Go back to when you started gaming/collecting, would you do it differently?

[fiddlepaddle]

If any of those 20 or 30 happen to be a mint condition Model 1 system I can help you do some house cleaning.

Genesis Model 1s are for sale at every game store I go in for 30 bucks or so (very few are mint, however).

[phoenixdownita]

I have a totally different take on it.

 

I'd just not care about keeping any game at all (let alone the boxes) knowing that for almost every system under the sun there would be a viable flashcart/ode, even more for some we have FPGA remakes already so even the hardware can go the way of the dodo for those.

 

Anyone that thinks to keep the boxes so that he would sit on a fortune 30-40 years later, think again as everyone else would have had the same thought and we would be finding CIB/NIB a dime a dozen ... so yeah, relax you have not lost the college funds of your kids when you sold that copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga, you're fine. You did not buy videogames as investments but as leisure.

[Zonie]

Not toss the boxes that I kept for 20 years before I tossed them.

Buy two of every original star wars toy and not open at least one of each.

Collect all the 2600 gatefolds.

Not sell my 1966 ChevyII hardtop coupe and also buy that '69 Z28 for $5K regardless that it had a black vinyl interior.

Edited July 30, 2018 by Zonie

[Video]

I did tend to keep my boxes and such. If I was to make changes on how I did stuff, I probably would have concentrated more on older consoles when I got my first job. I don't regret getting my 64, psx, or saturn, but so many older things I passed up on because it was cheap, and now isnt. Jaguar stuff anyone?

[Flojomojo]

The Jaguar peaked when it was cheap.

[Silverfleet]

I was lucky to have kept about 95% of the stuff I had back in the day. That said, I still have plenty of regrets! I'd change the following:

 

-Like everyone else, I would have kept the boxes, especially for my NES games. I figured this out after I got my Genesis, since the boxes were mostly hardshell cases. But man, I really should have kept the NES boxes!

 

-I had a rare Sega Sports black Dreamcast that I picked up for $20 at Gamestop just to keep at my old band's practice space. Some thugs stole it. We found out who it was, and when my guitar player confronted said thugs, he almost got shot. Wish I never brought that there, as my guitar player could have been killed, and I'd still have that rare Dreamcast. Dumb move.

 

-Before there were websites and YouTube personalities that told everyone what was rare, I had to rely on my own experiences of what my friends and I saw in the wild. If it looked unusual, I'd snag it. Sometimes, I'd hit (like $9 for Demon's Crest, $12 for a mint copy of Einhander, and $5 for a complete Power Strike for the SMS) and sometimes I'd miss (overpaying for Mystery Quest on the NES and passing up a $5 Little Samson because I thought it was a lame religious game). I wish I knew what I know now!

 

-One of my biggest regrets was not buying more Sega Saturn games. When I got mine from a friend in late 1995, it came with 6 games. I was content with those, and I also stopped playing games for about a year to focus on other stuff in my life. During that time, I could have snagged a ton of Saturn stuff for pennies on the dollar in the clearance bins! By the time I realized this, it was gone from stores and I had to resort to eBay.

 

-I wish I never tossed out my old Gateway 2000 Pentium MMX machine. That was the only computer I ever outfitted for gaming. I special ordered the thing and convinced my parents that it needed a good sound card and upgraded everything. Playing stuff on that machine was amazing for the time. I tossed it out about 10 years ago, thinking that no one would want an old tower PC like that.

[Scotterpop]

Besides, I'm pretty happy with the way my collecting career has gone. Yeah, maybe I made some mistakes, but I also got in while the getting was good...like, really good. If I had to purchase today all the stuff I got between 1998-2005, I'd easily be spending at least triple the money.

 

This, exactly! I'd do a lot of stuff differently but but any regrets I still have are more than offset by the fact that I started collecting in the mid-90s before the classic game collecting fever really exploded. The entire city with its abundant thrift stores, pawn shops, and mom & pop second-hand stores was a giant playground for me in those days. And I felt like it was all mine! I'd go out once a week on my day off and come home with bags full of stuff. It was glorious, but it didn't last. So I'm grateful that I started when I did because I could never afford to buy all that stuff now at today's prices. As for what I would have done differently, a few things come to mind:

 

-As a kid I had no appreciation/concept of collecting video games. I had various systems and games during my childhood and really enjoyed them but never considered them collectible. I only collected comics at that age, so I didn't hold onto any of them. I really wish I would have, because I no idea what a nostalgic hold they would have on me years later.

 

-I would've gotten off my lazy ass and found a new job quicker after losing my job back in 2001. That caused me to have to sell a huge chunk of my collection to pay rent. I've replaced most of what I'd gotten rid of, but some of the pricier stuff I know I'll never own again. And I'm fine with that because I did it for the right reasons, but I definitely could have prevented it had I been a little more responsible. Alas.

 

-There's a handful of amazing deals I should have jumped on when I had the chance but didn't realize how rare or valuable those items were or would become. Like the gamecube component cable I once saw at a thrift store for $4. That one always comes back to haunt me! Or the $50 NES top loaders they used to sell at the Montgomery Wards where I worked… I should have bought the entire inventory!!! And of course, those of us old enough to remember the insanely good deals to be had during the crash at Kay-Bee and Lionel Playworld (and others), I really wish I'd have taken full advantage of those once in a lifetime deals. But as an 11 year old kid, I had no idea whatsoever that a crash was even happening. Like the song says, "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger."

[jhd]

Maybe I am unique here, but I have no real (game-related) regrets.

 

I began collecting 2600 games in the late-1980s when they were ubiquitous at garage sales and the like (and some titles were still available at retail). I happily sold or traded duplicates (and those that I did not want, like sports games). My collecting has faltered as the games have become more and more difficult to find. I kept all of the boxes and manuals.

 

I eventually (about 2004) purchased a used PlayStation and some games, and so I began collecting for that system. In 2008, I bought a new PS 2.

 

I suppose that I should have started collecting "modern" systems a bit earlier in their lifecycle (though lots of games were still available at retail when I started buying in earnest).

 

I have no interest in collecting a multitude of consoles and/or computers, so I have no regrets about things that I did not purchase. Similarly, I have utterly no regrets about the items that I have sold off (or donated) through the years.

[RodLightning]

Hindsight is indeed always 20/20, but it's nice to read how many others have the same regrets. I, and many others express regret at not keeping boxes. I wish I had taken better care of my game boxes over the years, if for no other reason than to box everything back up for display. Many of my game boxes were smooshed in storage and now require cardboard inserts to hold their shape. I "saved" these when my priorities changed and I got wise. Other boxes just disappeared over the years, probably thrown out. Having the option to sell for a better price is a good thing, but there's also something to be said about having complete-in-box items even if you keep them for life.

 

Speaking of changing priorities, when I was full-on into the Atari ST (early 90s) I found it prefectly acceptable to pack away my 400/800/XL hardware into non-climate controlled outside storage. Some of my original gear survived summer temperatures in excess of 120F (49C).

It's a testament to how rugged that equipment is that it all survived and is still in working order today.

 

Thinking back years ago, grabbing every boxed Jaguar system when they were being cleared out in the mid to late 1990s would have been a good move, but who knew what retro gaming stuff would go for in the then distant future? I bought gaming hardware and software back then with the primary intent to play and enjoy.

 

I regret more and more each day the number of systems that I have in the past, scrapped for parts. I once had a fully functional IBM PC XT system (minus the IBM monitor). Two decade ago, all I wanted to do was put Pentium guts inside that XT case. I would love to have that system 100% stock, along with various Tandy/Rat Shack PC clones that went to the chopping block.

 

On the other hand, looking back to the late 80s and early 90s; I probably did the best I could on a kid's budget. Factoring in available funds, not to mention storage space, there wasn't a whole lot of wiggle room to make better decisions. I would however love the opportunity to go back and try!

[atarilovesyou]

Man...I learned to take care of stuff from way back in my Colecovision days, but not before making some mistakes.

 

The would do two things differently: never lend anything out and keep everything I ever bought.

 

I woupd also like to know exactly what became of my original gaming stuff, because I literally have forgotten the details...odd, for me.

 

My CV stuff went away, given away part by part as I moved on to other stuff. NES stuff, I collected and kwpt my stuff in great shape. Until I got rid of it, somehow. But someone got lots of great CIB stuff. Even kept the original console box for quite some time. Genesis, same fate.

 

You think I would have learned my lessin when I bought a Playstation in late 98...nope. In 2003, after it was stored for well over a year without use, I figured I'd never play it again, nor want to. Not a huge collection, but traded it in for a Gameboy SP which I still own. After 2003, I kept it all...except for selling a Gameboy Color DX R Type cart...dumb, lol! I had a buddy selling stuff, more power to him for that, and I thought, hmm, I don't need this. Dumb, lol.

 

For me, this is my hobby and there is no real need to sell it. I didn't pay a lot, other than some of the more recent things things I had to reacquire...even that wasn't too bad. I only buy what I truly like anyway, so very little remorse.

 

I do wish I bought some new Vectrex stuff but who doesn't, it's not like I ever saw that stuff in the wild back in the day.

 

Finally, what someone said here is true...none of this shit is gonna pay for college tuition, so just buy it and enjoy it. I have quite a few NES carts that just so happened to becime collectible but I have no delusions of Scrooge McDucking it into a pool of gold coins!

[atarilovesyou]

Double post.

Edited July 30, 2018 by atarilovesyou

[Keatah]

Man...I learned to take care of stuff from way back in my Colecovision days, but not before making some mistakes.

 

The would do two things differently: never lend anything out and keep everything I ever bought.

 

Finally, what someone said here is true...none of this shit is gonna pay for college tuition, so just buy it and enjoy it. I have quite a few NES carts that just so happened to becime collectible but I have no delusions of Scrooge McDucking it into a pool of gold coins!

 

Yes. Never lend anything out. Ever ever ever. That's something I learned early on when some asshole tried stealing my Atari 400/800 Editor Assembler cartridge.

 

Today I have some extraordinarily rare 1-off Apple II disks that I don't know how to duplicate. I could send them off to a cracker, but risk with the mail and all that. The disks are in a climate controlled environment that's sealed. But they're likely delicate and good for only a handful more reads. Someday.. Someday..

 

---

 

True enough, none of this material will propel anyone into richdom. Maybe an Apple 1. But the rest? It's all fodder.

[atarilovesyou]

As far as he lending goes, it's not as antisocial as it seems...as a kid with only two CV carts, trading was the ONLY way to get new games. And I was always at odds with my folks who wouldnt always let me lend out...I mean, they were the ones paying after all. My stuff always came back worse for wear, always. And I hate to admit it, but some stuff I borrowed took a long time to return...in one case, the kid moved away and I still had his manuals from a particularly tricky game...after I handwrote all of it,lol...no access to a photocopier, certainly not one that would allow something as foolish as video game manuals to waste paper on. But the lending thing carried on to NES and other stuff too, until I finally stopped, with a polite explanation why (to my friends at least). There were literally two people I could trust with my stuff in the end. And we all had the same viewpoint, knowing that we would treat other's stuff with more care than our own. Comics were a good teacher for that, condition wise.

[Eltigro]

An "if I knew then what I know now" kind of thread? Okay...

 

• I wouldn't have thrown away boxes for my NES games when I got them.
• I wouldn't have sold all my NES stuff (system, games, Nintendo Power collection, power glove...) in a garage sale when I got my TurboGrafx.
• I would've kept all my TurboGrafx game boxes. I kept the boxes for the hardware (system, turbo tap, controller...) but not the games.
• I would've scrounged together money to buy several copies of Magical Chase back when it was only $40.
• I would've kept better track of my original clear GameBoy. No idea where that went.
• I wouldn't have loaned out all my Playstation games... because they got "lost"... weren't worth much then, but, like the aforementioned Magical Chase, some of them are pretty valuable now (Suikoden II and Einhander especially)
• I would've bought a Saturn and a bunch of games back when they were going clearance and I worked in Electronics at Target... and kept the box for the Saturn.
• I wouldn't have gotten rid of the extra Sega Saturn I had back in the early 2000s. Doesn't hurt to have spares.
• Boxes in general. I would've kept my Genesis box, my Playstation and Playstation 2 boxes,

 

That's all I can think of at the moment... more will probably hit me later. Of course, now thinking of all this stuff has made me angry... thanks a lot! lol

[82-T/A]

I don't think I'd really change anything. My mistakes and excesses are what have made the person I am. I do still feel bad for having thrown out ALL of my game boxes. I had like 100+ games, every Ultima game, Wing Commander, whatever. I tossed out all of those games. All I kept were the contents.

 

I still wouldn't want them now, but I know other people do, so I do kind of feel bad having tossed all of that stuff in the recycling.

[juansolo]

Given I started gaming at the age of 5 in 1977 with a Binatone Pong machine, there have been a lot of things I'd have done differently!

 

I didn't really have any option but to trade a lot of old machines and games to cover costs of replacements, so though I'd liked to have kept them, that sadly wasn't realistic. However, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight:

 

- Beg and plead to my parents to get me a Commodore 64 and not a Spectrum. In the long run it'd have worked out way better.

- Hold off for six months and get an Amiga instead of the ST. Again, it'd have worked out better long term.

- I picked up a Jaguar and most of the games for it when they were selling them off. I shouldn't have sold it as that was at a time where I no longer needed to, and it was all worth bugger all when I did.

- I should never have sold my SNES and UFO. I got a lot of money for them when I did, but I instantly regretted it. That said, re-buying a SNES is what got me into 'retro' gaming proper, so I can't be too bitter about that.

- Buy a NeoGeo AES and loads of games. I don't care how, I should have done that.

- ...and a PC Engine.

Edited July 31, 2018 by juansolo

[awhite2600]

As a prefix, my family owned an Intellivision in the early '80s. I still have the system and *most* of the games with boxes, manuals and overlays. I didn't start collecting for other systems until I started working full time in the late '80s and had cash for my hobby.

 

What I would change:

 

• I wouldn't have allowed a buddy to borrow 5 or 6 of my Intellivision games. I never saw them again. There is at least one (Safecracker) that I have yet to replace.
• I would have picked up 2600 games when they were clearing them out for $1.00 each after the crash.
• I would have kept the boxes, inserts and instructions for the various handheld games that I still own.
• I would have checked out the Value Village next to where my wife worked in the mid-'90s. At the time I just thought it was a junky clothing store. Years later I had many amazing finds at VV.

[Gamemoose]

My collecting might have drastically changed if I knew then what I know now.

 

-NEVER store your game magazines in an old shed.

 

-don't try and "collect" to play systems you never played. It seemed cool at the time but they didn't hold my interest so off they went for sale.

 

-don't repurchase the same system then sell a bunch of times when you get the itch to play it. Let go of your Genesis, Sega CD and TurboGrafx.

 

-DO hang on to and store well what is sentimental, if you can. I let my parents get rid of a lot of audio tapes that had CoCo programs and my Dad's budding novels. He also repurposed floppy disks that had CoCo software on them. I only have a handful of disks I was able to preserve.

 

-don't collect out of spite: Even though I enjoyed collecting, my first wife let me as my relationship prior to her went all out to change me into what she wanted and cast off my "geeky" ways. Found out years later my wife didn't like it as it slipped out in conversation. My relationship was already going down to a "room mate" level, so this hurt as her support was fake.

 

-PLAY THE STUFF: enough said. I figured out late that, to me, just having the stuff isn't the main fun part.