Most collectable retro console

[McGuffin]

What is the most collectible retro consoles? Most classic game collectors have Atari's and Nintendo's for sentimental value. Is there anybody collecting the rare consoles because of the monetary value? I saw on eBay that an original Magnavox Odyssey is now worth over 600 dollars. Will Atari Jaguars, 3D0's or Neo Geo's be more valuable in the future? I found this page of those rare consoles.

http://www.bill-mcminn.com/commentary/retroconsole.html

[eugenek]

I just wanted to say, that page you linked to is dead wrong. On what planet is a sega master system worth $150?

[Pantechnicon]

I just wanted to say, that page you linked to is dead wrong. On what planet is a sega master system worth $150?

Planet Canada. I think his figures are all based on CAD's.

Anyway, the most collectible system is the Atari 2600. It has a comparatively large library, a diverse range of hardware incarnations, extensively documented history, is easily modifiable and has nearly universal appreciatory value as both a nostalgic item and an important early chapter of video game history.

Oh, wait...you're in this mostly for the money, right? (McGuffin, indeed...)

[eugenek]

Planet Canada. I think his figures are all based on CAD's.

Anyway, the most collectible system is the Atari 2600. It has a comparatively large library, a diverse range of hardware incarnations, extensively documented history, is easily modifiable and has nearly universal appreciatory value as both a nostalgic item and an important early chapter of video game history.

Oh, wait...you're in this mostly for the money, right? (McGuffin, indeed...)

Even so...$150 Canadian is $123 American, which is still quite...wrong.

[Pantechnicon]

Even so...$150 Canadian is $123 American, which is still quite...wrong.

Agreed. I guess, much like the stars, the dazzling light of speculative avarice just shines a little brighter up North.

[Ed Oscuro]

The most collectable system is the Mega Drive since there's like a bazillion and one variants out there, and it has a large library of good games.

Or maybe I could say any one-off prototype or M2 3DO because you can collect the hardware but that's about all you'll be doing with it.

[GrandAmChandler]

I personally vote the Tiger R-Zone.

[Xian042]

depends on what exactly you mean by collectable, do you mean a system that has lots of games to collect, or something really rare that poses a challange?

but going by what I consider collectable, I'd go with NES or 2600. Not because of nostalgia, but because depending on how serious you want to get with the collecting there is something for everyone. You could start off with a collection of great common games, then step it up to complete games, then go further into rare games, then even more serious with 1 offs and homebrews. You will probably never get everything, and everyone will have something different, and you will constantly learn of new games you didnt know existed. (noobs anyway)

I collect Genesis/Mega Drive for personal nostalgia.

[RagedGamer]

Sega CDX and Neo Geo are two that come to mind

[Cinder6]

Collecting to have a lot of fun games to have, cheaply: 2600, NES, or Genesis
Collecting to have something worth way too much money: Neo Geo

Whether you enjoy playing the 2600 can be dependent on what you grew up with. (Note that I said "can"!)

[tom]

without a doubt:

[k8track]

(McGuffin, indeed...)

Yep. I couldn't help but notice that this door opened just after another one was closed. Not making any specific connections just yet, but I'm watching.

[klausien]

Fantastic Tom. Just beautiful.

In terms of collectability, for both value (high & low) and general desirability, I would say the NES is #1, hands down. The library has its share of golden age style games from the early years, and develops all the way up to and beyond its immediate successors in terms of complexity. It was the king of its era, like the 2600 or the Playstation 1 & 2, but the Nintendo mystique is probably why it remains so much more collectable. Nintendo's characters are almost as respected, though certainly just as recognizable, as the Disney and Warner Bros. stables at this point.

[eskobar]

One of the most expensive consoles is the TurboDuo .... also turbografx-16 has gained much more interest lately; if you get a sealed or mint TD or TG-16 now, it will probably raise its value/time versus any other console.

Virtual Boy also has kept high prices for a mint or new system, but i think that many special editions of any console are worth hundreds .... like the NES Deluxe Set complete in mint condition.

[Gameguy]

Agreed. I guess, much like the stars, the dazzling light of speculative avarice just shines a little brighter up North.

No, most Canadian collectors I've come across aren't that insane. $15 Canadian seems like a decent amount for one, I still pass on them at $10 at thrift stores. For the most part to me a $5 game is worth $5, if it sells for $5 US it's the same as $5 Canadian. I'd only use the exchange rate for really rare games.

I'd say these days the NES is the most collectible system, it used to be the Atari 2600 several years ago. I'm mostly into the Genesis, but I can tell most other people aren't when compared to Nintendo systems.

[Atarileaf]

If you want to collect systems based on rarity then I say get a 360. A working 360 10 years from now will be damn near impossible to find. Hell, you can barely find one now

(tongue planted firmly in cheek)

[eskobar]

If you want to collect systems based on rarity then I say get a 360. A working 360 10 years from now will be damn near impossible to find. Hell, you can barely find one now

(tongue planted firmly in cheek)

hehehehehe, good tip

[crom]

If you want to collect systems based on rarity then I say get a 360. A working 360 10 years from now will be damn near impossible to find. Hell, you can barely find one now

(tongue planted firmly in cheek)

good show

spot on spot on

[Zap!]

A CIB Halycon is #1, followed by a CIB Adventurevision. In terms of value anyway. In terms of fun, that's purely opinion.

[tom]

An Epoch Pocket Computer (+ the 5 games) is very hard to find, also the Palmtex Super Micro of course.