The world record holder is passing on the baton, and the new record holder won’t have to spend three decades building up a collection.
Back in 2012 Michael Thomasson became a Guinness World Record holder with his collection of 10,607 unique video games, and he’s been adding to his hoard ever since. Now family commitments force him to part with all his darlings, and he’s selling off every single one – including the Guinness certificate – at auction. In 9 days and a few hours someone else will be the world record holder, “without three plus decades of meticulous hunting,” Thomasson says.
How do you become a world record holder? You manage a gaming store, of course; in Thomasson’s case several of them, including Good Deal Games’ online market since 1998, which allowed him to snag the best titles as they came through the door. Many items in his collection are completely pristine, box plus manual, and over 2,600 still have the factory shrink-wrap on them.
The high bid at time of writing is $50,000, and bids increase by $250 minimum, while the reserve has yet to be met. This isn’t the first time Thomasson has had to sell his darlings; the last time he liquidated his collection, it was to pay for his wedding back in 1998. Not that this sale marks his withdrawal from the hobby he’s enjoyed for more than 35 years. “I love games and they are pivotal part of my identity,” he says. “I will continue to champion them.”
But needs must. There are bills to pay, and this is the best way to raise cash. “No worries,” Thomasson says, “I’ve sold my collection many times in the past and still managed to capture Guinness’ attention, and it is entirely possible that I may again.”
Source: Gamegavel.com
