For future value purposes, would it be better to have a factory sealed World of Warcraft Collectors Edition or an opened World of Warcraft Collectors Edition that came from Blizzard signed by the developers and designers?
Sealed or open and signed
For future value purposes, would it be better to have a factory sealed World of Warcraft Collectors Edition or an opened World of Warcraft Collectors Edition that came from Blizzard signed by the developers and designers?
I have no prediction for the value, but if I get something signed, I would always open it first. Signing plastic wrap just seems stupid. If it's got a cardboard box, then I'd get that signed, and if it has a plastic case, then I pull out the insert.
Yeah, the wrapper was pulled off and the devs signed the box itself. I'm wondering if the act of the box being opened would lower the value or if the signatures on the box would offset that and be more valuable.
If it's not Miyamoto or Kojima, the signature of a game designer is of negligible value. Why don't you ask yourself if getting the game signed would make it more valuable and cherished to you?Originally Posted by hobbitzombie
I agree. Why would anyone care about having a designer's signature on a game they are buying second hand? The value of a signed game is being there and having some type of connection or memory of getting it signed. I remember when WOW first came out, Fry's had midnight signing events at various stores and you got randomly routed to whoever didn't have anyone waiting for a signature. I think I got one of the associate producers and an art team member who ended up signing mine. It's a nice memory of the event, but it has zero additional value to anyone but myself and is far less valuable on Ebay than a sealed copy.
Game developers are hardly celebrities. I can name a handful but that's about it personally. I'd say resale-wise you will probably have a larger market for the sealed copy. I hear of sealed game collectors but I don't honestly think I've ever heard of someone who collects signed games.
Because most people will never get the opportunity to meet and get an autograph from the people behind their favorite games?
I'm not saying that most autographs add much value, but there are people who would want them and you guys are underestimating the number of people that fans would be interested in. It's not just game designers. There are big fans of artists, voice actors, composers, etc. In my case, I know my autographs from Koji Hayama (composer of Cho Aniki, Front Mission 3, etc.) and Hiroki Kikuta (composer of Secret of Mana) would be highly desired by those in the video game music community, although how much value the items would have, who knows. From what I've seen, most signed items don't usually go for a huge sum of money (but do tend to pull in more than an unsigned used item; maybe this balances out with sealed items, I don't know), but the real trick is finding these autographs for sale in the first place.
Last edited by Aussie2B; 07-17-2011 at 04:49 PM.
IMO, I think open and signed > sealed. Games are meant to be played.
In a related story, I was down at the STS-135 launch last weekend, and while visiting KSC, Peter Cullen was there promoting the release of TF3 with a meet and greet. After the meet and greet, I was able to score his autograph on my 25th Anniv. Matrix of Leadership DVD collection. As a HUGE cartoons TF fan, it's something I will definitely treasure and display in my personal collection forever.
Are MMO's worth anything after the plug has been pulled on the servers? I remember seeing a sealed collector's edition of Star Wars: Galaxies, and Half-Price Books wasn't asking much for it. I would have sold my regular edition of SWG and "The Jump to Lightspeed" expansion but they aren't worth anything.
Generally not, but WOW Collector's Edition sealed sells for crazy prices and there is no sign the servers are going to shut down for many years to come. Having said that, I agree that having a signed copy is personally much cooler, but I still think in response to the OPs question, sealed is far more valuable on the resale market than a signed copy by a wide margin.
I don't understand the concept of getting things signed because one wants them to go up in value. A signature should be for personal reasons. I have certain things signed (pictures, books etc.) and I would never part with them, that's sort of the point. I mean, what's the idea behind buying something that's signed if you weren't the one that got it signed? "Being there" is the whole experience. Buy something signed off ebay and it might as well be signed by a homeless man, you'll never know if you didn't see the person sign it. An included COA is another deal, but again, usually those are sold by an official source and I don't see a problem with that.
I would NEVER buy something that was pre-signed, unless it was being sold by the guy who signed it (sort of like getting someone's signature by mail).
I also view a signature as damaging the item, but like I said, if you get something signed and you intend on keeping it forever, no real problem there. If I had a very expensive game I would never let a developer sign it. Not only would it hurt the obvious collectors value (again, it's damage), but who really collects a developers signature? I can barely even name three. Even someone super famous like Hideo Kojima, why would I want him to sign my game? He didn't do the cover, he doesn't even render the graphics. I'd rather get a poster or his biography signed. Maybe getting the artist who did the cover art for a game to sign said game, that might be more worthwhile to do.
If you're a fortune hunter than definitely keep your games sealed. There are plenty of foolish people who will buy them from you later.
The WoW set in question is a funny item to me. I've seen the crazy prices it goes for, yet it's an ancient version of the PC game and I don't even think you can use a version that old anymore.
Last edited by Milk Thistle; 07-17-2011 at 06:39 PM.
It sounds like you do, actually. You just explained it. It's a cause and an effect. Get something signed to get more money fro it when you resale it to someone who would pay more for the signature.
Almost everything people do is for personal reasons. And I'm sure that the person purchasing the signed item from the seller is buying it for personal reasons, even thought they weren't there to get it themselves.A signature should be for personal reasons.
That's good for you. I have signed things that I would sell easily if they fetched a good enough price. It's a signature, not my first born. Besides, wouldn't you be willing to part with signed things that you really don't care much about? I doubt that you would hold on to a signed item that you happened upon but aren't necessarily attached to. I have things signed by people I'm a fan of that weren't acquired in person. It would have been nice to have been there in person to get the signature, but you can't always be at a signing event. That's simply not realistic for a number of reasons. Good luck better Babe Ruth's signature at a signing event for example.I have certain things signed (pictures, books etc.) and I would never part with them, that's sort of the point.
It adds sentimental value to have a personalized item.I mean, what's the idea behind buying something that's signed if you weren't the one that got it signed?
No. It's the 'whole experience' for you."Being there" is the whole experience.
You're sort of contradicting yourself there. It seems like you're arguing two different points. Authentication didn't seem to be the issue initially.Buy something signed off ebay and it might as well be signed by a homeless man, you'll never know if you didn't see the person sign it. An included COA is another deal, but again, usually those are sold by an official source and I don't see a problem with that.
I have a hard time believing that you wouldn't understand why someone would want a developer or producer (especially a huge name like Kojima or Miyamoto) to sign their game, regardless to whether or not you feel that way. As for the whole damaging theory, I think that's almost like saying that Reggie Jackson is damaging your baseball by signing it, and then making the argument that 'he didn't sew the stitches on the ball, or cut the leather, or apply the brand stamp, etc..I would NEVER buy something that was pre-signed, unless it was being sold by the guy who signed it (sort of like getting someone's signature by mail).
I also view a signature as damaging the item, but like I said, if you get something signed and you intend on keeping it forever, no real problem there. If I had a very expensive game I would never let a developer sign it. Not only would it hurt the obvious collectors value (again, it's damage), but who really collects a developers signature? I can barely even name three. Even someone super famous like Hideo Kojima, why would I want him to sign my game? He didn't do the cover, he doesn't even render the graphics. I'd rather get a poster or his biography signed. Maybe getting the artist who did the cover art for a game to sign said game, that might be more worthwhile to do.
Last edited by Emperor Megas; 07-17-2011 at 07:41 PM.
Darn, I'm flattered you made it a point to tell me how wrong my opinion is. You must have a lot of expensive signatures to take so much offense. Sorry if I don't return the favor.
Some people just aren't enticed by the thought of a stranger scribbling sharpie marker all over a prized gaming possession. Not everyone is impressed by celebrity.
Do you get the Domino's Pizza guy to sign the box just because he made it?
That's a totally silly argument and you know it.I think that's almost like saying that Reggie Jackson is damaging your baseball by signing it
People don't collect store bought baseballs. Buy a tube of tennis balls and keep them sealed for ten years, come back and tell me how much you get for them.
Game used balls are totally different. Those are one in a million for most people. You can't walk to Target and buy one.
Last edited by Milk Thistle; 07-17-2011 at 07:59 PM.
I'm not saying that 'your opinion is wrong' (I even pointed out that your opinion is exactly that; your own personal beliefs). I'm simply explaining what it is that you don't seem to grasp about how other people feel and why other people do what they do. You have a strong opinion about this but seem uncomfortable to learn that other people have one as well that doesn't mirror your own.
FTR, I don't have many signed items at all. I have a couple of things (posters mainly), but I'm anything but impressed by celebrity, and am absolutely not a part of that whole scene. I do however understand the concept of autograph collecting (not unlike sealed game collecting, which I absolutely don't practice).
As for the baseball analogy, I don't see how it's different in any way. Getting an autograph of someone you're a fan of (or of someone you hope to profit from their signature) is the same, regardless what it is that they do/did for a living. It doesn't matter if it's a video game case getting signed by an industry name, or getting a sports related item signed by a professional athlete.
Sure, they do. people collect any and everything. Bottle caps, pizza boxes, beer cans, gum rappers, cereal boxes...you name it, someone collects it.People don't collect store bought baseballs.
Why? When did profit become a requirement of collecting, exactly? Regardless, tennis balls signed by the Williams sisters, McEnroe, Kournikova, etc. would be valued at considerably more than an unsigned one, not unlike a video game case, given demand/popularity of the signer. That IS what we're talking about, right? People selling/collecting/valuing signed items?Buy a tube of tennis balls and keep them sealed for ten years, come back and tell me how much you get for them.
I'm not really sure why this turned into a pissing contest, BTW. That's really not what I was going for.
And many people aren't enticed by or impressed with a cardboard box, paper booklet, and a circuit board in a plastic case no matter how much you try to convince them that it's a "prized possession" that shouldn't ever be defiled by a marker or anything else. So what's your point? Everybody views and values things in different ways.
To go on a semi-related tangent here, I think it's a damn shame how most gamers don't seem to care at all about the people behind the games they love. I don't get it, they worship a game yet don't care about the individuals that put their blood, sweat, and tears into creating it? Heck, a large percentage of gamers don't even bother to learn of the actual development team's name, instead giving the credit to the publisher (for example, I'm so sick of people talking about tri-Ace's games and claiming that they're developed by Square-Enix). It's like we're moving backwards, considering some individual developers in the 80s were getting their names on the box. People follow authors, actors, musicians, artists, etc., so why are game creators so disrespected as to be regarded as if they don't matter at all, as if a game just magically springs into existence? Of course, game's are created by huge teams these days so nobody is going to memorize every person behind a game, but I think gamers should show some appreciation and take note of the key figures. It'll only be beneficial to the gamer in the end because then you can look them up and probably find other games you'll enjoy.
Hands down, sealed. This has nothing to do with keeping it sealed for value vs. opening it and enjoying it. People only want it for the CE pets and sealed is the only sure way not to get hosed on the deal as it ensures the code is not used.
I have met and have many signed items. The only value that interests me is the time I shared talking for a brief window of time to the people who helped create the games I love. Last year I got an opportunity to meet Warren Spector, he has helped create some of my favorite games of all time. I was able to tell him how much he has inspired me. To anyone else though, they really don't care, even my friends questioned me standing in line to meet him. All my autographs have been framed and placed on my wall, it is as much nostagia as any of the games on my shelves.
They all shut down eventually. Who knows? Bioware's Star Wars MMO might change the game completely and leave WOW in the same shape Evercrack was when a better game came along.
I believe a sealed copy of something like the Collector's Edition of GTA IV would hold more value in 15 years, than an MMO that you couldn't play if you had decided to break the seal.
I would definately keep it sealed.. maybe let them sign a seperate sheet of paper (or you can make some text and let them sign that)
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Open and play it. But i'm just a gamer not a godamn stock trader.
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