Nearly done. Are you?

[MotoRacer]

I am not a completionist. By no means am I sitting on just a couple dozen of games or anything, but my collection is conservative compared to most here, I'd imagine. And I've found that my "classic" gaming collection is nearing an end. As you can tell from my "gaming projector cart" thread I'm limited on space, though I've been able to fit all I want quite easily in the thing.

 

I only collect what I genuinely want to play. As it stands I already have "far too many" games for me to honestly go through even once for a number of years. And that's if I completely ignore current generation gaming.

 

I've gone through system game lists, and done a thorough amount of research. While I could stand to purchase about 30 more games, they aren't terribly crucial to me, and I'm more than happy to buy them casually as I come across them in time.

 

So are you done or nearly done? Are you just getting started and have a long way to go, or have you been collecting for years and will never stop until there's literally no more room? Or do you buy and sell as you want to play games, never amassing more than just a few games and a couple systems at a time?

 

Lastly, if you're done or nearly done, are you content with the idea of not seeking games on a regular basis? More money is always a good thing, but will you be able to say "no" to that obscure game you just learned about two days prior, that's there on a local store shelf for 30% less than its going rate?

Edited July 3, 2016 by MotoRacer

[Newsdee]

Random finds at a good price are hard to resist but I've made it a point to only get what I'd like to have on a shelf and actually play.

[Ransom]

Other than new homebrews of games that I like, I've been done for a couple of years now. I've sold off a few systems that didn't have enough good games to justify keeping them, and I expect to sell off a few more over time.

[Punisher5.0]

I've got a long way to go. My goal one day is to have a complete SNES NA collection (just carts is fine) and I'm only at 79 now. I've been thinking about getting back into the 32X too. I seem to go on long breaks of collecting depending on my interest. Sometimes I'll heavily focus on my car instead.

[Necron99]

nowadays, I rarely pick up anything that isn't a homebrew. I've run a bit low on space as well and figured it's just better to purge some titles from my collection that will probably never get played in order to make room for the homebrews.

[omegadot]

There's probably a dozen more games that I really want. Otherwise I'm pretty much done actively collecting. I really have enough, especially with flash cart and emulation augmentation.

[Gabriel]

Yeah, I'm pretty much done. Outside of the occasional homebrew/hack or accessory, I don't see myself hunting down much more. I long ago reached the limit of systems I could reasonably get anything out of. I regret not getting a Vectrex, Commodore 64, and Apple II, but there simply isn't time or space for those things now, not unless I want to get rid of things which I frankly have more of a connection to.

 

Plus, I've reached a point where I'd rather shunt the money to other things and hobbies. My current hobbies can be expensive enough without adding more videogames to the hoard.

 

Will I be able to resist some extremely rare and cheap goodie? It would depend on what it was. If we're talking about a pristine Vectrex for $70, then no, I wouldn't be able to resist. If we're talking about some random game which I have a cursory interest in, then I'd skip it. Back several years ago, I bought tons of games right at release, as well as picked up tons of old games. Now I hardly buy any games anymore.

 

To tell the truth, I'm just about to the point where I'm about to downsize.

[+save2600]

Same here, been trying to downsize for years. Just about the only games I'm after anymore are home-brews for the Intellivision, Vectrex (maybe), 2600/7800/Jaguar and TI as of late. Still passively looking for a handful of boxed Amiga games I guess.

 

Of the systems I have left, totally done with the C64, PS2/PS3 and TG-16.

[icemanxp300]

I'll likely never be done. I collect what I don't have. Would I rather have 100 crappy games or $25... I'll take the games they look better to me on my shelf than $25 does.

[BassGuitari]

I'm pretty sure I'll never be done. There are too many systems I collect for. And by "collect" I mean I'll grab a game or two here and there, or something specific I've been hunting for when its availability coincides with my funding.

[Flojomojo]

I'm still interested in the history and hobby, but am pretty much done buying old stuff just to have it. I'm very choosy about what physical things I bring into my life nowadays.

[high voltage]

I'm starting again, sold my VCS collection, almost finished re-collecting, sold my Lynx collection, halfway through re-collecting, sold my 7800 collection, that'll be next in my books... After that who knows.

[Punisher5.0]

I'm starting again, sold my VCS collection, almost finished re-collecting, sold my Lynx collection, halfway through re-collecting, sold my 7800 collection, that'll be next in my books... After that who knows.

I've done the same thing with Neo Geo but the prices have gone up so much over the last couple of years that I'm going to keep what I have and maybe in the future add on down the line.

[HoshiChiri]

I have a few systems that are basically 'done', like the NES- but as a whole? Not at all. I collect modern stuff too, so as long as games are being released I care about, I'm still in it.

 

I do make it a point to have room for at least 3-5ish more games, even on systems that are 'done'. Just so I can be sure that, if I learn about a game I'd like to have or manage to make of those one-in-a-million-finds ("Look! Stadium Events for $5!") I have some space. I get a LOT more picky about random pickups depending on how much room I have left, though.

[MotoRacer]

Yeah, this doesn't include modern systems.

 

And I know the feeling about the "done with a system until I learn about a game I really want" issue. I have room for a couple dozen more games, easily, but that's about it. So I need to really ask myself if a game is important when I buy it.

 

I'm surprised to see so many people into homebrew and so many people downsizing. The only system I've been considering to sell is the master system, but the one I have is so rare, and I know I'll want it again one day....so I hold off.

 

I think as I start to really get into my game collection, I'll find games that I don't like or care for, and I'll sell some as they come. But otherwise, I think I've done a great job not buying titles I have little interest in.

[rayik]

Stopped buying individual carts years ago. Just buy hardware and ever drive / multicarts. Rather actually play games than collect boxes, manuals etc

[CatPix]

I can't tell if I'm done.

There are tons of old games out there that I mgiht like and never heard of. So I have room for discoveries. And there are new games that keep coming that I can like. So the only question I can answer is "are you nearly done colelcting systems. For which I can say "yes". I would like to acquire a MSX2, an Amiga, a Mega-CD...Maybe a Lynx, a Game Gear. And that's probably all I'll need for now as far sa macines goes. But games... can't tell.

[mikey.shake]

I've long had a wishlist for physical carts/discs I want to own. And over the past few years, I've watched it get smaller and smaller, even though I keep adding cheap ("$10 and under") games to it, and the occasional nice one. Only interested in picking up the games I want, though I'll always discover new stuff I would pick up if the price is right.

 

I have the 75 or so NES games that would have made my ultimate dream collection when I was 12, around the same number of loose 2600 games that represent the perfect collection for me (excepting the few still on the list), and then a smattering of carts/discs here and there for whatever other consoles I like. Just a selection (10-20 each, mostly 10) of my favorite games for each, to have an "always" collection for each system. "Mike's Greatest Hits", or whatever.

 

The rest, I flash cart.

 

I can have real copies of ALL the "ones I always wanted" -- to fetishize and enjoy on that small set of "nostalgia shelves" -- and still play anything else I might want to. Without completely burying myself under piles of "collection". My bag is "purity of experience", and if I can play the game perfectly via a flash cart through original hardware through a CRT, why not have all the convenience of space-saving and emulation features, while still getting my nostalgia rush through a pretty few shelves of antique electronic toys from my childhood that are still fun to play? Frankly, I've been buying more "random" selections because of the Everdrive. Especially Famicom stuff.

 

Sorry, off track. But my point is that, yeah, now that I have all the games I could have ever wanted, and am able to play more games than I could ever have conceived of (via Everdrive N8, Harmony Cart, Mega Everdrive, and a couple more on the way), suddenly, my list is dwindling and I couldn't be happier. Summer's coming up and we only have AC in our bedroom, where the gaming stuff is. This is what I spent all those years buying games for -- being able to kick back and play anything I've ever wanted.

 

Feels great.

[Keatah]

Great topic. I'll break my stuff into 4 areas.

 

1- Apple II

2- Ti-59 calculator, TRS-80 Pocket Computer 1, 2, and 4.

3- Classic 486 DX/2-50 & Pentium III @ 1.5GHz

I consider these collections done and finished. Closed. I may, however, pick up some odds & ends here & there like parts and fittings. Screws, chips, wires, connectors.. Maybe the occasional manual or book. No high dollar things. No impossible to find things. You know, stuff to assist repair & maintenance in the future. I don't actively seek out new things for those collections. At some point soon I even plan on trimming the Apple II and III material down to size - keeping emphasis on what I had when I was a kid.

 

4- Modern day PC

1 high-performance PC and 3 rubbermaid tubs to go, please! Yes.. Thankyouverymuch!

 

This covers a lot of ground and includes things like X-Plane, Orbiter Spaceflight Simulator, PhotoShop graphics, and writing tools. Emulation, DosBox, MAME, Altirra, Stella, WinVice, WinUAE, ePSXe, Higan, and many others. Not forgetting classic PC games either, Duke 3D, Doom, Quake, Raptor, and Descent, and all the necessary software to keep a Windows XP & 7 system operational and in top shape.

 

I keep current with X-Plane and Orbiter Spaceflight Simulator. They're complex simulations and have been in development for nearly 20 years. I do spend extra time and money to stay current and am always trying new things and improving technique.

 

"PhotoShop graphics" is a generic term for digital photography and fractal rendering and recreational art. It's always nice to have a fast PC around for such things. This is great relaxation "me time".

 

Emulation is ongoing and the big focus. I expect to be collecting and curating digital stuff for years to come. It is at the forefront of all my classic/vintage/retro activity. It is convenient and reliable. Developments in emulators continue. Accuracy improves. New features become available. New insights gained through interviews, long lost code, all of it, all of it provides a rich landscape to explore.

 

Without emulation and focus on PC software I'd be back to nearly 4 garages and a storage locker full of half-operational unmanageable unsightly junk and an endlessly complaining woman running around. I've said goodbye to tons of stuff, classic games, consoles, cartridges, computers, arcade cabs, and everything, long long ago.

 

As for modern stuff, XBox, PlayStation, phablet gaming, things online, things laden with DRM.. Pffft.. I don't bother, it's too much trouble and the amount is clearly too much to warrant any sort of collection. So much of it is crap to begin with anyways..

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I'm one of those people who only collects for a few systems, and for those systems I only collect games that have received positive critical reception and that I think I would enjoy playing. I've been collecting actively for about 4 years now, and I've still got a good decade or two to go before I'll be able to acquire all the games that I want to own for the systems that I collect for. To be specific, here's how many games I'm still looking for on the systems that I'm collecting for.

 

Game Boy/Color: 275

Game Boy Advance: 70

Nintendo DS/DSi/3DS: 108

Nintendo Wii: 65

 

Total: 518 games

 

 

That's where I'm at right now with how many games I'm still looking to pick up for the systems that I'm focused on collecting for, though I think the number for the Game Boy Advance will grow by at least 15 or 20 games before I'm done collecting since I haven't really researched too deeply into the system's hidden gems catalog yet. And when I do eventually finish off the Wii wants list I know I'm going to start working on a GameCube collection, which would add another 60'ish games to the list. So figure that there's probably around 600 games left to go before I'm completely finished collecting.

 

I'm not in any rush on it though. Right now I'm just working on my Game Boy/Color library and picking up 4 or 5 games a month. There are a couple rare and hard to find games that I'm really actively looking for on eBay (and still waiting for good deals on them to come along) but for the most part I just pick up games from my wants list as I stumble on them at local game stores. If I happen to come across a game I want for the other systems I'm collecting for I might pick it up if the price is right, but for the most part I'm just working on the GB/GBC library right now; and doing it slowly ebough that I make sure to take the time to fully play through every game I buy. There will be no unplayed games in my collection.

[Clint Thompson]

I was done nearly 13 years ago when I realized I was spending upwards of $500 a month (sometimes $1,000) in gaming hardware/software. Though, still better than wasting it on drugs and there are worse things I could've been doing with the money I suppose. Thankfully as of recent with the Lynx SD cart and Jaguar Skunkboard, I'm able to relive some of the things I've loved so much. Yet here I am about to drop $500 on the PSVR and another $300 on the console itself - old habits die hard I suppose lol

 

Realized this was in classic - I once had about 700 2600 carts - lot of them ended up damaged in a flood and I decided to sell the rest - kind of takes away the joy of collecting when the majority of your collection gets ruined. Still the thrill of the find and collecting is the best and enjoy a lot of the memories behind it all with a definite learning experience as a result from all of it.

[Zookeeper]

Haven't been buying much lately; don't have much money to throw around anyhow. Working on sports cards and semi-waiting on prices to return to sanity. If they ever do.

 

If the money starts coming in and/or we magically return to pre-hype prices I guess I'd be more active. Did pick up some nice boxed GB games at an estate sale fairly recently.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Zookeeper

[icemanxp300]

Space is a very big problem for me. So I have been lining the walls w/shelves. I have a huge Hutch w/4 drawers that was/is packed full of cart only Atari, genesis, snes, jaguar, and so on. I just finished building these shelves today. You can see I already dumped 2 draws of Atari and genesis carts out of it. I have the Atari carts double stacked to save space. I hate doing that but when mass hoarding you have to make sacrifices lol.

 

I'll post a new pic and update my collection thread when I get everything cleaned up a bit better.

 

 

...

[MotoRacer]

Space is a very big problem for me. So I have been lining the walls w/shelves. I have a huge Hutch w/4 drawers that was/is packed full of cart only Atari, genesis, snes, jaguar, and so on. I just finished building these shelves today. You can see I already dumped 2 draws of Atari and genesis carts out of it. I have the Atari carts double stacked to save space. I hate doing that but when mass hoarding you have to make sacrifices lol.

 

I'll post a new pic and update my collection thread when I get everything cleaned up a bit better.

 

100_4752.JPG

 

...

I hear you on space. That sucks that you have double rows for games, that would bother me. The shelves look nice though! Maybe do what I do and have a system of drawers and bins? You can stack the bins/drawers so you don't have to slide your games to the side to see what's behind them.

 

I posted this in my other thread, but after two hours at Lowes today and another hour and a half building the sides on this cart out of metal peg board, I've finally found a good home on my cart for my extra pads and some games I didn't want in the storage area below.

 

Edited July 4, 2016 by MotoRacer

[Dripfree]

So I envy your self control and you're ability to focus you're collection. I however am going the opposite route. Speaking specifically of my NES collection, If I had your control I would have been done a long time ago with the exception of the extremely rare games. I have lately been making a point of buying all the crap games at the lowest price I can find them. Most of them I may never play but I see them as being almost like trading cards. When I get a new one I clean it up as best as it can be, I take a moment to admire it, then I file it alphabetically on my shelf. For some reason that whole process brings me great joy. I fear I will not be able to say I'm done until I own 1 of every game ever made. Even then there would be label upgrades to get, boxes and manuals. Collecting can become a sickness and I say that very literally, it's a combination of hoarding and ocd with extreme focus. I love it. So far I have managed to indulge these tendencies without having any negative impact on my life. I do believe if it took that turn I could change.... but I guess well just have to see.

 

Also your thread title sound like something Yoda would say.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Dripfree