Coolest purchases/items in gaming collecting

[avensvvvvv]

For some reason I couldn't find the following on Google, so I'll ask it here.

As many, I'm starting a small collection of sorts. Nothing extremely expensive or that uses tons of space, but with two clear concepts:
1. It must look cool to non-gamers and non-collectors. The initial impression is key, of the room and of the particular items.
2. At the same time have some hardware that's appealing to collectors in a nerdy, technological way, of appreciation of the specificness of it more than of its price.

1. In my 'journey' I have noticed that the coolness, that "want" factor to outsiders, in retro gaming hardware and in man caves is not necessarily tied to an item or collection being expensive. In the end a lot has to do with decoration, organization, the different shapes, colors and the sheer silliness of it, being the opposite of the usual grey, square shaped pieces of plastic inside a cabinet. If something takes explaining then it's not "cool", no matter the price of the cartridge.
As for examples and as silly as it might sound, to a non-collector a gray Nintendo World Championship cartridge doesn't look nowhere as nice as a Pikachu edition Nintendo 64 does, the latter that actually looks more expensive than what it really is just because it's cool and different. For most people a woodgrain Atari 2600 seems more desirable than a Dreamcast Seaman edition, an original off-white gameboy is spectacular and a Resident Evil chainsaw controller is more of a conversation starter than your priceless, complete CD-i library. As for collections, here's an example (if you don't look at the massive game library):
Think about it like what a kid would want to grab first, or that the cheapest Hot Rod still gets more looks than an Aventador.

2. On a second note, I'm also fond of retro gaming items that are liked by collectors due to a nerdy factor, who would consider it "cool" just because of it. Here examples are the GBA SP 101, which is really cool to someone that knows his stuff even though doesn't break the bank at all; a Krikzz flash cart and, of course, the Vectrex.


So, with all that said:
a) Which items do you consider really inherently cool to 'outsiders' to videogame collecting?
b) Coolest to collectors, solely in a nerdy way.

BTW all this doesn't necessarily mean coolness for the cheap. R.O.B. makes the list no matter the steep price, but we aware that a $10,000 black cartridge does not look "cool" to someone that doesn't know what it is. Thanks.

[SamuraiMegas]

I have a top gun cart signed by pat the nes punk, brentalfloss, smoothmcgroove and all of mega64, if that counts. I can't read your post all the way because im on mobile in a car sl it makes me wanna hurl. :/

[dsheinem]

so you are collecting retro stuff...to make you look cool...to who? why?

this thread hurts my head

[TSTR]

[avensvvvvv]

so you are collecting retro stuff...to make you look cool...to who? why?

this thread hurts my head

Just want some more ideas on different items across retro gaming, that's all.

You don't buy stuff to look cool, in anything. That would be how kids think.

[flojocabron]

dont mind DSH.

He's grumpy, but he means well...most of the time.

[marurun]

Posters can be a great addition to any collection, assuming you have wall space available that isn't dominated by windows, doors, or shelving. Japanese posters are slightly different than US posters in size and shape, and the larger JPN posters can be a real pain to frame, since they are larger than the largest common US size in one of the two dimensions.

All this said, a good frame and matte job of a JPN game poster can get fantastic results. I'm still waiting to find an affordable solution to a Sega Rally 2 poster I have that hung in JPN game stores when the game came out on the Dreamcast.

[mjmjr25]

In one post you used "cool" more than Stephanie Tanner did in 8 years. I'm both annoyed and impressed. Mostly annoyed.

[TSTR]

Oh ok, I think I get it now.

Crap gimmick controllers serve better usage as conversation pieces. Think stuff like the U-Force, Roll & Rocker, Sega Activator, Power Glove, Laser Scope, god awful arcade sticks and light guns, etc.

[Hobie-wan]

Oh ok, I think I get it now.

Crap gimmick controllers serve better usage as conversation pieces. Think stuff like the U-Force, Roll & Rocker, Sega Activator, Power Glove, Laser Scope, god awful arcade sticks and light guns, etc.

Densha De Go controller, various quiz and rhythm controllers, and so on.