Is your gaming collection a good investment?

[playboycougar]

And I'm not just talking about dollar signs. Considering all of the factors; time you play, enjoyment you get, money you make, money you have invested, do you feel like it is still worth it for you to hold onto your collection, whatever that may be? And tell us how long you have been collecting too.

I can tell you that I am questioning it. I have my candy cab, MVS, and three of four games. I don't play much anymore, but the novelty of having a candy cab, and the adventure I went through to get it are valuable to me.

What's your story?

 

[Neo Ash]

Money wasted...right?

 

[LoneSage]

That's the story with all my games. I'm one of those guys who doesn't sell, but I don't consider myself a hoarder - it's just the sentimental part of me. It's like, each game I look at, Neo or not, I can see myself at that age and it just brings back all the memories of that era in my life.


I'm gonna be straight up, I haven't hooked up my CMVS this whole fucking year, maybe. It feels like it, anyway. And yet I have all these games, just sitting there, and I do feel guilty, yeah I feel guilty. But there's always that thought in the back of my mind..."Maybe one day I'll hook it up and play some Sam Sho and Mutation Nation", something like that.


Uh, the only monetary investment, and I don't even view it as that, is thanks to the poster above me, Neo Ash, for selling me a loose Pulstar back in '06 for $35. I have no idea why the price shot up like mad after that, but even so I don't think I could sell it just for a quick buck, because I'm not that kinda guy. That game is too fucking awesome for me to sell. I'll never beat it. I know I'll never beat it but I can't bring myself to sell it, yet.

 

[Neo Ash]

I'm gonna be straight up, I haven't hooked up my CMVS this whole fucking year, maybe. It feels like it, anyway. And yet I have all these games, just sitting there, and I do feel guilty, yeah I feel guilty. But there's always that thought in the back of my mind..."Maybe one day I'll hook it up and play some Sam Sho and Mutation Nation", something like that.

Yup, I'm in the exact same boat.

I can't let the games go. They just sit there with the money tied up in them....doing nothing.

 

[dedalusdedalus]

I don't consider my video game collection to be an investment per se. If I wanted an investment, I'd put my money into a mutual fund or at least buy some gold.

When I do buy video games though, I buy things that will hold their value. I won't go out and buy whatever crap just got released for PS3 or Xbox -- that's like wiping your ass with your money since 99.9% of the time, the value of that game in a couple of years is going to be a fraction of what you paid for it. I only buy old games whose values are more or less going to be stable going forward.

That said, I like to think about video games as a hobby that isn't nearly as money draining as certain other hobbies. I buy a game, enjoy it, put it on the shelf, and if I need to, I can sell the game again and possibly even come out ahead. That's not nearly as money-burning as wine collecting or maintaining a classic car.

 

[Renmauzo]

I started collecting at 16, but i think it started because I was so poor growing up, and any money that I made from 12yrs to 16yrs old doing weekend work in town went to my folks to help keep the bills paid, so after that, I would over-compensate and buy whatever I could that I thought would be good to make up for what I couldn't have while I was growing up. That said, I think that now, it's more about the thrill of the hunt for something rare, and the memories attached to the games I played the hell out of with friends at their houses and times spent at the arcade when I had a buck or two to spare. That's why I recently talked my wife into the idea of getting a Neo Geo cab; fond memories. The great thing about the collection now though isn't the money spent or even what it's worth, but that my wife and I will be able to share all the fun with our baby boy when he gets a little older, and that makes it all worth while.

 

[Rig]

I've never looked at my collection (750+ games) as an investment. Unless I'm someday in absolutely dire need for the money, they're staying with me until I'm dead.

And I certainly don't play a lot of the games anymore. When I have my own home, hopefully I'll be able to drag more out and play them. Plus, I look at it as a great way to bond with (possibly) my future children. (They better like videogames!)

I got my first NES at age four...and have been picking up games ever since. I'm 26 now.
My full collection (minus MVS stuff...) is here: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/games.php?u=14755

 

[GoosehanX]

I don't really give a good god damn about value and potential investment of any game. Really it just boils down to if I will play and enjoy a game enough to be worth whatever price it happens to go for at the moment. I very rarely sell games, so future values have no meaning. I also very rarely buy an expensive game unless I get a good deal on it. I have a lot of very valuable games, but for most of them I didn't pay a whole lot. I have a hard time even spending $60 on a game, but if a game is expensive and really worth it I will spend the coin.

 

[amaradona]

I dont collect much but I keep all the games which have sentimental value for me...
So yes the ROI is positive for me.

 

[SNKorSWM]

There aren't any reliable broadband service in my neighborhood, so I still have plenty of use of all my old consoles and a cab that I can use as an attraction for inviting friends and family over to a party. And since these are in current use, I don't really see that as an "investment".

 

[ChuChu Flamingo]

Is anything really an investment?

I keep all my stuff as I always like to go back and play them again. Just sit back, relax, and play some video games.

 

[the.bet]

Unless I'm someday in absolutely dire need for the money, they're staying with me until I'm dead.

Thats an interesting point. I am sure all of us will still be gaming when we are old and gray. It is weird to think of our generations eventual demise and rare neo gear being put out in estate sales unappreciated.

 

[complexz]

since I only buy a game at a time and I play the shit out of every single one, I may not ever get a financial gain from my "investment" but as far as entertainment per dollar my games definitely have done more for me than anything else I've accumulated (movies and music being other examples)

 

[FuriousT]

Retro gaming is trendy now. Whether this will continue is another thing, so I buy games I'm going to play.

If bad times come, I know at least I can get some coin back, but I don't bank on it. But having games I wanted / had in my youth is worth the admission fee.

 

[Grandmaster B]

That's the story with all my games. I'm one of those guys who doesn't sell, but I don't consider myself a hoarder - it's just the sentimental part of me. It's like, each game I look at, Neo or not, I can see myself at that age and it just brings back all the memories of that era in my life.


I'm gonna be straight up, I haven't hooked up my CMVS this whole fucking year, maybe. It feels like it, anyway. And yet I have all these games, just sitting there, and I do feel guilty, yeah I feel guilty. But there's always that thought in the back of my mind..."Maybe one day I'll hook it up and play some Sam Sho and Mutation Nation", something like that.

Sounds familiar to me.
A lot of my 16 Bit games remind me of the time when I discovered SNES, Mega Drive and later the Neo. When I could only afford a few games as a kid, I played the hell out of them. So for me there is value in keeping these games and playing them every now and then.

I've been collecting for about 15 years, trying to buy only quality games for each system (although some games haven't aged very favorably). Considering how little spare time I have these days, I will only get a chance to play most of them when I retire or if I'm out of a job. Hard to imagine myself memorizing enemy patterns in Viewpoint when I'm 62 though...

While I'm sometimes in buyer's regret mode, I know I'm not going to sell most of my games (except perhaps the very rare stuff) because prices are just too low and it wouldn't be worth the hassle.
Collecting is a past time, not an investment.

 

[Dampfwalze]

My collection is a great investment because I don't have the same fun with mutual stock funds.

 

[CaseyTappy]

We are heading for a global Crisis so should I invest my money in video games

YEAHHH

 

[Zenimus]

Collections should only be considered an investment if you buy with intent to sell. If you're making money, you're not really collecting. You're just reselling.

But the reason we buy all these games is because it represents a lot of fond memories for us. Just recently I got a random urge to play Gauntlet on NES. I had a great time with that game as a kid, and it's still fun to play today. As I look at each game on my NES shelf, all the music and memories of that game come flooding back. I see Zelda, the first game I ever played. There's that Toobin' I stayed up all night at a friend's house playing. The Final Fantasy that I got at a garage sale in 1992 and woke up early every morning to play.

Stuff like that is why I can't imagine selling all my old games. I might not play each one for a long time, but they remind me of good times. And they're fun and don't take up too much space.

 

[Coligion]

I love the Neo, but a lot of the games I've purchased over the years don't get a lot of play time. Games like Twinkle Star, Turf Masters, Metal Slug, and Garou do get a lot of play time still, but many others are in my collection just to be there, and say I own them. I mainly try to only collect games I will play, but as much as I love to play these games it's equally as satisfying having the nostalgia and memories. They sure don't make 'em like this anymore...

 

[NGT]

I use to have a lot, then I grew up and bought a house. Then my wife got injured and lost her job and we have a baby on the way. Now my gaming collection is small. That's life. Good thing I still have 7 cabs, my boat, and my golf clubs, lol.

 

[Curt]

No.

I used to toy with the idea that it was. But it clearly isn't.

 

[Gamefan]

I do not think video games should be looked like an investment. They are items you enjoy for a while and may come back to in the future. I have sold off so many times that now my wife is like "whatever you buy you better keep".

GAMEFAN

 

[grimeka]

I hope don´t sell my collection never, but if I need money for an emergency, I would sell it..

 

[N30_G30_speed]

There aren't any reliable broadband service in my neighborhood, so I still have plenty of use of all my old consoles and a cab that I can use as an attraction for inviting friends and family over to a party. And since these are in current use, I don't really see that as an "investment".

Yeah I feel you dude, having a sucky internet connection does make you re-evaluate some priorities regarding game consoles. Anyway there are a couple of friends with 360 and ps3 that always insist on crashing at home to play some good old fashion KOF in the AES, the cab is in my future plans though... right after my CMVS

Unless I'm someday in absolutely dire need for the money, they're staying with me until I'm dead.

Thats an interesting point. I am sure all of us will still be gaming when we are old and gray. It is weird to think of our generations eventual demise and rare neo gear being put out in estate sales unappreciated.

Old, bitter, gray and a Shin Nihon Kikaku tattoo in one of my arms I hope ... after we are all long gone, the legend will go on... I'm sure of it.

Retro gaming is trendy now. Whether this will continue is another thing, so I buy games I'm going to play.
If bad times come, I know at least I can get some coin back, but I don't bank on it. But having games I wanted / had in my youth is worth the admission fee.

Indeed retro gaming is trendy which triggered the whole crazy overpricing on ebay, that is kinda sad. But as you said, having the chance to make up for those games you couldn't afford when you where young or simply making up the time for stuff you didn't know is usually worth every god damn penny spent

I use to have a lot, then I grew up and bought a house. Then my wife got injured and lost her job and we have a baby on the way. Now my gaming collection is small. That's life. Good thing I still have 7 cabs, my boat, and my golf clubs, lol.

dude ... you're living how do you live like that? that's so sad WTF

 

[hoop-jones]

If you don´t consider all the burnt money, i´d think of my game collection of a good investment.

About two years ago i cut the whole collection down to Neo Geo games (home and CD), SNK ports for other systems and Cave shooters for XBox 360.
An occasional game to feed the PS3 and that´s it. Don´t spend much cash on current generation titles, most bore me to pieces.

I rarely play Neo games these days, but it still feels good to have them on the shelf.
Maybe once or twice a year i hook up a system and play Metal Slug, KoF or another obscure title nobody else likes.
Guess this comes with age.

I still buy games but my "wild days", where i could not spend enough money on the hobby are long gone...