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The emergence of online bingo games is a boon and bane to vintage collectors.
Us collectors are sometimes seen as people who simply hoard items for ourselves. Yet while some vintage lovers do spirit away prized collections, others do it to keep a piece of history alive.
The problem is, depending on materials, some items are much easier to collect, restore and maintain. In the hands of a skilled craftsman, for instance, classic cars or other items constructed of thick metal can be reworked, reshaped, restored and made as good as the day they left the factory.
On the other hand, vintage artifacts made of paper or plastics can take extreme care and commitment to preserve. And with bingo paraphernalia being composed of paper cards that tear, plastic balls that crack and metal cages that rust, collectors of ‘bingo-alia’ fall into this second category.
Fortunately – as we at Planet Sputnik understand – there are people who have the foresight to realise that particular things will become highly collectible in the future. It’s pretty easy to spot these people: they’re the ones who usually buy something but never take it out of the box or plastic wrapper. Some of them may even buy two identical items, so the first one can be safely stored or sold at a profit on eBay, while the second one is used.
For lovers of bingo memorabilia from the 1950s, one example is a Complete Set of Old Rare Board Balls, Roller, and Cards from the era that’s currently selling for $199.99 on eBay. Another is a Large Tabletop Bingo Wheel and Stand Bingo Ball Machine with a complete set of Wood Balls, which is being offered at $185.00. What makes these items so rare is that they are the few surviving collections that have a complete set of numbered balls and cards.
And what about the set of 20 rare bingo cards that’s currently selling for $69.99? What makes this highly collectible is the great condition of the rare cards, even if it is not a complete set.
THE COMING OF ONLINE BINGO
The arrival of online bingo in the 21st century is both a boon and bane to vintage collectors. It is a boon because fewer people play traditional bingo today. Based on a study released by the BBC, 70% of female players prefer to play online as opposed to 24% who still go to halls, 1950s style. With fewer people handling traditional paraphernalia, more items can get in the hands of collectors. And as more people choose to play bingo online more brick-and-mortar casinos inevitably – and sadly – begin to close down, but this does mean more vintage bingo items from the now-defunct bingo halls will become collectible.
Vintage collectibles are not limited to private collections. Charitable institutions such as Alder Hey Imagine Appeal have given away vintage clothing from sponsors such as Iceland Bingo in the UK.
There are many collectors selling items from old bingo halls such as Delta Bingo Hall in Canada on eBay. There’s a yellow glass ashtray from Club Bingo in Las Vegas for sale now, and even a collectible mason jar from Dover. Nowadays it seems as though everyone who goes to a bingo hall is keen to get their hands on something unique to the place. Many players have inadvertently become collectors in some way, wanting to keep a piece of their favorite bingo hall before it closes down, made obsolete by online bingo.
That’s not to say that collectible items have not made it to online bingo. Seeing a market for collectors, online bingo operators have tried to replicate the experience of collecting memorabilia from their clients’ favorite games. The very nature of their businesses, however, limits them from selling physical collectibles like Las Vegas Bingo Club’s ashtray and Dover’s mason jars. Instead, they’ve cleverly opted for virtual collectibles that their players can actually use.
(Planet Sputnik guest post)
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