Michael Thomasson is the official holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest video game collection in the world. If you're as jealous of him as we are, this could be your lucky day.
As of last year, when Guinness World Records verified his achievement, Thomasson owned 10,607 games. Since then, his collection has expanded even further, growing to over 11,000 games. As Kotaku reports, more than 2,600 of these are "factory shrink-wrapped", and a further 8,300 or so are complete with both the original box and manual.
Now, the entire collection is going up for auction, which means that you could soon be the owner of thousands of games from an extraordinary range of systems, including the Commodore 64, original Microsoft Xbox, BBC Micro, Sega Pico, Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Sony PSP, Neo-Geo CD, and dozens more.
You'll need some pretty deep pockets to even think about making a bid, though. Since the auction opened at $1, bids have climbed rapidly, approaching $100,000 at time of publication - but even this immense sum is below the reserve price. Thomasson says that the lot "has a conservative realistic reserve below its appraised value".
Given the extraordinary commitment and dedication it must take to amass such a collection over time, you may well be wondering why Thomasson has decided to sell it. It all comes down to a question of priorities; in his words: "I simply have an immediate family and extended family that have needs 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."
Family should always come first, of course, so we certainly understand his decision - and he remains optimistic that he may yet be able to build his collection once more: "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."
The auction is being hosted over at GameGavel.com, and closes on Sunday June 15 at 2230 PDT. That should hopefully give you just enough time to sell your house, car, family, and any body organs you don't need, to guarantee you the winning bid.
Source: GameGavel.com via Kotaku | images via Michael Thommason/GameGavel.com
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