Sega Pico Variants

[Flashback2012]

The bolded parts are what's important.

So he wasted one to two years going through the process with Guinness, just to price boost it with the Guinness record when his extended family's well being was at stake? He let them stay in limbo while he did this?

And you want us to support him?

Really? REALLY?

Fuck him. That is fucking disgraceful. If you need to help your family, you sell that shit immediately and don't run in circles with Guinness. And now, since these bids are obviously fake, he is back where he started.

It's really his fault. He tried to sell it on GameGavel, a site with ZERO process control. How'd those calls work out for you, SoCalMike? Did they promise to pinky swear that they'd pay?

What I don't understand is he says he donated 1,000 games to ICHEG... yet he needs money so desperately that he can give games away?

My mind is fucking blown. I cannot wrap my head around it. I can't tell if this is bullshit, desperation, greed, stupidity, attention whoring or all of the above.

What in the fucking hell was Thomasson thinking?



After all this, I don't know how anyone can put any stock in any record they verify. They do not do the due diligence and just rush to make press to sell books. You cannot possibly use this as a defense for your reasoning in future posts. Try something less stupid next time.

Okay, it's good to know I'm not the only one who's had trouble reconciling certain aspects of what's transpired with Michael's auction and the events leading up to it. I'm not trying to come off as a bandwagon hater jumping in to pile on Michael, I really don't have a horse in this race. I do offer my sympathies to him and his family regarding his ailing mother. That aside though, there's been something that's been bugging me for weeks now since the thread was started.

I attended the CORGS show approximately two weeks ago up in Columbus, OH and Michael was in attendance as a vendor. This wasn't my first time interacting with him as I had seen him at the show last year and other shows in years past. I was quite used to his show demeanor and how he talked up every item on his tables whether they were sealed new old stock games or homebrew titles. If you were at his booth and you put your hand on something, he would talk it up and try to sell it to you. That' really not a knock on him, that's what he's there to do and that is move product. I've purchased new old stock games from him that day and have at older shows as well so in that regard I am quite happy with my purchases.

That said, I was aware that prior to the show he had succeeded in acquiring the record of largest video game collection as recognized by Guinness. Like others on here, the fact that Guinness verified it didn't mean squat to me (because I was aware of collectors like Adol and Dream TR) and I assumed that he pursued it as some sort of narcissistic stroking for his ego. Given the way he came across when hawking his goods and hyped up his homebrews (including one he kept touting as being available for the first time ever at the show that day), to me it didn't seem like an unreasonable conclusion to arrive at. Something that backed up this notion was that on his tables were copies of the Guinness World Record Books. I was at his tables perusing his stock when I overheard his conversation with a guy inquiring about the books and stating that he was selling the books. I distinctly remember him stating that if someone bought one of the books he would autograph it for free on the page detailing his achievement.

This thread was started two weeks ago on the 4th of June and CORGS was the Saturday immediately prior on the 31st of May. At the show he was practically BEAMING about having made it into the Guinness book and my time at his table wasn't the only time I overheard him touting the achievement or trying to sell the book that he'd autograph for free. The show wasn't that big and he could be heard halfway across the room even though it was packed full of people. The part that bugs me is it strikes me as incredibly odd that I see him in person one day happy as a clam with his record and then less than a week later he has the whole shebang is up for sale on Game Gavel. His mother's ailments are as legit a reason as any to decide to sell but from the sound of his response on the first page of this thread it didn't seem like his mother's ailments were a suddenly new development and that they existed before his attendance of the show. Then I see the comment rolenta made that Port highlighted and I'm wondering if something suspicious if not highly disingenuous and dubious is afoot. I dunno...I'm not him but if that were me I doubt I could be anywhere near as lively as he came across that day knowing the circumstances going on at home. Hell I doubt I could even justify the expense of attending the show (lodging, table cost, gas, and food from NY to C-Bus) with how much he said it costs after Medicare pays their part.

[Jorpho]

So he wasted one to two years going through the process with Guinness, just to price boost it with the Guinness record when his extended family's well being was at stake? He let them stay in limbo while he did this?

And you want us to support him?

Really? REALLY?

Fuck him. That is fucking disgraceful. If you need to help your family, you sell that shit immediately and don't run in circles with Guinness.

That doesn't make sense. If he sold it "immediately" instead of going through the process with Guinness, he'd only get a fraction of the price. That's like saying if you run a delivery business and need money, you should sell your car instead of continuing to work. I reckon he might well have gone deeply into debt in the meantime.

And now, since these bids are obviously fake, he is back where he started.

We don't know that for sure.

What I don't understand is he says he donated 1,000 games to ICHEG... yet he needs money so desperately that he can give games away?

Perhaps the games in question added no particular value to the collection, were otherwise largely unsellable, and were more useful to be given away in promotion.

[Double Ugly]

I give up. Good luck making it through the rest of your lives.

*logic/benefit of the doubt/objectivity*

[rolenta]

The part that bugs me is it strikes me as incredibly odd that I see him in person one day happy as a clam with his record and then less than a week later he has the whole shebang is up for sale on Game Gavel. His mother's ailments are as legit a reason as any to decide to sell but from the sound of his response on the first page of this thread it didn't seem like his mother's ailments were a suddenly new development and that they existed before his attendance of the show. Then I see the comment rolenta made that Port highlighted and I'm wondering if something suspicious if not highly disingenuous and dubious is afoot. I dunno...I'm not him but if that were me I doubt I could be anywhere near as lively as he came across that day knowing the circumstances going on at home. Hell I doubt I could even justify the expense of attending the show (lodging, table cost, gas, and food from NY to C-Bus) with how much he said it costs after Medicare pays their part.

I miswrote in my earlier post about the timing and after I read these other posts I thought hard about the timeline. When I wrote the article, Michael was thinking about selling the collection. However, although I planned the article during the actual Guinness count in December, 2012, I didn't actually write it until around the summer of 2013, after the record had been confirmed, and by that time, the condition of Michael's mother, who had been sick for some time, had deteriorated considerably. As far as I know, in the spring of 2012, when he confided to me that the record, according to Guinness, was in reach, he didn't plan to sell it. I do not honestly remember what his plans were during the count in December, 2012.

As far as Michael's disposition during the show, he is very good about keeping a cheerful face while in public.

As far as the expenses to the Ohio show, Michael keeps the money that belongs to GoodDealGames separate from his own personal finances. Money made by GDG goes back into the GDG account. And money used for videogame related trips, are funded by GDG.

[Trebuken]

I miswrote in my earlier post about the timing and after I read these other posts I thought hard about the timeline. When I wrote the article, Michael was thinking about selling the collection. However, although I planned the article during the actual Guinness count in December, 2012, I didn't actually write it until around the summer of 2013, after the record had been confirmed, and by that time, the condition of Michael's mother, who had been sick for some time, had deteriorated considerably. As far as I know, in the spring of 2012, when he confided to me that the record, according to Guinness, was in reach, he didn't plan to sell it. I do not honestly remember what his plans were during the count in December, 2012.

As far as Michael's disposition during the show, he is very good about keeping a cheerful face while in public.

As far as the expenses to the Ohio show, Michael keeps the money that belongs to GoodDealGames separate from his own personal finances. Money made by GDG goes back into the GDG account. And money used for videogame related trips, are funded by GDG.

I was there as well. I saw him there last year as well. While he did make a point of showing the Guinness page with his face in it, I did not see anything but an attempt at salesmanship. You could not hear him across the room (at the time I was there) as there was some gaming and music demonstration going on.

I had hoped he'd be there this year since he brings some merchandise to the show that the other tables do not. Prices were fair and I am glad he was there.

I hope the auction was legit, not sure we'll know.

------------------------------------------------------------

I have thought GameGavel was a great idea since it started. It never seems to have drawn much attention from collectors. The itemes for sale there are generally underwhelming, at least in quantity. Yet the site is maintained and continues. I think some credit is due for that effort.

[Greg2600]

The validity of the Guinness Record is pretty much irrelevant to anyone except the buyer. If it is a legitimate buy, I would assume that buyer would be wise enough to know the issues that have been raised.

Secondly, if it's a legitimate buy, AND it pays Michael's family medical bills, AND gets Game Gavel press, what is the problem with that???? I really don't understand the problem with that? It's not your collection, and you're not buying it, so who cares how and what Mike sells it for?

The reaction here is nothing short of comical. You all sound like a Tea Party forum screaming about Benghazi. Should this sale be outed as a full PR stunt, than yes Thomasson ought to be ostracized. However, to attack the man for trying to help his own mother is really pathetic and sickening.

I personally have a lot of respect for Len/rolenta, and if he says Thomasson had long planned the sale, and planned on the record to help on the sale, that's good enough for me right now.

[portnoyd]

That doesn't make sense. If he sold it "immediately" instead of going through the process with Guinness, he'd only get a fraction of the price. That's like saying if you run a delivery business and need money, you should sell your car instead of continuing to work. I reckon he might well have gone deeply into debt in the meantime.

That's exactly why he should have sold when the need for money arose. Not acting means interest building, potentially negating any boost from the Guinness title.

We can discuss that fraction of the price when it actually sells. The boost from Guinness in a real setting will likely not offset the interest gained by waiting.

We don't know that for sure. (Re: Fake bids)

Come on now. Benefit of the doubt is viable if there is any doubt. Not a single fact about how the auction ended leans toward a transaction actually taking place.

All of you 'but it's verified by Guinness' and 'it may still have sold' apologists are ridiculous. Open your eyes.

I miswrote in my earlier post about the timing and after I read these other posts I thought hard about the timeline. When I wrote the article, Michael was thinking about selling the collection. However, although I planned the article during the actual Guinness count in December, 2012, I didn't actually write it until around the summer of 2013, after the record had been confirmed, and by that time, the condition of Michael's mother, who had been sick for some time, had deteriorated considerably. As far as I know, in the spring of 2012, when he confided to me that the record, according to Guinness, was in reach, he didn't plan to sell it. I do not honestly remember what his plans were during the count in December, 2012.

[Jorpho]

That's exactly why he should have sold when the need for money arose. Not acting means interest building, potentially negating any boost from the Guinness title.

We can discuss that fraction of the price when it actually sells. The boost from Guinness in a real setting will likely not offset the interest gained by waiting.

Really? You think the boost from Guinness couldn't amount to more than 10-15% or whatever the going rate is? You think the sale would have somehow generated anywhere near the same amount of press without the Guinness name?

[badinsults]

Really? You think the boost from Guinness couldn't amount to more than 10-15% or whatever the going rate is? You think the sale would have somehow generated anywhere near the same amount of press without the Guinness name?

I actually think it would have. It is not everyday that a lot of 11,000 games comes up for sale. This happened when Adol sold his collection, with a "completed price" of over $1 million. It was all over the press, making major news outlets like CNN. Guess what, everything that has been said in this thread was also said about that auction, i.e. that it was nothing more than a publcity stunt. In fact, this thread is almost an exact mirror of Adol's auction threads. In the end, Adol sold the collection privately to the Strong Museum, for a hefty sum (but far less than $1 million). But let's put things into perspective. Adol's collection had 100% complete collections of Famicom, Super Famicom, Famicom Disc System, Sega Systems, PC Engine systems, etc, with an estimated 7000 games, and all of the games were either complete or factory sealed. Though the number of games was far lower, the value of the collection was most definitely higher.

But to the press, they only look at the sheer numbers, as they are not interested in spending the time to dissect the lot. In fact, I think this auction would have got a lot more press than it did if it was posted on Ebay, and not Game Gavel, even without the Guinness record label. Thomasson can only hope that some wealthy benefactor still is willing to shell out a premium just to have a huge lot of games at once. I doubt any major museum would be interested in this set, like they were with Adol's collection of Japanese games, purely due to the lack of high profile sets and titles. A collector who knows his stuff will not be interested in this lot at the price he wants for it.

[pseudonym]

What's wrong with a little publicity again? I assume that you guys would want to drum up as much interest as possible if you were selling your collection. To me it looks like the last legitimate bidder was in the 100,000 range and then two trolls took turns bidding it up.

[stardust4ever]

The reaction here is nothing short of comical. You all sound like a Tea Party forum screaming about Benghazi. Should this sale be outed as a full PR stunt, than yes Thomasson ought to be ostracized. However, to attack the man for trying to help his own mother is really pathetic and sickening.

Agreed. People or getting way too butthurt over this. Whether the sale was legit or not, it's not going to have any bearing whatsoever on 99.99% of the people complaing about it on forums or social media.

Yes, I feel bad for Thomasson and his family. That is why I hope for his sake the sale was legit. I'm also wondering what type of freight shipping options they'll have to ship this stuff.

[bb_hood]

The reaction here is nothing short of comical. You all sound like a Tea Party forum screaming about Benghazi. Should this sale be outed as a full PR stunt, than yes Thomasson ought to be ostracized. However, to attack the man for trying to help his own mother is really pathetic and sickening.

Really, is that what you think? That people are getting upset because 'he sold his collection to help his mother'? Nobody is bashing him because he wants to help his family.
I think the main issue is he put the reserve at 750,000 and tried to use the stupid guinness record to get it. Nobody is hating on the guy because he wants to help his family.

[JSoup]

Nobody is bashing him because he wants to help his family.

Actually pretty wrong. It's been brought up here a few times and more than a few on other forums. Given the information we have about the collection, it seems a lot of family neglect took place before we got to this point.

[bb_hood]

Actually pretty wrong. It's been brought up here a few times and more than a few on other forums. Given the information we have about the collection, it seems a lot of family neglect took place before we got to this point.

How is selling a collection of video games in to pay for a family member's medical bills the same as neglecting one's family?

To say he neglected his family is just a mean assumption.

[JSoup]

How is selling a collection of video games in to pay for a family member's medical bills the same as neglecting one's family?

Missed the part about him not making more than 30K a year ever, did you?
Missed the part about him having a collection worth, what was that number you pulled out of your ass? Oh, right, $500K+.
Given how much it costs to collect games these days, that level of disconnect suggests some major priority issues or out right neglect.

[bb_hood]

Missed the part about him not making more than 30K a year ever, did you?
Missed the part about him having a collection worth, what was that number you pulled out of your ass? Oh, right, $500K+.
Given how much it costs to collect games these days, that level of disconnect suggests some major priority issues or out right neglect.

You are still making the assumption that Michael spends all his time and money collecting games, which is just unfair.
Do you know the man personally? Oh right you dont.
Besides the man collected games for 30 or so years, and operated chains of game stores. He probably got most of his games for close to nothing.
Medical bill can add up fast, and priorities change.

and i never said 500K,

[JSoup]

You are still making the assumption that Michael spends all his time and money collecting games, which is just unfair.

I'm using the evidence he's given us. If that proves to not be the whole picture, it'd due the lack of counter evidence.

Do you know the man personally? Oh right you dont..

So you do and are defending him based on information we don't have?
Or are you just white knighting him for some reason?

[Double Ugly]

I'm using the evidence he's given us. If that proves to not be the whole picture, it'd due the lack of counter evidence.



So you do and are defending him based on information we don't have?
Or are you just white knighting him for some reason?

Yes, you are using what the seller said & drawing conclusions based on assumptions of yours & others in this thread, not on what the seller has said. Concluding that the seller is neglecting his family based solely on two statements he made (makes $30k a year & estimates his collection at $700k+) is nonsensical (I hope you aren't trying to say that his mother wouldn't be sick if he didn't collect video games).

bb hood is merely trying to bring some rationale to this conversation. There in no reason for you to slander the seller based on things you have imagined.

Can you prove any of the defamatory remarks you have been making? If you can't then you shouldn't be saying it in public.

It is too bad that public slander is no longer punishable by law.

[JSoup]

Yes, you are using what the seller said & drawing conclusions based on assumptions of yours & others in this thread, not on what the seller has said. Concluding that the seller is neglecting his family based solely on two statements he made...

The bolded part is false. I drew my conclusion from the evidence he provided, which are the two statements he made and you've conceded to him making. I've discussed the ones brought up by others, but not drawn any conclusions from them. I again state that he's not painting a very pretty picture of himself and then guys like you come along to suck him off. You can't prove a negative, yes, but you can certainly stack some evidence against it.

[TheRedEye]

Mike has always been nice to me and I hope that his family is in good health, that the payment comes through, and that the winner is happy with their purchase.