[game_preservation] Ebay auction

[Frank Cifaldi]

As far as complete runs of the post-crash US console mags, it's basically just ICHEG in Rochester and what we got from this auction for the LOC.

In private collections, I have personally completed every consumer-facing US magazine through about 1994 minus a small handful of issues, and have most of 1995 to 1999 (my personal cutoff). 

Matt Henzel at videogameobsession.com has some complete sets himself...he used to subscribe to mags twice in order to keep mint condition unread copies around, so his collection is probably the most impressive condition-wise in the world.

You didn't ask me this but if you want to know what the hardest stuff to find is, I'd say the computer game-specific magazines in the 90s. Computer Gaming World isn't too hard, but PC Games is rough, Computer Game Review is even worse, and Game Players PC Guide seems next to impossible.

Individual issues that are toughest off the top of my head from post-crash would probably be GamePro #2, EGM #5 and Electronic Game Player 1-3. Game Players also seems like it had a really low circulation around 1993.

Pre-crash, the Electronic Games 1983 Buyers Guide seems particularly hard to find. It's the last one that isn't scanned online somewhere. I just pounced on one on eBay, it went for over $100!

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 9, 2013, at 4:44 PM, Alex Handy <alex at themade.org> wrote:


> Well both, kinda. What institutions have what complete runs now? What institutions have runs with a few missing issues? I figure exact lists of missing issues aren't likely, but if we can figure something out, as I said, we have a number of yearly runs of certain mags, and lots of older stuff like Antic and Start.

> 

> We also have a lot of GamePro, of course.

> 

> On Feb 9, 2013 4:24 PM, "Frank Cifaldi" <fcifaldi at gmail.com> wrote:

> Oh sorry Alex, I missed your question.

> 

> Actually I'm not sure what you're asking...are you asking for which people own complete runs of magazines, or are you asking what I'm missing from my collection or...?

> 

> 

> On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 11:15 AM, Alex Handy <alex at themade.org> wrote:

> Hey guys. Frank, the reason I asked for some kind of tally sheet it to

> figure out what's missing. We have a number of sections of magazine,

> but no complete runs. I would love to help fill in gaps for you if I

> knew what was missing.

> 

> On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 8:47 AM, Frank Cifaldi <fcifaldi at gmail.com> wrote:

> > Henry, as far as a currently operating places within driving distance of me,

> > Stanford is at the top of my list for an eventual home for this stuff.

> >

> >

> > On Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 8:15 PM, Henry Lowood <lowood at stanford.edu> wrote:

> >>

> >> Hi Frank,

> >>

> >> I know that my collection is nowhere near what you have, but I am starting

> >> to give some of my magazine runs to Stanford.  I hope you will consider that

> >> as an option, too.

> >>

> >> You are right, of course; for historical work, documentation is almost

> >> always more important to have than a game library. Obviously, we do both

> >> software preservation and archival work here, but I have to admit that

> >> acquiring documentation fires me up more.

> >>

> >> By the way, regarding the auction - the eBay collection was less than half

> >> the size of Cabrinety in terms of software, and Cabrinety was a gift.

> >> Cabrinety also came with platforms, magazines, books, and some archival

> >> stuff, even some downloaded material and printouts from BBS sites.  We have

> >> to focus on seeing what we can do to preserve and provide access to what we

> >> have.  I'd love to see some interesting niche or focused software

> >> collections come up, but we are probably not in the market for another

> >> blockbuster.

> >>

> >> Henry

> >>

> >>

> >> On 2/8/2013 11:50 AM, Frank Cifaldi wrote:

> >>

> >> On that subject, I just put a group together to buy this really amazing

> >> collection of U.S. console magazines to donate to the Library of Congress'

> >> video game archive:

> >>

> >>

> >> http://www.ebay.com/itm/360579773880?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

> >>

> >> As someone who collects print material, I can tell you how near-impossible

> >> it would be to replicate this set (after more than 10 years, even I don't

> >> have some of these issues).

> >>

> >> All of these are also at the Strong, this set will live at the LoC campus

> >> in Culpeper, VA and my private collection will live somewhere on the west

> >> coast when I find the right fit. I know people tend to get more excited over

> >> the actual games, but as someone who actually studies game history actively,

> >> these magazines are FAR more priceless, so I'm super stoked that these are

> >> safe and in the right hands.

> >>

> >>

> >> On Fri, Feb 8, 2013 at 11:40 AM, Alex Handy <alex at themade.org> wrote:

> >>>

> >>>

> >>> http://www.ebay.com/itm/OVER-30-years-of-VIDEOGAMES-COLLECTION-The-story-of-VideoGames-/121062811693

> >>>

> >>> So, who's gonna contact this guy when the auction fails?

> >>>

> >>> Henry? I don't think the MADE has room for all of this anyway.

> >>>

> >>> --

> >>> Alex Handy

> >>> Founder/Director

> >>> The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment

> >>> 610 16th St.

> >>> Suite 230

> >>> Oakland, CA 94612

> >>> Dial #0230 to be buzzed in

> >>> http://www.themade.org

> >>> http://blog.themade.org

> >>> 510-788-5702

> >>> 410-2-31337-2 (mobile)

> >>> _______________________________________________

> >>> game_preservation mailing list

> >>> game_preservation at igda.org

> >>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >> _______________________________________________

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> >> game_preservation at igda.org

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> >>

> >>

> >> --

> >> Henry Lowood

> >> Curator, History of Science & Technology Collections;

> >>    Film & Media Collections

> >> HSSG, Green Library, 557 Escondido Mall

> >> Stanford University Libraries, Stanford CA 94305-6004

> >> 650-723-4602; lowood at stanford.edu

> >> http://www.stanford.edu/~lowood

> >

> >

> >

> > _______________________________________________

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> >

> 

> 

> 

> --

> Alex Handy

> Founder/Director

> The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment

> 610 16th St.

> Suite 230

> Oakland, CA 94612

> Dial #0230 to be buzzed in

> http://www.themade.org

> http://blog.themade.org

> 510-788-5702

> 410-2-31337-2 (mobile)

> _______________________________________________

> game_preservation mailing list

> game_preservation at igda.org

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

> 

> 

> _______________________________________________

> game_preservation mailing list

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> 

> _______________________________________________

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