Looking For Advice On Dealing With Buyer's Remorse

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I've got a gaming related problem, and it's a pretty big one (as far as gaming related problems go at least) so I've decided to turn to the fine folks at AtariAge for advice.

 

The problem is that I literally cannot go a week without seriously contemplating selling my Atari 7800 system and game collection. I've got around $650 invested in it at this point, which is quite a bit of money for me since my usual gaming budget is around $50 a month, and I don't even want to play it most of the time. The reason for that being that 90% of the time I play any game on it I just end up getting frustrated and pissed off; which quickly leads to major regret for all the money I spent on this system and games for it. That's more my problem of not being able to play arcade style games geared towards getting a high score without getting irate than it is anything wrong with the system, and there must be something that I like about the 7800 because I've bought, resold, then later re-bought an Atari 7800 system and all my games for it twice now.

 

I've never had this problem with any other system before and have always been happy with my other system and game purchases, but the Atari 7800 has certainly been a continuous loop of want, regret, want, then more regret for me. I think I keep coming back to this system because it seems like the best way to play Centipede with a trackball, Robotron 2084 with twin joysticks, and a few arcade game ports like Pac-Man Plus and the Speed-Up version of Ms. Pac-Man that as far as I know can't be found on any other system. And I do have fun playing those games sometimes, but more often than not playing anything on the Atari 7800 just results in a whole lot of swearing and wishing I had spent the money on Game Boy or GameCube games instead. When I think about the small mountain of great games that I could have bought for my favorite handheld and boxy home console with the money that I dumped into the 7800 it really does make me want to put the Atari 7800 system and all my games for it up for sale on eBay as soon as possible.

 

So... what do I do? Do I sell off my Atari 7800 setup one last time and firmly tell myself "Never again!", putting the money from the sales into other systems that I know I won't regret spending it on, or do I try to stick with the 7800, accept the financial loss, and know that I'm stuck holding onto something​ that is going to drive me nuts most of the times I play it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[enoofu]

Could always go with a Jamma Supergun if you like arcade games believe the ones you like would need some type of Williams to Jamma kit

 

GameCube is a pretty nice system, as Nintendo went all out

[Flojomojo]

Wow. It's just a game system.

 

First, I think you've gotta make like Queen Elsa.

 

 

Second, treat the disease, not the symptoms. We all like to buy stuff, and new things are extra enticing. Problem is, we're bad at figuring out what will make us happy. I recommend this book.

 

Third, remember that while $650 is a fair amount of money, I doubt you splashed out for it all at once. You probably spent that much or more on gasoline in a year, and that's literally up in smoke. Depending on how complete it is, you might be able to get a bunch of that money back, but if not, you're probably better off boxing it up for a while until it's a less emotional situation. Trying to sell it and only making back $200 would just make you feel worse.

 

If it's any consolation, I'm eBay'ing most of my PS3 and PS2 games, since I haven't touched them in like 10 years. They brought me pleasure once, but now they're just old games, taking up space. I got a lot of them on sale, but they're common as dirt, so they're not going for much. It will be a little annoying to see some of them go for a buck or two, but getting them out of my life is the greater good.

 

Atari 7800 emulates well, if you even want to bother ... since all the arcade originals are even better in emulation. I used to have an Atari 7800, and now I don't. Enough time has passed that I'm satisfied with emulation of very occasional visits to the Console Living Room for my 7800 fix.

 

Hope this helps a little

[Tanooki]

Your feelings and bungling into that self imposed mess is something I can currently 100% relate to. You've blown X amount on that system and you don't even really use or it even think to use it most of the time. That isn't just a bad sign, it's a death note. I've got the same issue going on. Last late December I found at a goodwill an immaculate Dreamcast for almost nothing. I then went on a little tear and picked up a couple dozen games cheap to at least enough off market value I could at worst break even on those. A few months later, did it again but with a Wii. I've got this mountain of shit I don't use and it bugs me by the day. I don't recall but I could have what you do into that 7800 setup as I do with the Dreamcast.

 

So what do you do? What's the rule of thumb with a band-aid? Get it over with fast, rip the damn thing off so it hurts for a bit and then the relief comes. You don't slowly pull at it ripping out each individual hair with the glue in agony so it is prolonged. There's something about me with games in general, not the Dreamcast where I've bought, sold, then sold it all off and come back. It's a bad road to go down. Again -- band-aid mentality, then remember how much it stung and why you did it and walk away. It's all you can do, get some self control.

 

Last night I ripped off the band-aid. I disconnected the Dreamcast, pulled the controllers/accessories an stuffed it on a low shelf. I'll be photographing everything shortly and it's going out of my sight before I waffle and leave it there. I'm just out of my ebay freebies and I already had thrown up a bunch of handheld games, TV games, manga, and other junk up there so I'm cut off until June unless they do a 50 promo this week.

 

 

You need to just do it, be firm, and get a backbone. But if you're so afraid you're missing out. Get an emulator if you feel you need to play 7800 *something* and just get it out of your system at no cost. Trying to stick to that 7800 is stupid, just as I was for not getting rid of that DC after I got it. I went down a road I shouldn't have, and now it's got to go as it's in the way of enjoying other stuff and is a mental burden having a mountain of unfinished crap in the way that just piles up.

 

I've been releasing stuff I've owned for a decade now in a trickle and some short bursts, more aggressively in the last 5 years. To reduce to a usable and enjoyable amount will make you happier. The money is a plus, then you can get things your $50 budget can't touch (I have the same sad limits too) and I've done this. MVS Neo Geo+ games for it, couple tablets, gaming computer, pinball machine. That stuff gets the money's worth without remorse.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

Hope this helps a little

 

Thanks Flojo, I appreciate your thoughts on the matter. I've actually been keenly interested in the study of happiness for a long while, so I already know that real lasting happiness comes from things like having a sense community, relationships with friends and family, helping others, partaking in social events, and so on; but we all have our vices.

 

You do make a good point about the money though. I don't drive but I do smoke cigarettes habitually, so I have had well over $650 literally go up in smoke over the last year. Still, it's a lot of money to me and $650 is what I calculated my 7800 collection's resale value at rather than what I spent on it. What I actually spent was probably closer to $800.

 

But as you said, "It's just a game system." I'm probably way over thinking this whole situation because I'm so emotionally wrapped up in the financial aspect of it and all the other systems I've ever collected for have been super cheap to collect, and needless to say the Atari 7800 hasn't been. I guess it's kinda like a disgruntled fan who paid a bunch of money for concert tickets going to a disappointing show then ranting about how they want their money back afterwards. You also make a good point about emulation, since I can emulate every Atari 7800 game other than Centipede with a trackball perfectly well on my Wii without spending a penny on it.

 

I'm not sure any of this brings me any closer to making up my mind about what to do, but it is all good stuff to think about while I try to chill out a little.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Your feelings and bungling into that self imposed mess is something I can currently 100% relate to.

 

[snipped to keep quote short]

Thank you very much for that reply! Your story and how you handled your own similar dilemma makes perfect sense to me, particularly the band-aid analogy. I think I already knew what I should do when I was writing the original post, I was just looking for someone to confirm it. Thank you Tanooki.

[Flojomojo]

I do smoke cigarettes habitually, so I have had well over $650 literally go up in smoke over the last year.

 

I know what I'd be focusing on next.

[Schizophretard]

I don't drive but I do smoke cigarettes habitually, so I have had well over $650 literally go up in smoke over the last year.

 

Have you considered giving up original hardware and switching to emulation(e-cigs)? Your $50 monthly gaming income would increase many times over. You would be able to justify the increased spending to your wife by pointing out that you were previously spending the same money on your death and gaming is your reward for choosing a healthier habit. You would also gain more gaming months.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

Have you considered giving up original hardware and switching to emulation(e-cigs)? Your $50 monthly gaming income would increase many times over. You would be able to justify the increased spending to your wife by pointing out that you were previously spending the same money on your death and gaming is your reward for choosing a healthier habit. You would also gain more gaming months.

 

 

I know what I'd be focusing on next.

 

 

Yeah yeah, I know. I'm actually allergic to the two base liquids used for e-cig juice so those aren't an option for me, but I am going to be making a serious attempt at quitting smoking once my current medical situation of recovering from thyroid surgery and getting the related hormones all leveled out is done. That'll probably be sometime around September or October, but it's definitely on my agenda for later this year. I've been smoking about a pack a day for 19 years at this point and I've dodged the big "C" bullet so far, but I don't know how long my luck is going to hold out in that regard so I know it's time to give it up sooner rather than later.

[Schizophretard]

 

 

 

Yeah yeah, I know. I'm actually allergic to the two base liquids used for e-cig juice so those aren't an option for me, but I am going to be making a serious attempt at quitting smoking once my current medical situation of recovering from thyroid surgery and getting the related hormones all leveled out is done. That'll probably be sometime around September or October, but it's definitely on my agenda for later this year. I've been smoking about a pack a day for 19 years at this point and I've dodged the big "C" bullet so far, but I don't know how long my luck is going to hold out in that regard so I know it's time to give it up sooner rather than later.

 

I have heard of an allergy to PG but VG? Have you confirmed this with both by themselves without being mixed together? What is the allergic reaction?

[Keatah]

Well, perhaps you can pack up all the 7800 stuff and store it. And then come back to revisit from time to time. Forget buying and selling and buying and selling. It's a losing battle with slippage - gamers and hobbyists don't need that. Don't even think of the money, it's spent, it's gone, move on.

 

Consider selling for the last time completely, finally, totally, only if the 7800 has sat around for a couple of years untouched.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Keatah

[Skippy B. Coyote]

 

I have heard of an allergy to PG but VG? Have you confirmed this with both by themselves without being mixed together? What is the allergic reaction?

 

 

Yep, I am allergic to VG and my kidneys can't process PG. I've tried them both separately and VG makes me break out in rashes all over and PG makes my kidneys hurt like crazy and causes me to feel very, very sick.

[Professor Gull]

Ok how about this as an alternative. Take the 7800 and games and be rid of it. Then go get something to do the emulation and play the games through that with better controller options. This was something I was considering and still doing so after many years of blisters and cramped hands busting through hours of Xenephobe and Commando. Having a friend bring over his Hyperspin machine and playing the same games with a 360 controller actually worked damn decent and no more blisters.

 

Just an option out there unless you like the pain then by all means keep it its much more rewarding than a Wii Fit Board.

[akator]

I also struggled with the 7800. I've owned it, gotten rid of it, owned it again, then still not found myself playing it often enough. I finally broke the cycle a few years ago. These days I play it via emulation a few times a year at most, enjoy that, and when I've exhausted my 7800 gaming after a day or two I'm happy I didn't buy another one. I've gone through that now with lots of other systems, now I only keep the ones I keep playing often enough.

 

Another thing that will help with emulation is to get the right controllers. I have several USB adapters to play original controllers with emulation. It really helps to fend off that need to own the entire system, and my several dozen controllers take up very little space compared to the original systems, games, peripherals, etc.

 

When I tried to quit smoking, e-cigs didn't help me, either. They didn't hurt me as much as you, but they still made me feel rotten. What did eventually work was nicotine gum. Years later I'm still chewing it. Yes, it costs about $50/month and I would rather spend that money on something else, but it is still way better for me than smoking. And it isn't just my health that has improved, my entire life has. So if you can stop smoking, I would recommend it.

 

Sorry to hear about the thyroid issues. My wife has been trying to get medications balanced for years and it is tough.

Edited May 22, 2017 by akator

[atari181]

Yeah yeah, I know. I'm actually allergic to the two base liquids used for e-cig juice so those aren't an option for me, but I am going to be making a serious attempt at quitting smoking once my current medical situation of recovering from thyroid surgery and getting the related hormones all leveled out is done. That'll probably be sometime around September or October, but it's definitely on my agenda for later this year. I've been smoking about a pack a day for 19 years at this point and I've dodged the big "C" bullet so far, but I don't know how long my luck is going to hold out in that regard so I know it's time to give it up sooner rather than later.

just excuses, I made them for years. I smoked for 25 years and made excuse after excuse on why I smoked and why I didn't quit right then. I definately liked smoking, however, I could feel it's affects when climbing stairs or doing any sort of cardio.

 

When I decided to stop telling myself lies and cut the bullshit, I quit cold cold turkey. I has been 6 years now, not many days pass without me thinking of having one, but I have not even hit a cig since Jan 3, 2011 .

[+GoldLeader]

I feel like I could write a novel based on this (seemingly) simple dilemma...

 

I'm sure I have different tastes in games and different emotions and history wrapped up in those machines though...

 

I don't think comparing, say the GameCube (Or Game Boy) and 7800 is so easy because I like them both. I have 3 of each (Don't ask) and while I might sell one, I wouldn't sell all of them, but that's me. Mainly the Atari 7800 is more like a quick, pick up and play system like playing an arcade game in the 80's...GameCube on the other hand is going to take an hour of your time (at least). Probably why my GameCube hasn't been touched in years and I Love my 7800! I'll always keep them both though. Personally, I tend Not to get rid of systems. I consider money issues to be the rare exception. I was offered way too much money for my Food Fight cabinet to say no, for instance.

 

OK So my advice is this.

 

Take a deep breath, drink a beer, have a smoke...Relax. Now imagine with full clarity that you have just sold your 7800 and games. There ya go, breathe out. Now, how do you feel?

 

Chill and then 2 minutes later, Do the same thing, but imagine you still have your 7800 and games. Now how do you feel?

 

Pick the one that makes you the most Happy! Also keep in mind it feels good just to make a decision sometimes. And have No Regrets!

[Austin]

It really sounds to me like you have an issue with difficult games, which is what most of those late '70s/early '80s arcade games are. The 7800 library is filled with them, and so if you have anger management issues it's probably not the ideal platform for you. It probably doesn't help that many 7800 games lack the smoother production values that SMS and NES games of the late '80s have, so it's not like great soundtracks or interesting visuals are going to make up for some of the frustrations you may be having with the library. It is most-certainly a platform that can be an acquired taste, and if you're not really into those old arcade games, it's hard to justify owning the console.

 

For myself personally, I have to be in a specific kind of mood to play specific consoles. The 7800 is one of those consoles for me. I for one can play a lot of the arcade ports elsewhere in better form (which is what I prefer to do), and its exclusives tend to come off as novelties at best to me. Still, I hold onto it because I do occasionally get into the mood to play some of its games, once in a blue moon. I am also like you in that if I sell something, it's quite likely I will re-buy it down the road. That is highly inefficient and wasteful, so why not just hold onto it? Sell the games you know you won't want to experience again, and keep the ones that still entertain. Box it up and forget about it for a while. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say.

Edited May 22, 2017 by Austin

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Thank you again to everyone for the great advice, everything that's been said so far makes perfect sense and it's all totally reasonable.

 

I know that I definitely have anger management issues when it comes to playing arcade and arcade style games. I almost never get gamer rage when I'm playing any games that are just about completing a level or getting to the ending of the game, even really tough ones, but whenever I'm playing something focused on getting a high score I always find myself getting angry and frustrated really easily. I don't mind this so much when it comes to the Atari 2600, since that system and all my games for it (Harmony cart aside) are dirt cheap so I never feel like I wasted a lot of money on something that irritates me when I play it; and I grew up with the 2600 so I have a fair bit of nostalgia for it that tempers my frustration as well.

 

The 7800 has been a very different story though, so after reading all the replies and taking them all to heart I've decided to rip off the band-aid so to speak. I just finished listing my custom led lit Edladdin Super Twin 78 controller on eBay and I'll be following suit with my composite modded 7800 and all the games for it over the next day or two.

 

It'll be a big relief to finally be done with it, and I'm guessing that someone out there who missed out on the Donkey Kong PK production run is going to be a very happy camper in the not too distant future.

[mbd30]

The 7800 would be worth it for the backwards compatibility if you don't already own a 2600. That's about the only reason for why I would get one.

[Schizophretard]

just excuses, I made them for years. I smoked for 25 years and made excuse after excuse on why I smoked and why I didn't quit right then. I definately liked smoking, however, I could feel it's affects when climbing stairs or doing any sort of cardio.

 

When I decided to stop telling myself lies and cut the bullshit, I quit cold cold turkey. I has been 6 years now, not many days pass without me thinking of having one, but I have not even hit a cig since Jan 3, 2011 .

 

I only had one excuse. I was so accidicted(more so with the action of it than the nicotine) that every time I attempted to quit I had this strong impression that the constant 24/7 every second of the day thinking about a smoke suffering would feel the same on day 1,000 as it did on day 1. In other words, as I would try to quit as it would go from hours, days, weeks, etc. at no point was it feeling like it was getting better. It just felt like non-stop thinking about a smoke and non-stop trying with all of my willpower not to get one with my life completely on hold the whole time because I couldn't think about anything else. As an example for comparison, the thought of quitting food cold turkey at this very moment and starving to death feels like it would take way less willpower than quitting smoking. I'm convinced that if smokes were outlawed and became an expensive street drug that I would be stealing, whoring, and killing just like a junkie.

 

That is why I am very thankful e-cigs were invented. I can't think of any technological advancement during my life that has been as beneficial to me as them. I feel so strongly about it that I think that a universal ban across the United States would probably be my breaking point because it would be a level of tyranny where the government is basically telling me,"You have no right to choose a healthier alternative! Your choices are either to go through the Hell of quitting or die by smoking because your life and freedom is not as important to us as Big Tobacco and Big Pharma! So, be a good citizen and kneel!"

 

Anyway, congratulations on quitting smoking and I find your willpower impressive.

[atarilovesyou]

Jin, I've read a bunch of your threads so it's almost like I have a grip on where you're coming from. Of course, it's all just words on a screen in an internetz world, so it doesn't tell the whole story. First, the money: I realize that you've dropped some bucks on this stuff, the 7800 rig. You've put a lot of effort into getting it (again). I'd hang onto it. Even if it has to come off the shelf. Put the sucker in a bin and sit on it for a few months. Maybe a year. Then come back and see what you think. Then throw it back in a bin again if you need to at the end of it...then sit for another six months. Only then should you make the decision. All this 'rip it off' stuff may 'work' for some, but you've already disclosed that the thought of getting out and back in causes some discomfort. So while that advice works for some, I don't think it's gonna work for you. Take your time and be sure of it.

 

Here's the thing: somewhere, you have a connection with the monetary value. Maybe worth while taking a look to see where that comes from. Collecting is a weird thing. It satisfies in some ways, and causes discomfort in others. Believe me, I know. But the cash you've spent is gone. What you've got left is a cool system and some games that are worthwhile. Unless you really come to a point where you can say, "You know what...I'm just done with these", there's no damage in keeping them. When it's time to let them go, you will. If you feel compelled to keep it only because of the monetary amount you've spent, then...that's probably not a good enough reason to keep them. You managed to get out of the Wii and DC, though, but something tells me that's because those systems didn't trigger something from the era of the 7800.

 

My whole thing with those games for the 7800 are this: if I want arcade games, I go to MAME. It's why I don't bother collecting more games for my Colecovision (well, other than I have a flashcart) it's because it's whole reason for me was to play arcade games. If I want to play DK, I just go to MAME and get the fix. If I want the nostalgia, however (and that's legit a reason as any), I go for the CV DK for a few minutes. I barely touch my CV, to be honest. But it has its space and I have a focus in my collecting. That helps.

 

Maybe that could be a bigger project: get that focus, or at least try to make a plan. I'd have bought the DC too, even though it really doesn't fit in for me: I can't say I played much of it at all, but just enough to know I'd like a few games. But then the creep sets in...it's happened already with my Wii. I'm happy with that though because our family has a lot of fun with it. But why not a Saturn, or a DC?...or a Gamecube (ok, maybe not a good example as I have the Wii compatibility), or any other system? ...then you start getting into trouble. If you're not a collector (and you'll know if you are), you won't get what I'm saying. But it's complicated, unfortunately

 

If after a year you have no real desire to sell the 7800, then just keep it in a bin. If you have no desire to play the games because you've got another angle (MAME, maybe?) then hang on ANOTHER year...and then sell. You'll then find that, even though you might not like the idea that it's gone, you can say honestly to yourself "I had it for two years, and wasn't using it. It's logical that it went on, I got some bucks out of it, and I have plenty of other stuff to play". Then the whole 7800 thing will fade from memory, and you can remember it as a cool system you used to have, rather than have that pain of "shit, now I gotta go buy it again". If THAT happens?...then it's time to take a step back from all of this and reassess what your gaming hobby is all about. Trust me, it's worthwhile to dig into.

 

Anyways, I may be full of shit myself. Just my thoughts. All the best to ya.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Very sound advice atariloves you, very sound indeed... unfortunately, for better or worse, I don't have the patience to stuff something worth big $$$ in the closet for 6 months and wait on it. Maybe it's just that I've always been pretty poor and lived paycheck to paycheck my whole life or maybe it's just a personality quirk of mine, but I've never been able to hold onto anything worth a decent chunk of money if I wasn't enjoying it. That goes for game consoles, Magic: the Gathering cards, comics, and all sorts of other things. I've always had a "use it or lose" it mentality when it comes to anything of reasonable value. It probably also doesn't help that I'm currently attempting to stockpile cash for the Renaissance Festival, State Fair, and a *gasp* furry convention all coming up in August.

 

So I'm cool with ripping the band-aid off so to speak, and I've already gotten started on it with eBay listings and doing a private sale of my copy of Donkey Kong PK to an AtariAge member earlier tonight. I'm feeling good about it too, since I had gotten really tired of the constant back and forth flip-flopping over whether or not I actually wanted to own an Atari 7800 (as evidenced by this thread's existence). It feels good to finally make up my mind and be done with it and I feel like a serious weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

 

As far as where I go from here with collecting I've really narrowed it down to just the GameCube and Game Boy systems, along with the occasional Atari 2600 cart if I stumble on a good condition game I know I like for a couple bucks or less. I've got a really pristine GameCube with a matching colored Game Boy Player as well as a like new original DMG Game Boy with an olive green backlight, an equally nice condition custom Game Boy Color, and a custom AGS-101 backlit Game Boy Advance SP and all the usual accessories like padded carrying cases and link cables for all of them. So I'm completely set on hardware at this point and can just focus on building my game libraries, and I don't feel any desire at all to own any more systems. I can see myself potentially building a nice Atari 2600 arcade stick at some point to replace the Edladdin Super Twin 78 I'm selling, but that's pretty much it for any sort of hardware I could want at this point and I'm definitely done exploring new systems. I'm happy with what I've got.

 

I do have a soft modded Wii that can emulate nearly everything for the Atari 7800 along with half a dozen other systems perfectly, and the Classic Controller makes playing those games really comfy, so if I ever want to revisit some 7800 games I can do that no problem. The Wii was what kept me from ever buying a ColecoVision and after this go around with the 7800 I'm fully certain that it'll scratch that itch too.

 

Anyway, I may be starting to ramble at this point so I'll just wrap this up by saying thank you for taking the time to provide your perspective on the matter atarilovesyou. It was appreciated!

[Ramses]

So glad I clicked on this thread! I think you made the right decision Jin, however I might be a bit biased as I've been planning on getting one of Edladdin's Super Twin controllers for a while now, and you even have one with LED buttons! I'll gladly take it off your hands

Edited May 23, 2017 by Ramses

[Skippy B. Coyote]

So glad I clicked on this thread! I think you made the right decision Jin, however I might be a bit biased as I've been planning on getting one of Edladdin's Super Twin controllers for a while now, and you even have one with LED buttons! I'll gladly take it off your hands

I have the only one with LED buttons in fact, or at least I used to have it. I take it you were the fine gentleman who just purchased it on eBay a few minutes ago?

[HoshiChiri]

My advice would have been to box it up as well, but since that ship has sailed- BOOKMARK THIS THREAD. Come back and read it the next time you think you really need to buy a 7800, or any previously owned system again. It'll help you remember why you keep selling them off.

 

This is a case where some introspection and prevention can help in the long run. Think about why you buy the consoles & games you do, especially the ones that don't work out. Getting a good grip on what spurs your collecting can help a lot when the impulse strikes to either hold off, knowing it's not going to be a satisfying purchase, or if it's safe to go ahead and drop the cash. It seems like value for dollar is really important to you, so perhaps when the New System Bug bites, you consider your resale value at the same time you're making your purchase- maybe knowing how much you stand to lose if things don't pan out could help inform your buying.

 

I know my biggest draws for impulse shopping are: Availability, provenance, and game library. You'd think that third one would be higher since it drives actual use- but I have learned for me, it's just not what makes me want a console. You've all seen the guy in the game store prattling on about how 'this game was developed by rabid weasels', or 'this console is the top seller in Micronesia'? I'm that guy. And nothing gets me excited like a system I can't tour guide. I've found that coming home and researching the console rather than buying it usually satisfies the itch. If it stays stuck in my head & I'm checking Ebay for prices long after the initial spark has gone (I'm talking months, even a year)- then I'll get serious about buying plans. Especially researching the actual games- I have to keep telling myself it's not a museum, it's a library. These things are meant for USE.