The Upsetting Reality Of Modern Video Game Collecting

#retrogaming #gamehunting #nintendo

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Mort continues to hunt for the manual while pondering the nature of collectibles, and the seismic shift that affects prices in the market.

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[justadude]

Do you ever think that retro games will stop being collectables or valuable as time goes on? The future generations will not have nostalgia for the vast majority of these games and consoles since they literally won't have knowledge or experiences with them. Also, the people who do desire these games will eventually start dying out (just a fact of life). I could see things like Majora's Mask collectors edition or other rare versions of extremely popular titles retaining some value, but do you think your kids generation and future ones will really want to buy SNES games? Especially with the availability of roms and current state of remasters/rereleases. Just the thoughts of a fellow reseller.

[IntergalacticDustBunny]

I had to quit collecting years ago, because I started looking at my shelves/totes full of stuff and asked myself "why?" I kept a few lost items from my childhood that I had a direct connection to, and sold everything else (at a decent loss), what I couldn't sell I donated. I've seen the collector space explode and prices inflate, but I think the bubble will bust at some point, FOMO wears off after a time, I've found a lot of collectors (not all) who have massive collections of things they can't possibly use or enjoy in their lifetimes tend to have a shopping addiction that they handwave away as collecting or preserving. My point is you don't need a basement full of toys and videogames to be happy, and a lot of collectors tend to have this "dragon on a pile of gold" attitude that is quite silly once you step outside of the collector headspace. The things that bring me the most nostalgia are my actual toys that survived my childhood.

[ItsAllDougAndGames]

Agreed with the the core concept - these are not games anymore, these are collectibles. Having said that, to really, REALLY drive the point home, and peel back all of the layers on this onion and state this with NO sugar coating whatsoever - replace "collectibles" with "financial instruments". Do that and you immediately experience a jarring, visceral reaction that makes it crystal clear where all of the contentiousness and drama between "nostalgic gamers" and "collectors" who are effectively "investors". I've stirred the pot, I'll see myself out. :)

[DanielNostalgicBitz]

i really like how your videos are both entertaining and also thought provoking on retro game collecting many of us including myself collect for the nostalgia or simply to get the things we couldn't get back when we were kids but i really see myself as a curator of these items i have in my collection many hold stories of others enjoyment with these items and to me that gives it a different kind of value 😊

[TronicGames]

I think you are completely right when saying that video games are not video games anymore. I never considered myself a collector but ended un with around 1.5K games after years and years of buying stuff. At the beginning the main drive for me was buying games I wanted to play. Sure, I was fuelled by nostalgia but also by the notion of wanting to experience games I did not have the chance back when; either because I missed out or because I only owned the competitor console.

I was extremely passionate about video games but you don't end up with 1.5K games just because you want to play them. At some point, not sure when, I started buying stuff I was not madly interested in because it was a good deal. Then started buying lots from which I was only really interested in one or two of the games. Prices then skyrocketed with covid and I've bought very little since. This past year I've been asking myself why the hell I have an entire wall of games at home and no drive to play 95% of them. How the heck have I become an expert on sun fade? I was in it for the video games, not the spine cards, the print number, the region, the scarcity or the club nintendo point cards. I'm selling. I'm out of collecting and back into video games again.

[DCFatCat]

My accountant would like to remind me that they are technically non-current business assets that have been fully depreciated unless otherwise compared to book value at the time of sale.

[stashmerkin]

Mort great break down of what makes collectables! I used to say something similar when I worked at a comic shop in the 90s.
So much crossover between the retro game market and retro comic collectors.

[OHWes]

How in the world does Mort not have 100 million subscribers? Definitely the best retro game channel on YouTube.

[thomasbalgairies]

The problem I see with game collecting is the state of modern games. As collectors we ask for physical copies but how many modern games come out unplayable until you download 30gb+ of updates. At this point what are you really collecting on your PS5 and Xbox?

[spitt]

I was playing MMPR fighting editon on snes for a hot minute, back in 2010 I don't know why i just kept firing that game up. it was fun and addicting.

[christocream]

Wata ruined everything after their scandal. Everything costs a small fortune to buy now. In my area counterfeits have skyrocketed. I had around or about 10 boxed nes games from before wata that I got for probably $160 that includes punchout, all 3 mario bros, gray zelda and zelda 2, metroid, doctor mario and nowadays that little set could easily get me over a thousand

[ryanboutr]

Emulating saved gaming. Imagine life without it.

[vinylreckoning]

Interesting take, I dig it. Kind of happens with test pressings in our community. I don’t listen to them because I have a normal pressing but in my brain I have to own it because it’s so rare.

[theusualidiot]

i personally don’t care what things are “worth”. i’m not thinking about reselling them down the line. i only care if the price being asked feels like a good value to me. yesterday i paid $40 for a 1985 Mumm-Ra action figure to add to my collection. it’s the first thundercat toy i’ve held in my hand since i was like 7-8 yrs old.

is it in perfect condition? nope.
is it complete? nope again.

but it is in good condition and looks badass displayed on my shelf, plus i was able to help support a local business and spend a great afternoon with my wife. i was happy to pay what i did and don’t feel ripped off in the slightest bit. there were tons of cool toys at that toy shop that were out of my price range, and im ok with that. so much of life in general has become digital, and that combined with having to be an adult with a job and working countless hours, ive forgotten the joy of physically holding a damn toy in my hand, or looking through the insert of a cassette tape, or reading the manual of a video game. the memories are 95% of the reason i collect things.

[chimmyinfernape]

I love the whole idea of this series educating people on value. I can’t tell you have many people have bitched at my flea market table about a game being like 40$ for example but it being “common” then I have to explain supply and demand

[AkiDave]

Collecting video games is such a fun hobby, it’s like you’re going on a historical expedition and finding worlds long gone, or ready to be rediscovered. You can passively watch these videos and learn how to spot bad deals. But the problem is that a lot of stores take advantage of people and it’s frustrating, offensive even. It’s why I fell out of love with it, stores I loved closed and resellers often trying to scam people. It’s disheartening you know? Great video!

[genesis]

Mort your videos and topics and the way you put them together are really entertaining and amazing. Thank you and God bless.

[cornbreadcody]

At this point in my life, it pains me a little to say, I am more of a collector than gamer. The things I collect however, are all things that are related to my favorite games and franchises, with "nostalgia" in the driver seat. Idk what it is though about a sealed game (especially one from years past), but to me it just feels like it's the game in its most pure form, and the fact that it lasted all that time and was never used for its intended purpose is kind of wild. The only sealed games I have are ones that I purchased new and just haven't gotten to yet, but I confess, I have gone back and bought a second copy of some games that I really adored just so I could hold on to that one as a true "collectable".

[yovanymarin]

Upset is an understatement, it truly makes it so people won’t be able experience the games just because LOSER wants to make it a collectible and start grading them FOR RESALE not to enjoy the ACTUAL GAME

[HitPointPersonal]

I became a collector for archival reasons, I do promote retro games because in 50-80 years, you might never get to play these games again. So, play them up while you can, and hopefully, with the efforts of archives, the future I fear won't come to fruition.