Friday, November 9, 2012

Soaring Prices of Rare Vintage Video Games

The title says it all, however, I'm NOT one of the naysayers. You know the ones that post videos, spend hours on forums, etc. etc. blabbing on and on about how much they hate the fact prices are soaring. How they can't stand how people are even asking and paying so much for items.

I believe it's the season for Rare and Vintage video games. Let's face it, this is not something new. There's always been high priced items, and there will always be people with enough money and interest to purchase them. The vintage and rare gaming market is not the first, nor will it be the last, niche to sky rocket.

Take the time to read through "Video Games Will Sell for Comic & Baseball Card Prices" found here. It's a very well thought out article and has made some very interesting and well educated assumptions.

As people who were once kids that spent countless hours playing video games get older, they tend to go to school, graduate, work, make money, and spend it or invest it. Don't tell ME how to spend my money, I won't tell YOU how to spend yours.

You think the gaming market is inflated ? How about these trinkets ?

1933 Henry Graves 'supercomplication' - A Patek Phillipe pocket watch that sold at Sotheby's for $11 Million.

Treskilling Yellow - A vintage stamp from Sweden that sold for 2.3 Million Dollars, yes, a stamp.

US Grand Watermelon Note - An 1809's $1,000 note that sold at auction around 2005 for 2.25 Million. So, according to the critics, it should only be worth $1,000, or less because it's just plain old.

1909 T206 White Border - A Honus Wagner, who ?, baseball card worth 2.35 Million. I never did collect these, but I hope the current owner is enjoying it.

Action Comics, No. 1 - A 2 Million Dollar comic book, made out of paper like most other books. Never collected these either, but, the current owner, whoever he is, must have really liked Superman.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1869 - A glass of this will set you back $29,000, a bottle ? $232,692 American Dollars. Drink up my friend, enjoy.

Zelda NES Prototype - Sold in 2012 for a record breaking $55,000. The start of a new era for rare and vintage gaming items.

I'm sure all the whiners would now hang the watch from their shorts while skateboarding, mail a letter to their grandma with the stamp, buy $1,000 worth of toungue rings with the Watermelon Note, trade the Honus Wagner for a 2012 run of the mill Tron Legacy trading card, read the Action Comics till it was torn to shreds then leave it at the skate park, drink the wine with some Cheeto's, all while opening the tamper proof case of the Zelda and playing it in their parents basement.

I think not ! As much as you whine and complain, you, yes YOU, would be the first to put it up for auction trying to finally score. Hey, I don't blame you. You're just a squirrel trying to get a nut. Now shoo little squirrel, go find your own nut and leave the other squirrels alone !

An items worth is determined by many factors: market, historical prices, rarity, condition, provenance, and most importantly, in my humble opinion, Perspective. What one person perceives as garbage, another may perceive as special to them. The kid whos parents could never afford to get them that GI Joe with the "Kung Fu" grip may likely collect it because he never had it, or, vice-versa, the one that did have it and has fond memories of his childhood now collects GI Joe's because of those fond memories. I'm not a GI Joe fan, neither because I had or didn't have one, I'm just not into GI Joe's. But, who am I to scream, you paid $200,000 for a GI Joe ?!? Dude, it's yours, you bought it, enjoy it, store it in glass or play with it. It's frankly none of my business how you earn or spend your money. I'm happy for both you, and the guy who sold it to you.

More to come as the future unfolds.

Yours Truly,
Action 52 Developer #4