You've found a Holy Grail. Now what?

[Oobgarm]

If it was an NES grail, I'd keep it, maybe even put it in a red velvet-lined glass case. After I played it, of course.

If it was otherwise, I'd offer it up here. Lord knows that someone would want it, and it could find a better home.

[orrimarrko]

See, I've been in this situation TWICE now, so I can speak a little from experience.

The first was finding the MINT in MINT boxed, complete Q'Bert's Qubes for the 2600. It cost me $2.99 at a local game shop. I swore that I would never sell it, unless I was going to give up collecting (especially for the 2600.) I had the need to sell it, however, so I did - for $350. Should I have sold $350 worth of common or medium-rare games instead? I don't know.

The second was getting the SNES StarFox Competition cart at the same store a few months later for $9.99. Having parted with the Q'Bert's Qubes, and remembering the pain involved, I said that I would keep that one - come hell or high water. Well, I overspent my video game "allowance", and so I had to sell that (along with my NTSC Stadium Events cart and manual!)

Point is, my intent was never to sell them, and while I would certainly not play them often, I wanted to keep them for display, and for the joy that the "find" itself brought me.

However, I sold them because I needed to. So, to me, holy grails are great to keep, unless you truly need the dough they can bring. After all - the 4 GRAND that an Air Raid could bring, buys many an item.

If money was not an object however, I would never sell a holy grail - unless I had more than one, like Christian, or if I stopped collecting altogether.

[Raccoon Lad]

I actually do have one (Quadrun with manual) I've thought about selling it, the profit from that ONE game could be enough for me to COMPLETE my US SMS collection.... But I like being able to say "Neener neener neener, I got me a Quadrun for the price of an Oscar Mayer weiner!!!!"

[udisi]

well I have my NWC gold cart in a glass case with a mirrored back and black velvet bottom...It looks like something out of a musem... I play too, as it is a very fun game, but when not in use it's in the case and looks spiffy

[zemmix]

I have a glass case (old stereo shelf) that I keep the good stuff in. I don't part with anything unless I have a double.

[TheRedEye]

I would start an online magazine that shares and encourages others to do the same.

[Tritoch]

I'd sell it regardless of what it was. I would brag about the find first of course, but ultimately it'd go to one of you fine folk or on eBay.

Even if it was an extremely fun game, I wouldn't be able to pass up the chance to pay off some debt.

[Darth Vader]

It all depends on the system. If it was vectrex or channel F or some other system I didn't collect for, I would sell it right away. Any others, I would keep and play only once in a while.

Probably the rarest Atari game I have is Motorodeo NTSC with manual. I have played it a few time, but mostly I just enjoy knowing it was my greatest find "in the wild". If I ever sold it, I probably would work a deal with Ianoid, since I know he really would appreciate it. (Sorry Ian, but I don't think I will sell this any time soon. )

Very interesting topic!!

Danny

[dreamcaster]

I don't have anything particularly rare (check the collection link and see for yourself! :P), however, in the even that I do come acrosss a rarity that I actually want - e.g. Panzer Dragoon Saga - I'd treat it in the same way that I treat all my games:

1. Remove price tag(s)
2. Clean up as best as possible/necessary
3. Play it for a few days constantly (though I suspect PDS would get more than just a few days).
4. Then retire it to the shelf, occasionally coming out whenever I feel like playing it.

I have no huge in interest in extremely rare games - I only get games I want to play. If, however, that games turns out to be rare - then I suppose that's a bonus!

However, I'm a gamer first - collector second.

[Captain Wrong]

Depending on my mood and if it was something I actually collected vs. something fanboys annoyingly lust after I'd:

A) say to myself "hey, cool find" and tuck it in the collection with everything else gathering dust.

B) brag, brag, brag.

C) sell, sell, sell.

D) use it in a ritual sacrifice to the thrift gods in hopes that the next time I find something really worth peeing yourself for it'll be something that I actually collect or this damn local jazz LP I really want and I know I'll find someday for a price less than $800.

[dave2236]

I'd eat it.

[Nespit]

My nwc is just lying between a truckload of other cartridges. Not gonna sell. otherwise i will regret it. I am a collector, i don't collect to get a money profit out of it in the future. Course it is nice that it has a higher value over time, but i collect to .. i dunno.. just. i cannot collect nothin. i have to collect stuff.

In the stone age i would have been a Collector for sure instead of a hunter.

[ianoid]

And I did recently find an unreleased Colecovision cart, Number Bumper, which is still in CGE guy's hands, and has been dumped and posted for all to enjoy. Apparently it's a finished game.

Anything I don't have I keep and anything I do have I trade (or sell if I can't trade it for a few years.) Actually, as time goes on and space for 1000's of trade items decreases, I'll sell more and more trade stuff.

[Raccoon Lad]

Here's a quandry; what do you do if you manage to find a case of sealed copies of a certain R7+ game, but had to pay retail cost per unit to acquire? (hefty initial investment)

Do you unload them all at once on eBay and watch the value (and possibly rarity) plummet?

Do you slowly sell them one at a time over the course of several years?

Or do you keep them as trade-bait to insure you can trade for just about anything your heart desires?

[Captain Wrong]

Wow, that's a good question. I really don't know.

Is this a *nudge, nidge, wink, wink* hypothetical situation, perhaps?

[Raccoon Lad]

Well, I might be able to acquire such a thing, but it's only wishfull thinking right now.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I'd say a combination of #1 and #3 - both eBay and tradebait.

[benhutchins]

I sadly have to relate this tale... When I first got into collecting video games, I first focused on Odyssey2 because it and NES were the systems I grew up with. Well I was strolling around a flea market in Urbana, Ohio when I stumbled upon a powerlords cartridge for 1 dollar amongst other loose O2 carts. Of course I bought it. I realized it was rare, but had no idea how rare, this was probably 1995. So in a stroke of "genius" I decided to sell it for cash so I could get massive amounts of games for the 2600 to bolster my collection. Hey I was only 17! So i sold it to Wayne Dunphy for 50 dollars and used the measly 50 bucks to buy a bunch of common and uncommon carts for the VCS to get me started there. When I realized the error of my ways a couple years later I called Dunphy up only to find out he had liquidated his collection. Oh and thanks DP for rubbing it in in the 7th edition, with a rarity that states, You'll never find this cart just sitting out unless it's a once in a lifetime find...
Oh well, others will follow i'm sure

[Sanriostar]

Here's a quandry; what do you do if you manage to find a case of sealed copies of a certain R7+ game, but had to pay retail cost per unit to acquire? (hefty initial investment)

I've had this happen: several cases of Comma-Vid games and Tiger high-holies.
$40 a case, 5 cases.

I bought every single one, and I traded the leftovers for big rares of varying systems. But I could afford back then, if I had the same option today, I'd have to think about it, with a lean toward not getting them.

[ozyr]

I'd take the cartridge and run it through a tree shredder, and laugh as the plastic bits fly through the air!

Nnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooooowwwwwwww www!!!!!!















Well, just joking of course. I'd put it with my collection. No brag (I hate doing that), and would not sell it. I would probably take it to trade shows, just to show to those jerks that 'trade only', and then not trade it to them. Ah, revenge....