would just have to save a little here and there for a while to even think about it.So I guess what Iam asking is how do you all do it.     How can one spend thousands on atari stuff monthly and still afford to survive those combats tapes just cant be to filling :wink:

 

I'm also not able to afford $300+ carts but when I do buy a lot of Atari stuff for my collection, which recently I have, I always try to replace the money I spent by selling my extras as well as other toys I collect like vintage Lego sets.

 

In other words, I use my various collections to pay for my collections. My bills get paid, that's why I go to work

 

On the other hand, I don't collect because I have any lofty expectations that my Atari collection will put my kids through college. I collect purely for the enjoyment of the hobby. I would discourage anyone from collecting for hopes of getting rich. You never know what anything will be worth in the future. A $300 cart may only be worth $200 in the future. You never know. Just have FUN!

 

Doug

[Redcurrie]

I guess it all boils down to doing what you enjoy. I pick up games here and there on e-bay and do a bit of hunting as well. Most of the hunting is fruitless but like others have said, there is a certain thrill to finding stuff. I look at it as we all have things that we want to spend our "fun money" on. Granted some have more than others but the way that you spend it is your choice. Some people love to go to bars and will easily spend $50 on a weekend night on cover charges and drinks, some people buy $35 in lottery tickets a week and some people will spend $30 for a night at the movies. I, personally, get a significant amount of entertainment from adding yet another Activision cartridge to my collection. In truth, I do enjoy playing them as well but the acquisition is actually the most enjoyable part. (I'm probably just trying to justify the collection to myself with that statement as I actually don't have a lot of time to play with them right now....) I have also been making myself sell things that have been just sitting around so as to have more cash to play with. It's all about finding things in life that make you happy and being willing to pursue them. Okay, enough philosophy and never forget, plenty of people put their e-bay purchases on credit cards!

[Brad2600]

I work a job that pays $9.50/hr and I rent an apt so I do have bills.

 

However, I've been able to afford the majority of what I've bought..but sometimes not without a little creativity.

 

I'll never be able to afford $300+ games and I don't plan to bid on such or go after such until I can make more money and get caught up. Still gotta save money for a new car and possibly new apt.

 

If I do bid on stuff, I try to find it as cheap as possible.

[BeerGnome]

my collecting is just collecting the games I want.. mostly.. the games I can play for hours on end and enjoy doing it.. consiquentially.. my collection is ful of some obscure games. but fun games..

basicly.. I'm not going to get a $300+ game unless I find it in the wild.. and I will snake the person selling it for under $5 thats the thrill

 

its the thrill of the hunt my freind.. and E-bay is not a hunt.. you put on some search words and yer liable to find it.. and if you dont.. wait a couple of weeks..

 

just so you know .. most of the really really rare games worth a lot of money.. arent neccesarly good games.. the majority of the ultra rares came out during the dying days of the console.. when games were made.. but not a lot were produced becouse the demand was low..

 

there area lot of shitty games out there.. and there area lot of shitty games out there that were put out that are fetching insanly high prices now just becouse they are rare in production count.

 

however.. if you love playing the games.. and the games you like playing are popular.. you'll have no problem ammasing apersonal fortune of killer ass games.. in an appreciable.. frugal manner

[hhwolfman]

I have been collecting all kinds of items ( Toys, Comics, Magazines for about 30 years. I was very poor. untell about 15 years ago, but all my money always went to these items. I started making a tiny living at collectables about 20 years ago. I opened a Collectable shop about 12 years ago. I worked 80 hours a week for about two years with out any days off and any breaks. I started doing a bit better and progessed a little every year. I am making a upper middle class living now and have two kids. Yes braces operations. I just bought my oldest one a car. I have been married for almost 20 years and my wife is a House wife. I spend a bit here and there and dont think that $300 is at all high for a cart. The reason being is that being in the collectable market and seeing people paying $200k for one comic dwarfs the highest priced cart. The highest priced Cart I have every heard of was a Video life that sold for $3000. So I guess it is all in prospective. If your into Collectables for more than a 10 year or so period of time. You get more relaxed at the higher priced ones. I am in no means the High Roller of the Atari world. I do respect the higher priced carts and have no problem paying a bit for them.

[krisjohn]

I used to buy bulk stuff cheap, keep the interesting bits and sell the rest for more than I paid for the whole lot. Sometimes much more.

 

Now I just have a full time job. The question isn't how I afford it, it's how I have time to enjoy it. This is true for most of my friends -- we can all purchase far more entertainment product than we have time to enjoy.

[Rick Weis]

i've been collecting atari for 25 years and in the last couple of years my want list was mostly just UR games. there comes a time when you have everything but the UR ones, so you take that jump into hardcore collecting... luckily for me i had over half of the UR carts when they first came out.

 

i have a good job, truck paid off, only need money for rent and food (well sometimes just rent i can make do without food at times)

if i did not spend the money on UR stuff i would spend it on something else why not spend it on something i love to do. atari ,videogames is my life.

 

there are always 2 ways at looking at things, if you don't get a thrill out of ebay then take a different look at it, because it can be!! just as much as "trying" to find things in the wild! can be a thrill or boring depending on how you look at it. i love to go thrifting just for the fun of it. but i really think i will not find too much this way.

 

@HH: you ARE a high roller! you just don't know it yet!

 

Take care,

 

Rick

[DeV0]

I find patience to be the best attitude for colecting atari and others. Ive seen so much stuff ive really wanted and could afford but always held off and thought i may get lucky lurking in the wild. It has paid off, and i now have a pretty good collection with quite a few rares. So the point is you dont need to be rich, but you do need to make some serious time venturing into the wild. I have no doubt that i'll get mangia and some tens in the wild.

[Cassidy Nolen]

Wait until you start collecting arcade machines. Ever seen how much a Warrior goes for? How about a Pong with a low serial number, or an I Robot machine

 

For my wife and me, part of our family budget is games. I know I have a certain amount I can safely spend, and I always make sure I don't go over. If I do, I can sell something to cover the extra.

 

Funny story, I started my arcade business about 4 years ago by "floating" one of my paychecks (yes, this is before I was married). I bought an arcade machine with it, and then sold it before rent was due. Made enough extra to buy more machines, then sold those, bought more...... 350 machines later..... Thats how I can afford 2600 stuff.

 

I agree with Rick. HH, by the way, you are a high roller

 

Cassidy

[dwh]

What do I do for money?Let's see, I turn a crank on this machine that makes these rectangular green things that other people accept as payment for items---I've said/written too much.....But seriously, I work for my families business and get a very small paycheck($170 a week)(or "works for food"),and I still find some loose change to buy mostly Atari 2600 stuff.You just have to be really patient and wait for bargains/deals/steals on ebay or with trading with people.For example, I just got a rare Xonox double ender cartridge for $15 the other week off of ebay;and a while back I bought some rare stuff from one of the members of this website(Frogger for Starpath and a copy of Boing!&other stuff)One thing about this hobby/obsession is that you got to ask around(the Atari Age Marketplace is a great place for this)and see if you got any other 'collectables' that other people might like to trade with them.

[joeybastard]

I make a good living but my wife is still in school and I own a house on Long Island so I have some seriously high bills. I only buy stuff that's cheap. Cheap is defined as <$30. If I saw a Quadrun for $35, I would buy it, but in general I keep it cheap. I also only use what I call "spare" money. Rolled change, profit from Ebay sale, maybe a freelance assignment, gambling winnings, etc. I very rarely use "house" money on games for any system.

[Bryan]

I just wish I'd picked up more games back when they were everywhere for 50 cents.

 

-Bry

[EricDeLee]

350 machines later....

 

Perhaps you've got a crappy Galaga somewhere not in the best of shape that you are willing to part with?

 

Eric DeLee

[Mindfield]

Well, I don't make much money, but mostly it's about good deals and a hell of a lot of patience -- plus the ability to know when to let an auction _stay_ outbid. :-) I just get it bit by small bit with the occasional big lot if the price is right, or if I can wheel, deal and trade on a sometimes creative scale to attain something I otherwise couldn't afford. I've had little to no luck in "wild" finds, which is why I've pretty well resorted to eBay -- but I've had surprisingly good luck lately with good deals. (Earthworld for $0.01, anyone? :-) Yeah, I know, shipping bumps it up, but that particular cart is one of several I'm getting off the same seller, so the shipping is mostly moot.

 

But yes, both the hunt, and when it comes to eBay, the thrill of getting a cheap win (or fighting off the snipers) can be just as thrilling as what you're bidding on. (Sometimes moreso. :-)