The Art of Video Game Collecting
Chapter 1 : Getting Started
Introduction
The world of video games is an interesting and varied one -- from consoles to upright arcade cabinets, pinball machines and handheld devices -- they come in special editions, limited editions, and a variety of different configurations depending on the country and market.
Some items are collected for their rarity value, others for actual use (although this is discouraged -- see below). Yet more are bought up in the hope that they will be, some day, collectible items of their own.
Whether you collect for fun or profit, there are some simple guidelines and various things to think about before rushing off to an auction site and snapping up a 'rare' item in the hope that it will become more desirable with time.
Which is, of course, the object of collecting antiques; by and large we hope that they will be, some day, valuable. This explains why I have a Sega Mega Drive (Genesis in the US) in a hermetically sealed box. Some day, it might make me rich.
What to Collect?
Any dealer will tell you that there are two types of video game artifact that the budding collector can dabble in - items that are of historical value now, and those that will have value in the furure. I call these 'contemporary' and 'future' antiques.
The big difference between collecting traditional antiques and video games is that the time span is compressed due to the pace of technological change. This makes it an incredibly interesting, rewarding and profitable market to be in -- it is the day trading of the antique world.
It is also the reason for those two phrases -- 'contemporary' and 'future' antiques. On the one hand something that is not even 20 years old can hardly be called an antique, but it might be extremely desirable as a vintage example of the art.
On the other hand, we have examples of people buying limited edition versions of popular games now in the hope that they will turn a profit later; so long as they don't actually open the bags.
Care & Attention
Which brings us to the first vital point : if you are collecting in order to make a profit at some point, never, ever, break a factory seal. Most people who bought video game consoles at their heyday broke the seals to play the games; they were new toys, and very expensive.
As the price of technology has fallen, people are finding that they can afford to buy something and not open the box; and then resell it at a profit.
Assuming that you are trading in contemporary antiques, you must resist the temptation to play the games. Be like the record collector, when they get a rare piece, they never play it, for fear of wearing down the vinyl and reducing the value.
Of course, they have an advantage -- they can transfer the record to tape, or even CD. Video game collectors do not have that luxury, so will have to withold from even 'testing' the games that they collect.
Estimating Value
This is the reson for the site, and book. With so many auction sites around, and such differences in market value between products, it was decided that a floating value table of collectible video games and video game related collectibles be set up.
It is going to take a while, but here we have the first steps towards a definitive guide; based on real market forces and values, as seen at auctions both online and in teh real world.
The site is dedicated to estimating the current value of pieces, both contemporary antiques as well as future ones. The book will be a result of the knowledge gleaned from this exercise.
But above all, what is most important is to have fun and learn something along the way. It's a fascinating field, let's discover it together.
© 2003 Guy W. Lecky-Thompson.
All Rights Reserved.