Collector’s Corner
Readers take us through the retro keyhole
Quite possibly the most impressive Amiga collection you’re ever likely to see
We’ve featured Amiga collectors in the mag before, but we’ve never shown off a collection that’s on the same scale as Oliver Knagge’s epic haul.
He’s been collecting for the machine ever since he received his first Amiga as a youngster, and he still has his original system and games from that period. “It’s the system from my childhood,” he smiles.
While many collectors are quite happy to own the games they loved as a child, Oliver typically goes one step further and is always on the lookout for different versions or variations of his favourite games. “I usually collect box variations if they are different at all,” he explains to us. “Most US releases are different in box size and cover artwork, so I usually own non-EU releases of all games in my collection. In some cases I also go for the AGA editions or CD32 versions where the game is different, eg with a FMV intro. I also own German editions and in some cases Italian or Spanish releases if the box is different.
“I’m not going after low-budget releases or compilations. Maybe these are getting rare while no true collector wants them.”
Unlike some of his collecting peers, who strive to attain an entire collection of a specific system, Oliver knows that this is something he’s never likely to achieve chasing Amiga games, and interestingly, it’s not necessarily money that is the contributing factor. “I would say 80 per cent of all games are very common, you can even get a Giana Sisters three to five times a year on ebay/marketplaces,” he continues. “Rarity is not necessarily an indication of value. Some common games show up as rare because collectors don’t want them, while some scarce games are grabbed by collectors every time they show up. The earlier releases from before 1988 and the last releases from 1993 onward are hard to come by due to their low production numbers. And what’s complete? All games? All unique Amiga games? All box variations and non-eu releases? Shareware games? You have to decide.”
One good thing about collecting for the Amiga is that it doesn’t suffer from the expense factor that’s a considerable hurdle for those wanting to chase console games, with Oliver confirming to us that many games still sell well below their original retail prices. “It always depends how many people are getting into the hobby and [decide to] hunt down the must-haves,” he confirms. “You can grab rare games for cheap as chips, but the usual suspects always get their amount. The common Amiga games cost between €5 to €40 with only a few going beyond €100.
So what should you do if you wish to amass a collection similar to Oliver’s? The key thing appears to be sensible with your purchases. “Set yourself a limit in space and amount you want to pay,” he says. “Most people start with the games they owned or played in childhood. That’s basically up to 300 games. You can grab these within months on auction sites – but hunting them down in forums, marketplaces, trade fairs for reasonable prices is the real fun. And fun should be the most part when it comes to a hobby like collecting games.”