Curious about people's opinion on two different ways of collecting

So the bubble bursting thread got me wondering.... if you guys had the choice between

A. the majority of rare and classic games still being in someone's attic or at a flea market and being just as hard to find as they are rare

or

B. the majority of the rare and classic games being readily available online but for a decent price

which would you choose?



Personally,

I want to say A but in practicality i'd have to say B. I don't have the time to go looking for these really cool rare games i want. I go to college for a demanding major and i have a part time job like others who are busy. So in a way, although i dislike the thought of it, i do rely on re-sellers. I think it's actually my jealousy of what they get to do (get paid to hunt for all these cool games) that makes me dislike them sometimes.

I'm curious as to what y'alls opinion is on this! (Just please play nice, i'm not trying to start any arguments ok?  )

Comments

  • I don't have a lot of money to spend on games, so A.



    If Little Samson is priced @ retail vs. a slim chance of me finding it at a garage sale, then I'll be more likely to own it through the garage sale.
  • Ask me a few years ago and A would be my answer all day. My garage sale days are over so I will take B now.
  • I think its a frustrating topic to try to tackle and effectively answer because the question is coming from one of three sides...1. Collector 2. Player 3. Profiteer (I will use this word because reseller is getting old LOL).



    As a collector, it can be frustrating to see the rising of prices and the many reasons for it...mainly due to supply falling behind demand. As a collector, I remember a few years ago I picked up a NES "commons at that time" box lot that had 3 Wayne's World, 2 Jetson's and Swamp Thing from Lukie Games, among others for less than 30.00 with free shipping on orders over 25.00. I was short some of those games and figured what the hell just buy the lot. Now I look at the prices of these carts and think wow I would never pay that much for that game even though I don't have it.....why not?



    Because I am also a (2. Player) and enjoy playing the games that I buy. I can emulate, use Stoneage Gamer Carts, or use Hyperspin if the game is crazy expensive for no cost to me. I would love to own some of the more expensive titles, and can afford them, but having a family and other priorities it's not worth it. I would rather go on vacation and still enjoy the game through another way. This is what drives my love though of (1. Collecting) yet though because when I get the chance I am just as happy to hit a yard sale and find a few 3.00 PS2 games that I don't have and once picked up a Conker's last year for N64 for 1.00...score right and totally unexpected. As much as I love the days of old, it is a collection and it is still enjoyable though a but more frustrating as a collector.....as a gamer it is better than it has ever been  



    Most of the profiter's around here are out at 5:00AM each morning scouring sales and then "need" to "resell" those items to live. I am grateful to them for some of the things I was able to find in their stores, eBay, etc... but wouldn't want to do that for a living. So with that said this is hard to really answer because in the end most of us are a combination of all three with frustration one minute, glee then next, and lots of memories of finds in the past  
  • I spend 40 hours a week working my ass off to earn my buck. I don't care to spend more time constantly hunting to save a few dollars on a couple loose carts, besides the fact that I'm using up gas, I can think of so many other things I would rather spend that time doing like spending time with my girlfriend, going to the gym, or hell, playing games.



    If I spent 5 hours hunting one week, and only ended up saving 15 dollars, is it really worth that effort? I'd rather buy on eBay, hoping to find a deal or the local shop, supporting the good people working there.
  • Originally posted by: TiredKorok



    So the bubble bursting thread got me wondering.... if you guys had the choice between

    A. the majority of rare and classic games still being in someone's attic or at a flea market and being just as hard to find as they are rare

    or

    B. the majority of the rare and classic games being readily available online but for a decent price

    which would you choose?



    Personally,

    I want to say A but in practicality i'd have to say B. I don't have the time to go looking for these really cool rare games i want. I go to college for a demanding major and i have a part time job like others who are busy. So in a way, although i dislike the thought of it, i do rely on re-sellers. I think it's actually my jealousy of what they get to do (get paid to hunt for all these cool games) that makes me dislike them sometimes.

    I'm curious as to what y'alls opinion is on this! (Just please play nice, i'm not trying to start any arguments ok?  )



    Can I say something without someone trying to argue with me or fight?

     

  • Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64




    Originally posted by: TiredKorok



    So the bubble bursting thread got me wondering.... if you guys had the choice between

    A. the majority of rare and classic games still being in someone's attic or at a flea market and being just as hard to find as they are rare

    or

    B. the majority of the rare and classic games being readily available online but for a decent price

    which would you choose?



    Personally,

    I want to say A but in practicality i'd have to say B. I don't have the time to go looking for these really cool rare games i want. I go to college for a demanding major and i have a part time job like others who are busy. So in a way, although i dislike the thought of it, i do rely on re-sellers. I think it's actually my jealousy of what they get to do (get paid to hunt for all these cool games) that makes me dislike them sometimes.

    I'm curious as to what y'alls opinion is on this! (Just please play nice, i'm not trying to start any arguments ok?  )



    Can I say something without someone trying to argue with me or fight?

     





    There's only one way to know it : say it my friend, say it.
  • Originally posted by: guillavoie

     
    Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64

     
    Originally posted by: TiredKorok



    So the bubble bursting thread got me wondering.... if you guys had the choice between

    A. the majority of rare and classic games still being in someone's attic or at a flea market and being just as hard to find as they are rare

    or

    B. the majority of the rare and classic games being readily available online but for a decent price

    which would you choose?



    Personally,

    I want to say A but in practicality i'd have to say B. I don't have the time to go looking for these really cool rare games i want. I go to college for a demanding major and i have a part time job like others who are busy. So in a way, although i dislike the thought of it, i do rely on re-sellers. I think it's actually my jealousy of what they get to do (get paid to hunt for all these cool games) that makes me dislike them sometimes.

    I'm curious as to what y'alls opinion is on this! (Just please play nice, i'm not trying to start any arguments ok?  )



    Can I say something without someone trying to argue with me or fight?

     





    There's only one way to know it : say it my friend, say it.





    Why it is every time I get a message from quoting me the site turns weird? I was thinking dammit they banned me.





     
  • If i didn't want to know, i wouldn't have asked! I mean you don't need my permission anyways, but just be nice please.
  • Originally posted by: FIkap



    I think its a frustrating topic to try to tackle and effectively answer because the question is coming from one of three sides...1. Collector 2. Player 3. Profiteer (I will use this word because reseller is getting old LOL).



    As a collector, it can be frustrating to see the rising of prices and the many reasons for it...mainly due to supply falling behind demand. As a collector, I remember a few years ago I picked up a NES "commons at that time" box lot that had 3 Wayne's World, 2 Jetson's and Swamp Thing from Lukie Games, among others for less than 30.00 with free shipping on orders over 25.00. I was short some of those games and figured what the hell just buy the lot. Now I look at the prices of these carts and think wow I would never pay that much for that game even though I don't have it.....why not?



    Because I am also a (2. Player) and enjoy playing the games that I buy. I can emulate, use Stoneage Gamer Carts, or use Hyperspin if the game is crazy expensive for no cost to me. I would love to own some of the more expensive titles, and can afford them, but having a family and other priorities it's not worth it. I would rather go on vacation and still enjoy the game through another way. This is what drives my love though of (1. Collecting) yet though because when I get the chance I am just as happy to hit a yard sale and find a few 3.00 PS2 games that I don't have and once picked up a Conker's last year for N64 for 1.00...score right and totally unexpected. As much as I love the days of old, it is a collection and it is still enjoyable though a but more frustrating as a collector.....as a gamer it is better than it has ever been  



    Most of the profiter's around here are out at 5:00AM each morning scouring sales and then "need" to "resell" those items to live. I am grateful to them for some of the things I was able to find in their stores, eBay, etc... but wouldn't want to do that for a living. So with that said this is hard to really answer because in the end most of us are a combination of all three with frustration one minute, glee then next, and lots of memories of finds in the past  



    I have to say, i really like this answer. There's a lot of insight in it. 

     
  • That's not what I wanted to say but I would choose option B.



    I'm only looking for the games I used to have in my collection...when I had a collection, I have no interest in these super mega ultra rare games like Stadium Events or Little Samson or Dino Peak. I've played them and I don't like them but I would help another collector out and try to get back those games I once had by trading them. So I just wanted to say I do appreciate people finding them but not necessarily the pricing of them like they're some artifact.



    I don't really care about price but what the games mean to me know what I mean? I know these games are rare but asking upwards of $7k for a copy of Stadium Events? It's a just a game!



    There we go, I hope I didn't rustle any jimmies.

  • Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64




    Originally posted by: guillavoie

     

    Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64

     

    Originally posted by: TiredKorok



    So the bubble bursting thread got me wondering.... if you guys had the choice between

    A. the majority of rare and classic games still being in someone's attic or at a flea market and being just as hard to find as they are rare

    or

    B. the majority of the rare and classic games being readily available online but for a decent price

    which would you choose?



    Personally,

    I want to say A but in practicality i'd have to say B. I don't have the time to go looking for these really cool rare games i want. I go to college for a demanding major and i have a part time job like others who are busy. So in a way, although i dislike the thought of it, i do rely on re-sellers. I think it's actually my jealousy of what they get to do (get paid to hunt for all these cool games) that makes me dislike them sometimes.

    I'm curious as to what y'alls opinion is on this! (Just please play nice, i'm not trying to start any arguments ok?  )



    Can I say something without someone trying to argue with me or fight?

     





    There's only one way to know it : say it my friend, say it.





    Why it is every time I get a message from quoting me the site turns weird? I was thinking dammit they banned me.





     

    That's my fault (and others who do like me), cause I'm still using the 'old' style of the site (vintage.nintendoage.com), so when I quote you and you go to the thread through the Squoon's message in your inbox, it leads you to the vintage version of the site.




  • I think that both situations at one point or another applies to anyone into collecting. I can see someone spending their hard earned cash on a more expensive title. Maybe that game has a lot of meaning, or holds some meaning to them to justify the cost. A couple years back I had finally discovered CastleVania: SotN on the PSP, and after playing it wanted to own it on the PS1 too. And as for the first situation who doesn't enjoy finding a box of old NES games for a couple bucks? Finding that person my friend might be more rare than finding a sealed Stadium Events.
  • Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64



     I have no interest in these super mega ultra rare games like Stadium Events ....

    I don't really care about price.... I know these games are rare but asking upwards of $7k for a copy of Stadium Events? It's a just a game!



    Its a rare game that people feel they need to have a full US NTSC licensed set of NES games. There aren't enough copies out there for everyone to complete that goal. Thus, those that want that "complete set" have to pay for it, or get insanely lucky. Supply, meet demand.



    You aren't interested, you say you don't care. So... stop caring. Seriously, I don't care about VGA graded games. You don't see me making 100s of posts saying "Its just cellophane!"
  • Originally posted by: DarkKobold

    Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64



     I have no interest in these super mega ultra rare games like Stadium Events ....

    I don't really care about price.... I know these games are rare but asking upwards of $7k for a copy of Stadium Events? It's a just a game!



    Its a rare game that people feel they need to have a full US NTSC licensed set of NES games. There aren't enough copies out there for everyone to complete that goal. Thus, those that want that "complete set" have to pay for it, or get insanely lucky. Supply, meet demand.



    You aren't interested, you say you don't care. So... stop caring. Seriously, I don't care about VGA graded games. You don't see me making 100s of posts saying "Its just cellophane!"





    Yeah, yeah, yeah. Another post saying keep your mouth shut about reselling, I get into a fight with a guy that I didn't want to continue, I get bitched out by a mod and have the reason I edited my WTB thrown in my face, I get other people saying the same thing.

    On other sites you see people understanding, here it's a sin to say anything. I wonder why?

    I'm done here, if weren't for ZactAttack talking me into staying and giving this place another chance after getting crapped on a few months ago by asking a question I'd be long gone.

    "The reason you edited your WTB thread speaks volumes" Yeah you acting like a coward and everyone here on my back speaks volumes as well.
  • I apologize to that guy for the fight BTW.
  • Honestly if you've been collecting for the few years I have or the many others have done you'll eventually have some sort of system down where you'll know where to look, aquaint folks who sell games for a living, and even make friends who will keep and eye out for deals. I guess what I'm trying to say is you're not going to be stuck paying full price all the time so long as you're kind to everyone including resellers, make some connections and learn where the deals are in your area.
  • I guess I don't get it because of how you worded it...does A mean the games are super cheap?



    Given my luck...I'd say B. That way I at least have a chance at finding the games.



    But I'd rather have a C: Prices drop hard and re-sellers flood the market in a panic with all of the games they've been hording. And these old games become worthless...better for me to snatch them all up because I could careless what it's worth...I want to just play it and collect them...they look pretty on my shelves lol.
  • Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64

     
    Originally posted by: DarkKobold

     
    Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64



     I have no interest in these super mega ultra rare games like Stadium Events ....

    I don't really care about price.... I know these games are rare but asking upwards of $7k for a copy of Stadium Events? It's a just a game!



    Its a rare game that people feel they need to have a full US NTSC licensed set of NES games. There aren't enough copies out there for everyone to complete that goal. Thus, those that want that "complete set" have to pay for it, or get insanely lucky. Supply, meet demand.



    You aren't interested, you say you don't care. So... stop caring. Seriously, I don't care about VGA graded games. You don't see me making 100s of posts saying "Its just cellophane!"







    Yeah, yeah, yeah. Another post saying keep your mouth shut about reselling, I get into a fight with a guy that I didn't want to continue, I get bitched out by a mod and have the reason I edited my WTB thrown in my face, I get other people saying the same thing. On other sites you see people understanding, here it's a sin to say anything. I wonder why? I'm done here, if weren't for ZactAttack talking me into staying and giving this place another chance after getting crapped on a few months ago by asking a question I'd be long gone. "The reason you edited your WTB thread speaks volumes" Yeah you acting like a coward and everyone here on my back speaks volumes as well.





     The reason why I said that was because your want to buy thread smacks of entitlement. Prices are high and it's everyone heres fault? How does that make any sense? you even said in your want to buy thread "please close this because everybody here owns a video game store". But since you decided to be public about it how's this, drop the "woe is me resellers are the bane of this hobby" schtick or get a free vacation. 
  • Originally posted by: TiredKorok



    So the bubble bursting thread got me wondering.... if you guys had the choice between

    A. the majority of rare and classic games still being in someone's attic or at a flea market and being just as hard to find as they are rare

    or

    B. the majority of the rare and classic games being readily available online but for a decent price

    which would you choose?

     

    I think it's going to be a matter of what aspect of collecting interests a person.



    Option A is for people that enjoy the thrill of the hunt, as their primary purpose of collecting, in general.



    Option B is for people that are driven by completion, so want that completion to be feasible.





    Option B (readily available for "a decent price") is fundamentally impossible, though, assuming you're defining "a decent price" as something less than prevailing market rates (though many of those market rates would come down, somewhat, if sufficient supply was available to meet the demand of the peopel willing to throw down the most cash).



    If instead, by Option B you mean truly sufficient supply for ANYBODY that wants it, then of course, there is no such thing as "rare" anymore, since you'd basically be talking about an unlimited production run    



     
  • Originally posted by: DarkKobold

     
    Originally posted by: ZeldaMaster64



     I have no interest in these super mega ultra rare games like Stadium Events ....

    I don't really care about price.... I know these games are rare but asking upwards of $7k for a copy of Stadium Events? It's a just a game!



    Its a rare game that people feel they need to have a full US NTSC licensed set of NES games. There aren't enough copies out there for everyone to complete that goal. Thus, those that want that "complete set" have to pay for it, or get insanely lucky. Supply, meet demand.



    You aren't interested, you say you don't care. So... stop caring. Seriously, I don't care about VGA graded games. You don't see me making 100s of posts saying "Its just cellophane!"



    This.   No need to beat it into the ground, you can post your position once and move on instead of arguing with peeps about your way being the only way.



    That's probably why you get a lot of counter-arguments.





     
  • @arch_8ngel I was thinking more of the demand dropping not the supply increasing or price dropping regardless. Either of the latter happening would be pretty nice imo though   Also, don't you think there's another class of gamers to go alongside the hunters and completionists?



    (is there another option to reply to someone besides quoting? they tend to get rather long   )
  • Originally posted by: TiredKorok



    @arch_8ngel I was thinking more of the demand dropping not the supply increasing or price dropping regardless. Either of the latter happening would be pretty nice imo though   Also, don't you think there's another class of gamers to go alongside the hunters and completionists?



    (is there another option to reply to someone besides quoting? they tend to get rather long   )



    Somebody that is purely in it for gaming should just buy a flashcart, IMO, if they are otherwise concerned about emulation and a loss of authenticity.



    If a "gamer" insists that the original carts matter versus a flash cart on real hardware, then they are kidding themselves, at least a little bit, from a gaming perspective, and are actually scratching a "collector" itch, whether they are honest enough with themselves to realize it, or not.



    The only exception to that, I think, would be if a person truly suffers from choice paralysis and can't be satisfied with their gaming choice if they have too many options presented at once.   I remember Tanooki used to complain about that.



    But I think most people can get past that issue if they set up some other criteria for what they might want to play (i.e. like arnpoly's blog of beating every NES game, with the order selected at random as he completes the previous game)

     
  • ^^^ Oh look free advertising!   



    I guess I would take Option A so long as it fits with the current environment.



    What I mean by that is that I can definitely handle the prices and market being as they are now while having most of the actual supply still hidden away. That way there is enough opportunity out there to find an awesome score while eventually dropping prices a bit due to introducing more supply.



    That answer may be skirting the original intent of the question, but I like my answer anyway!
  • A, with the addendum that the nice people who spent the decade of 2000 doing the work of documenting the catalogs and rarity of games had not, or had not shared it, so later day resellers/"collectors" couldn't free-ride on their hard work and ruin the hobby.
  • I choose both, since I do both. Although, choice A is much harder so I don't do it as often.
  • In close to 18 years collecting none of my stuff has come from ebay, so I guess the evidence for me suggests more A than B.
  • I stopped hunting in the wild because people's attics are dry, competition is intense, and I'm much more interested in getting exactly what I want these days rather than rolling the dice on random crap.



    So option B, bring on the resellers! The more people that flush the scraps and slim pickings out of flea markets and garage sales onto the internet, the better!
  • I am 70/30.



    70% of my collection (I collect many things) are from yards sales and thrift stores.

    Otherwise I am very bored when traveling. Flea Markets are a pure joy.



    Many of my cherished items were purchased for .50c
  • It used to be a ton of fun going to yard sales, when my collection was small, so I could find things for it, while also finding things for resale or trade. My collection is huge now, thus the chances of finding stuff for my collection is near impossible, and finding stuff for resale is slimmer, and less exciting. Its not fun to do if I'm just after the resale side of things.
  • Shipping and exchange rates to Canada suck anyway so I would pick Option A. I don't really care what state the market is in, I had fun when I started in 2010 as a collector/gamer/profiteer and I'm still having fun now. I like to adapt.
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