By Chris Kavan - 11/06/12 at 09:41 PM CT
I know I'm not alone in that I like to collect items. Other members of this site have quite the game and strategy guide collection themselves. However, there comes a point in time when you have to decide what kind of collector you're going to be: casual or hardcore. You will know when you step over that line - if you spend as much on a video game as you would a new vehicle, that's hardcore.
Take this recent example of what is regarded as the rarest game for the Atari 2600: Air Raid. A near pristine copy was found (the only known copy with an intact instruction manual) and was sold for an Atari Record - and actually the record for any non-prototype, non-competition video game, ever. So, how much you ask? How about $33,433.30.
What is the most you've spent on a game? For me, at least recently, I dropped $149.95 on the collector's edition of Star Wars: The Old Republic (which I have yet to play, sadly). I thought that was a pretty good chunk of change for a single game - even though it came with a pretty cool statue and some other stuff.
A quick perusal of Ebay turns up some interesting auctions. A game that has been talked about by a few members, Little Samson, is going for anywhere from $300 - $465. A sealed copy of the SNES game Chrono Trigger can be yours for just $1999.00. You can pick up Jack Bros. for the Virtual Boy for approximately the same I paid for my Star Wars game: $149.99. Perhaps you're a really high roller and need that Cheetahmen II NES game - as long as you can spare $4500 - you can own your own factory-sealed copy of this terrible game.
Fess up - how much have you spent on a piece of nostalgia or (in my case with Star Wars), something you have an unhealthy passion for? Unless I win the lottery or am suddenly willed a whole lot of money, I don't see dropping more money on a game than many people in this country see in a year. But don't worry - I'll drop money on plenty of movies, books and standard games - I have to keep my collection going, you know.
Comments
Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/07/12 at 04:09 PM CT
I haven't paid any more for a collectable piece of gaming - I paid $39.95 for a rather obscure horror game for the PS2 (Rule of Rose) on Ebay - though it was in used condition. I'm not into seriously collecting games. Maybe some other members here can give us insight.
Serious collector's probably don't care much about playing the actual games (by all accounts Air Raid is a terrible game). The most expensive copies are sealed, so opening them would destroy the value anyway. Those who want to play the actual game - ROM away.
Nick - wrote on 11/07/12 at 11:37 AM CT
Chris, your purchase was RETAIL price. That shouldn't really count. What have you paid for a used item, for collectable use only?
Nelson Schneider - wrote on 11/06/12 at 10:36 PM CT
I would pay $0 for anything Atari (delenda est) related.
The only people who would pay prices like that must have some of your hoarding condition, Chris. Anyone sane would just download a ROM and be happy with that.
