Hope springs eternal for the NES game collector

[Flam]

So I was at a party over the weekend, and somehow we got on the topic about how some peoples mothers never throw anything out. Well, two of the people made a statement that their respective mothers still had all their old NES games. It took all I had to bite my lip and not invite myself over to their mother’s house to riffle through their old NES games. So right there are two untapped boxes of NES games sitting in someone’s attic. I was always under the opinion that by now in 2013, that most of these type of situations did not exists, as most of these games would have been sold in a garage sale by now, but this proved me wrong, that even in this day and age there are in fact untapped boxes of NES games in peoples attics across the US. I just know there is a Stadium Events in one of those boxes!

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I'm a collector, but I don't understand why people would even want Stadium Events in the first place beyond its insane monetary value.

To me, I find it completely worthless to collect junk games. Stadium Events is a perfect example of this - it's just World Class Track Meet by a different name, which is itself a mediocre game you might play once or twice. It's not even worth owning let alone playing.

The crazy prices of Stadium Events represent only the game's rarity - not it's greatness, not it's fun factor, nothing at all but the fact that it's a variant of a common game that's not very good to begin with.

This is why I don't understand the collector who aims to own every game in a console's library, especially the NES. The bigger the library, the more absolute crap there will be in the library. I'm aiming for a complete NES collection, but my aim is to own every good NES game, not every NES game period.

[Polygon]

I've run across situations like that recently. Personally, I would have told them that if they ever wanted to sell them to give you a call. I would call that out of line.


I'm a collector, but I don't understand why people would even want Stadium Events in the first place beyond its insane monetary value.

To me, I find it completely worthless to collect junk games. Stadium Events is a perfect example of this - it's just World Class Track Meet by a different name, which is itself a mediocre game you might play once or twice. It's not even worth owning let alone playing.

The crazy prices of Stadium Events represent only the game's rarity - not it's greatness, not it's fun factor, nothing at all but the fact that it's a variant of a common game that's not very good to begin with.

This is why I don't understand the collector who aims to own every game in a console's library, especially the NES. The bigger the library, the more absolute crap there will be in the library. I'm aiming for a complete NES collection, but my aim is to own every good NES game, not every NES game period.

My sentiments exactly. I don't collect games that I don't want to play.

[Atarileaf]

So I was at a party over the weekend, and somehow we got on the topic about how some peoples mothers never throw anything out. Well, two of the people made a statement that their respective mothers still had all their old NES games. It took all I had to bite my lip and not invite myself over to their mother’s house to riffle through their old NES games. So right there are two untapped boxes of NES games sitting in someone’s attic. I was always under the opinion that by now in 2013, that most of these type of situations did not exists, as most of these games would have been sold in a garage sale by now, but this proved me wrong, that even in this day and age there are in fact untapped boxes of NES games in peoples attics across the US. I just know there is a Stadium Events in one of those boxes!

Why bite your lip? You're a collector and if they're just sitting there I don't think its out of line to ask people if they think they'd be willing to sell. As long as your honest with an offer (if you get to the stage of seeing what's actually available) I"ve done that before where someone has said they have some games at home and I've come right out and asked if they'd be willing to sell. Sometimes they say yes, sometimes no but it can never hurt to at least ask.

[treismac]

Why bite your lip? You're a collector and if they're just sitting there I don't think its out of line to ask people if they think they'd be willing to sell. As long as your honest with an offer (if you get to the stage of seeing what's actually available) I"ve done that before where someone has said they have some games at home and I've come right out and asked if they'd be willing to sell. Sometimes they say yes, sometimes no but it can never hurt to at least ask.

Exactomundo. I always angle to bring up my addiction... er... uhh... my hobby at social situations just for such occasions. "What's that? You have one of those Nintendo robots along with a bunch of games sitting in your parents' attic? Sure. I'd be happy to give them a good home." My experience is that many people are simply so bemused and intrigued by the fact that someone actually still plays old video games that they're happy to give you what they have. I do, of course, bring a heavy dose of childlike wonder to the table to facilitate this response.


To me, I find it completely worthless to collect junk games. Stadium Events is a perfect example of this - it's just World Class Track Meet by a different name, which is itself a mediocre game you might play once or twice. It's not even worth owning let alone playing.

I'd say that World Class Track Meet/Stadium Events is elevated slightly above being simply a mediocre game by virtue of it being one of a handful of games that plays with a gimmicky accessory on the NES. It is worth owning providing you have a Power Pad, just as Stack Up is if you have R.O.B., but just as you'd be a putz to buy R.O.B. to play Stack Up, you'd likewise be one for going out and buying a Power Pad to play World Class/Stadium Events.

[Flam]

I'm a collector, but I don't understand why people would even want Stadium Events in the first place beyond its insane monetary value.

To me, I find it completely worthless to collect junk games. Stadium Events is a perfect example of this - it's just World Class Track Meet by a different name, which is itself a mediocre game you might play once or twice. It's not even worth owning let alone playing.

The crazy prices of Stadium Events represent only the game's rarity - not it's greatness, not it's fun factor, nothing at all but the fact that it's a variant of a common game that's not very good to begin with.

This is why I don't understand the collector who aims to own every game in a console's library, especially the NES. The bigger the library, the more absolute crap there will be in the library. I'm aiming for a complete NES collection, but my aim is to own every good NES game, not every NES game period.

The Stadium Events comment was tongue and cheek. I wouldn't keep it if I came across it. I'd sell it in a heart beat.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

But that's the problem - people only seek it for it's value. Of course you'd be a fool to pass it over if you found a copy for cheap, but my point is that games like that have no business being valuable to begin with. The only reason it's rare at all was because the company was bought out and the name was changed - nothing else is different.

also has the secondary effect of the European version which is not rare rasing in value because people think it's rare.

There are exceptions of course, but the unfortunate reality is that if a game is rare, it's almost always because the game is junk to begin with.