What is it with old school collectors and their way of "thinking?" RANT

DreamTR

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What is it with old school collectors and their way of "thinking?" RANT

The title doesn't come across correctly, but in the 5+ years I've been actively buying/collecting stuff and the 30+ years I've been playing/casually getting machines before that (and coming from a very large console collecting background) I've come to notice the following:

Why are some old school collectors so geared towards believing they should be the ones getting everything and not you?

Why does it matter to them what I do with MY money?

Why are some of these collectors super passive aggressive? Here is a good example from a collector: Him: How come you don't tell me when you have cheap games for sale?

Me: They are all on Craig's LIst.
Him: "I don't get any games anymore on Craig's List because you get them all"
Me: I barely buy anything on Craig's List anymore except for this pinball machine I am picking up tomorrow.
Him: I was going to get that, see?
Me: It's been up a week and a half and no one bought it and you just said you don't look at Craig's List, wtf?

Why are prices/values skewed to where they REALLY think the prices are super low on games that haven't been at those prices in years, or pull out prices out of thin air....(saying games are $800 that are really worth $400 and then saying my $1600-2000 game is $1000, etc)

I mean, I'm not making any post out of jealousy or any of that, I own a video arcade that I essentially created for the state of Tennessee so players can be reacquainted with arcade games that is basically a hobby out of my own pocket but we have collectors here that say random things about such and such and don't even come to the arcade, or just make up random pricing...


I guess my point of this post is, I am not really understanding the way of thinking of some people in this hobby because I don't have these issues with console collecting; people upset about me buying stuff with my own money or making up prices on things worth way less/more and then when I sell it for my price (that is still more than fair) there are crickets...

Oh well, lol...just had to type that out ;)
 
My experience with old school collectors and pricing seems to be the complete opposite of yours, they think their beat up Pac-man's worth $1200 any day.
 
My experience with old school collectors and pricing seems to be the complete opposite of yours, they think their beat up Pac-man's worth $1200 any day.
He was talking about "his" pac-man. OP just perfectly described greedy bastards and you can find them in any hobby, profession, club or group.
 
I am referring to "their" Pac-Man being $800, and "my" super-rare game that is worth $1600-2000 only worth $1000....and I mean my game would actually be worth that, not a multicade or Pac-Man, lol...
 
Why are prices/values skewed to where they REALLY think the prices are super low on games that haven't been at those prices in years, or pull out prices out of thin air....(saying games are $800 that are really worth $400 and then saying my $1600-2000 game is $1000, etc)

I especially notice in newsgroups and on forums people will discuss the value of a game...and there is always one or two people who own the game jacking up the value to some weird, but high, amount. When I followed RGP I would notice this phenomenon with posts either right before or right after the thread discussing how fantastic that game is.

More than usual for the last few years, hobbyists in game related collecting seem really up tight about trying to play Jr. Dealer and protecting "investments". Including hating on their competition (you).

If people here were into console collecting and proto carts...the passive aggressive shit towards you would probably get very ugly. ;) Speaking of...I haven't lurked DP in a year or so. :p
 
Which is part of the reason that ebay has so many fixed price listing as opposed to auction format listings in the arcade area. You have a handful of people with boards keeping the prices high. Just look at Capcom boards. All of them listed for 100+ when many of these sell here in the forums for a fraction of that.

My biggest problem though is every seller I deal with is always so damn grouchy. If you want to sell your shit, don't make me jump through hoops just to pick up your ratty cab!
 
Which is part of the reason that ebay has so many fixed price listing as opposed to auction format listings in the arcade area. You have a handful of people with boards keeping the prices high. Just look at Capcom boards. All of them listed for 100+ when many of these sell here in the forums for a fraction of that.

My biggest problem though is every seller I deal with is always so damn grouchy. If you want to sell your shit, don't make me jump through hoops just to pick up your ratty cab!

+1, this is hysterical, and sadly true.
 
I think a lot of people are reading into shows like Pawn Star, American Pickers and Storage Wars way too much. They see that Joe Blow in Iowa will pay $1200 for a Pac Man then his beat up barely working Pac Man must be worth the same.

Another reason prices are high (at least in my neck of the woods) is because you get a bunch of newbies to the hobby who's only intent is to buy low and sell high. There are a number of people who tried to sell games really high here for no reason other than because they think they can. All that did was help me sell my game when I would offer the same game a lot cheaper.

I have been in and out of this hobby for 12 years. It use to be I could go to an auction with $400 and walk away with 6 games including a couple of classics. Now I am lucky to find a beat up classic for under $500.
 
I sort of remember this same discussion about muscle cars in the early 80's.
 
What pisses me off is when people us Ebay as a price guide.

"It's going for $1800 on eBay, so mine must be worth that, or more.."

No. It's not.

And just because some retard prices it at triple what it's worth doesn't make it so. And if it's priced like that on eBay, doesn't mean they actually sold it for that amount.

And then, to add insult to injury, they get bored with said game, and try to make a profit on it by selling it for several hundred bucks over what they paid for it. I have no problem with someone making a couple of bucks. But don't get ridiculous and ask for $2000 on a $500 machine.
 
I don't appreciate you complaining about me publically.

I am sick of you buying all of the machines on Craigslist, and if you continue to do so I will report you.
 
Laughs funny thread..
What makes a arcade worth even 100 dollars?
Why is it worth any money at all?
Is it the uniqueness of it? There are a lot of unique things in this world that are cheap.
Is it extreme rare? Even in the museum says that rarity does not mean it is expensive.
Value is always based on market demand. You can have the most rarest and the most minty game in the world but if there is no demand for the game, it worth is only what the owner say it is worth to him for.

Grumbling that someone is selling something for way too much is just silly. The market will dictate what an item is worth. It easy to go down in price but people get upset when you up in price on craiglist but are more that happy to click and bid on an item on eBay.

Just becuase the list says your game is worth 300 doesn't make it so. It just a general rough idea. Your local market might dictate something else..
 
People are cheap. Its all about the $$$.
Theres nothing you can do to change that, though. Not everybody has the same mentality as you might have, so don't let it get to you.

Of course, if you feel like you need some more good karma, then I'd be glad to take a Robotron cabinet off you for real cheap :)
 
This thread is TLDR but I will say this. 1) I collected since the 1990's. 2) I count any good deal a good deal and hardly ever sold a game at a profit. 3) The games I sold were at cost or just above and I even gave a few away in the past two years. 4) I watch CL but only try to buy a good deal and never complain if someone gets there before me. 5) I never whine about other collectors.

Is it really the other collectors that are the problem?
 
Why are prices/values skewed to where they REALLY think the prices are super low on games that haven't been at those prices in years, or pull out prices out of thin air....(saying games are $800 that are really worth $400 and then saying my $1600-2000 game is $1000, etc)

Tell the truth. This is about my 700 dollar Galaga, and your MMAO I'Robot itsn't it. :)
 
Tell the truth. This is about my 700 dollar Galaga, and your MMAO I'Robot itsn't it. :)

I wish it was, lol....it's about crazier stuff than that...you wouldn't believe me if I told you...

I'm seriously getting yelled at for buying games with my own money because a local collector apparently thinks he deserves them all or something. I mean, Dale lives in TN and I am the one getting yelled at and Dale has 2000+ or more machines? LOL....
 
I'm pretty basic when it comes to pricing arcades and "What is it worth"

If I own the machine, then OBVIOUSLY it is worth a ton of money! Yes my beat to sh*t pacman is worth $1200+ are you kidding me? ITS A CLASSIC MAN!

If I'm looking for a machine then generally speaking they are not worth sh*t. Your mint condition Discs of Tron is a 30 year old machine my friend so I'm sorry but $500 is as high as I can go and really if you don't sell it to me your only other option is sending it to the landfill anyway... ;)


*DISCLAIMER: My post is a joke
 
I wish it was, lol....it's about crazier stuff than that...you wouldn't believe me if I told you...

I'm seriously getting yelled at for buying games with my own money because a local collector apparently thinks he deserves them all or something. I mean, Dale lives in TN and I am the one getting yelled at and Dale has 2000+ or more machines? LOL....

Laughs you should post it someplace...
 
Laughs you should post it someplace...

It is a big time collector too, but apparently half the people that have dealt with him don't like him and I don't even know the whole stories about those...exidy and Mark Spaeth alone had nothing nice to say about him...cool guy to talk too but man does he have some issues about how he thinks others should spend their money...
 
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