Guess What I Bought for $1.96 Today?

[mschmidt]

My wife calls me a nerd for collecting funny books, I should tell her about this.

 

Actually, among consenting adults, collecting video games is far, far, far more socially acceptable than funny books.

 

 

 

[JediTrix]

Isn't owning a sealed game like owning a slabbed book? You can't really enjoy either.

[joe_collector]

My wife calls me a nerd for collecting funny books, I should tell her about this.

 

Actually, among consenting adults, collecting video games is far, far, far more socially acceptable than funny books.

 

 

So you actually disagree?

 

I'd love to prove you 100% wrong, by sending out 100 office drones to buy a pile of funny books and a stack of Xbox 360/PS3 games, then spread those out on their desks for a few days and video record the results.

 

There is no question in my mind that a desk with games stacked on it would get fewer "weird looks" than a desk covered by funny books. Games are regularly bought for office gifts and for Secret Santa trade-around tables, yet I have never seen a single comic.

 

But hey, maybe you work in Funland, where everyone reads funny books at their desk.

[joe_collector]

Isn't owning a sealed game like owning a slabbed book? You can't really enjoy either.

 

Yep, and like CGC comics or any sealed collectible, it's the pride of ownership and nostalgia value that drives most sales.

[joe_collector]

Playing or collecting?

 

Both, and if they are cheap enough I buy one to play and one to keep.

[Jeffro.]

 

Yep, and like CGC comics or any sealed collectible, it's the pride of ownership and nostalgia value that drives most sales.

 

I've always wondered about that. Never really understood it. I'm nostalgic about the 1980's Buscema/Palmer Avengers run for example but I have zero interest in trying to collect slabbed copies. My nostalgia comes from actually reading and enjoying what I consider to be one of the high points in the series, not owning copies that look pretty in a plastic holder.

[joe_collector]

I've always wondered about that. Never really understood it. I'm nostalgic about the 1980's Buscema/Palmer Avengers run for example but I have zero interest in trying to collect slabbed copies. My nostalgia comes from actually reading and enjoying what I consider to be one of the high points in the series, not owning copies that look pretty in a plastic holder.

 

Certainly speculation plays a big part, and there are people stupidly investing in CGC books just for their "perceived investment value" but I am talking about the (small? shrinking?) number of collectors who buy CGC.

 

Personally, I would rather own a nice raw copy, as I think it looks better aesthetically, but often these are not available outside a CGC slab.

[sl4ppy]

Atari games is where a lot of the collection action is; although there are a few NES, etc. valuable titles..

 

A sealed "Stadium Events" for NES goes for about $40k.

 

http://blog.videogamepricecharts.com/2009/07/most-expensive-nintendo-nes-game-prices.html

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Isn't owning a sealed game like owning a slabbed book? You can't really enjoy either.

 

Yep, and like CGC comics or any sealed collectible, it's the pride of ownership and nostalgia value that drives most sales.

 

And the rarity factor of course. Why would I buy a loose Gen 1 Jetfire figure for $100 bucks or so, when I could spend $1,500 on an AFA graded one that's still in a sealed, NM box? Anyone can buy and own the loose figure, and if you want to play Transformers on the carpet with your action figures like you did when you were 12, that's cool.

 

But for me, and many others, you purchase these exceedingly rare commodities (the 9.8 CGC Silver/Bronze Age books, the Certified AFA toys, the still sealed video game cartridges) as much for the rarity factor and impeccable condition as the nostalgia factor. Afterall, when I look at that sealed-in-box and certified Jetfire figure, I remember what it felt like to see it in a Toys R Us when I was a kid, how the packaging and presentation totally got me hook, line, and sinker to the point where I couldn't hand over my hard-earned $30 (or whatever it was) and run to the register fast enough to pay for it. I can still own a loose figure too if I want to go through the motions and transform the thing from alpha-fighter...er....jet fighter to robot, just like I can own a reader copy of a CGC 9.8 key that I own, or a player cart of a rare SNES sealed game.

 

Ah, collectibles.....how quickly they can send you to the poorhouse.

 

[joe_collector]

Atari games is where a lot of the collection action is; although there are a few NES, etc. valuable titles..

 

A sealed "Stadium Events" for NES goes for about $40k.

 

Sure, but that's an anomaly, and there are plenty of those "should have been destroyed/ short print/contest"collectibles in other areas that are worth big bucks, but simply don't extend to the overall market.

 

No one is going to hype the future of coin collecting citing the price of a 1933 Double Eagle - assuming he's not a total maroon.

 

To give an idea of what is really going on, you need to toss out all this extraneous stuff and concentrate on what sealed copies of mass market games are going for, just like in comics, coins and sports cards.

 

How much is a sealed SMB selling for? How about Zelda? Pokemon? Intellivision baseball? Atari Q-Bert?

[joe_collector]

But for me, and many others, you purchase these exceedingly rare commodities (the 9.8 CGC Silver/Bronze Age books, the Certified AFA toys, the still sealed video game cartridges) as much for the rarity factor and impeccable condition as the nostalgia factor.

 

Exactly what I said. Pride of ownership + nostalgia.

[mschmidt]

My wife calls me a nerd for collecting funny books, I should tell her about this.

 

Actually, among consenting adults, collecting video games is far, far, far more socially acceptable than funny books.

 

 

So you actually disagree?

 

I'd love to prove you 100% wrong, by sending out 100 office drones to buy a pile of funny books and a stack of Xbox 360/PS3 games, then spread those out on their desks for a few days and video record the results.

 

There is no question in my mind that a desk with games stacked on it would get fewer "weird looks" than a desk covered by funny books. Games are regularly bought for office gifts and for Secret Santa trade-around tables, yet I have never seen a single comic.

 

But hey, maybe you work in Funland, where everyone reads funny books at their desk.

 

Go ahead, then - prove that you're correct here.

 

This is yet another one of those "let's make something up & pretend it's a fact"-statements that seem to be a staple of your posts here on these boards - the fact of the matter is that neither of us have any evidence as to which form of collecting is "far, far, far more socially acceptable". The difference between you & me, however, is that I don't pretend that I do.

[sl4ppy]

Oh I'm with you Joe... my wife person_without_enough_empathys about my stack of old computer hardware (Amiga's, Odessy's, etc.) stacking up in the closet.

[joe_collector]

This is yet another one of those "let's make something up & pretend it's a fact"-statements that seem to be a staple of your posts here on these boards - the fact of the matter is that neither of us have any evidence as to which form of collecting is "far, far, far more socially acceptable".

 

Of course I do.

 

I see people in suits buying video games all the time, games have popped up at office gift trading sessions and Secret Santa parties on a consistent basis (and are very popular for trade), and I have personally seen friends and colleagues proudly displaying the latest CE or Special Edition game they just bought.

 

Number of funny books on those same scenarios; A Big Fat ZERO

 

I call that real-world evidence,and I would bet it is consistent with most other people's experiences - I cannot even imagine the opposite, where games are shunned and everyone is giving out funny books as Xmas presents and proudly showing off their latest Variant purchase.

 

I am not against buying or collecting comics, but games are freaking EVERYWHERE, sells tens of millions of copies, and with an average gamer age in the 30's, buying CoD MW2 or Oblivion is not something that is socially unacceptable, and certainly not on par with North American attitudes towards comics.

[Ares]

How do you hookup classic NES Systems to modern HDTV's?

[joe_collector]

How do you hookup classic NES Systems to modern HDTV's?

 

Through the cable/coax input, just like usual.

 

You can also use standard AV cables, and I believe there are suppliers of more advanced 3rd-party cables (S-Video?) for the NES.

[mschmidt]

This is yet another one of those "let's make something up & pretend it's a fact"-statements that seem to be a staple of your posts here on these boards - the fact of the matter is that neither of us have any evidence as to which form of collecting is "far, far, far more socially acceptable".

 

Of course I do.

 

I see people in suits buying video games all the time, games have popped up at office gift trading sessions and Secret Santa parties on a consistent basis (and are very popular for trade), and I have personally seen friends and colleagues proudly displaying the latest CE or Special Edition game they just bought.

 

Number of funny books on those same scenarios; A Big Fat ZERO

 

I call that real-world evidence,and I would bet it is consistent with most other people's experiences - I cannot even imagine the opposite, where games are shunned and everyone is giving out funny books as Xmas presents and proudly showing off their latest Variant purchase.

 

I am not against buying or collecting comics, but games are freaking EVERYWHERE, sells tens of millions of copies, and with an average gamer age in the 30's, buying CoD MW2 or Oblivion is not something that is socially unacceptable, and certainly not on par with North American attitudes towards comics.

 

No, you really don't.

 

Buying games isn't the same as collecting games.

[joe_collector]

Buying games isn't the same as collecting games.

 

So how do get your comics, steal them?

[mschmidt]

Buying games isn't the same as collecting games.

 

So how do get your comics, steal them?

So every person who buys a comic book is now a collector? :doh:

[Boboset]

Nice find on the game but you react to different opinions way too harshly. You invite this sort of derailment with your attitude.