From 1980s dusty arcade cabinets to the modern video game consoles, video games have had a long history starting back in 1958, according to an article from Brookhaven National Laboratory. In 54 years of existing, many video games have become outdated pieces of the industry’s history.
Carson Pettie is an enthusiast for these pieces of video game history, boasting a large collection of video game consoles.
“I have 31 different consoles. Coleco Telstar, Wonder Wizard, Odyssey 200, Colecovision, Intellivision, Atari 2600, Odyssey 2, Bally Astrocade, Vectrex, Phillips Cd-i, Game Wave Family Entertainment System, Panasonic 3DO, TI-99, Commodore 64, XaviX Port, Famicom, Sega Pico, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii U, PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360. [I have] 11 different handhelds and three different arcade cabinets,” Pettie said.
To find these artifacts Pettie searches various avenues of buying and selling older products.
“I go around looking for video games at various thrift stores, game stores, garage sales and on Craigslist and eBay. It gives me something to do while I am out and now I keep an open eye wherever I go looking for games,” Pettie said. “My proudest find is my Vectrex. I got it off Craigslist for $100 and it’s worth about $500 with everything it came with.”
Pettie explains why he collects and what goes through his mind when he is about to make a purchase.
“I have friends who collect games so it made it a little more fun to be able to talk about it with them. Usually I do not buy things unless I know I am getting a good deal. But if it is something I do not have then I am willing to pay a bit more. Like in the case of the Vectrex. I have spent a lot of money on getting my collection to where it is today. But it is alright because I know it is worth well more than what I got it all for,” Pettie said
