what do you NOT collect...

[Atari-Collector]

I know a lot of people collect every Atari thing they can, but I was wondering if there's thing you don't bother with?

 

For me, I don't worry about anything "paper", like box, manuals and so on. I don't toss them if something comes with paper stuff, but I won't pay extra or go after paper stuff either.

 

I do this for a few reasons, space is very limited for me for one thing. I'm not interested in having stuff in a box, if it's not out where I can use it, I'm not that interested.. Also, I have a number of health issues, and old paper stuff tends to get musty, moldy, or just plain grungy...

 

I have a stack of cart manuals somebody gave me a few years ago, it's about 5 inches or so thick. It was a nice gesture to get them, but I just put them in a bag and on a shelf. I've thought about putting them on ebay some time just to get some cash and let them go to somebody that would want them more..

 

I'm more interested in the durable stuff, the actual machines, carts and so on..

[MaliciousCarp]

I will not usually buy sealed games. For me the whole point is to play the games and when I happen across a sealed game I really don't want to open it. I don't see the point in owning it as a shelf decoration so I usually will pass on them - even if they are really cheap.

 

I will buy boxes and manual for games that I really like, but mostly I just go after carts and hardware.

[Atarian7]

I stopped collecting a few years ago. I just play now. I have bought a few games in that time but not just to collect them.

 

Instead of listing what I didn't collect I will list what I did collect: Games, Instruction manuals, sealed new games and new in box controllers.

So everything else is what I didn't collect.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Atarian7

[HoshiChiri]

I've never cared much for strategy guides. I'm certainly not above using guides or cheats to play a game- do it all the time- but it always seemed a bit silly to me to spend extra money on a book to keep next to you for the purpose. I'm more of a 'look it up as you need it' kind of guide user.

 

I have a small selection of strategy guides, but they were freebies from my sister's ex when he worked in donations at Goodwill (this particular store categorized the guides as magazines, and magazines always got thrown out. So it was kind of like pre-dumpster diving.) I've only bought 2- the Little Big Planet guide because I was trying for a platinum I never did get, and the Hyrule Warriors guide because it was more artbook/behind-the-scenes info than guide.

[G-type]

I try to play games on emulator before I buy to see what I will enjoy playing.. I don't just grab a game because I don't already have it.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

To put it simply, I don't collect anything that I won't have a practical use for. I only buy games that I know I'll actually play, and when I do buy games I only go for loose cartridges or cartridge + manual copies. I do like reading the instruction manuals and find it helpful to have the original paper manuals around, since reaching into a drawer and pulling one out for reference is faster and more enjoyable than trying to look up digital manuals online.

 

I do occasionally buy a complete in box Atari game if the price is really good, but in those cases I always just resell the box afterwards since I only have use for the cartridge and manual. As far as hardware and such goes, the same applies. I only buy systems and controllers that I think I'll use regularly and whatever ends up sitting around unused for a while gets resold. I'm fairly utilitarian when it comes to collecting.

[toiletunes]

Sports games.

[Ransom]

Like Jin, I only collect what I'll use. But for me, that includes the box. But then I've always kept my carts and manuals in the boxes they came in. I had a shelf full of them back when the VCS was on store shelves, and later I kept the huge 400/800 boxes as well. It's like keeping the album cover, to me. When I got into the resale market in the 90s I was a little surprised to find that I was apparently one of the few to keep boxes. Most of my friends had kept their game boxes as well, so I'd assumed most people did.

 

Aside from keeping the complete game, though, I'm not a completist at all. I don't collect things just to have them, and I don't need to "collect 'em all." Ephimera like flyers and buttons hold no interest for me, either.

[HammR25]

I don't collect Atari, I play it on a multicart.

[InfoMan]

I collect anything and everything Atari. I have bought a whole Atari 2600 collection just for the box.

 

Oh wait - I just realized there is a limit to what I will collect. I do not collect any of the ST or PC stuff. Except the Portfolio - I've got a pretty extensive Portfolio collection.

[Torr]

Anything that's overpriced for what it is.

IE

 

Super Mario 3 McDonald's Happy Meal toy.

 

Price: Free-$1.00 - Sure it'll look nice sitting on a game shelf or by a Nintendo system

Price: $1.00+ - No thanks. Don't care what it's worth as a 'collectible' it ain't worth it to me, leave it for the collector who wants it.

 

---

 

MUSHA; Sega Genesis

 

Awesome game... but I refuse to pay more than $50 for ANY game.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Torr

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I don't seek out boxes, but I will pick one up occasionally if it's one I particularly like. Same with label variations and Sears versions of games. I only need one working copy of each game.

 

I've opened every sealed game I've ever bought, which isn't many, but does include a Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I don't seek out boxes, but I will pick one up occasionally if it's one I particularly like. Same with label variations and Sears versions of games. I only need one working copy of each game.

 

I've opened every sealed game I've ever bought, which isn't many, but does include a Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em.

[jhd]

Broadly speaking, I have no interest in collecting games that I do not wish to play -- that includes sports games (with a few rare exceptions), music games, and anything aimed at children. I am far from being a completionist collector.

 

I am indifferent to boxes (those I have for the 2600, in particular, are stored flattened), but I do like manuals, especially for newer games. I have even occasionally declined to purchase a PS 2 game because the manual was lacking. (And I am aware that PDF copies are frequently available for reprinting.)

 

I have no interest in "collectibles" (figures, advertising material, etc.) or European/Japanese games that will not run on my hardware.

[PhilipTheWhovian]

I have five main categories of things I would not collect.

1. Games with nudity and excessive violence

2. Games that offend me, personally

3. Games over £1000

4. Games on cassette (to excess), and no Coleco Adam games

5. Large libraries for non Nintendo home consoles made after 2002

Number 4 is mainly because I know that cassette tapes will easily die on me, and I would be the person who forgets about the Adam's start up wiping ability.

Then there are a couple of more minor categories.

1. Most pong clones (aside from Magnavox, Nintendo, Atari and Videomaster)

2. Some more obscure handhelds

3. The Amstrad GX4000

4. Edutainment

[BassGuitari]

I don't actively collect boxes, though quite a few have come my way over the years.

I don't generally go out of my way to collect manuals, either. However, I've been considering trying to complete my manual collection for the Atari text label carts since carts like Miniature Golf and Slot Machine didn't have cover art otherwise.

Microvariants of cart labels: Big instead of little , logo placed here rather than there, *slightly* different color text from a different print run, who gives a shit. That nonsense is for Intellivision Donkey Kong box collectors.

Uber-rare and otherwise mega-valuable carts, hardware, and accessories. I can live with my repro Texas Chainsaw, Halloween, Magicard, and Rescue Terra I carts (although I gather even the Sunmark Magicard repro is somewhat valuable now). I've lived so far without a Columbia Home Arcade, an original Video Life cart, a Romscanner, and a Compumate computer add-on, and I imagine I'll get along just fine without them in the future (not that I'd turn one down if a deal presented itself that was too good to pass up, of course).

Items in ratty condition: I display as much of my 2600 stuff as I can--if it looks trashy and can't easily be salvaged, I don't want it. Yes, sometimes I pay extra, but it's a minor upcharge for the peace of mind of not having to worry about whether the imperfections of Item X are going to drive me crazy enough to buy another copy to upgrade it.

Junky third-party controllers: I've acquired enough of them over the years. I don't need any more half-functional Gemsticks with chewed-up handles.

PAL and pirated carts and consoles: No disrespect to my Euro, Aussie, Asian, and South American friends, but I've gotta draw the line somewhere. Exception: Brazilian/PAL-M titles like Mr. Postman and Bobby Is Going Home that didn't appear in North America.

Otherwise, it's pretty much open season for me! The 2600 is one of the few systems I'll collect just about anything for...it's also one of the few systems where I still can collect just about anything for, unlike the Atari 5200, Intellivision, Odyssey 2, and Channel F, where I'm about as far as there is to go without getting into the really insane stuff.

[DarQ Massacres]

currently I am working on collecting every 1 rarity and 2 rarity game, but the games are all i really collect, if it happens to come with a box or manual so be it, but it doesn't normally stay in the box unless I buy it sealed, but I only have 2 games SIB. I don't really collect hardware, I have 1 atari 2600, 2 controllers a set of paddles and a star raiders control pad, but I don't see myself getting much else for it any time soon

[Atari-Collector]

Wow, i didn't expect to see this many replies when I posted this morning. Always interesting to read what people do. I just bought Snoopy vs the Red Barron today at a pawn shop. They had $35 (Canadian $) on it but I got them to come down to $25 (plus tax..) Haven't tried it yet as both my 2600s are still boxed from moving a couple weeks ago. I don't play much these days due to a hand injury the left my right hand partly numb all the time. But I'm going for testing by a neurologist in August..

Seeing what they are going for on ebay + shipping to Canada, I think I got an ok price, Still want to get Tapper.. I did notice the price tags on most of the stuff there was on the high side..

 

I have 70+ for the 2600, most all the coomon stuff and I go for rarer stuff if the price it right or I'm in the "i need to buy Atari" mood.

[AtariLeaf]

I'll echo what others have said

 

- I only buy games I will play

- I don't go out of my way for boxed games unless they mean a lot to me and I'm pretty much there

- I don't collect label variations as a general rule but really interesting variants I might grab if cheap like a Taiwan Cooper Popeye because it had such a weird label

- I don't collect anything pretty much after the 16-bit generation

- I don't collect Disc based games which I realize is pretty much the same as above

 

Basically I have to actually like and enjoy the game to play it, I no longer buy "shelf filler" games

[Flojomojo]

Not collecting stuff you don't play -- sounds good to me. I just listed 50+ PS3 and PS2 games on eBay because I haven't touched them in at least 8 years. I don't think I'll miss any of it, some of it is worth a few bucks, and a lot of it is duplicated elsewhere as a download or PC port.

 

The binge-purge cycle is easier to see when you get older and go through it a few times. It's easier for me to resist buying stuff I don't badly want just because it's cheap --in physical form. My hoarding is all digital nowadays. I still like having a big collection, but not the physical space it takes.

[GeekDragon]

I dont collect sealed games. I want to play them. If i canget a sealed game for a real good price, i may think about it, but I dont hunt for them. Everything else is fair game for me.

Edited May 20, 2017 by GeekDragon

[+Atari_Warlord]

I haven't really bought any old items in years, but here is my list of things I don't collect.

 

1. Label variants

2. Non- NTSC

3. Boxes

4. Costs above $500

[+-^CrossBow^-]

This is an interesting question. And I hadn't seriously thought about it until now.

 

Not that I wouldn't collect them but these are typically what I don't actively go looking for:

 

- Expensive games I don't yet have. (There have a been a few exceptions...very rare exceptions)

- Strategy Guides - (I do have a few, but only because they came with a lot of stuff I was buying. I don't actively go out of my way to purchase them)

- Neo Geo (I just can't afford that...LOL!)

- Most Nintendo (I don't actively look for NES, SNES, N64, NGC, etc... I have what I would want to play and really enjoyed from back then already)

- Handhelds (I do own a Lynx and Game Gear and Gameboy. But again, like the above I don't really actively seek games on those. Just what I'm likely to actually play)

- Computer hardware or software (I need to clarify as I do have a pretty decent PC big box collection and still actively buy big box PC games, but only IBM compatible stuff)

- Amiibos or most figurines (I do own like 4 Amiibos, but they were bough purposely for a display piece I put in the game room. Not for actual game play reasons)

 

Having said that there are a ton of other systems I don't actively collect for. Either because I don't have anything that would kick start it or simply because the games on it don't really interest me. The C-64 is an excellent example or Amiga. Great computers in their day for sure! But I was never part of the crowd back in the day that had these and was the outcast with his IBM setup LOL. Funny how that all changed when the Adlib and VGA graphics came into their own in the late 80s and Soundblaster in the early 90s.

 

It should also be said that consoles or systems I don't actively collector for could very well become part of my active collection when I run across them.

[AlwaysOnPlanetPatrol]

I really slowed down my Atari collecting over the last six months. Just to busy with work, life, other hobbies.

 

I stopped buying anything off eBay that's not in Canada. And even here I'm pretty selective on what I buy. I've given up on trying to find some missing items like Gas Hog (I owned a PAL copy I bought in 83), Espial and Miner 2049er vol II Electric Bogaloo. I certainly have a price limit off what I will pay for and will always haggle at the local retro stores. A couple of places I'm a frequent buyer and I usually try to be fair, so I tend to get a bit of deal.

 

Having said that I do splurge on occasion. Placed another order with Best and bought a bunch of sealed games after getting a reasonable volume discount.

 

I buy good quality loose cartridges, sealed, boxed and sometimes some controllers. I never buy manuals, reproductions, homebrews (the recent 7800 multicart was the exception), patches, catalogues, trinkets (mugs, etc) and any more consoles (I have two 7800s and that's enough). The same goes for the Intellivision, I don't collect anything else.

 

I think the only things I'm looking for would be a SD-cart for the 7800 and perhaps a Commodore 1702 if a cheap one near me comes up for sale.

Edited May 22, 2017 by AlwaysOnPlanetPatrol