What's the best way to collect? how do you collect?

[Einhander]

I have to admit, most of my purchases for retro's have been from Ebay. At first it was pretty cheap, but now that I'm getting more specific with my title selections, it's getting more expensive. I have also went to retro game stores, but sometimes they are much more expensive than Ebay. I have got lucky a couple of times though when the guy thought my game was worth 60 and it really was only 20, but that's far and few. I have been to flea markets, but everything seems to be so jacked up in price. Now I am also a collector of shmup imports, so for those I'd think it'd be hard to get out in the wild. I have been to Goodwill several of times as well, but have never had any kind of luck.

Do any of you go to garage neighborhood sales? If so, how often do you find retro video games? Is it uncommon to find NES titles? What kind of games do you usually see? I'm interested in collecting for NES, SNES, and Genesis. What do you think is the best way?

[SegaNomadman]

Honestly, it seems that nowadays ebay and flea markets/yard sales are the way to go unless you find a good deal at retro stores. Ebay is good for specific items (like the import shmups you talked about) but when I'm just out to find something interesting I just haggle my heart out at yardsales. There's some neat stuff out there and if you know how to talk someone down you can get it for a great price!   

[madrocsz]

Its tough these days, had I not started collecting years ago, there is no way I would start now. It's not just the price being crazy but also the sheer amount of interest in the market making it near impossible to find any "deals". Used to be craigslist, flea markets, garage sales you could scoop up tons for a great price, now its picked over or over priced.

However, there are still deals to be found just wont come as easy.

- ebay is still an option, sometimes can snag a game for solid price due to it ending at a wrong time or being listed incorrectly etc
- friends/family You would be surprised how many people still have stuff laying around and could care less
- trade sites are still OK, when Goozex was in it's hayday I scooped up tons of games , same with 99 gamers

The one thing I cannot stress enough is patience. If you set a price you want to pay for it, stick to it, you may have to wait a bit but trust me it always pays off

[Doom]

IMO: Best way to collect is not to do it, or to really evaluate why you want to collect.

My game collection has been mostly static these past few years, as I got into PC (Steam) gaming, which is all digital downloads. And I don't have a good place to display the games I have, which makes it not very fun to buy old games. They just sit in random piles or disorganized on some shelf.

But, once my house is a little cleaner, I'd like to reduce my collection to a small number of games that I adore, and have nice shelves (or maybe shrines for them. I really like Endless Ocean on the Wii - so I thought about getting JPN and EUR copies of the game to compliment my NA copy, plus maybe a sealed copy too. Notice how this serves very little practical purpose. Practical collecting is a fool's game, IMO. Companies are getting very good about re-releasing games. The good games that aren't available for a reasonable price are few and far between - EarthBound may be an expensive SNES cart but it's $10 on the Wii U.

For me, game collecting is about showing appreciation for genres, series, games, systems, and companies you like. And to me, there's more value in a small collection of things you're passionate about than a collection of 1000 games you don't even like playing. (Nobody is out there playing their copy of Stadium Events or The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak.) Sometimes that appreciation can be shown through merchandise, posters, and fanart prints rather than the games themselves. I own the fan-made Mother 3 handbook because I think that's a cool game, and the book is cool too.

I hate how arbitrary collecting is. I don't like the waves that each generation goes through - once the people who were 10 years old when X system came out graduate college and have jobs of their own, the prices of the games on those old systems go up. Looks like N64 games have almost hit their (temporary?) peak, and my guess is GameCube will follow in a few years. Super Smash Bros. Melee on GameCube was the bestselling game on the system, with 7 million+ copies sold. Somehow it's worth over $50 used. EarthBound isn't a rare game either, but so few people are willing to sell their copies that the game is worth a lot.

They're all just plastic, cardboard, and paper. I'm pretty sure most of them won't be worth anything in 50 years, because future generations won't care. Our generation isn't going around shopping for trinkets from 1964. It's difficult to argue that something with 7 million identical copies is inherently valuable.

[Einhander]

IMO: Best way to collect is not to do it, or to really evaluate why you want to collect.

My game collection has been mostly static these past few years, as I got into PC (Steam) gaming, which is all digital downloads. And I don't have a good place to display the games I have, which makes it not very fun to buy old games. They just sit in random piles or disorganized on some shelf.

But, once my house is a little cleaner, I'd like to reduce my collection to a small number of games that I adore, and have nice shelves (or maybe shrines for them. I really like Endless Ocean on the Wii - so I thought about getting JPN and EUR copies of the game to compliment my NA copy, plus maybe a sealed copy too. Notice how this serves very little practical purpose. Practical collecting is a fool's game, IMO. Companies are getting very good about re-releasing games. The good games that aren't available for a reasonable price are few and far between - EarthBound may be an expensive SNES cart but it's $10 on the Wii U.

For me, game collecting is about showing appreciation for genres, series, games, systems, and companies you like. And to me, there's more value in a small collection of things you're passionate about than a collection of 1000 games you don't even like playing. (Nobody is out there playing their copy of Stadium Events or The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak.) Sometimes that appreciation can be shown through merchandise, posters, and fanart prints rather than the games themselves. I own the fan-made Mother 3 handbook because I think that's a cool game, and the book is cool too.

I hate how arbitrary collecting is. I don't like the waves that each generation goes through - once the people who were 10 years old when X system came out graduate college and have jobs of they're own, the prices of the games on those old systems go up. Looks like N64 games have almost hit their (temporary?) peak, and my guess is GameCube will follow in a few years. Super Smash Bros. Melee on GameCube was the bestselling game on the system, with 7 million+ copies sold. Somehow it's worth over $50 used. EarthBound isn't a rare game either, but so few people are willing to sell their copies that the game is worth a lot.

They're all just plastic, cardboard, and paper. I'm pretty sure most of them won't be worth anything in 50 years, because future generations won't care. Our generation isn't going around shopping for trinkets from 1964. It's difficult to argue that something with 7 million identical copies is inherently valuable.

I enjoyed your post. But I'm a little confused. This site is for collectors but You are saying that the best way to collect is not to collect, but then you are saying that practical collecting is for fools even though it may be cheaper.

[cynicalmatt]

The one thing I cannot stress enough is patience. If you set a price you want to pay for it, stick to it, you may have to wait a bit but trust me it always pays off

THIS!  Right here. 

I've been collecting in earnest for a long time, and several years ago I started working on my Saturn collection.  Naturally, one of the hardest games to get is Panzer Dragoon Saga, but I found a pristine, complete copy on eBay, WITH a pristine, complete copy of Dragon Force included, for $225!  Saga alone sells for more than that!  Granted, this was in 2008, but the point is if I had just jumped the gun and bought it immediately, I'd have paid way more.

Same goes for The House of the Dead.  Again, I found a copy of eBay for about $40 less than the normal going rate, and this was just in 2014! 

Patience is the biggest virtue when collecting.  Look at it this way: we all get bitten by that bug where we decide we just HAVE to have a specific game, but how necessary is it to own AT THAT MOMENT?  I cracked 1,000 games last year.  I think I have more than enough to play for a while, which makes it easier for me to be patient. 

All of the resources people have listed are good options.  Retro stores are good for common games, but the rarer titles will generally cost you.  I've personally had the most success with eBay, and I've gotten some decent pick-ups on the Amazon Marketplace too.  Craigslist will even come through at times.  Last summer I got a Saturn with 14 CIB games, the 3D control pad, and a Virtua Stunner lightgun, for $100. 

As for garage sales, the only way you'll have much luck is if you arrive RIGHT when the sale starts because scalpers pick them clean, at least in my area. 

Lastly, when it comes to the expense of collecting, it helps if you look at it as an average.  Sure, you spent $180 on that copy of Earthbound, but you've also spent $3 each for a bunch of NES carts.  It tends to even out.  If you had bought everything at original retail price when it was first released and held onto it, it would be WAY more expensive than what you're paying now (on average).  I'd have saved on Panzer Saga...but I'd also have paid $50 for Deadly Towers.

[tiamaxwell]

I have had a lot of luck at Goodwills lately. In November I went in and found 9 NES carts I didn't have in decent condition. All ~$2 each.

I also made a list of games I'm interested in and researched the current going prices so I know when I have found a decent price or a good haggle point. Otherwise I just look for good deals. I use Craigslist, amazon, eBay, game shops. The shopping around is fun for me. The only game store here is gamestop so we have to go to the bigger cities to find the small stores. It's a fun adventure and talking to other people or the shop owners is fun. I also like finding things That look interesting but aren't in my list price them out and adding them to the list. Lately I have been questioning whether I should keep shopping at gamestop. They have discontinued a lot of their older games and I'm tired of stickers. I just don't find them valuable anymore because I can pre-order online, usually cheaper,  have it at my home after work and have no stickers on my game. 

[wiggy]

Honestly there is no best way.  I use whatever method works best for the particular item/items I'm after.  Sometimes ebay/amazon, often local shops, forum sales/trades, occasionally big box stores (when they have good sales), garage sales, etc. 

We have like ZERO Goodwill shops in the vicinity, and the few that there are, don't have a damned thing game-wise.   Flea markets around here have insane prices, and aren't plentiful anyway.  Garage sales are sometimes fruitful, but you have to spend a lot of time hunting, and you may very well come up empty handed.  Plus there are a LOT of other collectors/resellers in my area, so you MUST be the fist person to the sale.  Game stuff gets wiped out instantly at garage/estate sales around here.

[Doom]

I enjoyed your post. But I'm a little confused. This site is for collectors, but you are saying that the best way to collect is not to collect,

I used to enjoy making and printing covers much more. The expense of the hobby and my increased experience with emulation and the Virtual Console has made me like collecting less. A file on a Wii U or an actual cartridge - it makes no difference to me.

but then you are saying that practical collecting is for fools even though it may be cheaper.

Practical collecting is buying a game because you want to play it. That's buying Smash Bros. Melee for $55 used because you want to play it, or EarthBound for $160 used because you want to play it. But EB is on the Wii U for a mere $10, and I'm hoping that Melee gets remade in some way within the next 10 years. Melee is in the minority - most good games are like EarthBound and available in many places.

Among my favorite games, most are available as digital downloads, or in remakes. (Ocarina of Time can be substituted for OoT 3D for example [and I think OoT 3D is a better game too].)

And these remakes and ports aren't really going away. If anything, more games will be released in this manner. Sure, Panzer Dragoon Saga is around $360 used, but it looks like the reason it hasn't been re-released is mostly because of the difficulty of writing a Sega Saturn emulator, rather than any licensing issues. So give it 10 or 15 years and it should be possible to buy that game once again for a reasonable price. Ikaruga was a very expensive Dreamcast / GameCube release, but then it came to Xbox 360 and later Steam for $10.

[wiggy]

I enjoyed your post. But I'm a little confused. This site is for collectors, but you are saying that the best way to collect is not to collect,

I used to enjoy making and printing covers much more. The expense of the hobby and my increased experience with emulation and the Virtual Console has made me like collecting less. A file on a Wii U or an actual cartridge - it makes no difference to me.

but then you are saying that practical collecting is for fools even though it may be cheaper.

Practical collecting is buying a game because you want to play it. That's buying Smash Bros. Melee for $55 used because you want to play it, or EarthBound for $160 used because you want to play it. But EB is on the Wii U for a mere $10, and I'm hoping that Melee gets remade in some way within the next 10 years. Melee is in the minority - most good games are like EarthBound and available in many places.

Among my favorite games, most are available as digital downloads, or in remakes. (Ocarina of Time can be substituted for OoT 3D for example [and I think OoT 3D is a better game too].)

And these remakes and ports aren't really going away. If anything, more games will be released in this manner. Sure, Panzer Dragoon Saga is around $360 used, but it looks like the reason it hasn't been re-released is mostly because of the difficulty of writing a Sega Saturn emulator, rather than any licensing issues. So give it 10 or 15 years and it should be possible to buy that game once again for a reasonable price. Ikaruga was a very expensive Dreamcast / GameCube release, but then it came to Xbox 360 and later Steam for $10.

Actually Sega claims that the source code was lost at some point, so the game would have to be rebuilt from scratch

[Doom]

Actually Sega claims that the source code was lost at some point, so the game would have to be rebuilt from scratch

Ah, that's the difference between porting and emulation. If the source code is lost, porting the game would be impossible, but emulation would be possible. Porting is what happened to Ikaruga, emulation is what the Wii U does for Super Mario World. But the Saturn is notoriously difficult to emulate, so it's a tough problem that's probably pretty expensive to solve.

[wiggy]

It's a total bummer too.  Why couldn't they have lost the code to Virtua Cop or something else?  Ugh.  I thank my lucky stars that I already own that game at this point.  The price for it is absurd anymore.

[Einhander]

I enjoyed your post. But I'm a little confused. This site is for collectors, but you are saying that the best way to collect is not to collect,

I used to enjoy making and printing covers much more. The expense of the hobby and my increased experience with emulation and the Virtual Console has made me like collecting less. A file on a Wii U or an actual cartridge - it makes no difference to me.

but then you are saying that practical collecting is for fools even though it may be cheaper.

Practical collecting is buying a game because you want to play it. That's buying Smash Bros. Melee for $55 used because you want to play it, or EarthBound for $160 used because you want to play it. But EB is on the Wii U for a mere $10, and I'm hoping that Melee gets remade in some way within the next 10 years. Melee is in the minority - most good games are like EarthBound and available in many places.

Among my favorite games, most are available as digital downloads, or in remakes. (Ocarina of Time can be substituted for OoT 3D for example [and I think OoT 3D is a better game too].)

And these remakes and ports aren't really going away. If anything, more games will be released in this manner. Sure, Panzer Dragoon Saga is around $360 used, but it looks like the reason it hasn't been re-released is mostly because of the difficulty of writing a Sega Saturn emulator, rather than any licensing issues. So give it 10 or 15 years and it should be possible to buy that game once again for a reasonable price. Ikaruga was a very expensive Dreamcast / GameCube release, but then it came to Xbox 360 and later Steam for $10.

So you're saying that if you only want to play the game, you don't need to collect for it if it's cheaper elsewhere? But collect what you have a true passion and appreciation for?

[RealPlumpBox]

Now I am also a collector of shmup imports, so for those I'd think it'd be hard to get out in the wild.

I am a diehard shump fan.  I get almost all my shmups exclusively here.  http://shmups.system11.org/

If you sign up to the site you will have access to there trading area.  These people know there shit.  Also they are good with shipping/ selling prices.  they deal with P2P and also of people only use Paypal since its easy and it changes currency value since a lot of people are from Europe on the site.

[aaron-hagel]

I don't have a best way to collect rather I use a multitude of different ways of obtaining the games I have collected in the past couple of years.  I usually will troll the surrounding area looking at second hand stores, gaming stores and thrift shops when I am out and about.  I have come across many good games for a reasonable price that way.  However for games that are not in my area and availability is limited I will go and make purchases from online vendors, this includes Ebay and retro gaming stores.  Whatever method I choose is the one that will provide me with the game that I am seeking at that moment or sometimes it will be an impulse purchase to satiate my want to add to my growing collection.