This should be interesting. If it were stocks a lot of my titles that hit the ceiling and flat lined would be gone. Imagine only owning titles on paper!
This should be interesting. If it were stocks a lot of my titles that hit the ceiling and flat lined would be gone. Imagine only owning titles on paper!
I'd start shucking copies of Little Samson at politicians and collecting lobbyists to get them to de-regulate the video game markets and price-charting sites while gutting/underfunding private and public Defined Benefit retirement collections. This would force people to only have the options of shitty Defined Contribution plans like 401(nes) or a SNES IRA forcing people to buy more of the games I'm selling. I can keep all of my gains private but when the bubble bursts I can make collectors socialize the losses to bail me out with quantitative easing when they buy all of my worthless copies of Duck Dodgers for N64. Capitalism, baby!
Sounds like a clever way of finding out which games to buy and sell Jp
Jokes aside. PS1.
That system is slowly starting to climb. It will never boom like SNES/NES, but that doesn't mean it won't steadily increase as demand increases. Especially since good condition disks and cases are not easy to find for some of them.
I would be in the same pickle I put myself in the first place...rare/obscure stuff that isn't always expensive and many have never heard of before so I may or may not break even.
Xbox original, already seeing a slight increase here and there with the announced backwards compatiblity on the XboneX. Really wishing I kept my copy of Stubbs, great game thats already pricey that'll only get more expensive.
If video games were equivalent to stocks and they paid out a percentage or dividend like a stock then I think most of us on here would have been able to retire many years ago.
Games aren't the stock market. You can't liquidate them quickly. You usually have to take a 10-20% hit to sell individually, and even higher if selling en masse. This means you have to see greater than 20% growth to see even a penny back from your 'investment.' The way people make money in this hobby is not through investment, but through arbitrage. You find games cheaper than the current market value, and then flip them to gain the difference in price.
Additionally, they aren't tied to any sort of performance or value metric. Their worth is only tied to what people 'think' they are worth. Thus, its impossible to predict which games people will 'think' are valuable, and try and cash in on those. Look at the stupidity around Wii rares, such as Walk It Out, to see what happens when people try and beat the market at its own game. I'm sure lots of "investors" got burned that way.
Buy uncommon games that are still inexpensive. Hold onto the rare/expensive titles unless you need the money now. You may see some price drops monthly or yearly, but in the long run they're going to go up in value. Sell your common titles. I don't really know what I'm talking about so don't listen to me.
I got a buddy who has a store here and he deals in magic the gathering, comics and video games. It's funny talking to him because he will tell me that the stock market is "too risky" but he will hold on to certain magic cards for long periods of time because he "knows" they will go up in value.
I got a buddy who has a store here and he deals in magic the gathering, comics and video games. It's funny talking to him because he will tell me that the stock market is "too risky" but he will hold on to certain magic cards for long periods of time because he "knows" they will go up in value.
There is a bit of truth to that.
Stocks are bought with ONE purpose, to eventually sold at a profit. That is it. It's not tangible, all virtual.
Collectibles can be bought to be sold at a profit, but there are also some people that truly plan to keep forever (barring some extreme financial distress). Even then their collection may be the very last thing they sell.
The stock market has way more fluctuations than video games, and is much more manipulated by big business and the media. I do agree with that point, even if it is the more viable long term retirement strategy.
The major difference is that a stock, mutual fund, index fund etc. is tied to the performance of the companies they represent unlike a collectible which is only as valuable as the people who want it. Supply makes no difference if there is no demand. Also some stock or funds should not be sold and only held on to because they pay out dividends as long as the performance of the company or companies they are with are doing well.
The major difference is that a stock, mutual fund, index fund etc. is tied to the performance of the companies they represent unlike a collectible which is only as valuable as the people who want it. Supply makes no difference if there is no demand.
Which is also tied to the greater economy as a whole, and can violantly fluctuate based on news. Mutual Funds are the best option for autopilot investors but individual stocks are way more risky than video games IMO, unless it's a blue chip like Amazon.
Also, every adult needs a hobby. Collectibles will never be at "no demand", ever. Well, barring a post-apocalyptic nuclear war, but we'd all have bigger problems then.
CAn't ignore the liquidity aspects though. Any stock, one call, its sold the same day. Even the games that can be sold that quick require shipping and blah blah blah. Time time time.
I'm not into stocks, but that's one thing that they do have going for them.
The big issue is aside from a few key titles, when the generation that is nostalgic for that system ages out, no one replaces them and values drop, or maybe they stay steady, but good luck selling anything...i cant even sell a copy of super metroid local anymore. I think its all bubbles, huge demand but once that generation has what they need the supply outweights the demand. You couldnt pay me to collect atari games, but nes is my jam, but even my yougger brother thinks the nes is lame, but he loves ps1...this is a hobby and for your own happiness, unlike the stock market... at this point... anything pre ps2 you will not make money on
Additionally, they aren't tied to any sort of performance or value metric. Their worth is only tied to what people 'think' they are worth. Thus, its impossible to predict which games people will 'think' are valuable, and try and cash in on those. Look at the stupidity around Wii rares, such as Walk It Out, to see what happens when people try and beat the market at its own game. I'm sure lots of "investors" got burned that way.
Games aren't the stock market. You can't liquidate them quickly. You usually have to take a 10-20% hit to sell individually, and even higher if selling en masse. This means you have to see greater than 20% growth to see even a penny back from your 'investment.' The way people make money in this hobby is not through investment, but through arbitrage. You find games cheaper than the current market value, and then flip them to gain the difference in price.
Additionally, they aren't tied to any sort of performance or value metric. Their worth is only tied to what people 'think' they are worth. Thus, its impossible to predict which games people will 'think' are valuable, and try and cash in on those. Look at the stupidity around Wii rares, such as Walk It Out, to see what happens when people try and beat the market at its own game. I'm sure lots of "investors" got burned that way.
This is such a good post I wanted to call it out. You have to buy and sell quickly then spend the extra you make on your collection. It's the only way to grow your collection IMO.
Comments
This should be interesting. If it were stocks a lot of my titles that hit the ceiling and flat lined would be gone. Imagine only owning titles on paper!
Mario 3 is falling, sell sell sell!
Jokes aside. PS1.
That system is slowly starting to climb. It will never boom like SNES/NES, but that doesn't mean it won't steadily increase as demand increases. Especially since good condition disks and cases are not easy to find for some of them.
Additionally, they aren't tied to any sort of performance or value metric. Their worth is only tied to what people 'think' they are worth. Thus, its impossible to predict which games people will 'think' are valuable, and try and cash in on those. Look at the stupidity around Wii rares, such as Walk It Out, to see what happens when people try and beat the market at its own game. I'm sure lots of "investors" got burned that way.
I got a buddy who has a store here and he deals in magic the gathering, comics and video games. It's funny talking to him because he will tell me that the stock market is "too risky" but he will hold on to certain magic cards for long periods of time because he "knows" they will go up in value.
There is a bit of truth to that.
Stocks are bought with ONE purpose, to eventually sold at a profit. That is it. It's not tangible, all virtual.
Collectibles can be bought to be sold at a profit, but there are also some people that truly plan to keep forever (barring some extreme financial distress). Even then their collection may be the very last thing they sell.
The stock market has way more fluctuations than video games, and is much more manipulated by big business and the media. I do agree with that point, even if it is the more viable long term retirement strategy.
The major difference is that a stock, mutual fund, index fund etc. is tied to the performance of the companies they represent unlike a collectible which is only as valuable as the people who want it. Supply makes no difference if there is no demand.
Which is also tied to the greater economy as a whole, and can violantly fluctuate based on news. Mutual Funds are the best option for autopilot investors but individual stocks are way more risky than video games IMO, unless it's a blue chip like Amazon.
Also, every adult needs a hobby. Collectibles will never be at "no demand", ever. Well, barring a post-apocalyptic nuclear war, but we'd all have bigger problems then.
I'm not into stocks, but that's one thing that they do have going for them.
Collectibles will never be at "no demand", ever. Well, barring a post-apocalyptic nuclear war, but we'd all have bigger problems then.
Have you played the new Fallout games? It's all about finding those collectible bobbleheads in a post-apocalypic nuclear world.
Additionally, they aren't tied to any sort of performance or value metric. Their worth is only tied to what people 'think' they are worth. Thus, its impossible to predict which games people will 'think' are valuable, and try and cash in on those. Look at the stupidity around Wii rares, such as Walk It Out, to see what happens when people try and beat the market at its own game. I'm sure lots of "investors" got burned that way.
Just like bitcoin
Originally posted by: ne$_pimp
If yoou were to look at the video game collecting market the same as the stock market, where would you invest and where what would you liquidate?
Apparently not a popular answer, but I'd continue to buy NES and SNES. Its the stuff people want.
Collectibles will never be at "no demand", ever. Well, barring a post-apocalyptic nuclear war, but we'd all have bigger problems then.
Have you played the new Fallout games? It's all about finding those collectible bobbleheads in a post-apocalypic nuclear world.
So a stadium events cart will add +1 to my endurance? Worth.
Games aren't the stock market. You can't liquidate them quickly. You usually have to take a 10-20% hit to sell individually, and even higher if selling en masse. This means you have to see greater than 20% growth to see even a penny back from your 'investment.' The way people make money in this hobby is not through investment, but through arbitrage. You find games cheaper than the current market value, and then flip them to gain the difference in price.
Additionally, they aren't tied to any sort of performance or value metric. Their worth is only tied to what people 'think' they are worth. Thus, its impossible to predict which games people will 'think' are valuable, and try and cash in on those. Look at the stupidity around Wii rares, such as Walk It Out, to see what happens when people try and beat the market at its own game. I'm sure lots of "investors" got burned that way.
This is such a good post I wanted to call it out. You have to buy and sell quickly then spend the extra you make on your collection. It's the only way to grow your collection IMO.