Vintage Video Game Collectors, Let's Talk......

[NotoriousTIMP]

Anyone else here collect old consoles? I recently got back into it after johnbron convinced me to buy a Wii U (goddamn those fucking Amiibo figures, too) and so I figured I would see who else is into his expensive hobby, perhaps we might be able to work out some trades while we're at it.


To start things off, I just got back from Tokyo and I came across a vintage console collector's paradise! I snapped a whole bunch of photos and I wanted to share them with those of you who also collect vintage systems.

http://i.imgur.com/YtcGSrY.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CrfKHFx.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/007Z3Tu.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/uvkNfjX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1Xy4DEF.jpg

This one was roughly $38 USD, and its boxed!
http://i.imgur.com/EmhJlgg.jpg

$39USD
http://i.imgur.com/k5HS2vd.jpg

LOADS of old systems, some boxed some not. The boxed PS1 that you see on the shelf was $12
http://i.imgur.com/Lx6XoCl.jpg

[NotoriousTIMP]

Ok, Middle shelf to the far left were top loader NES consoles for around $65, then I forget what the big black and red consoles were, followed by unboxe Super famicoms for $35, and then the japan only orange gamecube for $26. On the bottom you will find boxed super famicoms (green tops) for $45-50.
http://i.imgur.com/wKHv2fc.jpg

Stairway leading up to one of the shops in Akihabara (the electronic district near Tokyo)
http://i.imgur.com/IUCXgNH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6dEE79h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nj10Fsh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Zt9ebOp.jpg

So. Many. Gamecubes. (O_O)
http://i.imgur.com/OY2fPCs.jpg

vintage TRON game, I had a real hard time walking away from this one.
http://i.imgur.com/8Xbzmei.jpg

This guy stood like 6' tall!
http://i.imgur.com/b2ifW5d.jpg

[NotoriousTIMP]

http://i.imgur.com/5iIRDiP.jpg

I dont know much about this Sony computer, but it looks like it played video game carts of some sort.
http://i.imgur.com/mUtbLxw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JtCFcM7.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/LFuAOeo.jpg

$840+ sealed copy of Gradius, anyone?
http://i.imgur.com/p2SeuYm.jpg

old school VituraBoy standee
http://i.imgur.com/29k4wQU.jpg

DREAMCASTS!!!
http://i.imgur.com/uwnffMb.jpg

So many systems, so little time to check them in.
http://i.imgur.com/HTsH4K4.jpg

Super Famicom games
http://i.imgur.com/RmGePmR.jpg

Goombas!
http://i.imgur.com/q5luFfh.jpg

[NotoriousTIMP]

Japanese R.O.Bs!!!!! (sadly, these were not for sale)
http://i.imgur.com/zqW2Skj.jpg

More Super Famicoms
http://i.imgur.com/BcKY5yK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dWxHPj4.jpg

[ManBurning]

I've been to that store when I visited Japan way back in 2010, it's called "Super Potato" it's awesome!

As for retro games, I certainty do collect them. My favorite gaming system of all time will always be the SNES. That was the golden age of gaming for me.
I'm not one of those people that try and go for a complete collection or anything like that, I just collect my favorite games that I liked as a kid. My collection isn't very large, but it's practical.

These days, I'm mainly focused on completing my loose carts with their original box and instruction manuals. Some games are prooving to be quite a challenge to complete as some of the boxes I need go for up to $200 alone for JUST the box! I've managed to actually box a lot of my games. I'm only down to 5 more lose NES carts til I have all my NES games boxed. Here is a photo of my game shelf:

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12191885_10156160902305368_4016422452240463258_n.j pg?oh=b5fc600c5125e4c0e9ef2e46dc8ff3a8&oe=56AC643D

[NotoriousTIMP]

Your collection is amazing! Mine is like a 4th that size, but its slowly growing. I just recently bought my first SNES (never owned one before) and I have to agree that some of the best games came out on that system. I just got my hands on Turtles In Time, Mario Kart, and Super Mario Allstars and I cannot wait to play them (I just need to find time!)

[Space Suicide]

I'd gladly take all of that man's PSOne and N64 games.

I don't consider myself a "collector" but I have a shit ton of Nintendo Power magazines from the 90's and I still own just about every PSOne game I've ever owned since I got the original PSX console. I also have demo discs form various sources like Pizza Hut promotional stuff, Playstation Underground (miss it so much!), etc.

Wish I could gush and show but I have nothing too substantial to turn heads.

P.S. I had a ton of SNES games and Gamecube stuff but sold them a few years ago for money. I don't regret it....yet. As long as there's emulators I'm fine.

[ManBurning]

Your collection is amazing! Mine is like a 4th that size, but its slowly growing. I just recently bought my first SNES (never owned one before) and I have to agree that some of the best games came out on that system. I just got my hands on Turtles In Time, Mario Kart, and Super Mario Allstars and I cannot wait to play them (I just need to find time!)

Well, better late than never! The only issue with retro collecting these days is the prices are going skyhigh. Everyone and their dog are out retro hunting now and that's driven the cost of some games to unfair price ranges.

Still, it's a fun (but expensive) hobby. Luckily, most of what you see in my photo above was purchased in the early 2000's before shit really hit the fan. I had all that stuff was a kid in the 90s, but would always trade my old stuff in for the new systems. Probably around 2002-2004 I wanted to re-collect the old games I used to have. So some of the harder to find games in my library were purchased back then for what I thought was an inflated price, but nothing compared to what it is now.

I think the general rule of thumb to have is "Am I paying more for this game than I would when it was released as a brand new game in the store?" If the answer is yes, put it back. If you find a game for under $80 complete with box and packaging, it's a good deal if you think about what it cost in the store and that you can't really just walk into a store and buy it brand new anymore.

Turtles in Time is a fantastic game though. You'll have fun with that one.

Other worthy titles for the SNES to check out would be:

The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare
Conta 3: The Alien Wars
Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2
Castlevania IV
F-Zero
Ninja Warriors
Pocky and Rocky
Earthworm Jim
Maximum Carnage
Super Mario RPG
Super Punch-Out!
Wild Guns

And if you like RPG games and have the time:

Final Fantasy 3
Chrono Trigger
Breath of Fire

That should keep you busy for a while.

[liquidcalm]

that place looks like heaven.
I want an orange gamecube in my life....

[Vertigo]

*Shudders in revulsion at the Nintendo horde and grips his Megadrive controller tightly*

[Self.Destructive.Pattern]

Dear god man!! That is amazing. I sold all of my old stuff a long time ago, and I regret it to this day :(. I started again a couple of months ago with the purchase of an SNES, ( I still have my original NES) A Top Loader NES, an Atari 2600, and a Sega Saturn. Damn this is an expensive hobby :D.

[NotoriousTIMP]

Anyone else collect Amiibo? I almost have a complete collection and this too is an expensive hobby (-_-)

http://i.imgur.com/Eb4YXPA.jpg

[NotoriousTIMP]

Oh yeah, I totally forgot I bought a bunch of these little egg thingies and I finally cracked open my first one tonight (the chocolate is terrible)

http://i.imgur.com/pB9Bgip.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GsNXIcj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/oWITycv.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/03GEV3k.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2TlKdZK.jpg

[Dr Channard]

These pictures are giving me all kinds of nostalgia. I had an Atari 2600 with a box full of games. Another box had about a dozen of the old Tiger handheld electronic games and an original game boy with games, all things I had from childhood. Not long ago I had a break-in and all this was among the stuff taken.

Although its not much of a collection, I still have my working Sega Genesis, PSX, and PS2 with several games for each. Otherwise, thank god for emulators.

Edit: To this day that Nintendo 64 controller design boggles my mind! :confused:

[ManBurning]

A Top Loader NES.

That's next on my to get list. I've always wanted one of those, but they're so damn expensive. That and the SNES mini. I finally took the plunge and bought the SNES mini (as seen in my photo on the bottom shelf) this year. Can't say I'm too fond of the price I paid, but... least I have one. I have the Original SNES, the Super Famicom and the SNES mini models now. Next up is the top loaded if I can find it at a decent price.

[bgalbraith]

Huh, I didn't realize the NES-101 was that hard to come by. I've actually been playing mine a bit recently, getting my 3 year old into video games ;) He likes the monster game (Monster Party), the sword game (Zelda), and the island game (StarTropics).

[Self.Destructive.Pattern]

Dam, it really is amazing of how high the demand for retro games are these days. Especially for such common games that go for crazy prices on ebay and amazon. $45.00 dollars for Super Metroid that doesn't even come with an instruction booklet or box?? Desperately looking for an original NES since mine took a crap the other day.. so sad :(.

[ManBurning]

Yeah, and prices are only getting worse. There is a store in my area trying to sell a complete in box with strategy guide copy of Earthbound for $1400!
That seems a little ridiculous to me, unless it's sealed... who's gonna pay that? Even for a sealed copy, no way that's worth it.

There are so many retro game conventions on the rise these days. I'll point out a few here.

On the west coast for NotoriousTIMP we have the biggest one being the Portland Retro Gaming Expo - http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/, I went to this one this past fall. It was the biggest one of these types of events I have attended, and actually if I am not mistaken, the biggest in North America. I scored some pretty decent deals there.

Then we have the Seattle version of this - http://www.seattleretro.org/ which I only attended once back in... 2012 or so, was the 2nd or 3rd one. It was still gaining steam, maybe 1/4 the size of the Portland one, but was still worth checking out.

For those up North in Canada, we have one here in Vancouver as well. That one is coming up soon on May 28th - http://www.vancouvergamingexpo.com/, they are on their... 4th or 5th year now and finally upgraded to an actual convention centre this year. Previous years it was at a small theatre, so nice to see that finally expanding as well.

In Central/Southern USA down in Arlington, TX we have Retropalooza, which is put on by the YouTube stars the Game Chasers - http://retropalooza.com/

On the east coast there is the Too many games convention in Oaks, PA - http://toomanygames.com/

Magfest in National Harbor, MD (just outside of Washington, DC basically) - http://magfest.org/ - This one is apparently really popular and actually coming up shortly (Feb 18-21)

And finally back up North to there in Hamilton Canada is the Con Bravo expo, which doesn't appear to have a proper website, so i'll just leave this here -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConBravo!

I have only been to the West coast ones, so I can't vouch for whether the ones in the east are any good. I know a lot of popular YouTubbers like Pat the NES punk, AlphaOmegaSIN, Game Chasers, Happy Console Gamer, AVGN (James Rolfe) and others usually make it an annual routine to hit up as many as these as possible, and from the footage I've seen online they all look pretty good. So, find one that's close to you and bring a couple hundred bucks to go nuts is what I say! Or just go to enjoy the panals and guest speakers. A lot of these events bring in developers and other gaming related people from the industry to hold Q&A Panels about upcoming or past projects. I find that I enjoy the panels just as much if not more than the actual shopping experience.

Finally, if you're a completionist like me, but cannot justify spending $80-300 on a box or a boxed game, this guy here sells really well made Video Game reproduction boxes for the old games. I bought one off him before and was surprised with the stellar quality. The box is almost identical to the originals, so very affordable option if you want to just hunt down the loose carts and upgrade them with boxes later. https://www.etsy.com/shop/IMbAGames

[Jinsai]

That's next on my to get list. I've always wanted one of those, but they're so damn expensive.

Are they? I have one, and I need money.
It's why I'm about to throw these on eBay...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y168/TheAmityvilleghost/saturngames.jpg

[ManBurning]

Are they? I have one, and I need money.
It's why I'm about to throw these on eBay...


Yeah, you can get a pretty penny for a top loader NES. A Quick search of completed top loader's on eBay show them averaging between $100-170. So depending what condition and accessories it comes with, you can guarantee to walk away with at least $100.

That SEGA Saturn haul should get you some decent coin as well.

I've been going though a bunch of my stuff to sell as well recently. Trying to cut down on the crap I accumulate around here. So much wasted money on so much crap... I never learn.