Guinness World Records

Over 30 years' worth of collecting games across what we would have to imagine is every console ever made has netted owner Michael Thomasson a cool $750,000 in an auction on GameGavel.

The collection, which came with the certificate from Guinness verifying the collection as the biggest in the world, consists of over 11,000 games, including the 10,607 games included in the official count performed by Guinness on 3 December 2012, plus over 400 games Thomasson acquired since then.

How does one acquire such a collection to start with?

"I operated seven independent gaming stores during the nineties and have worked for another chain for the last decade," Thomasson explained. "I also operated Good Deal Games online since 1998, having thousands of games cross my path. Whenever I purchased a game that did not directly come from the distributor I was able to look through all our inventory and pick out the nicest copy of a game, including grabbing the nicest box and manual."

More than 2,600 of the games in the collection, started in 1983, are still in their original shrink wrapping, and more than 8,300 include the box and manual. They also include titles from over 100 consoles, so the lucky winner of the auction may be checking eBay to fill in the gaps.

As for Thomasson, well, his long career in video-game collecting isn't necessarily over.

"I simply have an immediate family and extended family that have needs that need to be addressed. While I do not wish to part with these games, I have responsibilities that I have made to others and this action is how I will help meet them," he said. "No worries, I've sold my collection many times in the past and still managed to capture Guinness' attention, and it is entirely possible that I may again."

You can have a drool over a catalogue of most of the collection on Good Deal Games, and check out a massive number of images taken by photographer Brianna Blank here.