The different dimensions of "rare"
“Rare” is a term I’d wager to be the most commonest word used on Ebay. I’m sure we’ve all used this term when doing item searches or perhaps when doing some selling of items. Not sure if everyone is on the same page with its definition, so I’d thought I’d do a summary. Rarity has varying aspects:
1. Production numbers of a particular title - low numbers produced are often due to it being unpopular and/or being produced near the end of a console’s lifespan.
2. Condition status - when referring to rare, it is about the closeness to perfection as the human eye can see. This is where the focus of MIB and sealed collectors, and as a further extension, VGA/WATA collectors.
3. Special variations, that are low in numbers (variant collectors). There are several subsets of rare variants, examples:
- prototypes
- misprints
- limited editions
- autographs
Question of the day: which type of rare are you focusing on? Or which ones fascinate you the most?
(Fun fact: you can make rhymes of the word rare with the first 4 letters of the alphabet - aware, bare, care, dare!)
1. Production numbers of a particular title - low numbers produced are often due to it being unpopular and/or being produced near the end of a console’s lifespan.
2. Condition status - when referring to rare, it is about the closeness to perfection as the human eye can see. This is where the focus of MIB and sealed collectors, and as a further extension, VGA/WATA collectors.
3. Special variations, that are low in numbers (variant collectors). There are several subsets of rare variants, examples:
- prototypes
- misprints
- limited editions
- autographs
Question of the day: which type of rare are you focusing on? Or which ones fascinate you the most?
(Fun fact: you can make rhymes of the word rare with the first 4 letters of the alphabet - aware, bare, care, dare!)
Comments
Misprints all the way
Also anymore "limited edition" doesn't mean shit anymore as just about any of them can be found at any given time online especially for modern stuff. Insane prices yes but still available.
I tend to group things into four bundles these days. Common, Uncommon, Rare, and "Collectors Item" which is basically a catch all for any item that is priced above the general popular same-genre Games. That can apply to a $5 game or a $1000 game as long as it's more expensive than most of the popular games of the same genre.
Going off on a tangent there. Sorry.
Anyway. Rare is just something that is sought after for the sole purpose of it being hard to find. It doesn't have to be a good product to qualify but it does have to be hard to find. There are varying degrees of rarity within the word rare, all of which still boil down to rare in general.
Stadium Events, Nigel Mansells Racing, Some time to think alone, these are all rare and sought after...
I don't agree that rare as a stand-alone adjective can refer to condition. Ok, if you say something is rarely seen in mint condition that's one thing. But just saying "rare" alone is usually an indication of production numbers of a particular item.
I think by default, everyone understands “rare” as low in numbers (produced) or a title very infrequently seen.
Though if we’re talking condition, it can be talked about similarly by the measure of low in numbers seen. For example:
Mario 64 CIB used condition - common right?
Mario 64 MIB - uncommon right?
Mario 64 sealed - dare I say, “rare”?
Mario 64 VGA 95+ - hypergrail “rare”??
Again, I think rare is for items not readily available for public purchase so I guess #3?
Also anymore "limited edition" doesn't mean shit anymore as just about any of them can be found at any given time online especially for modern stuff. Insane prices yes but still available.
Agree with what you’re saying about “limited edition”. That’s why we need to define rare in it’s basic definition - something that is seen very infrequently. This will help us to distinguish between “limited edition BS rare” and “limited edition worth selling a left kidney for”!
eBay the general seller using "rare" is a noncollector or a collector seeking a unseasoned buyer. Like anything else collectible it's just a loosely used term that is hardly used the way seasoned collectors see fit. Think it's less based on the item these days and commonly based on the seller or targeted market. Shameless plug: Have a rare hard to find collectors item near mint Gameboy. Should add it's used missing the original screen and has Todd written on the back. Like this one to: rare hard to find New collectors item Gameboy. Box is opened to test console. Think these ones are always fun.
(Fun fact: you can make rhymes of the word rare with the first 4 letters of the alphabet - aware, bare, care, dare!)
eclair
fare
glare
hare
Originally posted by: gunpei
Originally posted by: GPX
(Fun fact: you can make rhymes of the word rare with the first 4 letters of the alphabet - aware, bare, care, dare!)
eclair
fare
glare
hare
impair
I personally just call those items ones with little to no shelf life. lol
(Fun fact: you can make rhymes of the word rare with the first 4 letters of the alphabet - aware, bare, care, dare!)
eclair
fare
glare
hare
impair
Awesome team poetry guys!
and....damn you letter j!
#1 is the one I'd agree as the most common use of the point of rare, though with #3 variations, errors, or leaked prototypes would likely be too. While an early game should get a larger run to disqualify it like Mario Land on Gameboy, the very last Gameboy game in the US was Pokemon Yellow and it got a massive run which is an oddity compared to other later run stuff on other systems like Little Samson. You can also get rarity from it lacking being in a big market, back on Gameboy there is Trip World, a later run sunsoft title and that one gets crazy money as you go up in completion. But end and start of life isn't just it, you also have games the publisher has lacking confidence at in any period of time so they'll do probably a minimum run guessing maybe ten thousand copies, and then you get a situation like Amazing Tater on Gameboy and it's an expensive thing to get piece by piece or at once. There's just lots of reasons why something is rare so it's hard to really nail down the why.
The problem is the fake rare, the stuff people put the L@@K goggles on or write it's RARE in their sale on ebay to scare up uninformed or misinformed types to pay more, that's where the problem lies.
Depends on how old the games are really. For older rare games I tend to think of Jetpac and Battletoads, but for newer stuff I think of Viva Pinata and BK: Nuts and Bolts.
C’mon you know video games aren’t rare
So much interesting stuff so far