What is all this stuff?
Most of these items are used by video game publishers and/or developers to help promote interest (and then sales) of their games. They are given to retailers, game reviewers, distributors, and the game players themselves. Others were given away as prizes, incentives, and employee rewards but these are much harder to find.
How can I get my hands on some of that?
Some items are easy to get, such as those offered as pre-order bonuses or as pack-ins. Others are easy to get as long as you work at a game store or can attend shows such as E3 (ok, maybe not E3). If you don't, well, it's a bit harder but not impossible. Here's some tips:
- Get friendly with game store staff. Many store managers end up tossing excess promotional stuff in the garbage and would be happy to just give it to you instead.
- Join a gaming message board. Many sites have "buy/sell" forums and you'd be surprised at some of the stuff people sell or just want to dump. Make a post that you're interested in buying and see what happens.
- Use eBay. There's a lot of dirt-common and cheap promo items there, and every once in awhile somebody sells something that's rare and extremely cool. If you like what you get and the seller was good, put him or her on your "Favorite Sellers" list and you'll never miss out on anything else they sell in the future. (Although I should warn everyone, I use it a lot and I do like to snipe. ;) )
Is any of this stuff worth anything?
Depends on how much somebody is willing to pay for it. Promo items for the more popular games like Final Fantasy VII and The Legend of Zelda seem to go for more money than a promo for a less popular game. The type of promo makes a difference too; a high-quality one-of-a-kind item will be worth a lot more than a counter display that every single game store has. There's no rarity or value guides yet but who knows what the future holds...
Is any of your stuff for sale?
If I have anything for sale I will put a price under the individual item. However, 99% of the stuff you see is no longer in my possession or never was in the first place, so it'll be a pretty rare occurance.
I have some promo stuff that you can add to your site. How can I contribute?
There's two ways you can help contribute. You can either take photos of your items and e-mail them to me (use the Contact button above) along with a description of each one, or you can send me the items themselves. Unfortunately I can't pay for anything if you decide to mail me stuff, but I can pay for shipping costs at least. (Note: If you send photos and would like to receive credit, let me know and I will certainly do so.)