Page 46 - Journal of Antiques and Collectibles June 2019
P. 46
Video Game Collecting on the Rise?
I t’s always interesting to watch an emerging niche in the field of pop culture market plays similarly to that of other collectibles.
collectibles and to attempt to anticipate whether something’s a fad or
Borock, a highly experienced comic book collector, is precluded from
a legitimate change in the overall collecting topography. While it remains a collecting certified comic books to avoid a conflict of interest with his position
bit early yet to make any kind of final call, it’s looking more and more like at CBCS. Over the years he turned this restriction and his grader’s eye into a
video game collecting has the supply, the demand, and now the infrastructure world-class collection of original comic art instead. Now, though, he finds
in order to last. himself amazed by the potential of the video game market.
“Baseball cards, comic books, movie posters, and plenty of other pop culture “It’s exactly like comics and, at the same time, completely different. We,
memorabilia have long been a part of the collecting culture, and for quite some collectors, buy what we love and most of the time, what we grew up with. We
time have all achieved significant prices on the auction block. But it wasn’t
love collecting and buying back our childhood and also newer cool stuff that
until recently that video games joined those ranks,” said Carrie Wood, author catches our eye. The difference is that it is a young market, and I think it will
of The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Video Games, herself a collector and a
mature along with the collectors as they mature,” he said.
frequent contributor to this column. In January 2019, Heritage Auctions made Kahn said that he wasn’t exactly surprised to see the kind of prices that
the move into video game collectibles when they partnered with video game Heritage has seen for Wata-certified games so far, as well. He went on to
grading and certification service Wata Games. say that while the results are hardly shocking, seeing how
“Since then, we’ve regularly seen quickly things have happened in the market over the last year did
classic favorites hit four figures or more catch his attention.
when these auctions close. The standout “As we move the needle on the demand for video games, and
sale through Heritage was the sticker- while the supply essentially stays the same, the price is going to go
sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. that set a up on a lot of this stuff, especially as more people get into it. That’s
world record price when it sold for just basic economics,” he said. “But seeing it actually happen is still
$100,150,” she said. kind of surprising to me. I guess that’s more the collector in me that
Not all that long ago, though, many has been used to seeing things priced a certain way, or even being
were wowed by record prices for Beanie under the radar for so many years. It’s very exciting to see these
Babies, too. So Wood asks some important games get the recognition that they deserve, and that they’re being
questions: “Is the notable rise in prices for viewed as true pieces of art and history and as a legitimate
games—particularly graded and certified collectible. They’re not just some nostalgic items that should be
examples—and the corresponding rise covered in dust in an attic somewhere.”
in popularity of video game collecting a Borock agreed, saying that while he knew both Wata and
fluke? Or is it the next great collectibles Heritage had the right people
market that investors will be clamoring to get involved to make the most of things,
in on?” she said. he was still taken aback by how
Wata Games President and CEO Deniz things played out so far.
Kahn believes it’s the latter – that the market “I knew that Heritage could
is growing, and that new collectors are finding bring in the correct people as
that things are scarcer than they may have been buyers and promote correctly,” he
led to believe. said. “I am just surprised how
Wata is an independent, third-party firm quickly they did blow them up in
that grades and encapsulates games submitted such a short time. I hear
to them and then returns them to the dealer or ComicLink is about to start
collector. In other collectible niches, including auctioning off games … This
Anticipating this new market by years, The
coins, currency, trading cards, lobby cards, and Overstreet Guide To Collecting Video Games should help the gaming market
comic books, third-party grading has led to author Carrie Wood interviewed Wata Games quite a bit as well.”
increased transactions, liquidity, and prices. founder Deniz Kahn in 2017. It’s not all green flags and full
This copy of Donkey Kong 3,
“We’ve always said that what we aim to do is speed ahead, of course. Getting
WATA 9.2 A, and specifically
to legitimize the hobby in a way that makes it accessible to ancillary collectors, educated and making the right connections to
a variant of the game with a
whether it’s comics, baseball cards, or Magic cards. And I think we’re seeing the understand the hobby/business is just as key in sealed hang tab, sold at
effects of those collectors actually getting into this market and educating video games as it is for any other collectible. Heritage Auctions in May
themselves using our resources or their own,” he said. “We’re not only seeing “[Video game collecting] has its pitfalls,” 2019 for $28,800.
the effect through Heritage and the prices that are being realized there,
Borock said. “Just like comic books, you need to
which are sometimes record prices, but we’re seeing the effect on eBay, which find the correct people to buy from if you are not buying games that are already
is where most of the selling has typically occurred. So, it’s trickling down
certified. Some sellers are selling resealed games, games with the wrong manuals
into general marketplaces. People are, I guess, realizing that this stuff is not
and games that have not been tested or that do not work. That’s why Wata and
as accessible as they thought – particularly when you’re talking about older, certification are necessary for novices like me.”
factory-sealed, mint condition games. They’re just not as plentiful as people
might have imagined.”
The hobby has indeed started to catch the attention of other types of
collectors. CBCS (Comic Book Certification Service) founder, Primary Grader, J.C. Vaughn is Vice-President of Gemstone Publishing.
and President Steve Borock has started to accumulate games, saying the gaming Gemstone’s Braelynn Bowersox contributed to this column.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
44
I t’s always interesting to watch an emerging niche in the field of pop culture market plays similarly to that of other collectibles.
collectibles and to attempt to anticipate whether something’s a fad or
Borock, a highly experienced comic book collector, is precluded from
a legitimate change in the overall collecting topography. While it remains a collecting certified comic books to avoid a conflict of interest with his position
bit early yet to make any kind of final call, it’s looking more and more like at CBCS. Over the years he turned this restriction and his grader’s eye into a
video game collecting has the supply, the demand, and now the infrastructure world-class collection of original comic art instead. Now, though, he finds
in order to last. himself amazed by the potential of the video game market.
“Baseball cards, comic books, movie posters, and plenty of other pop culture “It’s exactly like comics and, at the same time, completely different. We,
memorabilia have long been a part of the collecting culture, and for quite some collectors, buy what we love and most of the time, what we grew up with. We
time have all achieved significant prices on the auction block. But it wasn’t
love collecting and buying back our childhood and also newer cool stuff that
until recently that video games joined those ranks,” said Carrie Wood, author catches our eye. The difference is that it is a young market, and I think it will
of The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Video Games, herself a collector and a
mature along with the collectors as they mature,” he said.
frequent contributor to this column. In January 2019, Heritage Auctions made Kahn said that he wasn’t exactly surprised to see the kind of prices that
the move into video game collectibles when they partnered with video game Heritage has seen for Wata-certified games so far, as well. He went on to
grading and certification service Wata Games. say that while the results are hardly shocking, seeing how
“Since then, we’ve regularly seen quickly things have happened in the market over the last year did
classic favorites hit four figures or more catch his attention.
when these auctions close. The standout “As we move the needle on the demand for video games, and
sale through Heritage was the sticker- while the supply essentially stays the same, the price is going to go
sealed copy of Super Mario Bros. that set a up on a lot of this stuff, especially as more people get into it. That’s
world record price when it sold for just basic economics,” he said. “But seeing it actually happen is still
$100,150,” she said. kind of surprising to me. I guess that’s more the collector in me that
Not all that long ago, though, many has been used to seeing things priced a certain way, or even being
were wowed by record prices for Beanie under the radar for so many years. It’s very exciting to see these
Babies, too. So Wood asks some important games get the recognition that they deserve, and that they’re being
questions: “Is the notable rise in prices for viewed as true pieces of art and history and as a legitimate
games—particularly graded and certified collectible. They’re not just some nostalgic items that should be
examples—and the corresponding rise covered in dust in an attic somewhere.”
in popularity of video game collecting a Borock agreed, saying that while he knew both Wata and
fluke? Or is it the next great collectibles Heritage had the right people
market that investors will be clamoring to get involved to make the most of things,
in on?” she said. he was still taken aback by how
Wata Games President and CEO Deniz things played out so far.
Kahn believes it’s the latter – that the market “I knew that Heritage could
is growing, and that new collectors are finding bring in the correct people as
that things are scarcer than they may have been buyers and promote correctly,” he
led to believe. said. “I am just surprised how
Wata is an independent, third-party firm quickly they did blow them up in
that grades and encapsulates games submitted such a short time. I hear
to them and then returns them to the dealer or ComicLink is about to start
collector. In other collectible niches, including auctioning off games … This
Anticipating this new market by years, The
coins, currency, trading cards, lobby cards, and Overstreet Guide To Collecting Video Games should help the gaming market
comic books, third-party grading has led to author Carrie Wood interviewed Wata Games quite a bit as well.”
increased transactions, liquidity, and prices. founder Deniz Kahn in 2017. It’s not all green flags and full
This copy of Donkey Kong 3,
“We’ve always said that what we aim to do is speed ahead, of course. Getting
WATA 9.2 A, and specifically
to legitimize the hobby in a way that makes it accessible to ancillary collectors, educated and making the right connections to
a variant of the game with a
whether it’s comics, baseball cards, or Magic cards. And I think we’re seeing the understand the hobby/business is just as key in sealed hang tab, sold at
effects of those collectors actually getting into this market and educating video games as it is for any other collectible. Heritage Auctions in May
themselves using our resources or their own,” he said. “We’re not only seeing “[Video game collecting] has its pitfalls,” 2019 for $28,800.
the effect through Heritage and the prices that are being realized there,
Borock said. “Just like comic books, you need to
which are sometimes record prices, but we’re seeing the effect on eBay, which find the correct people to buy from if you are not buying games that are already
is where most of the selling has typically occurred. So, it’s trickling down
certified. Some sellers are selling resealed games, games with the wrong manuals
into general marketplaces. People are, I guess, realizing that this stuff is not
and games that have not been tested or that do not work. That’s why Wata and
as accessible as they thought – particularly when you’re talking about older, certification are necessary for novices like me.”
factory-sealed, mint condition games. They’re just not as plentiful as people
might have imagined.”
The hobby has indeed started to catch the attention of other types of
collectors. CBCS (Comic Book Certification Service) founder, Primary Grader, J.C. Vaughn is Vice-President of Gemstone Publishing.
and President Steve Borock has started to accumulate games, saying the gaming Gemstone’s Braelynn Bowersox contributed to this column.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
44
