Heritage Auctions Thread

[karljobst | 242]

It was my understanding the database is completely gone. Am I wrong here? Is the database currently accessible through Gocollect?

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

12 minutes ago, spacepup said:

Jeff obviously knew about the database (as a component of the forum). 

The database was absolutely NOT a "component of the forum."  The forum was a component of the database.  Let's be real here.

[spacepup | 2,404]

Just now, karljobst said:

It was my understanding the database is completely gone. Am I wrong here? Is the database currently accessible through Gocollect?

I am not aware of it being currently publicly accessible.

[spacepup | 2,404]

1 minute ago, the_wizard_666 said:

The database was absolutely NOT a "component of the forum."  The forum was a component of the database.  Let's be real here.

I mean technically.

Obviously his main interest was the database and data IN the forum - I don't think he really cared much about the forum itself.

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

The database should be accessible through the wayback machine if nothing else. 

wayback.archive.org

Though there are certainly gonna be issues using it, it's still better than nothing, and could be a good resource to restart a database for anyone so inclined.

[karljobst | 242]

I browsed the old website a lot through the way back machine and it seemed like the database was really the focus of the website and the forum was another section. I mean, the database is even listed first on the browse menu. Perhaps users of the forum felt like that was the key part of the website, but remember, in an investment boom you're going to have a lot of new people searching for information about games. The database is the first place they will check.

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by karljobst

[captmorgandrinker | 1,649]

3 minutes ago, Alder said:

But (tinfoil hat warning), in theory, couldn't he also have access to everyone's private messages? I don't know how secure those things were in the old system. 

Luckily on that site, once you deleted your PMs they were gone for good.

You aren't the only one that had that thought (as private sales deals might be exploited), so lots of us deleted our entire inboxes.   And if I recall, took down the site for short periods as we did so.

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

4 minutes ago, Alder said:

This is what led me to ask the question earlier: the database was public and could be exported, so what does he gain by buying the site?

Could it be exported? I suppose someone could scrape it, but I don't think it could be straight up exported except by an admin. Also, did anyone archive the database in time?

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

2 minutes ago, karljobst said:

I browsed the old website a lot through the way back machine and it seemed like the database was really the focus of the website and the forum was another section. I mean, the database is even listed first on the browse menu. Perhaps users of the forum felt like that was the key part of the website, but remember, in an investment boom you're going to have a lot of new people searching for information about games. The database is the first place they will check.

 

Having been there during the planning/discussion phases before NA came into being, I can assure you your perception is correct.  Right from the get-go, it was meant as a database.  Another NES-centric forum was most certainly not necessary at the time, although because of the database, most people from those sites migrated into one central place - NA.  Most other NES forums pretty much died within months of NA's launch, simply because the bulk of the user base migrated en masse.  But again, this was not because of the forum, it was because of the database that much of the traffic ended up there in the first place.

[Alder | 243]

1 minute ago, 0xDEAFC0DE said:

Could it be exported? I suppose someone could scrape it, but I don't think it could be straight up exported except by an admin. Also, did anyone archive the database in time?

I remember being able to export, but maybe that was only your collection, not directly from the database? And I don't think exporting your collection included all of the metadata about the games (codes, release dates, etc) so you may be right there.

[spacepup | 2,404]

Regarding the database, 

I was just one of many many many users who contributed hundreds of hours of personal time into contributing information into the database, with the main goal of being easily accessible, public information.

In hindsight, had I known this data would be sold and then no longer publicly accessible, I probably would not have put forth all that effort.  

Legally, nothing can be done about it and it is just time that goes in the past so it is what it is.  This is one of my frustrations with that transfer.

Nevertheless, I am working on compiling information for games in other places, and fully support volunteer-driven documentation projects to be freely available wherever possible.

[AdamW | 713]

1 hour ago, CIBWholesale said:

6k for MM is reasonable for 85+-90

mario 2 is common in both white seal and black seal

mario 3 is super common in white seal. very rare in 'left' bros (1st edition)

2 also always seems to do "worse" than 3 I think just because of how it's such an odd one out in the series. The really interesting sales to watch should be the 9.8 SM64 in goldin and the 9.6 in the next HA Sig, plus any SMBs that are coming up if they're in comparable grade/print to sales from July...

Edited August 30, 2021 by AdamW

[0xDEAFC0DE | 1,277]

1 minute ago, Alder said:

I remember being able to export, but maybe that was only your collection, not directly from the database? And I don't think exporting your collection included all of the metadata about the games (codes, release dates, etc) so you may be right there.

Oh, I completely forgot about the collection thing as I never used it. You could definitely export that.

[Ferris Bueller | 495]

21 minutes ago, Gloves said:

@karljobst

It's noteworthy also that users can't access private forums at all. NintendoAge had a system not unlike our own "Clubs" where you and your pals could have a private little invite-only forum to discuss whatever suited your fancy.

Often this feature was used to get a group of testers and team members together to work on developing a homebrew game for the NES or some other retro console. There's years worth of history that are currently entirely inaccessible to people. 

Transactions are gone, too, IIRC. Lost all history of who we did business with for over a decade.

[Gloves | 11,783]

1 minute ago, Ferris Bueller said:

Transactions are gone, too, IIRC. Lost all history of who we did business with for over a decade.

Ah right, yes.

Like having your ebay account history just suddenly POOF!

[ExplodedHamster | 404]

5 minutes ago, AdamW said:

2 also always seems to do "worse" than 3 I think just because of how it's such an odd one out in the series. The really interesting sales to watch should be the 9.8 SM64 in goldin and the 9.6 in the next HA Sig, plus any SMBs that are coming up if they're in comparable grade/print to sales from July...

I think it’s quite possible that Mario 64 sees a dropoff, but the rest grow. Sometimes two aggressive bidders can cause that. I remember when the first sealed Stadium Events like a decade ago went for 41k, and then when the next one came along it was all the way down to like 20. Only so many people are buying games at a certain level and the variation can be huge.

[the_wizard_666 | 1,325]

Just now, ExplodedHamster said:

I think it’s quite possible that Mario 64 sees a dropoff, but the rest grow. Sometimes two aggressive bidders can cause that. I remember when the first sealed Stadium Events like a decade ago went for 41k, and then when the next one came along it was all the way down to like 20. Only so many people are buying games at a certain level and the variation can be huge.

There had been at least one before that, likely more than one.  I know that for a fact because @Bronty took a ton of flak from the community for overpaying for his - a whopping $3k. 

[Gloves | 11,783]

7 minutes ago, the_wizard_666 said:

There had been at least one before that, likely more than one.  I know that for a fact because @Bronty took a ton of flak from the community for overpaying for his - a whopping $3k. 

What a CHUMP! xD

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

10 minutes ago, ExplodedHamster said:

I think it’s quite possible that Mario 64 sees a dropoff, but the rest grow. Sometimes two aggressive bidders can cause that. I remember when the first sealed Stadium Events like a decade ago went for 41k, and then when the next one came along it was all the way down to like 20. Only so many people  fractional share companies, high-end manipulators, alleged WATA/HA affiliates, alleged PWCC affiliates, [insert collectibles or auction house company] are buying games at a certain level and the variation can be huge.

Just a few edits.

Edited August 30, 2021 by WalterWhiteJr.

[AdamW | 713]

6 hours ago, karljobst said:

The CC was sold through HA - https://comics.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/nintendoage-founder-s-private-collection-offered-through-heritage-auctions.s?releaseId=3744

Indeed. Sorry, thought I'd read earlier in the thread that they were sold elsewhere, and the earlier PR does mention some being on clink at the time it was posted. I guess he sold just a few there and the rest at HA, or something.

[AdamW | 713]

14 minutes ago, ExplodedHamster said:

I think it’s quite possible that Mario 64 sees a dropoff, but the rest grow. Sometimes two aggressive bidders can cause that. I remember when the first sealed Stadium Events like a decade ago went for 41k, and then when the next one came along it was all the way down to like 20. Only so many people are buying games at a certain level and the variation can be huge.

Oh, yeah, everyone seemed to be expecting the goldin one to go lower already. But how low should be interesting (or it could go for 3 million, I usually seem to be wrong when predicting prices, heh)

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

1 hour ago, ExplodedHamster said:

Major caveat here is that N64 games generally cross poorly. VGA seems to put a heavy emphasis on seal, WATA is strict on the N64 box grades, and N64 boxes are so prone to indenting and creasing because of the air inside. There is absolutely no chance there are 50 or more of these, or anywhere near it, unless someone has been stashing case packs in their basement (possible, but decreasingly likely as huge numbers hit the news and none come forth). Even then, casepacks you usually see 1-2 9.8 with N64. 

But this is the problem with no pop reports and why they really ought to start THIS WEEK to address that problem. I'm also hoping that WATA has been tracking all the crossovers, such that we can at least try to pinpoint as accurate a count as possible between the companies.

 

Sure. But 90+ and above is more or less equivalent to 9.8 A++ to most COLLECTORS. For speculators and investors, they need that good ole Jimmy Halps Heritage Auction boost so they need a Wata graded game to access that "lucrative" desired auction platform. 

I think it is foolish to say there is no chance that there are at least 50 of these in existence. Yes, casepacks are still coming out. You yourself bought a casepack of Ocarina of Times last year. Weren't nearly all of them either 90+ or 9.8 A++?

I agree, pop reports should be released. Alot of things should have been or shouldn't have been done. Certain people have been making a ton of money at the expense of others. Hence why there has been no urgency to take action. 

Edited August 30, 2021 by WalterWhiteJr.

[Alder | 243]

20 minutes ago, the_wizard_666 said:

There had been at least one before that, likely more than one.  I know that for a fact because @Bronty took a ton of flak from the community for overpaying for his - a whopping $3k. 

"It's always amazing to me how some of the most worthless games from a gaming perspective tend to fetch outrageous amounts of money. But then again, it could be said that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I'm curious if the high bidder of the $873.04 Stadium Events (cart-only) realizes that it's nowhere nearly as rare as about 20+ games I can think of that sell for 1/10th that amount?  At any rate, I wanted to draw attention to this trend: if people say it's rare, it must be true, and therefore it must be had at any price."
-Dain Anderson, October 14, 2006

[ExplodedHamster | 404]

20 minutes ago, WalterWhiteJr. said:

Sure. But 90+ and above is more or less equivalent to 9.8 A++ to most COLLECTORS. For speculators and investors, they need that good ole Jimmy Halps Heritage Auction boost so they need a Wata graded game to access that "lucrative" desired auction platform. 

I think it is foolish to say there is no chance that there are at least 50 of these in existence. Yes, casepacks are still coming out. You yourself bought a casepack of Ocarina of Times last year. Weren't nearly all of them either 90+ or 9.8 A++?

I agree, pop reports should be released. Alot of things should have been or shouldn't have been done. Certain people have been making a ton of money at the expense of others. Hence why there has been no urgency to take action. 

I bought 2 Ocarina casepacks from someone who had maintained them meticulously. Three were graded by prior owner as 90+ (one is overgraded imo) and 3 of the remaining 9 got 9.8s. The rest were a mix of 9.4 and 9.6. Maybe one of the 90+ would 9.8 (I’d say 50-50), the other two def not. 

Edited August 30, 2021 by ExplodedHamster

[BriGuy82 | 768]

10 minutes ago, Alder said:

"It's always amazing to me how some of the most worthless games from a gaming perspective tend to fetch outrageous amounts of money. But then again, it could be said that something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I'm curious if the high bidder of the $873.04 Stadium Events (cart-only) realizes that it's nowhere nearly as rare as about 20+ games I can think of that sell for 1/10th that amount?  At any rate, I wanted to draw attention to this trend: if people say it's rare, it must be true, and therefore it must be had at any price."
-Dain Anderson, October 14, 2006

Yikes...