Retrogame collecting just a fad?

[Superchop]

Just as the title says, does anyone else think that most retro game collectors are collecting just cause it seems to be the "popular" thing to do?

I mean on this forum everyone seems to be pretty dedicated to the games and the history behind it.  Whether a person collects them due to childhood nostalgia or just because they can now enjoy the games more due to better financial situations or what have you.

But as I browse through youtube and see people's pickup videos, garbage diving, unboxings etc etc I noticed that most of them don't really know anything about video games.  It kinda seems like those people are just trying to show off to get views or something but it definitely doesn't feel like it's for the video games.

I also feel that in a couple years from now half of those collectors will start to sell off their collections due to them not caring or thinking they'll earn some sort of huge profit.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

[madrocsz]

I  have made a few posts/comments on this very topic. To answer it simply its 100% a fad at the moment and no telling when it will die down. I have been collecting for probably close to 10 years, more hardcore over the past 4 or 5. That said, if I would have the extra budget then that I do now I would be much better off. I put off getting some of the more expensive games (and at the time, expensive was like 40$) and now that they are the last few games I need I cant get them for less than 80+$, kinda sickening

My patience doesnt allow me to just wait for prices to drop and as the trend is prices are doing nothing but going up this really hits the wallet hard. Now given, I don't like paying retail by any means but can say I have paid more than I was comfortable with for something just to finally get it in fear of it going up more.

Best example of this is Hagane, I paid 60$ some years back and at the time was a good bit, now look at it, glad I did

The video game market is probably the craziest thing next to stock prices, even with newer games there will be 10 different places with 10 different prices on that same title not including promotions etc

[lcvolt]

yeah, its detestable, i remember a couple years back finding copies of earthbound for  40 dllrs. secret of mana for 15, and chrono trigger for 30. now their prices are normally around, 150, 100, and 30 to 60. its insane

[Deadpool]

just like hot girls in underwear playing retro games....

[Azarkhel]

just like hot girls in underwear playing retro games....

I have no problem with this phenomenon.

[Deadpool]

just like hot girls in underwear playing retro games....

I have no problem with this phenomenon.

but you get frustrated when see that they are just posing, because nerd is the new cool.

[Dr.Agon]

I blame Sony and the PS2, thats where retro collecting began for me, I never had a ps1 and now i could play some of the games id read about, this led to the thought "well, if im going to play ps1 games, i may as well play them on a ps1", im sure this was true for a lot of other people too, also around this time emulators were just getting to the point of good compatability/accuracy, so a lot of people played games theyd never even heard of before, then of course the Wii came along with its virtual console and things really took off!

I hope its just a fad, maybe when its no longer "cool" to be a "nerd" lots of these people will get out of the collecting game...

[SnesGuy]

I hope its just a fad, maybe when its no longer "cool" to be a "nerd" lots of these people will get out of the collecting game...

I hope so, then the market would get flooded and we could get good games cheap again. This has all irritated the crap out of me. I couldn't afford SNES games when they were cheap, I finally get disposable income and the market goes crazy.

At least the Sega market has stayed low for the most part. I can get genesis games for next to nothing, and since there's very few "expensive" ones, no one even checks the value on them, so when i do find them I get them for $0.50 too (all my phantasy star games for example)

[WolfAlmighty]

If it does die down, I'll definitely get into SNES collecting.  Right now, NES is all I can afford and since I don't have the same attachment to SNES as I do NES (with a handful of exceptions) it's the one I go with.  That said, there are several titles on SNES that I'd love to get because they look fun to play but I don't really want to spend the big money on them (or emulate them) so I'll just wait for the proverbial bubble to pop.  I've already overpaid for enough NES titles as it is.

[lcvolt]

[/quote]

At least the Sega market has stayed low for the most part. I can get genesis games for next to nothing, and since there's very few "expensive" ones, no one even checks the value on them, so when i do find them I get them for $0.50 too (all my phantasy star games for example)
[/quote]

yes, the most expensive games i want are castlevania bloodlines and contra hard cops. and maaaaybe MUSHA

[Moviefan2k4]

I don't know if its a trend or not, but I buy older games because I grew up playing them, and I want to again. I don't like the idea of digital-only games, so the original cartridges are what I aim for. I've managed to find quite a few for relatively cheap, and I think the most I've paid for a single retro game is $20.

[Dr.Agon]

I don't know if its a trend or not, but I buy older games because I grew up playing them, and I want to again...

most of my retro collection was bought because of this, the rest i got because either i couldnt afford them as a kid or didnt have the system to play them on. Now that i have the means i can get the games i missed first time around!

[kylethestyle]

I think a lot of the people on youtube OP is describing are maybe doing it for the resale value. Shows like American Pickers and Storage Wars have got people thinking they can get rich re-selling stuff (video games included). This is where I think some of the inflation on retro games has come from. Retro game stores are popping up left and right where I live and some of them are asking outrageous prices. I now hate when anyone says a game is "rare." Half the time, it's not at all; just desirable. Knuckles Chaotix is far from rare, but this one retro game store wanted $100.00 for it because it was complete with the box and manual. Dude said that was "rare."

[Superchop]

I don't know if its a trend or not, but I buy older games because I grew up playing them, and I want to again...

most of my retro collection was bought because of this, the rest i got because either i couldnt afford them as a kid or didnt have the system to play them on. Now that i have the means i can get the games i missed first time around!

This is exactly what I mean, you 2 are buying for valid reasons.  Sure, down the road you might decide to part with it or get bored with them but for the time being you are collecting for the love of the games.  And not just saying you 2, but other members on here through various posts have pretty much given some valid reasons for collecting.

Personally speaking I'd love to go out and buy some old nes games or more genesis/snes games but honestly, I don't know if I'd even play them at this point (with the exception of a select few).  So because of that I refrain from collecting those older console games and just leave them for others who would play and appreciate them more then I would.

As for the sega games...that also kinda proves my point in that this is really just a fad.  I'm not saying that everyone has to collect everything, but the majority of retro game people really only do target games for just the nes, snes or anything nintendo.  Which in turn inflates the prices of those games to some really really high levels.  While genesis games still remain pretty low and fly under the radar.

@kylethestyle - you have a point...those shows have given people some false hope or fantasies of getting super rich from doing nothing but buying "junk" and hoping that there's a hidden gem to turn it to profit. 

Kinda reminds me of the Storage Wars episode with the NES-001!

Just in case you haven't seen it...here's a link to it!

NES-001

[Moviefan2k4]

I went through some time as a Genesis fan, but the only game series I'd like to own now are "Sonic" and "Streets of Rage". If I could find "Michael Jackson's Moonwalker" for cheap, I'd pick it up too.