Original Zork Manual Draws Big Bucks On eBay
Oh, if only I had a real job, then maybe I'd be able to buy things like the owner's manual for an original version of Zork [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork] that recently went up for auction on eBay.
Bear in mind that this isn't "original" as in a first print for the gameSniped [http://www.trs-80.com/], less than 100 copies of the game were sold, making it an extremely rare find.
The manual has been autographed by three of the game's authors, Mark Blank, Dave Lebling and Joel Berez, and includes an Infocom [http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/] business card from that era; the original 8" floppy disc, sadly, is not included. Still, the historical significance of just the manual and business card are considerable; the sale of old games on eBay and specialty game auction sites is big business, and as these titles get older, they just get more valuable.
This isn't some kind of nerd fad, either. Videogame preservation efforts in both the private collectors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85777-New-Study-Examines-The-Preservation-Of-Digital-Worlds] also helps ensure that historically significant videogame material isn't lost to the ravages of time - and that prices for the best of it remain high.
On that note, there are two things you should be aware of before you charge over to eBay to place your bid: One, the auction is over, and two, you never had a chance: The final sale price was $2,348. But you can still see the completed auction, and get a glimpse at one of the most unique pieces of game memorabilia to ever hit the market, at eBay.com [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=350126814753].
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Oh, if only I had a real job, then maybe I'd be able to buy things like the owner's manual for an original version of Zork [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork] that recently went up for auction on eBay.
Bear in mind that this isn't "original" as in a first print for the gameSniped [http://www.trs-80.com/], less than 100 copies of the game were sold, making it an extremely rare find.
The manual has been autographed by three of the game's authors, Mark Blank, Dave Lebling and Joel Berez, and includes an Infocom [http://www.csd.uwo.ca/Infocom/] business card from that era; the original 8" floppy disc, sadly, is not included. Still, the historical significance of just the manual and business card are considerable; the sale of old games on eBay and specialty game auction sites is big business, and as these titles get older, they just get more valuable.
This isn't some kind of nerd fad, either. Videogame preservation efforts in both the private collectors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85777-New-Study-Examines-The-Preservation-Of-Digital-Worlds] also helps ensure that historically significant videogame material isn't lost to the ravages of time - and that prices for the best of it remain high.
On that note, there are two things you should be aware of before you charge over to eBay to place your bid: One, the auction is over, and two, you never had a chance: The final sale price was $2,348. But you can still see the completed auction, and get a glimpse at one of the most unique pieces of game memorabilia to ever hit the market, at eBay.com [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=350126814753].
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