(Done) Missing Magazine: Video Game Collector

[RetroDefense]

DONE! Video Game Collector has been added to the system and is ready for indexing/preservation!

Gallery

http://community.retromags.com/gallery/category/365-video-game-collector/

Publication

https://www.retromags.com/publications/category/united-states/video-game-collector

Magazine

https://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/video-game-collector

If you have any information about this magazine, please chime in with whatever details you can share. An entry has already been added to RetroMags' publication database, but with more information, we can eventually begin indexing issues!

Video Game Collector was a semiannual magazine/price guide with a predominate focus on retro game collecting. It was originally distributed - at least in part - via Blockbuster rental stores and Diamond Distributors (making the magazine available via specialty retailers and comic book stores). It appears to be defunct with no new issues published since 2010.

While a website for the magazine still exists - and currently accepts online orders - there are numerous reports of later orders going unfulfilled. Buyer beware.

The magazine appears to have been printed in a smaller, perhaps comic book sized format with issues #1-4, switching to a traditional magazine format with issue five.

Name: Video Game Collector
Website: www.vgcollector.com (now inactive)
Country of Origin: USA
Number of issues: 12 (13?)

Dates of each issue:

1/2: Summer 2005

1: Summer 2004

2: Fall 2004
3: Spring 2005
4: Summer 2005

5: Spring 2006
6: Summer 2006
7: Winter 2007
8: Spring 2007
9: Spring 2008
10: Summer 2008
11: Fall 2009

Big Bang 2010 special (exist?)

The 'Big Bang 2010' issue was presumably published in 2010 and - judging by the cover - focuses on the Donkey Kong high score rivalry popularized by the video game documentary, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. The magazine's website displays three variant covers for this issue - Billy Mitchell, Walter Day, and Steve Weibe. This may have never made it to print - I've yet to see this issue in the wild so haven't added it to the dbase.

The Spring 2006 issue was available in two editions - the usual standard, as well as a deluxe edition with limited/numbered Dragon's Lair mini cell trading card. The card itself was randomly selected from a set of ten.

A #1/2 issue was also published. Whether this was ever made available separately via the online storefront or only as part of the "GIVE ME EVERYTHING! Collecto Package," I don't know. The issue is presumably promotional - the cover clearly states "FREE" in place of a cover price and judging by the cover copy reprints material from prior issues.

Some reference links:

Video review of some Video Game Collector issues - those boxart checklists look really nice.
Video Game Obsession - cover gallery, including Dragon's Lair card scans and Spoonman's bio.

Rob O'Hara's VGC portfolio

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7/9/2016 edit - website no longer active; pulled dead links; added new #1/2 info; added #1/2 issue to formal list

7/17/16 edit - Big Bang 2010 and issue #1/2 details; portfolio link; flagged as DONE!

Edited July 17, 2016 by RetroDefense

[Phillyman]

Added...

Gallery

http://community.retromags.com/gallery/category/365-video-game-collector/

Publication

http://www.retromags.com/publications/category/united-states/video-game-collector

Magazine

http://www.retromags.com/magazines/category/usa/video-game-collector

[RetroDefense]

I think there is some kind of permissions issue with this 'zine. I can't view cover images. :/ Just me?

[kitsunebi]

Not just you. I tried uploading a cover a while back and one of those big "no permission" images popped up in its place. I already asked about it and Areala says the gallery looks OK to her, so I guess only the admins are allowed to view it.

[RetroDefense]

Updated the OP with some recent info - some firm details on issue #1/2, mostly. (Thanks Ebay.) Updated the publication dbase as well.

As for the broken images, I'm reminded of Thundarr the Barbarian's attempt to find a parking space.

[kitsunebi]

Fixed this. Someone forgot to give Team Members permission to view this gallery when they created it, so it looked fine to anyone who wasn't a team member.

[RetroDefense]

Added issue #1/2 to the dbase and made some updates to the OP. I'm not convinced the "Big Bang 2010" special was ever released so unless someone feels otherwise, I'm going to hold off on adding it for now.