What makes a rare game valuable?

[kstillin]

The thing that makes rare stuff most valuable?

Hype. Some of the guys on here can really hype up something that is just blah.

...but I WOULD like a Reactor..

 

[dirt]

In that case, does anyone want to by an arcade game with X-Wing fighters on it?

yes. that thing would look bad ass between star castle and star wars. if i didn't have to have the front end of my truck rebuild i'd be all over it like white on rice.

 

[p1899m]

I think it just takes two people with deep pockets that want a game to make it valuable if it's rare.

 

[jawhn]

Rescuing an obscure game from a meth house makes it valuable.

Phett wanting a game makes it more valuable.

30fathomdave's bare bottom on a game makes it more valuable.

 

[mrbill2084]

spectar was a total star wars ripoff too.

One thing you can say about rare games, if its a clone of anything, its going to be worthless..

 

[Schusler]

Speaking of Star Wars ripoffs....

 

[LeeB99]

This is exactly why I got pissed off at the thread that was titled "Who on here has the MOST RARE, most SOUGHT AFTER game?". That thread went on and ON, and yet it seemed that nobody posting realized that there is no way for the "most rare" games to ALSO be the "most sought after". There are plenty of prototype games out there that either A) not hardly anyone knows about or B) nobody cares about. By definition, the "rarest" games are those that are not highly sought after or known by most people. I just threw my hands up in the air, shook my head and walked away from that particular thread...

Lee

 

[FlashIV]

This game I just picked up "Astro Attack" with the Star Wars X-Wing's on them got me thinking about it. I don't think it will ever be a particularly valuable game. In fact I'll probably end up just about giving it away.

Before you give it away or sell it, consider making a KLOV entry for it. I couldn't find it at least.

 

[jm2u]

Ok real simple: supply < demand. oh damn I just got trolled.

 

[philt80]

I'm just glad the arcade community isn't anything like the NES community. There, games are called rare and outrageously priced based solely on the quantity released. It doesn't matter if the game is shit(Stadium events anyone?), it only matters how many people THINK are in circulation to complete a set. Sometimes people find huge warehouses full of games once thought scarce or rare(Aladdin Deck Enhancer) and that drives the costs down, but it's pretty ridiculous.

In the arcade community, I see rarity and price dictated solely by what's hot at the time and how many people want a particular title that they can't easily find. Ice Cold Beer seems to be the flavor of the month lately and Tron seems to always be a favorite, but again I'm so glad the arcade community focuses mostly on game play and reliability rather than scarcity alone.

 

[MajorHavoc]

So why the premium for old Cinematronics games for instance that pretty much nobody remembers from back in the day and that by most accounts aren't very fun? Aside from being primarily vector games, what else do they have going for them?

WTH! I remember them and liked Star Castle, Armor Attack, and Rip Off was FANTASTIC! The knights game was difficult but a beautiful piece of art. Am I really in the minority here?

 

[mrbill2084]

This is exactly why I got pissed off at the thread that was titled "Who on here has the MOST RARE, most SOUGHT AFTER game?". That thread went on and ON, and yet it seemed that nobody posting realized that there is no way for the "most rare" games to ALSO be the "most sought after". There are plenty of prototype games out there that either A) not hardly anyone knows about or B) nobody cares about. By definition, the "rarest" games are those that are not highly sought after or known by most people. I just threw my hands up in the air, shook my head and walked away from that particular thread...

Lee

your right to some extent. If no one knows a game exists, how can it have a high value. But once its known, there is a demand. If someone posted reactor 2 or sinistar 2 up for sale, I don't think it would matter if they did not post pics of it. There would be instant demand for it.

Sometimes, the most rare games can be the most sought after. Here is an example.

People get exposed to a rare game (like at cax).. Then there is demand for that rare game. If you want proof, just ask scott what happened when he took arcade classics, bradley trainer, marble man 2, and akka arrh to cax for the 1st time.. I am sure he has had similar offers with bevis and butthead and a few others.. I am sure it will happen again when he takes missile command 2 to cax..

You can see the effect of price of uncommon games when people get exposed to them. You see after cax people posting looking for reactor, mad planets, food fight, timber, burgertime, eliminator, warlords cocktail, ect.. You then see games like that shoot up in value..

You see demand for games like exidy shooters go up once the multi exidy kit came out. Demand for sega vectors when the multi game came out. Exposure does create demand. So exposure for rare games increases demand for rare games.

You are also right in that some protos are not desirable. I would not want a proto crystal castles or proto fast freddy..

There are some protos I would not personally want. Tempest proto and gravitar proto come to mind.. I would not take them over their production cabinets.. But if you were to offer me a proto red baron upright, I would give you 5x what I would give you for the the kit red baron ur..

 

[jehuie]

One thing you can say about rare games, if its a clone of anything, its going to be worthless..

So what you are telling me is that if I 60-in-1 the thing then nobody will get their panties in a bunch over it?

 

[djw90]

So what you are telling me is that if I 60-in-1 the thing then nobody will get their panties in a bunch over it?

That would make a fugly 60-1

 

[Area69]

I consider rare a game produced in numbers less than 100 and still desirable.
Consider a few things:
#1 how many active collectors are actually out there? a few thousand world wide.
#2 how many want the game? probably only a few of the overall population of collectors.
#3 how many have the game and are willing to part with it? same as above.

With a few exceptions, there are enough of any title to meet the demand of active collectors especially considering many get into the hobby only to abandon it after a few years.

Paying more than a few hundred bucks for any game is dumb because regardless of title,
there is one sitting unused and unappreciated somewhere.

I happen to agree with this. I walked into a warehouse of dirty, busted machines in St. Pete , and saw several of what I would consider rare. For instance a Space Fury, Red Baron, Gravitar. Many people came and went, and nobody gave those titles a second look. I believe around here most people are looking for Nintendo cabs and newer titles.

 

[mrbill2084]

So what you are telling me is that if I 60-in-1 the thing then nobody will get their panties in a bunch over it?

either that or use the monitor in another game..

 

[jehuie]

either that or use the monitor in another game..

Yeah I thought about that too. It's not a bad looking color monitor. I don't have a project to put it in really just yet and I don't like storing stuff like that since space is at a premium in my house. This game will be for sale cheap soon.

 

[jehuie]

WTH! I remember them and liked Star Castle, Armor Attack, and Rip Off was FANTASTIC! The knights game was difficult but a beautiful piece of art. Am I really in the minority here?

Those aren't the Cine games I was talking about. I meant the "rare" ones that nobody remembers except members of this forum.

That would make a fugly 60-1

Is that a bad thing?