Collecting: The great conflict

[the.golden.ax]

As a collector that doesn't just relegate myself to only one platform, I have amassed quite a large collection consisting of a little bit of everything. While initially when I started up again in 2006 I wanted a full 7800 set and once I did obtain it, then I moved on to others. Complete Lynx, Jaguar, all the cardboard boxed Sega CD, all the black grid boxed Genesis. After those, the cork was let out of the proverbial collecting bottle and I started buying any game for any platform. If I didn't have a title and it was a good deal I bought it. The goal was to have one of everything game related. Told myself I'd like to do a museum (honestly just an excuse I think) Things were slowed down greatly by life getting in the way. This pause was good for reflection I suppose. Simply put I just don't have the store anymore, or the resources anymore to support willy nilly buying of "one of everything." It also came to my attention that while I am a hoarder of sorts (no I never have kept more than one of any game on purpose, upgrade and sell dupes) there are many games I'd love to have personally, that I do not own right now because of price, rarity, or just never being obtained. All this while I have hundreds of games that I don't care about spread across many platforms. As a gamer that is also a collector and a bit of a hoarder it hurts to sell off some of my stuff. Therein lies the great conflict. Example: I'm a little panicked having sold Space Adventure for Sega CD. A game I tried to like, but didn't. I paid about $100 back when, and just sold it for $125 this year (though on ePay it has been hitting $150+ often now). It is going to keep going up in value. The rational for selling was that I STILL collect. I STILL want stuff. Then why have crap I don't like sitting around, when I can't get Earthworm Jim or Popful Mail for Sega CD because they keep going for $50+ and that's out of my current budget!? Is having a complete set so important? I can't take it with me to the grave. Sure I'd like to have some nice stuff for the kids to inherit but at what cost? I've got almost a full set of Sega CD now, but so much crap, sports etc. I use that Sega CD set as a prime example. I've already culled back my PS1, GameBoy, and planned to do it with others but the fear that prices will rise and I'm so close to a "full set" of this or that makes me recoil and stop the plan of culling my crappy (to me) titles. Simply put I am a gamer, I want to enjoy games, and share them with my kids. They are growing up fast, and who knows if they will even care or want them as adults when I'm gone anyway. Every time I remember that, it isn't so hard to give up some stuff. How much can one person have, or need anyway? With thousands of games, there is no way I'd ever be able to play them all meaningfully in a lifetime (especially all the great PS1 / Saturn RPGs that I "plan" to play). How can one collect sports games (if they do not enjoy video game sports) like SMS Buster Douglas Boxing for $100+? Is having a "full set" really worth owning a bunch of crap? What are the perks? Claiming you did it? Having them when in the future no one else does? I feel like the classic games are being snapped up like crazy and if I don't get in on it now I'll miss out. Some I've already missed the boat on. My beloved Turbo Grafx titles have become very hard to get in cardboard. Well I'll stop here as it's long enough to be a rant. As you can see, I'm quite conflicted. Anyone else?

[high voltage]

Hm, I was like getting the complete 2600 games at first. Once I realised that I can only have a complete European 2600 collection I moved on to others. Had a complete 7800 (again, European complete), complete Lynx (incl Bubble Trouble) and almost complete Jaguar. Meanwhile I collected SMS, SNES, PSX, N64, MegaDrive, Odyssey. My Odyssey collection is complete. Than I sold my VCS collection and started collecting PC.

 

Now I sold SMS, Lynx, 7800, Jaguar carts (kept the CDs), CDi and numerous others to get back to VCS collecting. I am most happy collecting VCS actually :-)

Edited March 10, 2012 by high voltage

[Pixelboy]

(* Puts on his shrink glasses. *)

 

It seems game collecting is at the core of who you are, and it's been this way for several years now. I just have one question for you: Suppose you got rid of most of your massive game collection, only keeping the games you really want to play, which I expect is less than 20% of the games you have now. Aside from playing those games that you would keep, what would you do with your life? Can you think of any other activity or hobby worth putting your money into?

 

Whatever your answer is to the above question, I think you need to ponder the implications of that answer.

 

My game collecting begins and ends with the ColecoVision, and I wouldn't dream of collecting for any other system because my CV collection (both commercial releases and homebrews) takes up enough room as it is. So I would say I'm a collector without being a real hoarder, especially considering that the clock is ticking, and I know that one day I'll get rid of most of my CV collection, just like I got rid of most of my rather large collection of TV shows on DVD years ago. I thought getting rid of all those TV shows on DVD would somehow traumatize me on some level, but it really didn't. I just moved on to other things, namely ColecoVision homebrewing.

[atari181]

I used to collect for all sthe systems I had most all systems from the Channel-f through Xbox360. It became way too much to try to keep up with, time wise and financially. A little over a year ago I scaled down to Atari 2600 Primarily and sold most all my other systems and games, the largest being my NES collection. I still buy some Colecovision and intellivision. It now is much more manageable and somewhat of a relief.

[BassGuitari]

I used to be kind of the same way; I'd just buy whatever I could find if it was cheap enough. That's how, when I first got into collecting, I ended up with an Odyssey 2 and an Intellivision when what I really wanted was an Atari 2600 (not that I regret it!).

 

Fast forward a decade, and most of the systems I've acquired so much for (NES, Genesis, SNES, Colecovision...) I just don't care about anymore. Of my 200-ish NES games, for instance, I've learned that the only games I'm really interested in actually playing are the handful of "A-list" games and the ones I played when I was a kid. So that's about two dozen out of a couple hundred games that I actually give a shit about. There are exceptions, of course, that I "discovered" and fell in love with en route to my 200 games, such as N.A.R.C. If the rest of the games were to be sold off, I think I could make peace with it, but the act of actually giving it all up would be difficult. For these systems, I only pick up games that I actually want...unless they're stupid cheap.

 

Even with the systems I do care about (2600, Intellivision, Odyssey, Channel F...) there are comparatively few games -out of the total games I have for them- that I actually play. For those systems I will still pick up anything I don't have yet, bank account willing, but I know I'll never have everything. And that's cool. I love the Atari 5200 as well, and I'm only missing about 10 or 15 games for that system, but I guess they're games I'm not particularly interested in owning, except maybe Rescue On Fractalus. I've accepted that having a complete collection doesn't satisfy me any more than having the games I actually want to play. (It is fun to show off my 2600 collection and its plethora of consoles, accessories, and games, though!)

 

These days I'm more into computer systems. Fortunately with many of those I can rip disk images or play cassette files directly into the console. Not having "original" software doesn't bother me, which is handy since prices of cartridges for systems like the TRS-80 Color Computer and Atari 800 are kind of outrageous even for common titles. In fact, I often settle for burn .ISO files instead of buying games for 3DO, Saturn, etc (the tall 3DO boxes are sweet, though).

 

I've often thought about what it would be like if I sold off my entire collection (or most of it). I imagine it might be kind of liberating, no longer being tethered to all this stuff, tethered to nostalgia and the past. I have no idea what I'd do that new freedom, but it'd be exciting to find out. I'd probably just start collecting again.

 

[Mirage]

I'd be willing to bet that since it seems like you're feeling stress over the situation, that you'd get a lot of relief by just making the decision to sell off the stuff you don't enjoy. Especially when you think of the fact that you're unlikely to ever accomplish the nearly impossible goal of having "one of everything". You'll have more space, more money, more time with family and friends, and will actually enjoy your collection more as it will have a higher ratio of the good (to you) stuff. And, the extra $ you'll invest by having "one of everything" I doubt you'd ever get back. You'll certainly never get it back in your limited time here on Earth.

[tremoloman2006]

I feel for ya Ax... I'm kind of the same way when it comes to Atari, Texas Instruments (TI-99/4A), Tandy 1000 (PC), and die casts from old amine shows I grew up watching. (Starvengers/Getter Robo G, Gaiking, Grandizer, etc.).

 

My attic is stuffed to the gills and I've got a lot of stuff in nice neat boxes all cramped like a Tetris puzzle. I've thought of selling off some stuff but every time I'm about to my conscience says "NO!!!" and I wind up putting it back.

 

I have a curio I prominently display items that I rotate every few months so I can reflect on my fascination for these items. Perhaps you might think about doing the same so then you can better rationalize your hoarding such as I try to do.

 

Collecting is both enjoyable AND sometimes a curse as well.

[the.golden.ax]

Good points. Yes, in this house I have a basement. Things are ever so slow going. The kids rooms still are not finished much less the game room downstairs. Just cataloging and going through what I was able to glean from the 20 x 20 storage unit has taken over a year and I'm still not done. As I've gotten a few arcade machine and games out of boxes I've felt allot less pressure to keep getting more, and with the overwhelming difficulty in cataloging and going through it, more and more I see clearly that I have too much. To thine own self be true. When I talk myself out of selling something I feel like I'm lying to me. If it was that important then why did it come up for consideration in the first place!? Thanks for helping me work through this. You guys have been thoroughly helpful and respectful.

 

My wife and kids are my only friends and at present they enjoy the games as well (some rival my enthusiasm). I've always enjoyed tropical fish as a hobby and have been wanting to get back in to that. My heart is still a little broken from losing all my fish in the flood two years ago. Anytime you lose pets you have had for years, it can be a bit off-putting to have new pets. I'd be lying to myself if I said it wasn't being thoroughly obsessed over in my mind. I've still got all the fish tanks in storage. So, very accurate with those suggestions of perhaps another hobby.

 

Why oh why do people try to get all of something? My competitive nature kicks in. Me too, I want everything like the cool kids. Why is it so cool to have all of something? I'm asking myself that, not just you guys. It is with reverence and yes jealousy that I view large collections (swlovinist, Trade-N-Games, come to mind) and mine is nearing those proportions. I don't ever want to "get out" and go cold turkey, but if I'm never going to stop, then I really think it boils down to only having real good stuff I've got a real good reason for having. After all, this is for me and mine, not someone else. Right?!

[Seob]

I try to set boundaries in collecting stuff. At one time i was collecting games, boardgames, coins, stamps, phone cards and lot of other stuff. Then i decided i couldn't keep collecting for all and stop collecting for all, except games. Few years later i stopped collecting boardgames, and i narrowed the collecting of videogames down to consoles released in my home country, leaving out imports.

 

I try to collect a few imported games for every system, leaving out most sports games. Only those i played as kid and enjoyed i have kept or bought. I also keep a few microcomputers that i played as kid, like the c64, msx, amiga, schneider cpc464.

 

I only buy games i like or might like, i rather have a quality collection then a quantity collection. I avoid buying large bulks on the internet, and rather buy individual games, to reduce doubles.

 

For now this seems to work for me, although the turbografx is trying to lure me into buying. Not officially release back here, but i love the hu-cards.

Edited March 11, 2012 by Seob

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I usually have problems with collecting. Whenever I go to a flea market or thrift my wife will ask me what I am looking for. My usual answer is, "Whatever catches my eye." Therein lies the problem. I have tried to cut back to what I actually might play or want to get a set of. I will also pick up things that I know I can flip. Of course, I usually wind up not being able to flip things. I still find myself wanting to buy things, but I resist to the best that I can.

[jhd]

Back when I first started collecting (mid-1990s), I made the decision to limit myself to the Atari 2600.

 

The main reason for my decision was that I would never find games and/or hardware for these systems. For example, in 20+ years of hitting thrift shops, garage sales, and flea markets, I have seen exactly two Odyessy 2 lots for sale -- and neither lot included any decent games. I have seen exactly one Vectrex (with a damaged controller), etc. I cannot imagine collecting consoles for which i have no games, much less collecting games with no way to play them.

 

In recent years, I have expanded my collection to include a PlayStation and then a PS 2, but even now I have a narrow focus to my collection -- basically just arcade game compilations and RPGs. I have no interest in sports games, platformers, shumps, etc. and so I have no desire to collect them. I have no desire to spend money on games that I will never play just for the sake of completeness. I'd rather spend my money on things that bring me more enjoyment.

[Ransom]

Wow, a goal of collecting everything for every system! if achieved, that would be awesome.

 

For a little while anyway. Then it'd be just more stuff that you keep around.

 

At least that's what it'd be like for me. Sure, I'd love to have every videogame ever made. I'd get one of those rolling library systems to keep it all in. A climate controlled room would be a must.

 

But, yeah, realistically it's not such a great thing as others have pointed out and as you've realized. I understand the struggle, though. Even though I set strict rules for myself, I still struggle. I can always invent an excuse to break the rules when I see something really cool or really cheap. But I know I'll regret it.

 

One thing that helps me is taking the summer off from this stuff. After a little while, it all comes into proper perspective. It's just one aspect of my life. It's not my central focus. It's not my greatest source of happiness. It's just something I enjoy.

 

The problem comes when I get out of control (which usually happens in mid-winter when I'm feeling depressed). Then it stops being enjoyable. Too much stuff sitting around unused makes me feel guilty for spending the money on it.

 

You mentioned that you weren't sure what would become of it all when you pass on. Would your family want it? I've had to spend some time thinking about that from the other end. My dad is a collector of radios from the 20s through the 50s. He has tons of them. He carefully restores each one to as close to original condition as possible. Many of them are just beautiful, with inlaid hard woods, expensive cloth grilles, etc. But he knows that when he passes away, I'll be selling nearly all of it. His collection only has meaning to me in that it's something that he enjoys. I'll keep a few of them, but the rest will be sold. I imagine that's what most people do when they inherit a collection of anything, unless they happen to be collectors of the same thing themselves.

 

The way I figure it is: collect what you enjoy and have time, space, and money for. But definitely cultivate other interests. It's too easy to become monomaniacal and eat, sleep, and breathe collecting. Balance is good.

 

So it sounds to me as though you're on the right track. You're backing off a bit and trying to find the right balance for you. I understand the struggle, and hope you succeed.

[the.golden.ax]

I guess my biggest struggle is the feeling of missing the boat on something that will be or already is rare. Something I may never be able to get again if I "miss" it. You can, will, and do go crazy thinking like that.

[Ransom]

Heh. Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes too. The worst is when I get rid of something that I've never used and never will use...and then a few years later they're worth big bucks. But like you say, that way lies madness.

[Mirage]

Oh, well, yeah, I get that feeling on a small scale with games, but that's small time. I'm always a few steps behind with everything like that, so I don't bother trying anymore, I just get and keep what I want to have fun with, with not much thought about value either way. I mean on a small scale because my big mistakes have been with cars. I sold an unrestored car in 1993 for $2200. Today that same car, same condition is worth over $35,000. Doh! Sold another one for $1000 that would be worth about $20k today. So... small things like games? Pffft. My big mistakes have been made.

[fiddlepaddle]

This thread is a gentle reminder of all the reasons I'm insane.

[Seob]

Heh. Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes too. The worst is when I get rid of something that I've never used and never will use...and then a few years later they're worth big bucks. But like you say, that way lies madness.

I'm collecting because i like the games, not to make money out of them. Seeing it as an investment would be wrong. Cause most people collecting early systems, are collectors of the same ages chasing down childhood memories. Once this generation is gone, i think demand will be getting lower and lower, as do the prices.

[Ransom]

I'm collecting because i like the games, not to make money out of them. Seeing it as an investment would be wrong. Cause most people collecting early systems, are collectors of the same ages chasing down childhood memories. Once this generation is gone, i think demand will be getting lower and lower, as do the prices.

 

Sure. But that doesn't make it any easier to see something going for $100 that you sold two years before for $10.

[Atari_Bill]

Heh. Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes too. The worst is when I get rid of something that I've never used and never will use...and then a few years later they're worth big bucks. But like you say, that way lies madness.

I'm collecting because i like the games, not to make money out of them. Seeing it as an investment would be wrong. Cause most people collecting early systems, are collectors of the same ages chasing down childhood memories. Once this generation is gone, i think demand will be getting lower and lower, as do the prices.

 

We've gone down this road in other threads.... I very much agree with you on this. I just don't see most of our classic gaming items being collectible even 20 years from now. To me this is purely a childhood memory thing that won't mean anything to most that didn't grow up with them. I refuse to spend any significant money for something in my collection because I know that when it is time for me (or my family) to sell it, it just won't have value. I know others very much disagree with this however.

[fiddlepaddle]

Heh. Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes too. The worst is when I get rid of something that I've never used and never will use...and then a few years later they're worth big bucks. But like you say, that way lies madness.

I'm collecting because i like the games, not to make money out of them. Seeing it as an investment would be wrong. Cause most people collecting early systems, are collectors of the same ages chasing down childhood memories. Once this generation is gone, i think demand will be getting lower and lower, as do the prices.

 

We've gone down this road in other threads....  I very much agree with you on this.  I just don't see most of our classic gaming items being collectible even 20 years from now.  To me this is purely a childhood memory thing that won't mean anything to most that didn't grow up with them.  I refuse to spend any significant money for something in my collection because I know that when it is time for me (or my family) to sell it, it just won't have value.  I know others very much disagree with this however.

 

How much is an original Ford Model T "new in box" worth today? I imagine prices of games will follow a similar trajectory. Maybe a better comparison would be with books or records. As far as I can tell, only truly rare items become extremely valuable. All the other stuff fluctuates wildly with demand created as fads build and fade. We may see increases in value as electronic components die and more cartridges become non-functional, but I bet that'll be a long time after I die. If you own lots of stuff, the law of averages dictate that some of it will have been a good investment, but knowing specifically which items in advance is probably more elusive.

[Shannon]

Welcome to game collector's anonymous!

 

[SEgamer]

I've thought of selling off some stuff but every time I'm about to my conscience says "NO!!!" and I wind up putting it back.

 

Same thing happened to me yesterday. I was thinking about selling my Atari ST setup, but after testing it and remembering the neat programs that I have for it, I decided to keep it. That setup and my Amiga 1000 are the two I constantly go back and forth on whether I should keep or sell them.

 

I'm going to downsize my collection to only SNES, Atari 2600, N64, and Jaguar, mostly SNES and N64. The rest of my systems (colecovision, NES, PS1, PS2, etc.) I rarely play and don't mind using emulators for them.

[PeculiarSatyr]

I'd love to have complete collections for all systems but that unfortunately isn't realistic....space wise or money wise.

 

I've been trying to buy games I'm pretty sure I'll like and consoles that look like they have games I'd enjoy (I'll probably have most consoles eventually). There just are too many shit games out there that I'll never enjoy to try getting complete collections.

 

That being said once I have something I very rarely sell or trade unless I have duplicates. If I do decide to sell/trade something I instantly find myself wanted to play it.

 

Oh yeah and my wife gets pissed of at me if I buy shit and never play it so I'm pretty selective about what I buy.

Edited March 13, 2012 by PeculiarSatyr

[jhd]

One really easy way to keep the size of a collection manageable is to simply not purchase any games online -- no E-bay, no Buy & Sell Forums, etc. In all my years of collecting, I can count on one hand the number of titles that I have purchased online (and all of them came from commercial businesses rather than individuals or E-Bay sellers).

 

Obviously that means that I will never have a charge to purchase System X (or Game Y) because it is either scarce or it was never originally sold in Canada, but this constraint also prevents my collection from ever growing out of control.

[raskar42]

I like to think of myself as a player first and a collector second, but i have a few pieces that are for display only. keeping my game collection at a manageable size is a challenge, especially when some awesome deal shows up.