Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games : Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games

Rating:
Summary: Exceptionally comprehensive collectors guide to the classics
Review: "Official" is a word used to denote, in the case of price guides, an authoritative source of information, one that can be trusted above all others. In the case of David Ellis' Guide to Classic Video Games, it is exactly that. I have been collecting and playing video games, both console and arcade, since the late 1970's. Other price guides I have encountered have focused on specific areas of interest within the video game field, but none have covered consoles AND arcades AND handhelds as thoroughly as this book. Mr Ellis gives sound advice on how to get started in a hobby that has only recently moved into the mainstream. There are source lists to aid in searching for that rare find or for gathering even more information. The price guides themselves show a range of prices on each item as well as rarity and variations where applicable. There are plenty of color and black & white photos, and the history of how video gaming got started is an interesting and pleasant addition. It is clear in his writing that Mr Ellis endeavors to share his knowledge and passion for the hobby. I found the book to be accurate and helpful in my collecting, and I recommend it to both novice and experienced classic video game enthusiasts.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended, even if you're not a collector
Review: "The Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games" has got to be the biggest misnomer of all time. It is actually the Holy Grail of to Classic Video Games collecting!

I just expected to find charts and tables to the prices for classic video game consoles, handhelds and arcade games. Not only does the author supply this, but much, much more. I am amazed at the amount of information and detail Dave Ellis has on each and every item he covers. He does have pages with prices one can expect to pay for each item (and he covers almost every accessory and game that came out for every console), but he has so much more. He discusses the history of each game, how it did in the marketplace, how rare each accessory is and why. He also notes the scarcity of each game, console or accessory, which can help a collector spot a rare and uncommon items when they crop up. Numerous photos add to the utility and enjoyability of the book.

As the cover says, the book covers three topics: video game consoles, handhelds and arcade games. Dave states that he only covers games and systems from the "classic era" (i.e. the period before 1985). But he actually goes on to cover, in brief, games and consoles from the post-classic era and describes why they are or are not yet considered collectible.

Not only does Dave provide price lists, but he also gives online resources where readers can go to obtain items.

As for arcade games, Dave has attended numerous auctions and knows what arcade machines go for. If you don't live in an arcade game auction hot-spot, you can expect to pay more than the prices he lists, but he notes this. Paying $1000 for a working arcade game is excessive, unless it is somewhat rare and/or fully reconditioned.

In short, not only was reading this book extremely informative, it was a fun, nostalgic and colorful trip back to the carefree days of my youth. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: WOW the best video game resource I've ever seen
Review: I have been a player of video games for as long as I can remember. Many of my best memories come from sitting in my best friends basement playing them for hours on end. I love video games so much that I eventually got into the game industry. Mr. Ellis's book the Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games : Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games has been a trip through memory lane. I am usually leery of books that claim to be an 'official' anything as they are usually so full of errors as to be worthless to anyone but the causal fan. I picked up the book and began to look for the 'usual' errors so often seen in other 'official' video game books but try as I might, I could not find anything wrong! This annoyed me so I took the book to a sitting area and started to look harder... 45 minutes later the store was closing and I was asked to make my purchase so that the employees could leave. The book not only details the common arcade, consoles and hand held machines but also details the obscure ones including the very rare and very collectable Adventure Vision...thanks for throwing that one away along with my baseball cards mom! Anyway, I have since read the book several times and have even used it as resource material at work. If you have even the slightest interest in video games whether it be arcade, consoles or hand held machines, you need to buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Buy this if you are a novice videogame collector
Review: The book is very good. It contains a nice price guide and a history + information on the consoles, game cartridges and arcade games. There's even tips on auction buying and more. My only complaint is that the arcade game prices are very very unrealistic. If I could find working arcade games for $50-150 my basement and garage would be overloaded. Many arcade games are listed with this price range and that is simply wrong. At least in Michigan it's hard to find any working arcade game for under $1,000.



Rating:
Summary: "You Paid HOW Much for that Atari Cartridge?"
Review: Three thousand dollars for a rare Atari cartidge? Who would have guessed that the stuff we discarded from our youth would now be part of a cottage industry consisting of collectors, auction houses, classic arcade repair shops and book writers.

I consider myself an serious collector, (Ooh, how arrogant!) of serious toys. And Ellis' work is one of those rare "how to collect" books worthy of a double purchase. One to keep fresh and clean on your book shelf and one to dog ear, mark up, and spill coffee on. My working copy is permanently on watch next to my PC.

Don't be misled into thinking this is a minor work because the book's price is so reasonable. The historical summaries alone are worth the cost. As a begining collector of classic arcade games this book is the best place to start. You could not go wrong in assembling a fine collection at reasonable cost by following Ellis' recommendations to the letter. The chapters are arranged so as to allow collectors to skip those areas in which they have no interest.

Negatives? Only one, too big to carry around. A pocket guide would be great for auctions. And an electronic version (Palm?, Pocket PC?) with easy to query price look ups would be even better. Hey Random House are you listing?

Rating:
Summary: The Answers are in here.
Review: You don't have to be 40 to read this book, but if you are it will certainly cover every video game you've ever played while growing up. Having been to a few auctions myself, the charts and tables in this book have easily saved me the cost of the book on just one machine. A very handy reference if you're just getting started and invaluable if your wife thinks your hobby is getting too expensive. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding, and this book will help you find that line that says "you're paying too much for that machine."

After you get your new toy home, I've found that some tend to fizzle out after about 2 months. This is where the online resources listed in this book come in handy. They are a gateway to the community of Classic Arcade Collectors and you will find that these collectors are eager to help you get your machine back in working condition.

I look forward to a sequel that covers more of the post-classic era as this section of the book has sparked a hunger for more information on these newer treasures.