I watch these auctions pretty regularly, even pick up a game here or there. Usually the prices are mid-high end of market (exclusive of fees). So not bad if you are good at working on your games, want a specific title, and are willing to pay mid-high market. There is the odd deal here and there but typically you could get better prices with research & patience.

What I saw yesterday was just lunacy. A few pieces were super rare and were going to be really hard to find anywhere else and it was really unsurprising that someone was willing to shell out for them.

This is clearly an influx of people who don't know what they are getting into. MoP was a great place to visit and have tournaments, but the games were not in top condition. Hordes of volunteers could spend free weekends there, get a huge amount of repairs done, yet hardly make a dent in what those games needed to be "museum" quality. I don't think any kind of restoration really happened there... which was just fine for what it was, because it was a great place to see some of the old games you wouldn't see many other places, and certainly never in the same place.

I'm sad to see the collection broken up and wish the move to Palm Springs would have worked out. It was a special collection to be sure. I'd also say that broken up, 90-95% of it isn't really special any more. Its just a collection of things like a $2700 Spanish Eyes probably bought by someone who has no idea what is required to keep a 70s Williams EM in any kind of playable condition spread out all over the world. Proud new owners of a $4,700 Tac-Scan and a $1,800 Armor Attack who have no idea how to bulletproof (or fireproof, which for Tac Scan matters) a G-08 or Cinematronics vector monitor.

I hope these games had some special place in the memory banks for their buyers... because they aren't getting those prices on the open market, and certainly will never recover the 18% hammer tax, 7.75% sales tax, or the costs of getting those games home on top of the hammer price.

I suspect a good chunk of these are going to be personal trophy pieces buried from the world not working in someone's basement for a long, long time.

They go late into the night and sometimes early in the morning on for regular auction days... but the end of regular auction days are usually projects/junk they don't expect top dollar for.

Got mine for $350 a couple years ago. Really like it, the only EM in our collection.

These EMs will probably all get 3k+/ea.

I never bid on anything until the initial frenzy is over. That's when I decide if I'm in or not.

How many of these games will work after they are shipped?

I mean, if they are working now, they won't need *much* to be working again... but how many of these buyers will know what to do?

Stupid Dipsy Doodle broke my prediction (before fees)!

They may have missed out putting the 2p Toledo next to 4p Valencia.

EMs really dropping off now...

Apollo 13 makes me grateful that Sega never got a chance to make a game based on the TV series "The 100".

Sorcerer is the deal of the night so far. "Only" $3400!

Based on this auction, we don't have enough insurance.