With more than 11,000 titles in all, Michael Thomasson has the world's largest video game collection, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Now, he's selling his trove of games, and the lot can be yours, assuming you have A) lots of space in your home and B) lots of money.
Thomasson's collection, which includes the 10,607 titles needed for the world record as well as an additional 400+ obtained since, is currently up for auction through Game Gavel (via Kotaku). After 12 bids, the best offer so far is $50,000--though that's below Thomasson's unspecified reserve price. He said previously that he thought his collection was worth between $700,000 and $800,000.
In addition to traditional consoles like Xboxes and PlayStations, Thomasson's collection includes rare systems like the Casio Loopy and Apple's Pippin console. Also included is the actual Guinness World Record certificate, and a lifetime subscription to Retro Magazine, including all back i ssues.
The auction closes on June 15 at 10:30 p.m. EDT.
"Wi n this auction and you will have the largest recorded collection of games in the world--or Universe, even! I'm handing over the baton and the winner will instantly become the new crown holder, without three plus decades of meticulous hunting," Thomasson writes.
About a quarter of the entire collection, somewhere around 2,750 games, is factory-sealed. Plus, more than 8,300 are complete with their original box and manual.
Why, after thirty years of collecting, would Thomasson want to sell his collection now?
"I simply have an immediate family and extended family that have needs that need to be addressed. While I do not wish to part with these games, I have responsibilities that I have made to others and this action is how I will help meet them," Thomasson said. "No worries, 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."
A December 2013 profile of Thomasson revealed that his trek to the world record featured two start-overs. He sold his collection first in 1989 to raise money for a Sega Genesis and again in 1998 to pay for his wedding. Thomasson teaches courses on 2D animation, game design, and video game history at Canisius College in Buffalo and has time to play games for around three hours per week.
| Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch |
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