Sega Pico Variants

[Double Ugly]

Many people have said that the lure of Michael's auction was for the world record. Is this record transferable to another person? I have read that Michael has kept back some of his rarer games. If this is true, then it would be a different collection, and the person that buys it should have to go through the same process that Michael did.

You make a good point. It is assumed that he is holding back some games but we don't know for sure. If he is holding back games that were included in the record then I don't think the record would be transferable. If he is trying to sell the collection as delineated by the record without some of the items that were included in the collection when the record was verified then that is obviously deceptive & should not be tolerated. Of course it is speculation at this point, we can't be sure without more information.

[rolenta]

You make a good point. It is assumed that he is holding back some games but we don't know for sure. If he is holding back games that were included in the record then I don't think the record would be transferable. If he is trying to sell the collection as delineated by the record without some of the items that were included in the collection when the record was verified then that is obviously deceptive & should not be tolerated. Of course it is speculation at this point, we can't be sure without more information.

The Guinness record is not transferable. Michael's "record" was 10,607 games, but as the listing says, he's also including the games that he acquired since the count on December 3, 2012. This includes every game that was counted and more for a total of over 11,000 games. If anyone buys the collection they are welcome to contact Guinness and break Michael's "record".

[bb_hood]

You make a good point. It is assumed that he is holding back some games but we don't know for sure. If he is holding back games that were included in the record then I don't think the record would be transferable. If he is trying to sell the collection as delineated by the record without some of the items that were included in the collection when the record was verified then that is obviously deceptive & should not be tolerated. Of course it is speculation at this point, we can't be sure without more information.

Most likely, he planned on selling the entire collection after he got the award & the recognition. So before he got the award he probably cherry picked the good games out and filled the collection with atari 2600 games worth less than 1$ and sealed xbox sports games. How else can you account for the amount of cheap games and the lack of quite a few common/uncommon pricey games?

[camarotuner]

"I have an immediate family and extended family that have needs that need to be addressed. While I do not wish to part with these games, I have responsibilities that I have made to others and this auction is how I will help meet them."

If you put that in your listing, you're trying to elicit sympathy. Oh poor me I have financial responsibilities and a family and need to sell this massive collection of games to provide for them. Who gives a crap. If you're selling your collection just sell it. WHY is irrelevant to the buyers unless you put it in there.

"What is wrong with him using his record to hype the sale?"

Why is it wrong to use a record he went for while ignoring the better collections that anyone who frequents collecting forums is aware of? Um, yeah that's the reason basically. He's basically hoping whoever buys this doesn't immediately search and find out there are bigger and better collections. So at best it's shady.

"Put yourself in his shoes, what would you do?"

Instead of spending money collecting crap games in quantity in some vain attempt at getting a record from Guinness I would have put the money into a savings account for when my family responsibilities came up. When you choose to have a family it comes at a cost, sometimes you have to sacrifice doing things to provide. So if he keeps collecting these massive collections then selling them when a bill comes due just to start over again the man's got some serious priority issues. So if I wanted the world's biggest game collection I would first and foremost not be trying to do it on a annual income of 30k and secondly I wouldn't do it with having family responsibilities on top of that.

[Greg2600]

Can we please leave Mr. Thomasson's livelihood and family situation out of the debate? Quite frankly, can ANYONE in this thread look in the mirror and swear their game collecting never got in the way of family or other responsibilities? Glass houses people, glass houses.
I would also hope that Michael and Jason (DreamTR) could take their disagreement off-line, because both are good reasonable guys, who I feel are above airing laundry on this place.

[Oobgarm]

Not that it is anybody's business, Michael has two paying jobs. He's an adjunct professor and an associate at GameStop. Neither job doesn't pay too much. The money that GDG makes stays in GDG. The articles that he has written for books and magazines have only been for contributor's copies.

There are two separate issues here that everybody is harping about: "The World's Largest Videogame Collection" and the "Auction of the World's Largest Videogame Collection".

Concerning the collection: Michael beat the record that Guinness had posted. Whether anyone else had a larger record is irrelevant. They are welcome to contact Guinness and go through the same process that Michael went through. If they don't want their collection publicized is another issue. Does that mean no one is allowed to break a record just because there is a larger one? I don't think so. Michael did not get any favors while going through the submission process with Guinness, although he did have one lucky break. The Director of the Strong Museum was only an hour away and was approved by Guinness as an expert witness. Regarding the publicity Michael has received, he didn't go after it. Perhaps Guinness alerted the press, or someone who read the book, I don't know. All I know they called him and he responded. Yes, I too was troubled when he talked about the "World's largest Collection" when there was controversy that there were larger ones, but what is he supposed to do? And I have asked myself everyday what I would have done if I was in his place. In many cases, the press just got the story wrong. And these incorrect articles were then picked up by other news agencies around the world. Yes, I was upset at times. I didn't like the idea that Guinness said he had more "games and hardware than" every one when I knew he didn't have more consoles than me, and I pointed that out to him before the book was published that they should change that heading because his record was for software only. I had hoped he would have told Guinness about that but he didn't. Again, I can only wonder what I would have done if I was in his place.

About the auction: Okay, so we all know the collection wasn't worth more than $75K-$100K, and he should never have valued it so high or placed a reserve so high. I don't know where he got that number from. But any bidder could have easily asked him the condition of the games. Damn, if I was bidding that much I would insist I knew what I was getting.

Anyone who knows Michael knows he is a sincere, honest individual. I am proud to call him my friend. My wife calls him The Martyr because he cares for his family and friends before himself. He has even turned down high paying jobs in other parts of the country because his wife couldn't leave her elderly mother. DreamTR, if he said he didn't remember meeting you, then he really didn't remember you. In honesty, I probably also met you at CGE but I don't remember you by name, perhaps I would recognize you in a picture. And I don't think Michael should have had to search the web to see if there was a bigger collection than his. That was due diligence that Guinness should have done. Unfortunately, Guinness is just a money-making business so if they had someone who went to them, they would want to milk it for all its worth (they offer different services for money, such as an expert witness for $7000. Michael didn't pay them anything and was forced to wait months for their verdict when for a few thousand pounds he could have received an answer right after the count.

Most people don't know that Michael has gone through many tribulations in his life yet he has remained cheerful and positive. I know I'm not going to change anybody's opinion of him after what went on. I do want to say that perhaps he is guilty of being too naïve. But please believe me that it was never his intention to defraud anyone.

I haven't contributed much to the proceedings here...but isn't this a good enough response to end this on? I mean, no one is going to convince anyone else that their opinion is wrong, I think we've established that.

[Greg2600]

Haven't contributed much to the proceedings here, but isn't this a good enough response to end this on? I mean, no one is going to convince anyone else that their opinion is wrong, I think we've established that.

I would be fine with locking the thread....

[Double Ugly]

I would be fine with locking the thread....

Go for it (OP here).

[portnoyd]

We really need to rename this thread The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Michael Thomasson.

[Double Ugly]

"I have an immediate family and extended family that have needs that need to be addressed. While I do not wish to part with these games, I have responsibilities that I have made to others and this auction is how I will help meet them."

If you put that in your listing, you're trying to elicit sympathy. Oh poor me I have financial responsibilities and a family and need to sell this massive collection of games to provide for them. Who gives a crap. If you're selling your collection just sell it. WHY is irrelevant to the buyers unless you put it in there.

"What is wrong with him using his record to hype the sale?"

Why is it wrong to use a record he went for while ignoring the better collections that anyone who frequents collecting forums is aware of? Um, yeah that's the reason basically. He's basically hoping whoever buys this doesn't immediately search and find out there are bigger and better collections. So at best it's shady.

"Put yourself in his shoes, what would you do?"


Instead of spending money collecting crap games in quantity in some vain attempt at getting a record from Guinness I would have put the money into a savings account for when my family responsibilities came up. When you choose to have a family it comes at a cost, sometimes you have to sacrifice doing things to provide. So if he keeps collecting these massive collections then selling them when a bill comes due just to start over again the man's got some serious priority issues. So if I wanted the world's biggest game collection I would first and foremost not be trying to do it on a annual income of 30k and secondly I wouldn't do it with having family responsibilities on top of that.

It is important to establish your motive for selling. It is something buyers want to know in big private sales.

I have already made posts about why him going for the record is not shady.

I will use a track & field example again. If two olympic level athletes are training 100m sprints together & athlete A breaks the world record (by 2 seconds) but it wont be recorded because it is just a training session, does that mean that athlete B should not accept the record if he beats the verified record by 1 second at an official meet? If athlete A wants the record then he is responsible for making it happens, not athlete B & not which ever authority verifies records.

I have discussed the sellers collecting habits enough. That is nobodies business but his. You are criticizing him based on conclusions you have drawn about somebody you do not know, not based on facts. Anyone with that many games who has been collecting for 25 years & has worked in the video game business probably got most of them at highly discounted prices.

[stardust4ever]

I would be fine with locking the thread....

Go for it (OP here).

We really need to rename this thread The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Michael Thomasson.

+1 Seriously guys, this topic has been beat to hell and nothing good will come of allowing it to continue.

[badinsults]

I really don't think you need to drag the guy's personal life into it. There are enough reasons to point and laugh at this auction without bringing that up, as I pointed out in the first page of this topic.


Really, the damage is done. I don't think he is going to be able to sell this lot for anywhere close to what he thinks it is worth, and really, for all the time it will take to pack it up and document it, it might not be worth bothering with at a lower price.

[The Adventurer]

We really need to rename this thread The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Michael Thomasson.

More like Jealous Retro-Gamers Get Butt Hurt

[Michael Thomasson]

A lot of the press is inaccurate - heck, they can't even spell my name right half the time. I did not cherry pick any games, the games from the count are all included, plus about 400 more. Many of you attacked me on being "greedy" but did not even bother the check the facts. Saying that asking 750K was ridiculous while not even checking to see that the reserve was several hundred thousand dollars below that number.

You say that I do not care for my family. I threw three degrees out the window to move my wife to her home state to be with her family and then became a stay-at-home pop when my first daughter was born, working nights and weekends to still help support my family while offering my daughter the best of care at great sacrifice. I have never not supported my family. I didn't want to put a sob story as to why I'm selling the games and was very vague about it, perhaps that was a mistake. My mother has many things killing her, but the more immediate is kidney failure. She is at stage four at this moment and nearing stage five. She is not a candidate for dialysis. My sister has Lupus. Many people can live their lives with it, but hers seems to be more aggressive than others. She is scheduled to check into the MAYO clinic in Florida the first week of August. She has four children. One is old enough to care for himself and one is living with her father. The other two are teenagers and will need care when she is gone. I have not ignored my family's needs, I'm selling to try and get ahead of the situation.

You question my income and how I could have acquired all these games. Well, I've operated almost a dozen stores for two and a half decades, and before my current employer, I was allowed to purchase the games at the price they came in, so I did this like the Tortoise and the Hare, slowly prodding along buying these games long before collecting became popular before they all shot up in value and became in vogue.

I owe none of you anything, but I am adding my latest W2 forms below this post and one of my mothers medical bills. Trust me, I have stacks of them. You call me greedy, but I am not doing this for me, I am doing it for others and giving up my collection in the process. That is the opposite of greed. I've done so many gaming jobs pro bono I've lost count and I've done it for the love of the hobby. I used to volunteer at the Bluegrass Electronics Center reprogramming games and hardware for disabled kids so they could enjoy our favorite hobby and more. Those of you that are attacking me, why don't you tell me about your volunteer work and philanthropy for others.

[Michael Thomasson]

**Images of a personal financial nature removed**

[badinsults]

Dude, why are you posting this. It isn't going to help you. I honestly don't think your personal life needs to be brought into this.

If you need money, I think you are going to have to split your collection into individual lots, maybe per system. If you are lucky, you will make enough money to make your life comfortable for a while. Selling off 11,000 games in one lot is not going to be easy, and I doubt you will find someone willing to pay 6 figures. If you don't think it is worth selling if you can't get what your reserve was, then you are not going to sell it.

[Double Ugly]

Dude, why are you posting this. It isn't going to help you. I honestly don't think your personal life needs to be brought into this.

If you need money, I think you are going to have to split your collection into individual lots, maybe per system. If you are lucky, you will make enough money to make your life comfortable for a while. Selling off 11,000 games in one lot is not going to be easy, and I doubt you will find someone willing to pay 6 figures. If you don't think it is worth selling if you can't get what your reserve was, then you are not going to sell it.

Also, as sad as it is, if you put it up for auction I think that there are people here that will do everything they can to make it fail.

[Storyteller]

I am looking for the Variant of Sonic Does Math where he's smoking a joint on the cover. It was originally given out to Sonic Team employees at a Christmas party. Anyone know what I'm talking about, and/or anyone have it for sale? Will pay $$$

[badinsults]

Also, as sad as it is, if you put it up for auction I think that there are people here that will do everything they can to make it fail.

Nobody here made this auction fail. If you look at the RF Generation thread, you will see that a couple of posters there bid on it when it was in excess of $90,000, purely because they knew that it was below the reserve. Their intentions weren't malicious, either, they wanted to see it get closer to the reserve. The thing that made this auction fail was the excessive reserve, which was achieved purely due to troll bidding. I doubt the handful of people who are still active on DP are so malicious that they would screw with the actual auction, and if they are, I condemn it as well. I don't like to see a man suffer, and if you look at Thomasson's last few posts, that clearly is the case.

Still, let's be realistic here. As I said in the first page, this auction was inadequate in every way. There is not a comprehensive list of everything that the buyer is getting. It was posted on a little used auction site that was in over their head. If he is serious about selling it as a lot, he need to get all the bidders to place a certain amount of money in escrow. $200 in escrow would probably repel any troll bidder from bothering. The reserve needs to be lowered significantly. And finally, stop bringing up the personal family situation, don't use that as a crutch to prop up this auction. Anyone who is serious about bidding on this collection is probably not going to give a premium because of that.

[portnoyd]

I'll say it again:

Michael Thomasson, please stop posting in this thread.

Seriously, just stop.

If it helps, I take back the claims about you not truly wanting to sell this collection. I was wrong. On first glance, it didn't make sense why someone would validate their collection like this, only to turn it around nine months later to cash out. You've made your point.

However, I stand my ground regarding using the Guinness record as a booster for the collection sale. That was a mistake. You could have spent that year+ individually selling the pieces of the collection for maximum value and gotten more than you are now.

It's also a mistake you are paying for. What's more valuable than any of our collections? Privacy.