Collecting games compares to other collections....

[colicub]

OK, I hope this is the right place for this, but I'm still not 100% sure, but hey.

I've seen a lot of discussions that compare collecting games to collecting baseball cards and comics, but having had a brief look around my room I have come to a different conclusion.

Collecting games has a lot in common with collecting records.

Think about it.....there's a market for imports, products that are still sealed, prototypes (ie. test pressings), obsessive collectors for publishers/developers (record labels/artists), all sorts of label variations.....maybe I am slightly rambling, but I still say my point is valid.

Anyone agree? Disagree? Care?

[PingvinBlueJeans]

Yes, that's a fair assessment.

[SeverThe7th]

Yeah i think you have a point. I have several cds (not collecting) and several games (collecting but mainly gaming) and i can see where you draw the similarities from.

[PapaStu]

Then your not looking deep enough into the other collections that your comparing video games to. Like any collectable everyone is going to go their own way, however if you look at the truly hardcore comic/card collectors they go just as crazy for the chase covers, chase/insert limited edition cards ect as the scary game collectors do. Both card and comic collecting (not forgetting Coin collecting either) have grading systems and people collect all kinds of stuff. Games are no different, with some people collection their systems (teams) or favorite developers and game franchises.

What you describe (taking out the specific references to records) also fits Disney collectors to a T (I know my family is full of them, myself included). In fact its a simple argument to like collectors of Games to collectors of most anything else simply because of the most obvious fact that they are.... collecting whatever that might be.

[MrSparkle]

ive never really seen a well defined game grading system.... maybe we should create one, or maybe someone can point a preexisting one out

[PingvinBlueJeans]

ive never really seen a well defined game grading system.... maybe we should create one, or maybe someone can point a preexisting one out

LOL

You must have missed this one:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107263

[Keir]

There are a lot of similarities between game collecting and record collecting, but as PapaStu said there are similarities with all kinds of collectors. I think the biggest difference between game collectors and record collectors is that game collectors are more focused on complete collections, while record collectors are more likely to have a favorite genre or style that they collect for. As a result, there seems to be more of a correlation between quality and price because less people are willing to pay through the nose for a bad record just to complete a collection. On the other hand, based on some prices I've seen, record collectors also make game collectors look sane.

[kaedesdisciple]

On the other hand, based on some prices I've seen, record collectors also make game collectors look sane.

In addition to records, I've seen prices on single coins that would make any game collector's head spin. Compared to collecting scenes that have had more time to mature, we're small potatoes price-wise. That's why I'm in this for the fun of it, not the money.

[ssjlance]

Beatles' Yesterday and Today Butcher cover, anyone?

[colicub]

Beatles' Yesterday and Today Butcher cover, anyone?

Small potatoes......how about Kate Bush's Eat The Music 7"? Or there was a Pet Shop Boys one that they made about 3 copies of.....

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Beatles' Yesterday and Today Butcher cover, anyone?

I've actually come across two copies of this album in the past couple of years. One I framed at my old job (as a picture framer, obviously) and the other in a record store in Cape Cod.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

Small potatoes......how about Kate Bush's Eat The Music 7"? Or there was a Pet Shop Boys one that they made about 3 copies of.....

Instances where people intentionally create rare pieces don't count. Of course, nobody cares about the Pet Shop Boys either way.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Beatles' Yesterday and Today Butcher cover, anyone?

Interesting thing about this cover is I've read that now it's looking like within the next few years that the rarest version is the one with the pasted on cover still intact. It seems that so many people have peeled that cover off in an effort to get the "butcher cover" underneath that there will soon be more "butcher" copies than "pasted". Ironic. (I think)

Anyway, back on topic. As a Record collector as well a game collector, I find myself collecting for different reasons. Whereas for games I collect for completeness one way or another (No need for boxes all the time, loose games everywhere etc.) I find myself having more specified goals for record collecting (Looking for multi-region releases in order to find a rare B-Side version of "Watching the Detectives" for example).

While I can see similarities, the differences while slight seem to make a big difference.

[boatofcar]

Interesting thing about this cover is I've read that now it's looking like within the next few years that the rarest version is the one with the pasted on cover still intact. It seems that so many people have peeled that cover off in an effort to get the "butcher cover" underneath that there will soon be more "butcher" copies than "pasted". Ironic. (I think)


True.


nobody cares about the Pet Shop Boys either way.

Also true.


(I kid! I kid! I like West End Girls as much as the next guy!)
:)

[InsaneDavid]

Of course, nobody cares about the Pet Shop Boys either way.

:gasp: As long as the stereo in my shop kept blasting out Pet Shop Boys the rework of my Pole Position arcade cabinet zipped right along.

[AdamAnt316]

Personally, I think that there are many ways that someone can collect anything for any sort of collection. I tend to collect video games the same way I collect records: nothing especially rare, just whatever I find enjoyable to play. There are some rarities which have fallen into my lap, so to speak (for video games, my cockpit cabinet Star Wars machine; for records, my less-than-perfect copy of The Beatles "Yesterday...And Today"), but generally, I don't especially shoot for the rare stuff.
-Adam

[Greg2600]

As I said in this post (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110955) video game collecting is not as bad as some other collecting, particularly trading cards and sports memorabilia. At least with video games, you can play the things if you're not overboard and want everything sealed. I totally got out of the card business when they started "grading" the cards for just how mint they were. I found this completely insane, especially since it raised the prices 10 fold. Grading for authenticity is one thing, or even perhaps for an antique. But not for a 5 year old card. These are not hand crafted products or even partially, such as a classic car. These are mass produced items meant for selling many many units of. As I said also, the one saving grace for video games is that you're almost forced to keep it somewhat reasonable due to space concerns.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

:gasp: As long as the stereo in my shop kept blasting out Pet Shop Boys the rework of my Pole Position arcade cabinet zipped right along.
To each his own. ;)

My point was simply that you can't draw any kind of parallel between a rare Pet Shop Boys piece and something like a Beatles butcher cover or a Dylan withdrawn Freewheelin' LP...they're not even in the same ballpark.



I totally got out of the card business when they started "grading" the cards for just how mint they were. I found this completely insane, especially since it raised the prices 10 fold. Grading for authenticity is one thing, or even perhaps for an antique. But not for a 5 year old card. These are not hand crafted products or even partially, such as a classic car. These are mass produced items meant for selling many many units of.
Indeed...grading of cards (especially recent ones) is such a beautiful piece of lunacy...and services like PSA make millions per year on that stuff.