I try to look at today’s current trends. Look at the online auction value for some retro swag and games. It is amazing how much collectors will pay to get their hands on a piece of nostalgia. I've seen Mario underwear sell for 100$. This is why it is important you start collecting now while the memorabilia has no real collectors value. You have to forecast into the future. Remember that 20 years from now the kids who grew up with Xbox as their first system will see this stuff as must have nostalgia.

If you are just getting into the collecting scene I would like to give you a few tips. Don't pay full price for games. I have over 130 first generation Xbox games and I rarely try to pay full price for them. In the future the only games that will have value are the ones that are rare. Search your local bargain bin, usually if a game is in the bargain bin it means that it did not sell well. The crappier the game the higher the value it will have in the future. Most video games either sell under 15,000 copies or over 100,000 copies. So these bargain bin games are what you want in your collection. These are the true rarities. The hidden gems no one else wants. So if you find a cheap copy of Barbie Horse Adventures for the Xbox snag it, it's already worth over 70$.

Another hot item are Xbox 360 faceplates. Once again I suggest you don't pay to much for these and research what you are buying. Just like any other expensive item there are replicas. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2005 they handed out a numbered Xbox 360 faceplate to all the Microsoft press conference attendants. This faceplate has sold online for over $500 on a few occasions, primarily during peak shopping seasons. Beware of the replicas, usually they do not come in cases and they ship from Hong Kong. This rule applies for a lot of the rare faceplates you may encounter. If you do happen to get your hands on a very rare faceplate, store it somewhere dark because direct sunlight will fade the printed design.

Besides all this great Xbox stuff out there for us to get our hands on, we also have collectibles for Bungies Halo. Master Chief is the Xbox's mascot and he has never done us wrong. Don't be to embarrassed to buy those Halo Slurpee cups and action figures. Remember Halo is the new Star Wars. The story goes beyond the video game with its deep novels and upcoming cartoon and movie. The franchise is only getting bigger. If you collect for value keep your eye on the upcoming Todd McFarlane Halo 3 controllers and Master Chief mini bust by Gentle Giant Studios. Does this mean you need to fork over all that money for the legendary edition of Halo 3? No not really, remember there are going to be quite a few of those made so they really won’t be that rare in the long run. But then again, half of collecting is the gamble.

Collect wisely, whether it’s because you are building your own gaming shrine or because you are investing in your future.  Thank you for reading my first personality article here at Xbox Users Group. Stay tuned for future pieces. If you would like to stay up to date on the Xbox Collecting scene check out TheXboxCollector.com and VideoGameCollectors.com. -  Avid X

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