The Rules of Video Game Collecting

[+Ransom]

From long experience, I know that I need to set guidelines for myself when collecting anything. Otherwise, I waste money on will-o'-the-wisps and momentary infatuations.

 

So, here are my rules. What are yours?

 

1. I will only buy the games that I truly enjoy playing.

2. I will only buy games that are complete in box.

3. I will have all games shelved neatly and ready for immediate play.

4. I will only buy the very best and most enjoyable port of a given game, of all those available for the consoles I own.

5. I will only collect for cartridge-based console systems.

6. I will only begin collecting for a system when I know that it has at least twelve commonly available games that I enjoy.

7. I will only buy one primary and one backup of each console.

7a. I will choose one console variation and stick to it.

8. I will have one console from every system I collect for hooked to a television and ready for play at all times.

9. I will only use emulators to evaluate which games are worth owning.

9a. I will not use devices that adapt one system to play another's games.

 

Exceptions:

1) Any commercially released, boxed game cartridge for the Atari 8-bit gets a free pass. It is the system I've used the longest, and for which I have the most nostalgia.

2) Any commercially released, boxed game cartridge for the Intellivision that was produced by Mattel, Imagic, Activision, or Intellivision, Inc. gets a free pass. The system is so quirky and different, and has such nostalgic associations for me, that it deserves a wide selection of games.

3) Homebrews do not have to come complete in box.

[Red 5]

Rule 1: If it is for the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx, or Jaguar and I don't have it, and I can afford it, I must buy it.

 

Rule 2: If I am at a tag sale and there are any Atari items there, I must buy it if I need it or not. I am 'saving it', whatever that means. (Unless the price is redonkulous.)

 

That is all.

[Recycled]

Most important rule:

 

I will laugh hysterically at those who collect sealed games.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Most important rule:

 

I will laugh hysterically at those who collect sealed games.

 

Forgive him god for beeing a lost sheep in your herd........

[hhwolfman]

KILL EVERYONE, Let the paramedics sort them out.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

KILL EVERYONE, Let the paramedics sort them out........

 

or the butcher bears.........

[+Ransom]

Most important rule:

 

I will laugh hysterically at those who collect sealed games.

 

No, no, no. Just plan to outlive them. Then you can buy those games for a few euros at the estate sale, and open them all up and smell that stale 1980s air.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Most important rule:

 

I will laugh hysterically at those who collect sealed games.

 

No, no, no. Just plan to outlive them. Then you can buy those games for a few euros at the estate sale, and open them all up and smell that stale 1980s air.

 

LOL

[Recycled]

Most important rule:

 

I will laugh hysterically at those who collect sealed games.

 

No, no, no. Just plan to outlive them. Then you can buy those games for a few euros at the estate sale, and open them all up and smell that stale 1980s air.

 

LOL

 

Put me in your will.

[Mirage]

I wish I had had the foresight to only buy CIB when I started, or I wouldn't have ended up with a whole loose and whole boxed collection. I'm to the point now where I'm only missing box/manual for the few I have left, so I'll only buy CIB on those. Oh well. Live and learn.

 

Overall I think the rules in the OP are very good, and I would heed them today if I were starting fresh.

[jboypacman]

Not too many rules of Video Game collecting for me outside of just..."Collect what i like and will play".

[godslabrat]

I'm ALMOST, but not quite, the opposite of the OP.

 

1) I will not worry about getting box and docs with my games. However, I will make sure the cart looks clean and well-cared for, relative to its age.

1a) Exceptions are SMS and Genesis, where the box actually serves a real purpose.

 

2) I will buy whatever I feel interested in, since I couldn't do that as a kid, and part of me is making up for lost time.

 

3) It is extremely useful to buy games first, then when you have a small collection, track down a system.

 

4) I want to use only original hardware if at all possible, though I am not above modding said hardware to get the best results on my HDTV.

 

5) Emulators are neat tools for judging games, but are not a substitute for the real thing.

 

6) Collect something because you want it, not because it gives you something more to collect. Once I get all the games on my wantlist, I'm going to scale my collecting way back, and just enjoy myself. I won't decide to start collecting Colecovision, for example, just because I have nothing else to hunt for.

[STICH666]

I'm ALMOST, but not quite, the opposite of the OP.

 

1) I will not worry about getting box and docs with my games. However, I will make sure the cart looks clean and well-cared for, relative to its age.

1a) Exceptions are SMS and Genesis, where the box actually serves a real purpose.

 

2) I will buy whatever I feel interested in, since I couldn't do that as a kid, and part of me is making up for lost time.

 

3) It is extremely useful to buy games first, then when you have a small collection, track down a system.

 

4) I want to use only original hardware if at all possible, though I am not above modding said hardware to get the best results on my HDTV.

 

5) Emulators are neat tools for judging games, but are not a substitute for the real thing.

 

6) Collect something because you want it, not because it gives you something more to collect. Once I get all the games on my wantlist, I'm going to scale my collecting way back, and just enjoy myself. I won't decide to start collecting Colecovision, for example, just because I have nothing else to hunt for.

 

I agree with all except 6. I collect consoles not the games. If there are games on a said console that interest me then I will buy them. If not, oh well. I'll still own the console as a collector's item. For example, GameGear. I bought one because it's a cool thing to own, not because I would play it.

Edited March 16, 2009 by STICH666

[+Ransom]

I'm ALMOST, but not quite, the opposite of the OP.

 

1) I will not worry about getting box and docs with my games. However, I will make sure the cart looks clean and well-cared for, relative to its age.

1a) Exceptions are SMS and Genesis, where the box actually serves a real purpose.

 

2) I will buy whatever I feel interested in, since I couldn't do that as a kid, and part of me is making up for lost time.

 

3) It is extremely useful to buy games first, then when you have a small collection, track down a system.

 

4) I want to use only original hardware if at all possible, though I am not above modding said hardware to get the best results on my HDTV.

 

5) Emulators are neat tools for judging games, but are not a substitute for the real thing.

 

6) Collect something because you want it, not because it gives you something more to collect. Once I get all the games on my wantlist, I'm going to scale my collecting way back, and just enjoy myself. I won't decide to start collecting Colecovision, for example, just because I have nothing else to hunt for.

 

Items 3 and 6 are very, very good points! I hadn't thought about buying the games first. It certainly would lend less of a sense of urgency, and allow one to bargain hunt and be more picky. And #6 should be stated more often (tho of course as Stitch666 points out, not everyone cares about the games. If the systems are your be-all and end-all, then of course this doesn't apply).

[dommie]

My biggest rule is to always look for a deal. And by deal, I mean a steal... like $1 thrift store finds, etc.

 

Having enjoyed video games for just about 30 years, some of the best parts of collecting for me is actually re-experiencing the evolution of the medium. I almost like playing bad games as much as good games because it's neat to see what worked and what didn't and why.

 

As for the sealed boxes and stuff, that's not my thing. I've bought a few that were on the cheap side, but I always open them and play them. I basically bought the sealed ones because I knew they would be in good condition when I opened them up, but all the sealed ones I've ever bought were under $10 each.

 

And my only other rule is to ALWAYS clean my games. This applies mostly to NES carts, but it's a good habit to keep with all systems.

[2600Lives]

Godslabrat, that is EXACTLY how I collect! The one thing I'm quite a stickler for, though, is cases for CD and DVD games, since they are so easily damaged, and for those, I only really want the originals and the manuals. Cartridges, though, feh, boxes and manuals are just extras (and I don't want boxes, I'd much rather have a hard shell plastic case to keep the game protected).

[potatohead]

I just try to have fun. Collecting, playing, modding, programming, sharing.

 

It's all good.

[8th lutz]

1. I compare prices at different stores for the same game.

2. I do research on a systems and games that I don't know anything about. This helped me with the tg-16 and the Sms.

3. I buy systems that have games that I want.

4. I don't buy imports right away for a collection unless I find them in the wild. I am North America first first collector.

5. Games don't have to be in boxes for most systems that I buy.

6. I buy used systems that have good durability, have good first party controllers, or 3rd party controllers that cost less than $25.00.

7. I buy games and systems that are in my budget.

8. Buy rare items first, if they are at a decent price like brand new 3d Glasses (w/adapter) for the Sms for $50.00.

9. I buy import games that are English friendly like most Japanese shooters, since I can't read Japanese.

10. I don't buy games brand new for systems that are over 10 years old unless I have no choice.

11.) I Buy games that I want to play.

12.) I don't buy 2 copies of a game for 1 system.

[Keatah]

If it is in in physical form, throw it in the the dumpter. The plastics and materials used in console construction are damaging to your health. It is also best to not game on a crt due to radiation exposure.

 

That means a virtual collection is the only choice left available, i.e. EMULATION

Emulation is the only way to be sure your collection is going to be around 50 years from now, and really, do you want to fill an entire basement with classic gaming crap? Especially not when you can put manuals, photos, emulators, disk imags, roms, documentation all on a usb drive.. Eh? 80 gigs babycakes!

Edited March 17, 2009 by Keatah

[accousticguitar]

do you want to fill an entire basement with classic gaming crap?

[rpgfaker]

Rules of game collecting? Buy games you like. Try before you buy. Never buy new it's always cheaper when the next batch of big name games come out.

[Mirage]

If it is in in physical form, throw it in the the dumpter. The plastics and materials used in console construction are damaging to your health. It is also best to not game on a crt due to radiation exposure.

 

That means a virtual collection is the only choice left available, i.e. EMULATION

Emulation is the only way to be sure your collection is going to be around 50 years from now, and really, do you want to fill an entire basement with classic gaming crap? Especially not when you can put manuals, photos, emulators, disk imags, roms, documentation all on a usb drive.. Eh? 80 gigs babycakes!

 

I'm actually starting to think you're just making stuff up to be strange. If not, then you're clearly just batsh1t looney.

[Phantom]

I have one rule.

That rule is?

There is no rules

 

Buy on a whim, buy on a targeted path... it does not matter!

Anything Atari, I buy.

Almost anything Colecovision or Intellivision, I buy.

Anything else is game but its not a true passion of mine to "collect" for them.

Play all systems.

If possible, get Multicarts. I just got an Odyssey Multicart and I hardly use the thing but with the multicart, that could change...we shall see.

ANything that is not cartridge based is a waste of collecting and is for play only.

Play everything you can, the good the bad and the ugly.

Buy Multicarts and collect Sealed games or atleast complete games for my "collection" systems.

I have a hard time giving up my loose collections of anything,

especially Atari so they will stay as well.

Somone will benefit from my death, hopefully it is my daughter and my family members don't just put them up for .99 Buy it Nows on Ebay.

Especially my NIB/CIB games or my Multicarts.

In the end, its all about fun.

Have I become obsessed a bit?

Sure, but atleats I don't use that money in destructive ways as some people wind up doing.... so if this is my obsession, so be it.

For some it's cocaine or other drugs, for me it is Atari and games in general.

 

No rules, Lotsa fun and to share the history of gaming with whomever I can convince to sit down and play some Atari or Colecovision, especially young'ns.

I say No Rules Soup For You!

Edited March 17, 2009 by Phantom

[Artlover]

80 gigs babycakes!

80 gigs? What, you collecting for only one system?

 

Heck, looking at the C64 and A800, disks & roms only, no manuals and box scans or anything. You're looking at around 20 gigs, and that still not even 100%, but just what's avaialble to people. There is still stuff out there that is locked away in people's attics forgotten, and others that were just flat out lost to the annals of time.

 

Now throw the other dozens and dozens of classic consoles and computers into the mix. Newer classic stuff that is CD based. SegaCD collection is 65 gigs.

 

Only 3 system so far and we're already upto 85 gigs.

 

Speaking from personal experience: Even 18 TERAbytes isn't enough.

 

 

...

I'm actually starting to think you're just making stuff up to be strange. If not, then you're clearly just batsh1t looney.

Maybe both?

[grandcross]

Main rule: I'm a gamer before anything else - if there's good, affordable games I can get for a system, I'll buy it.

 

I don't have the money to be a real video game collector though, I'd like to be a CIB collector if I did. Loose carts are enough for me at the moment.

 

Right now I"m mainly collecting systems. No real rules, just that the consoles are in good working order with the hookups.