World largest videogame collection sells for $750,000

[vinnnie]

'The world’s largest video game collection has found a new home.

Michael Thomasson’s epic collection, which includes more than 11,000 unique games, was sold for a whopping $750,250 at auction this week. While the name of the winning bidder (who goes by the online handle “peeps_10091970”) is unknown, he or she is now the proud owner of a Guinness certificate proving that the collection is the world’s largest, a lifetime subscription to RETRO magazine, and enough video games to last several lifetimes.


The auction pulled in 56 bids, but the majority of those were between “peeps_10091970” and another bidder using the online alias “catch123.” The two began their battle at the $150,000 mark.

The bidding escalated so quickly that even cash-rich Oculus founder Palmer Luckey (who put in bids for $50,000 and slightly more than $90,000) quickly backed out.

Of course, any auction that hits these sorts of numbers raises legitimacy questions. “Peeps” has no feedback attached to his/her online identity — a classic red flag — but until there’s word otherwise, the collection has been sold. At a rate of about $68 per game, that’s a sizable return on Thomasson’s investment. It’s also in line with his valuation of between $700,000 and $800,000.

Thomasson’s collection began in 1998, when he ran a game resale website and managed a retail game store. It’s a treasure, for sure, boasting more than 20 complete U.S. sets (that’s the system plus every official game). Several thousands of games are still in their original factory shrink-wrap.

Ironically, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Thomasson may hold the record again someday. This was actually his third collection of games. The first he sold in 1989 to buy a Sega Genesis, and then he sold a larger one in 1998 to pay for his wedding.

It can’t be an easy living, but it’s certainly proving to be a lucrative one.'

Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/worlds-la...076924439.html

Curious to see if the bidder really pays up the money. Probably not. Reminds me of this: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-side...171332869.html

[Quicksilver]

wow, I never thought it'd be worth that much!

[PureInvasion]

this is only the largest documented collection which is all that Guiness recognizes anyway.. (I know one out there exists with over 15,000 titles)

anyways, I agree...doubt the buyer will even pay.

[DRL]

I just read an article about this guy in Geek magazine. I'm surprised to see he sold his collection.