Collectable
Are things really collectable these days? Everything is massed produced to such an extent that it seems redundant to say anything is a collectors edition. Are we just fooled in to buying these “special” versions and maybe the hopes of it being collectable. I can’t say I’ve never bought a collectors edition before though so I’m no better. I have special edition versions of movies and games and have even gone out of my way to get them. Only to feel kind of silly about the whole thing years later.
What does seem to happen is toys or games will become collectable with out meaning to. I’m still looking for the Fireball Island board game from my childhood, but can’t seem to find it with out spending over $100 bucks. Old NES games can cost some good coin. Even old toys from the 80’s have become collectable. But then get becomes the debate if those are really collectable or just hard to find.
What things are collectable to you? I love to get old NES, SNES and GameBoy games but I think you all ready knew that. ^_^
Play Asia
July 7th, 2012 at 10:59 pm
i think that the “collectible” things are cooler, even if they arent actually going to be worth more in the future.
July 8th, 2012 at 8:48 am
Well, first we need to work out what is meant by ‘collectible’ (which you start to do in your post). Unfortunately, I think the idea of a ‘collectible’ is far too subjective to really be of much use (things can be collectible for sentimental, financial, or other reasons). In my case, I don’t usually consider things as collectibles. I have two ‘collector’s editions’ of games (Dark Souls and Mass Effect 3), but treat them less as collectibles than as my supporting the product (buying them is like giving the maker a gold star, rather than just a grade…. I may be looking at this in the wrong way.) Old toys from one’s youth are usually collectible because they are nostalgic and hard to find, which accounts for the exorbitant prices.
There are things that I collect, but I’m pretty sure that isn’t enough to make them ‘collectibles.’ However, they may be, and I am just ignorant of them being so. I have a feeling that some of my Macross Valkyrie toys are considered ‘collectible,’ but have no intention to check. I like them, and that’s why I have them. I can see how original pieces of art are collectible, but those are unique pieces (unlike most toys and such). With digital distribution becoming the norm, it seems like collectibles might become nothing more than the physical copy (like vinyl for albums).
Aww, heck… this comment could go on for a long (longer) time, so I’ll just shut up. Interesting topic to think about, though.
P.S. (Sort of relevant) Ever see anything about hoarding (I seem to have a vague memory of a post here on it)? Some people with that affliction think that everything is collectible. Can become frighteningly problematic.
July 8th, 2012 at 4:21 pm
I’ve been collecting the ‘Complete Peanuts’. The entire Charles Schulz strip in a series of books, each book covering 2 years of the strip. Fantagraphics Books started putting them out in 2004 and its going to be 4 more years until its done. In it for the long haul.
July 8th, 2012 at 10:20 pm
I believe the term ‘collectible’ means something different to each person. While I might think that the collector’s edition of some games are worth the price and will beam with pride when I see them on my shelf, others may think that the so called collector’s edition of that game might be rubbish.
Also, I never had a Stretch Armstrong, so I don’t understand how there are some people willing to pay large sums of money to get their hands on one. I suppose it could be nostalgia, the fact that there aren’t any being made anymore, or they are just collecting toys from that era.
Bottom line is, if I think it is cool then it’s going in my collection. If it happens to be rare, it get’s it’s own shelf. Lol
July 10th, 2012 at 2:43 pm
If the price is fair enough in comparison to contents inside of such “collectible edition” than there’s nothing wrong about it. (The Halo Reach collectible is nice example to such good bargain-at least in my case:)
In the other (and more numerous)cases where hunch says something smells fishy it’s shameless attempt of publisher to gain some extra profits by shaeless mining it merely from the title of game
(Having an option of having some “extra item” or another addon is IMAO a bright example of such ripoff)