Retrogaming is getting less popular?

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

How did things go at Eurocon by the way?  The U.S. shows this year seem to have been fairly low-key, and I'm not sure if that's a reflection of the international retrogaming scene as a whole or not.

[Janzl]

How did things go at Eurocon by the way?  The U.S. shows this year seem to have been fairly low-key, and I'm not sure if that's a reflection of the international retrogaming scene as a whole or not.

Well if you check the current prices on eBay I would say the retrogaming scene is not as big as it used to be. And I have seen a couple of collectors recently selling off their collection. Also on local bidding sites prices are dropping, even though lots of sellers still want the prices from about three years ago. People are not willing to pay these prices anymore.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

lots of sellers still want the prices from about three years ago. People are not willing to pay these prices anymore.

Ain't. That. The. Truth.  This is part of what's kept the hobby at a standstill long before "economic problems" were even on the scene.  I think the sellers you're talking about here can be found on one side of the line that divides collectors who love what they're collecting, and those who think they're "making an investment."  Those who love the old games and want to share them usually don't make the price point their objective.

Not that any of this really has to do with Martian Threat - maybe it's time for a thread split!

{Thread split by Janzl}

[Sweersa]

lots of sellers still want the prices from about three years ago. People are not willing to pay these prices anymore.

Ain't. That. The. Truth.  This is part of what's kept the hobby at a standstill long before "economic problems" were even on the scene.  I think the sellers you're talking about here can be found on one side of the line that divides collectors who love what they're collecting, and those who think they're "making an investment."  Those who love the old games and want to share them usually don't make the price point their objective.

Not that any of this really has to do with Martian Threat - maybe it's time for a thread split!

I agree.  I collect mainly Star Wars collectibles and the O2 is more of a side hobby for me.  I have spend so more on both of these interests and I doubt I could get half of it back by selling them off.  But that is the fun of it, most of the stuff I buy I plan on always keeping becuase I love collecting them darn too much!  That is the fun in collecting for me.

I suppose some serious collectible dealers could make a buck if they really knew what they were doing but I wouldn't want to try that.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I look at it this way - if my son takes up my interests, he's more than welcome to my stuff.  If he doesn't, then at some point where there's no point in me hoarding it anymore  , it gets sold off.  If something happens to me between now and then, it gets sold off for whatever it'll bring in and whatever good that will do.  Obviously if I've perished in a horrible dirigible accident, it won't matter to me more one way or the other - it's not like I'll be looking down and screaming "NOOOOO!  MY POWER LORDS!  PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSS..."      But that aside, I don't expect any of my stuff to have any value to anyone other than me.  I take my games out of the box and play them.  I take my figures off the cards and set them up on a shelf somewhere.  To me, the value is in the experience and the pleasure of owning them, not in keeping them pristine, because sooner or later, everyone and everything is biodegradeable - just ask the dinosaurs.   

[Janzl]

Obviously if I've perished in a horrible dirigible accident, it won't matter to me more one way or the other - it's not like I'll be looking down and screaming "NOOOOO!  MY POWER LORDS!  PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSS..."    

Hahahaha  :D

That's the spirit Posphor I totally agree! It is nice if you sell a game on eBay and it reaches a nice price. I once sold Backgammon for ?225,-, but that's a loooong time ago, today I should be happy if it gets sold for ?85. But I use my sales mainly to save some money for collecting the games I don't have.
The only game that really pisses me of is Trans American Really. I think I have bid, negotiated & begged about 30 times now with sellers but always somebody else runs of with it.  And I actually am starting to dislike this game purely because of this. Sellers are still expecting to sell it for ?200 - ?300 euro's. It is the only game I still need. And it is not the rarest even though everybody seems to think it is. I have rarer ones. Sorry... frustrations are playing up here haha  .

Collecting should be fun, not a bussiness. You can't make a living out of it anyway. I think the collecting Vp/O2 for most of us is for a big part motivated because we played it in our youth. Sweersa being the big exeption here, I really appreciate his enthousiasm, he loves the games exactly for what they are.

[ccc---]

Well, Eurocon did not show any signs of a change in retro games collecting. But you have to keep in mind, that this con is actually a meeting of approximately 35 - 40 people, and most of them are the same every year. A few are vanishing, but also a few are new every year. Those people meet because they know each other and have fun in talking and playing video games.

What you could use better as an indicator for the retro gaming scene is the "Retrob?rse" in Germany. It is held, umm I think twice a year. This time it was a part of Eurocon on the whole Saturday. And they had 300 paying visitors, a number we never expected. So looking at this I have to say, retro game collecting (and playing) is not showing any sign of decline, because together with the Eurocon people the Retrob?rse saw approximately 350 people, a VERY big number for Europe.

Prices are dropping, no question. I think the Videopac scene is a good indicator here, because of the limited fan base of that system. Jopacs used to go for over 100 or even 200 Euros a few years ago. Now most of them are selling for 10 - 30 Euro. Prices also dropped for the rare Videopac games like 48, 59 and even 60. Why? Because the fan base is small and every hard core Videopacer already has those games, and the rest is not willing to pay such prices. So the prices drop.

Of course also people quit retro game collecting. Many are around 35 - 40 years old and get other interests, so they are selling their collections. But I think that other also join this hobby.

In the early and mid 90s I thought classic video games would be an investment. I think different today, because the prices are not raising, but they are dropping. So collecting is a hobby, not an investment. You can still make money with classic games, because you will always find bargains and you'll be able to sell those games more expensive to other collectors, but that is more a business than a hobby then.

So all in all the scene might change a bit (maybe also because of the economical problems, especially in the US), but I don't think it is dying in the next few years ...

[Janzl]

You got a point there Dieter. maybe the Retogaingscene is shifting to the "next" generation in retroconsoles like the Nintendo's and Sega's. I put two Sega consoles+games for sale a week ago and also some Videopac's. Responses to the Sega's were much frequenter then to the Videopac's even though I have #56 & #59 for sale. The only serious offer I had was for, believe it or not, Munchkin!

So maybe the Nintendo & Sega generation is getting the Retroshivers now And yes, of course the Vp/O2 core of people is small and most of them have their collection (almost) complete.

[RickO2]

I've rarely bought a game thinking I would make money off it.  I do have a couple of uncommon Atari and NES games I intend to sell at some point.  I TRY to pay less than a game is valued on any purchase.  That's just being wise with my money (or as my wife calls it "being cheap"). 

My Odyssey2 collection is for my personal satisfaction.  It doesn't bother me that it holds little value to others.  It's a piece of my childhood that I can pass on to my children.  I'm never one to buy a game so it can sit on a shelf.  Games are meant to be played.  That is partially why I wanted to start a "Game of the Month".  To get the games out of the boxes and into the cartridge slots where they belong. 

I missed this years MidWest Gaming Classic so I can't speak to how well gaming conventions are being attended here in the USA.  From what I have read and heard they had a decent year.  The economy has impacted collecting in general.  Fewer disposable dollars means there is less money for hobbies.  I have noticed some Colecovision games going down in value but I've also seen some rare items go for a lot more than I would ever pay so it's hard to judge.  I do think the NES and Sega generation is now into collecting.  I think that's good news for the first/second generation collectors. 

[Seob]

I think the reason for that Sega and Nintendo do well is because of the Wii virtual console.
A lot of people start playing games now and there are people that try virtual console and like these games. Then maybe they want to play it on the real thing.
I would say that if the o2, atari 2600 and others where available at virtual console, i would expect that there would be more player wanting to try the real thing.

[Sweersa]

I look at it this way - if my son takes up my interests, he's more than welcome to my stuff.  If he doesn't, then at some point where there's no point in me hoarding it anymore  , it gets sold off.  If something happens to me between now and then, it gets sold off for whatever it'll bring in and whatever good that will do.  Obviously if I've perished in a horrible dirigible accident, it won't matter to me more one way or the other - it's not like I'll be looking down and screaming "NOOOOO!  MY POWER LORDS!  PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSS..."      But that aside, I don't expect any of my stuff to have any value to anyone other than me.  I take my games out of the box and play them.  I take my figures off the cards and set them up on a shelf somewhere.  To me, the value is in the experience and the pleasure of owning them, not in keeping them pristine, because sooner or later, everyone and everything is biodegradeable - just ask the dinosaurs.   

I think if none of my future kids want to inherit my collection, I will donate it all to put in a good museum display. 

Obviously if I've perished in a horrible dirigible accident, it won't matter to me more one way or the other - it's not like I'll be looking down and screaming "NOOOOO!  MY POWER LORDS!  PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSS..."    

I think the collecting Vp/O2 for most of us is for a big part motivated because we played it in our youth. Sweersa being the big exeption here, I really appreciate his enthousiasm, he loves the games exactly for what they are.

Thank you, I hope my kids (I plan on having some someday) will enjoy these games as much as I do to pass on interest in the O2.

[manopac]

I really think that the interest in retrogaming is rising and not falling ... especially with the Wii Virtual Console Channel and all the successful remakes on XBox Live (Mega Man 9, Bionic Commando for example)

Collecting on the other hand is a different story ... like mentioned here before, I guess all the collectors of our generation (A2600, Videopac, Coleco etc.) have almost all the games already and there's no real new collectors coming in the market - people starting to collect 5 years after us where grown up with consoles 5 years after us and are into NES, Master System, SNES etc.
Economy plays definitly a big role as well, hobbies are the first thing where you can start to cut down, so its not suprising if collectors start to sell there collections - and lets face it, if you are in for the "collecting" and not the "playing" - whats the point in keeping a complete collection ? you can't do anything about it anymore, the collecting is done ...

Sometimes also the focus changes - I once collected VIDEOPAC!!! - means hardcore everything (all console variations, all siera, french etc. releases) - now I cut my collection down to less consoles (what would I need them for anyway ??) and less variations of the same game and start collecting games I really want to have - and for all systems as well, be it NES, XBOX, Gamecube, MegaDrive, Atari 2600 ... other parts of the collection like the Intellivison, which I never had any fond memories for will have to go completly ...

I guess like everything in life hobbies just change - I doubt that we can ever make big money with our collections, but I also still feel that these things are gonna have quite some value in maybe 20-30 years, as after all this is what started videogaming ...

just my few cents on the topic