Collectards...

[munchiaz]

I'm no authority on the subject, and in fact my confusion on the very same thing led to some friction when I first started coming here. But here is my take on it:

A collectard is someone who discovers a system and decides to make a game of Pokemon out of it. Gotta catch em all! Gotta get em fast!  Knowing very little about the platform's library or actual value of its titles, they go forth and pay top dollar for "teh rarez" regardless of there being lower priced options available. It has to be megamint, as it will sit on a shelf as a display item and receive very little if any play. Sometimes they even get thrown in acrylic prisons, thereby exacerbating the real or perceived balance of supply and demand.  This practice is not limited to "teh rarez", common titles get gobbled up from too-high BINs... multiple copies, even, so that a megamint frankencommon can be assembled.

The result of this graceful ballet of indiscriminate money slinging is that suddenly a precedent has been set in "sold" ebay history for games selling more often and at higher prices than they normally would. This results in sellers raising the base asking price of all titles, and really jacking up the asking price on "teh rarez".  A cycle which feeds itself when the common collectard loses interest in a system and takes to the eBays in effort to recoup their expenses or turn a profit, and the next collectard comes along and gobbles up the too-high BINs and perpetuates the cycle.

It is especially tragic to see a large lot go to a collectard. They already have most of what is in the lot, and will sell the dupes (after scavenging the mintiest parts) for the new inflated base price they helped to create.

The non collectard generally likes mintiness as much as the next guy, but isn't as prone to pay 100x normal price for it or buy 5 more copies trying to find a manual without creases or a card without Iinsertion marks. The collection grows at the rate of "I wanna play that one and this one" and games are added as good deals become available. They are played and cherished.

Sweet Jesus.  There should be a Wikipedia entry for "Collectard", and this post should be the body, in its entirety.

Also, YouTube "finds" videos f*cking SUCK!  30 minutes to show off a small pile of shit games from Goodwill.

Bithead 1000 makes really funny finds videos, but other than that they are pretty awful.

[jeffhlewis]

Most of them are just gen

Bithead 1000 makes really funny finds videos, but other than that they are pretty awful.

My biggest problems with "finds" videos or 99% of collecting videos online:

1.) If these guys are all about acquiring this mountain of games, then why don't they have standards when it comes to condition? I.E. mixing loose carts with complete games, etc. Why go to Goodwill and pick up 40 loose carts of Army Men Sarge's Revenge and Madden 99? Mixing loose carts and CIB's on a shelf looks like dick

2.) Why do these guys say "I've been wanted to play this for a while now" about every game? Bullshit. You didn't want to play that until you saw it pop up in someone's else's dumbass YouTube video.

3.) These guys present themselves as knowledgeable members of the hobby to the viewing public, but then proceed to prove that they generally have no idea what they're talking about - incorrect facts, stating the obvious, etc.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but they're hard to find.

[PunkicCyborg]

3.) These guys present themselves as knowledgeable members of the hobby to the viewing public, but then proceed to prove that they generally have no idea what they're talking about - incorrect facts, stating the obvious, etc.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but they're hard to find.

These guys epitomize the word collectard
How about a nice WISE bomb for ya

[seieienbu]

A guy I know has a mostly complete set of Turbo stuff and rails on the system for having shitty games.  He's an idiot.  If you don't like the system and you don't like the games then having a collection of it seems completely stupid to me.  I don't think that he's even played most of them. 

If the purpose of your collection is only to show off how many games you have then you're a collectard.  I'm not saying that you can't be one in other ways too; only saying that's a guaranteed way to join the club.

[BlueBMW]

For bad systems I tend to get a small sampling of games to play, some good some bad.  I have a wierd thing about crappy systems.  CD-i for example... love me dat tetris!

[synbiosfan]

For every community that hates them, there's communities that embrace Collectards.

Most have seen the sites that give you little icons for completed sets. Not just full sets, you get icons for...well...anything. All the Final Fantasy games, icon. All the Mario games, icon. I wonder if they have a Madden icon??? You get the point. Like a fricking icon equates to some type of credibility. It equates to I'm an idiot, look how many icons I have to prove it.

[Sparky]

You know what, I am more a collecter then a player theses days.. My kids don't appreciate the old school games so I don't play much until I have buddies over or I say " f*ck it" I am going to my man cave.

But it is totally fine being a collector if you have f*cking common sense.. Collectors with big visa's or big wallets make collectors look bad.. I play my games and would play more if I was not just a weekend dad, just don't throw collectors all in the same category as some want to be players more.

it's like a distant relationship at times, I appreciate it, don't forget about it and will love it always.
Sorry guys I wish I did play more.

[jtucci31]

You know what, I am more a collecter then a player theses days.. My kids don't appreciate the old school games so I don't play much until I have buddies over or I say " f*ck it" I am going to my man cave.

But it is totally fine being a collector if you have f*cking common sense.. Collectors with big visa's or big wallets make collectors look bad.. I play my games and would play more if I was not just a weekend dad, just don't throw collectors all in the same category as some want to be players more.

it's like a distant relationship at times, I appreciate it, don't forget about it and will love it always.
Sorry guys I wish I did play more.

I think that makes sense. With video games it's weird because unlike toys there is a play aspect as well as the shelf aspect. Well you could play with toys but I'm talking about shelf collectors in general (I.e. Sports collectibles, spoons). And it does suck when people hoard games just to sit on a shelf and not let other people who want to play them, play them.

[Bardoly]

You know what, I am more a collecter then a player theses days.. My kids don't appreciate the old school games so I don't play much until I have buddies over or (whatever).

I don't know if my kids would appreciate the old school games less, but I've never really given them the chance.  They pretty much only ever play SNES or Turbo. 

[esteban]

You know what, I am more a collecter then a player theses days.. My kids don't appreciate the old school games so I don't play much until I have buddies over or I say " f*ck it" I am going to my man cave.

But it is totally fine being a collector if you have f*cking common sense.. Collectors with big visa's or big wallets make collectors look bad.. I play my games and would play more if I was not just a weekend dad, just don't throw collectors all in the same category as some want to be players more.

it's like a distant relationship at times, I appreciate it, don't forget about it and will love it always.
Sorry guys I wish I did play more.

It takes me weeks (literally) to spend a decent amount of time with a game these days. I'm busy with kids, but I'm also busy working on other turbo stuff (not playing the damn games, though), so I feel the same as you.

I wish I had more free time, but I don't.

We have discussed it before, but a lot of us, who are busy, have found other ways to stay connected to our hobby: 10 years ago I was 30% interested in music and artwork and advertising/marketing of games. These days, since I can listen to music whilst commuting/cleaning/taking care of kids/errands, I am much more interested in music/tunes.

When I do play, I play games my 4th grader likes..luckily she likes some 80's-90's arcade/console games. Galaga? Yes. Bonk? Yes. Bad Dudes (arcade)? Yes.

[Ninja16608]

You know what, I am more a collecter then a player theses days.. My kids don't appreciate the old school games so I don't play much until I have buddies over or I say " f*ck it" I am going to my man cave.

But it is totally fine being a collector if you have f*cking common sense.. Collectors with big visa's or big wallets make collectors look bad.. I play my games and would play more if I was not just a weekend dad, just don't throw collectors all in the same category as some want to be players more.

it's like a distant relationship at times, I appreciate it, don't forget about it and will love it always.
Sorry guys I wish I did play more.

It takes me weeks (literally) to spend a decent amount of time with a game these days. I'm busy with kids, but I'm also busy working on other turbo stuff (not playing the damn games, though), so I feel the same as you.

I wish I had more free time, but I don't.

We have discussed it before, but a lot of us, who are busy, have found other ways to stay connected to our hobby: 10 years ago I was 30% interested in music and artwork and advertising/marketing of games. These days, since I can listen to music whilst commuting/cleaning/taking care of kids/errands, I am much more interested in music/tunes.

When I do play, I play games my 4th grader likes..luckily she likes some 80's-90's arcade/console games. Galaga? Yes. Bonk? Yes. Bad Dudes (arcade)? Yes.

Very well said, Sparky and Esteban. Lots of us in that boat.

While this is true for most. I did get my oldest son (13) into the "retro" gaming. He loves it when we do a retro weekend and pull out the Turbo. He like to lear about the roots of video gaming and often times will ask "hey dad have you ever played <insert random game here>" for x,y,z system. He will then compare it to something of today and pick the games apart stating that "your games were much harder and had better stories" your games meaning my generation of games. So in that aspect I got lucky. Like another member here I only have my oldest son on the weekends so the time I spend with him is priceless to me and feels awesome when he takes an interest in something I have interest in. Bet your hard earned cash when the 11 month old whom is with me all the time, comes of age he will get a lesson in "retro" games too. I too don't have the time I used to for playing but, I can say I play at least once a day.

[madboom0522]

Well if you spend less time doing the Vandamn, you would have more for gaming....

[Otaking]

3.) These guys present themselves as knowledgeable members of the hobby to the viewing public, but then proceed to prove that they generally have no idea what they're talking about - incorrect facts, stating the obvious, etc.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but they're hard to find.

These guys epitomize the word collectard
How about a nice WISE bomb for ya

I love The Game Chasers, probably my favourite Youtube show.

[toymachine78]

You know what, I am more a collecter then a player theses days.. My kids don't appreciate the old school games so I don't play much until I have buddies over or I say " f*ck it" I am going to my man cave.

But it is totally fine being a collector if you have f*cking common sense.. Collectors with big visa's or big wallets make collectors look bad.. I play my games and would play more if I was not just a weekend dad, just don't throw collectors all in the same category as some want to be players more.

it's like a distant relationship at times, I appreciate it, don't forget about it and will love it always.
Sorry guys I wish I did play more.

It takes me weeks (literally) to spend a decent amount of time with a game these days. I'm busy with kids, but I'm also busy working on other turbo stuff (not playing the damn games, though), so I feel the same as you.

I wish I had more free time, but I don't.

We have discussed it before, but a lot of us, who are busy, have found other ways to stay connected to our hobby: 10 years ago I was 30% interested in music and artwork and advertising/marketing of games. These days, since I can listen to music whilst commuting/cleaning/taking care of kids/errands, I am much more interested in music/tunes.

When I do play, I play games my 4th grader likes..luckily she likes some 80's-90's arcade/console games. Galaga? Yes. Bonk? Yes. Bad Dudes (arcade)? Yes.

.    +1

[Jibbajaba]

3.) These guys present themselves as knowledgeable members of the hobby to the viewing public, but then proceed to prove that they generally have no idea what they're talking about - incorrect facts, stating the obvious, etc.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but they're hard to find.

These guys epitomize the word collectard
How about a nice WISE bomb for ya

LOL.  They are trying to exactly replicate the direction style of American Pickers or Storage Wars.  Lame.