one question where the hell are those guys gettin the money?

[gamecuberules987]

^ how do they make so much money that they can collect that many systmes and games i mean im a collector but dont have nearly as much games as those guys how long does it take to collect to get that many games?

[ianoid]

We're all rich, you're poor, so give up!

Actually, it takes alot of time, and every collection grows in tiny increments.

It's really patience vs. money. And most of us don't really have the money to buy our collections instantly.

It's also timing. Every dog has it's day, and if you jump onto the kill, you can complete a collection as the system is going (or gone) out of style.

For example, the last couple of years have been a fine heyday for Dreamcast. Most of the games were recently available for $5-$10. Not bad for a system with so many quality titles.

[AB Positive]

My entire collection cost me an estimated amount of $250

My entire collection's worth could be estimated at ten to twelve times that. How?

I went to EVERY YARD SALE I could find in my area this past spring/summer. Most of what I bought I didn't even want, but then eBayed for well beyone it's value. With the money earned that way, I paid for the stuff I -did- want. Also, I've found a few people that found a stash of stuff via talking at work and bought huge lots that I sold off or traded for other stuff. It was a lot of work and a lot of luck, but I was able to get a rather sizable collection in mere months.


look around at sales and fleas for deals and start up an eBay account. If you're like me and won't collect for every system, you should be able to get some spare spending cash in no time :)

-AG

[Chunky]

many of these old(ha!) guys were out of school and working by the time video games hit their hayday they were buying them. And the thing is they kept them. We're playing catch-up.....and having fun doing it!

[calthaer]

Drugs.

[MarioAllStar2600]

Video Games is all I spend my money on
so i make my money with this
-christmas
-holidays
-birthday
-summer job
-good grades
-allowance ($10 a week for those wondering)

I manage my money on what I REALLY want, and I get good deals to like the Burgertime machine I just got.

[christianscott27]

well if you're a retrogamer/classic gamer whatever its not that hard. you only drop big money when you have an addiction to modern games or imports or some other obscure niche. if you're into things like the NES and the 2600 its not hard to build up a respectable collection for little money. my rule for buying used games, at a flea mart, yard sale, thrift etc is never pay more than $3 a game. i have 1000s of titles from this method, the trick is to look constantly and take what comes your way, that is to say collect everything gamewise. i'm working on a complete collection for pretty much every console at the same time, anything i dont already own is a find for me so i can be fussy about the price.

theres a bit of a reverse snob quality to this for me, i have lots of respect for people who make the great cheap scores and nothing but indifference to those who max out their credit card on ebay. its like the difference between hunting stocked birds rather than wild, collectings funny like that.

[MarioAllStar2600]

Christian has a truly amazing collection. All found in the wild. props to Christian, I would consider him to have one of the top 10 cpollections.

[Duncan]

It's also timing. Every dog has it's day, and if you jump onto the kill, you can complete a collection as the system is going (or gone) out of style.

For example, the last couple of years have been a fine heyday for Dreamcast. Most of the games were recently available for $5-$10. Not bad for a system with so many quality titles.

I can testify to this. Just this Sunday, I picked up a lightly used Dreamcast for $25 at the local game store. I grabbed Soul Calibur (often regarded as perhaps the best game on the system) for $20. Add in a VMU for $5, and I've got an absolutely killer new-generation console package for not much more than $50.

Adding to that, I jumped on Crazy Taxi and Space Channel 5 today -- about $10 total. Another VMU, a second controller and a Jump (rumble) Pack only cost me another $10.

That's an entire system with three great games, fully equipped, for around seventy bucks total. I'm very pleased these days... 8-)

[BoOchan]

I never buy on ebay, I only mostly buy on ebay for stuff I haven't found or My obessieve Collection of Windows OS's. I go to Swapmeets (You could say they're Flea Marketish) and Fairs, etc Every Sunday. Yes, I might only get 4 hours of sleep but it doesn't matter, getting systems and seeing if I can find anything to add to my collection Is important. I try and pick up SNESes, Atari 2600 6 Switches, NESes, Megadrives, SMSes, Classic Computers I don't want and recent laptops to sell on eBay. In this past 2 months, I have made about $1200 from eBay, which 3/4 of it has been spent on maintaining my colllection, the other 1/4 on more stuff to sell.

[digitalpress]

I've worked my whole life, and I'm very old. :)

Plus I don't really have any other vices or hobbies.

This is IT!

[hu6800]

^ how do they make so much money that they can collect that many systmes and games i mean im a collector but dont have nearly as much games as those guys how long does it take to collect to get that many games?

Ive seen alot...

Ive seen a guy travel from canada to blow $3000 to buy out
somebodies game collection that lives in my area..
He sold games,,, to buy more.

I remember the slip up sears did a while back when psx1 games
normally ran for $50 .. but they had to sell them for $15 because
of an add misprint... I charged $2000 on my card that day.
After that,, it was just a matter of days before those psx games
paid themselves off.

I also remember walking into "Die Hard" game club and
telling the guy behind the counter "Ill take it !" he was surprised
when i he figured out i was talking about the entire TurboDuo/Pcengine section in the store.
I worked as a motorcoach mechanic at the time.

Sometimes you can just do huge swaps with other gamers..
Throwing small gamer parties helps alot,,,, or being well
known at your local game stores.

[Sylentwulf]

I haven't spent more then $1-2 on average for ANY of my collected games (Obviously current-gen systems are more)

I think the most I've ever spent for a collected classic game would be $6-$7.

[anagrama]

I sell crack to kids ;)

[ClubNinja]

Being a student, paying an ungodly tuition along with other expenses, and only getting to work *sometimes*, I've got to be cheap. Just like Christian, I won't pay more than a couple bucks for a game in the wild, unless it's some one-time-only find. Generally, I've been able to buy out lots of games that I may not actually collect, then turn them around in both trade and sales. That's how I get through this crazy little hobby of ours.

The one exception is the Neo Geo. I've found myself being a bit spendy with some of these, but that's ok. I don't buy new modern games at retail prices and I don't spend more than a few bucks on classic games, so I can allow myself a little room with one system. Since I've gone MVS, I also avoid the insane home cart prices. My Metal Slug, complete with artwork and mini marquee was $50. Better yet, that $50 came directly from game-selling profit. Try scoring the home version for that much!

[hu6800]

I haven't spent more then $1-2 on average for ANY of my collected games (Obviously current-gen systems are more)

I think the most I've ever spent for a collected classic game would be $6-$7.

Unfortunately , this is how NOT to collect tg16 stuff lol.
well some of the more common tg16 american carts maybe.
but imagine trying to get a pcengine LT for $6?
i wish.

[den68]

As a lot of these guys have already said you CAN get a huge collection fairly cheaply. It does however require a huge investment in time.

I look for games every day. Monday through Friday I hit a few resale shops that are all on my route home from work. Saturday is for places that are a little further away. I also look out for flea markets, garage sales and CHURCH garage sales (these can be huge treasure troves)

Sunday is usually a day off unless Best Buy or Target or some other retailer is blowing out something for the current systems. This happens a lot and these deals are not always advertised. For example I got Halo at Target for $13 bucks. It was a left over game and mini strategy guide combo from some holiday promo. The game alone was still $50 buck this gift pack was being blown out, go figure.

You can't get discouraged either. Just because you don't find anything the first 10 times you look doesn't mean you never will. Just remember it's ALWAYS worth a quick look you never know what will turn up.

It can also help to blab about your hobby to everyone you know. You never know who has what in a closet or attic that they'll part with cheaply or free. I recently got a Coleco Gemini 2600 clone and 20 games from a guy at work I was talking about my collection with.

I've accumulated about 90% of my collection this way. I am however one of those OLD dudes that has had a job for most of the video game era. And I never threw anything out.

[sisko]

my rule for buying used games, at a flea mart, yard sale, thrift etc is never pay more than $3 a game.

Good rule of thumb, but I never spend more than $2, seldom $1 for retro stuff (unless its worth a lot more). Set your limits, and don't go past them.

If something is cheap, don't be afraid to pick it up. You could probably sell it or use it as trade bait down the road.

Also you need to learn the art of negotiating to get other really good deals.

Just this past summer, I was able to get a good 25% of my collection this way, and I only spent about $50

[gamecuberules987]

thanks buy mr theres only one church garage sale a year and theres not much there also only teo game stores eb games and gamestop and not many garage sales

[sisko]

You're not looking hard enough.

Thrifts are everywhere, but you have to look for them.

This isn't yard sale season, so its understandable that there aren't many around, but once it starts back up, look in the classified ads.

[maxlords]

Yeah, I've been collecting since 1995 myself. I buy up whatever I see cheap, and if I see a deal, I snag it, even if it's something I don't want. Often times, it's the items I don't want that end up valuable and I sell them to buy the games I do want. I've paid up to $200 for a single game before, but bought games as cheap as $9.16 each for 60 arcade cabinets. If you look hard enough, you find the deals. You just have to look all the time. I cleaned out my video stores in my hometown of SNES games when they went to disc games, and now I have a killer SNES collection...most of those games were $5-10 each, complete! It's just a matter of hitting the right places and hitting them often. Back home, there was one pawn shop that got TONS of games in all the time, and I went in almost every day, just to check. And because of that, I found things like all 4 Dragon Warrior NES carts for $3 each, all 6 Mega Man NES carts for $3 each, a Sega CDX for $40, etc etc. Over the years, I've spent THOUSANDS on my games, but it's $10 here and $20 there over almost 9 years! It adds up.

[den68]

I cleaned out my video stores in my hometown of SNES games when they went to disc games

you ain't kiddin'! I've done this many times. I scored a TON of Saturn games a couple years ago when Media Play was dropping their used games section. Most of my N64 collection came from Blockbuster and 90% my Dreamcast collection came from blowouts at various retailers after the system was discountinued.

[Raedon]

^ how do they make so much money that they can collect that many systmes and games i mean im a collector but dont have nearly as much games as those guys how long does it take to collect to get that many games?

Just work a career.. it's not hard.. used games are cheap.. If you only use Ebay and Gamestop then you are a fool (though they help fill out a collection.)

[tom]

numerous CCs and an unlimited overdraft.

I remember when I was an addicted VCS guy in the early 80s. Three times a week I went into town (in Germany) to buy a full price VCS title for DM 120.00 or even sometimes more. There was one electrical shop in town which had an impressive VCS range, I think I bought them all towards the end. Quelle also had a huge software range, man, I spend some serious money just on VCS titles. With four CCs and Eurocheques and a huge overdraft, I worked for video games only (had to give up on food for a while).

But hey, it was fun, I don't regret any of it.

[jaydubnb]

^ how do they make so much money that they can collect that many systmes and games i mean im a collector but dont have nearly as much games as those guys how long does it take to collect to get that many games?

Most people have covered the "timing", "eBay", "job", and "constant searching" aspects, but I'll offer another: sacrifice.

Even if you dont have much cash, I'm sure there's some area in your life where you're dumping money on something not -that- important. ie, instead of buying the double pizza and a six pack, take the $20 + and hit the bargin bins. I used to do that all the time when I was a kid and wanted to buy comics -- minus the beer of course :) It really does work. People, if they analyze their spending, often will be amazed at how much they spend on, well, crap. Just take the crap money and put it to good use :)

[christianscott27]

Unfortunately , this is how NOT to collect tg16 stuff lol.
well some of the more common tg16 american carts maybe.
but imagine trying to get a pcengine LT for $6?
i wish.


well...not to be annoying but!

with time and luck i've done just that, and not just common games either, stack of a dozen+ tg-cd rpgs for $30
turbo duo in the box $20
pc engine GT $10

and so on :)

over 60 games now and none of them at auction prices. outside of our little collector world the tg16 is a forgotten beast, unloved by gamestop and waiting for me at the flea market.

[hu6800]

Unfortunately , this is how NOT to collect tg16 stuff lol.
well some of the more common tg16 american carts maybe.
but imagine trying to get a pcengine LT for $6?
i wish.


well...not to be annoying but!

with time and luck i've done just that, and not just common games either, stack of a dozen+ tg-cd rpgs for $30
turbo duo in the box $20
pc engine GT $10

and so on :)

over 60 games now and none of them at auction prices. outside of our little collector world the tg16 is a forgotten beast, unloved by gamestop and waiting for me at the flea market.

nah son i said pcengine LT ...
thats a whole new level of collecting..
ive seen those go used for $900 loose.

[Ed Oscuro]

Unfortunately , this is how NOT to collect tg16 stuff lol.
well some of the more common tg16 american carts maybe.
but imagine trying to get a pcengine LT for $6?
i wish.

If I could find a PC-E LT for one hundred times that much I'd consider myself lucky!

[maxlords]

well...not to be annoying but!

with time and luck i've done just that, and not just common games either, stack of a dozen+ tg-cd rpgs for $30
turbo duo in the box $20
pc engine GT $10

and so on :)

over 60 games now and none of them at auction prices. outside of our little collector world the tg16 is a forgotten beast, unloved by gamestop and waiting for me at the flea market.

Well, not to be annoying but!

There aren't a dozen+ TG16 RPGs. There are less than 5. In fact, there's technically only 4 straight RPGs for the Duo, Dragon Slayer, Might and Magic 3, Dungeon Master, and Cosmic Fantasy 2. That's it. There are tons of imports, but that's a whole separate thing.

As for TurboGrafx stuff being easy to find, you're flat out wrong. It may be in YOUR area, but most places, it's damned near impossible to find at ALL. And that's a system I have a special eye for and spot EVERYTHING DUo/TG16 related. I buy it all too. Every flea market I've ever been to has been barren of the stuff too. You're the exception, not the rule I'd say.

As for the "sacrifice", I agree wholeheartedly. Personally, I like stuff like booze, hot dogs, sodas, the occasional this or that item. But usually when I think about buying them, I end up telling myself "I need that money for games and stuff" and save it for games instead. I'm unemployed and have been for 2 years while my immigration goes through, and I haven't had to stop buying games at all. A little bit of cash goes a long way if properly spent :D

[brykasch]

Well, I have to throw my two cents in this as well. If you guys new how much I made a month you would be suprised I have a collection at all:)

But seriously, just bid your time is the important thing. I never buy a game at full price, ever, well actually okay not never, but no more than maybe 2 or 3 a year. Last one was Mario Kart, and thats because it came with a demo disc, If I buy new its got to be because of the pre-order item, and even then I only pick it up if I rent it and like it. Usually my price point is 20 for new games and about 10 for anything older. No mind you I only buy complete unless I get a hell of a deal.

Ebay can be a great resource, granted not as good as a flea, or thrift, or garage sale, but you can get good deals. And buy lots.. keep the items you want and sell the rest, Its like I bought a lot of 40 genesis games, kept the 10 I wanted and sold the rest and paid for the first lot I bought. Just be patient and watch your money wisely, certain systems, and imports will always be a little higher, just bid your time and you cna have a good collection for a little outlay.

[nesuser2]

well I struck luck on the first buy of my collection. almost......I wanted to revamp childhood memories for reasons I won't name. There was a shop in town that sold NES games(most new, some rentals, all boxed) They were overpriced for years so in late 02 they discounted them for about $5 each and were more than glad to accept my offer of $600 for 322 games(tax included)!! And it's a business so I have no remorse, nobody watches my back, I won't watch theirs. I came out with $4-6G as it gets hairy with some of the trades, so for a while I used some of it to live on but most of it gets filtered into gaming.

Watch for bonus's or package in's as well. I just sold 8 Gamecube's and 8 Zelda bonus discs on ebay for insane amounts in late November because I saw an opportunity and I had enough spare time to run to the post office every day. Made a couple hundred on that deal......and filtered back into the collection it gets.

My collection has been in so much flux over the past year. I think i went from 1 system in late 02(NES) to approximately 15 systems with a wide assortment of games for each. All systems were none-too-rare, and games were the same. With the exception of a couple of the sealed NES titles I sold. But now, I'm back down around 8 systems as I've tried to get out of the collecting everything mode. I think I have that disorder where you clean all the time because messy people make me :angry: so, I filtered everything so it all fights in a tidy space or I stored it and emulate it so I can't see the space it takes up.

So anyways, don't be afraid of big investments, just be smart....read everything you can(esp. on DP, good info!) and as somebody mentioned, cut down on the crap you buy. I never buy pop from any machines or any gas stations. If you start doing that you can easily spend $10 more each week, and that includes eating out. Unless you can save good $ by buying the meal, the drink is where they soak up everybodies money! Find a water fountain LOL

EDIT: I almost forgot, if you stay up late and have a good internet connection(also costs more $ LOL ) ....anways, if you find yourself bored, log some time with ebay. Search up the stuff you really want, only search for BIN items and search in newest listings. I've seen some KILLER snags and that might be put lightly. Ask Mr. Jandran(lucky.) and on a side note, I refer to you, Jon, not because I'm stalking you LOL , but you easily fit into things. And I don't speak of you outside the forums, I swear ;)

[Sylentwulf]

Unfortunately , this is how NOT to collect tg16 stuff lol.
well some of the more common tg16 american carts maybe.
but imagine trying to get a pcengine LT for $6?
i wish.

I have about 15-20 TG-16 games that I haven't paid more than $5 for any of them, It's just a matter of patience, people find stadium events, proto's, Quadrun, and all sorts of things for under $1. It's called patience, I guarantee that somewhere, someone, at cometime has found PCengine LT for less than $5.

[Raedon]

yep.. no need to have that Dragon Warrior 4 if you haven't finished 1-3.. so just keep playing and HUNT..