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Does it matter if it's your original console/computer?


Keatah

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Does it matter if it's your original console/computer?

 

There are hundreds of reasons and circumstances that may have prevented you from hanging on to your original childhood console/computer. Might be financial/divorce, living arrangements, theft, mechanical failure, water/fire damage. Ohh how depressing!

 

So.. Today.. You go and purchase an equivalent, same model, same color, same configuration. Does it matter? Has the sentimental value changed because it's not the exact same one you had as a kid? Does the notion of "not-original" fade away? Maybe it's not an issue whatsoever.

 

I had to replace a mainboard in an old PC once. The PC never felt the same. Some ineffable quality had been lost. Like a clone not being aware of its complete history. A soulless minion of mediocrity. Things improved when I swapped out the socketed chips from the old board onto the new/replacement board. A transfer of essence happened and it felt better. Happier. Kind of like in those sci-fi fantasy movies where a wave of light and tingling sound washes over whatever it is they're fucking around with.

 

I don't have my childhood VCS anymore. But I do have the chipset. It was a "release day" heavy-sixer. Should I ever get a VCS again, first thing I'd do is swap the chips and make it my own.

 

 

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I'm on my "third wave" of collecting, and its the only wave I've held onto.  First wave from childhood started with a VCS, then a Bally Computer System, and eventually the ColecoVision was added - but that was purchased with the sale of the Atari.  Eventually the Coleco and the Bally left my hands as well. 

 

Second wave came with the Sega Master System, then the Genesis, Super Nintendo and finally the mighty Neo Geo AES.  They were all sold off eventually. 

 

Third wave came about 20 years ago when I picked up another Neo Geo AES, one of the last BNIB Japanese systems from Supersellers of Japan.  I added back the 2600 from childhood, and went for a 5200 and 7800 as well.  ColecoVision of course, and an Adam both standalone and Expansion Module # 3.  Bally in every flavor from Home Library Computer all the way to the Astrocade, with everything in between.  Vectrex, Gemini, Genesis, NES, clones of every kind plus tons of homebrew games.  Sold that Japanese Neo Geo and a nice AES game collection only to pick up two more years later along with two MVS Gold cabinets and later on an Omega Entertainment Machine. 

 

Of course the third wave includes modern systems like the Xbox, 360, One X, Wii, Wii U, and now the Switch, but my Son is now involved in collecting as well so I guess in a way I'm passing the torch on to him, and most likely some day my collection.  Of course I'm teaching him about keeping all the boxes, manuals etc. and how to take care of his systems to keep enjoying them but also for the future.  

 

Now, my newest additions to my collection are the 3/4 cabs from Arcade1Up, so it should be interesting how this aspect winds up playing out over time. 

 

For me, every system holds a story and a memory to pass on, whether I still have them or not, and its OK that I don't have all the systems from years past, and yes, I have regrets from selling things off but that's just how things go sometimes.  You just build new memories on the new systems you pick up, and maybe pass things on to the next generation like I've done with my son.  

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1 hour ago, Keatah said:

Does it matter if it's your original console/computer?

 

There are hundreds of reasons and circumstances that may have prevented you from hanging on to your original childhood console/computer. Might be financial/divorce, living arrangements, theft, mechanical failure, water/fire damage. Ohh how depressing!

 

So.. Today.. You go and purchase an equivalent, same model, same color, same configuration. Does it matter? Has the sentimental value changed because it's not the exact same one you had as a kid? Does the notion of "not-original" fade away? Maybe it's not an issue whatsoever.

 

I had to replace a mainboard in an old PC once. The PC never felt the same. Some ineffable quality had been lost. Like a clone not being aware of its complete history. A soulless minion of mediocrity. Things improved when I swapped out the socketed chips from the old board onto the new/replacement board. A transfer of essence happened and it felt better. Happier. Kind of like in those sci-fi fantasy movies where a wave of light and tingling sound washes over whatever it is they're fucking around with.

 

I don't have my childhood VCS anymore. But I do have the chipset. It was a "release day" heavy-sixer. Should I ever get a VCS again, first thing I'd do is swap the chips and make it my own.

 

 

Can't really say I've had that experience.     Usually when I swap out, I get something better and I like the replacement more.    When my first computer, a 600XL developed keyboard problems,  I replaced it with an 800XL and never looked back.  I replaced my original 520STfm with a 1040STe.    Every PC upgrade I've done improves it in some way.

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For me, it is the system/spec/software that matters, not the precise specimen of a model. I sold my first VIC-20 in the late 80's, I traded away my original C64 as well as my Amiga 500+ in the mid 2000's, obviously I have swapped out PC's both in parts and entirety since I begun to use those in the early 2000's. Currently the system I've owned for the longest is a second hand Amiga 1200 which I got in the mid-late 90's and in great need of a recap. Well, that is excluding G&W's and similar dedicated LCD games.

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It doesn't matter to me at all. My parents were pretty quick to get rid of any old stuff once a new console/computer came into the house, so the only one of my original consoles I still own (not counting modern hardware) is the TG-16 I bought in high school (also the first console I bought with my own money) and if the game collecting bug hadn't bitten in college before I seriously considered selling it, it would probably be long gone. I don't play VCS or Colecovision games for the sentimentality or nostalgia, I play them because I genuinely enjoy playing them more than most current gen games, so it doesn't matter to me what I play them on.

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When I first got back into the Genesis I got a model 2 because it's what I had as a high school kid. I thought all the chatter online about the model 1s sounding better was nonsense...until I decided to pick up a VA6 model 1 (HD Graphics on the ring) because it looks cool. And then I figured out what the Genesis was SUPPOSED to sound like and my jaw dropped. 

 

So long story short, no it doesn't matter to me. Didn't matter to me if it even was the same model. :lol: 

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6 minutes ago, derFunkenstein said:

When I first got back into the Genesis I got a model 2 because it's what I had as a high school kid. I thought all the chatter online about the model 1s sounding better was nonsense...until I decided to pick up a VA6 model 1 (HD Graphics on the ring) because it looks cool. And then I figured out what the Genesis was SUPPOSED to sound like and my jaw dropped. 

 

So long story short, no it doesn't matter to me. Didn't matter to me if it even was the same model. :lol: 

I've been wanting to get a VA6 or VA4 (model 2) as I have a non-HD model 1... but mine is fine for now... at least it's not Atgames level of Genesis sound badness... 

 

Bur for the OP... no it's not important for me except for my NES. I have the first NES my family ever had... I've replaced some things (installed a BLW and replaced the broken cartridge door). For me it's more important to have the games I had back then + more.

 

My original SNES is in a landfill by now, same with my N64... I've been through 4 PS2s! (I have a good working fat PS3 now)… My original Game Gear died, and my second one needs repair. I sold my original Game Boy Color but still have my original Game Boy Pocket, GBA, GBA SP, DS... My Xbox and Wii are original... My most favorite consoles are ones I did not grow up with or ones bought second hand. Those being my PC Engine, Genesis, Atari 2600 which I got in 2004 or 5... (I was like 14 at the time). 

Edited by DragonGrafx-16
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If I still have the one from my youth, then it matters to keep it- even if a better version comes along, the sentimental value of having the same machine from back when it was new is of far more value.

 

But, if that machine is long gone- then it's not a problem to get a replacement. It can be sad to think of the once beloved machines now lost to time. But the replacement was once cherished too, and also thrown aside- and you just rescued it. You realized your mistake & now this new deck gets a second lease on life with you. Most people here, even if they just intend to flip, take the time to clean & test the stuff they get. Plus, we usually sell to other collectors who'll appreciate it. It's almost like adopting and/or fostering pets- only, y'know, not, becuase this stuff isnt alive.

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Depending on the person it could matter to a point I would think.  I don't have my original NES or SNES, but I do have the N64 and Cube from the day they went to sale.  The NES I swapped out for a top loader in time.  And while I had no intent on selling it I was selling some games and accessories years ago when I was back west again for a few years and I had this father and young son over checking stuff out. They were going to buy the games, then get the system elsewhere later, but the kid got so attached he asked and I was like yeah let him have it so my old test launch NES went to a little boy to have fun with again a little kid and his parent.

 

The SNES got jacked up inside the slot removing the tabs as years of use made the pin array sloppy and I got fed up with wedging cardboard in with the cart so it wouldn't wobble.  It was so bad you could blow gently on it and the tilt factor would lock a game.  The N64 though last year I got it UltraHDMI updated but it's still the original, and the Cube it's externally modded for GC2HDMI but it's still stock.

 

I don't have any of my original handhelds from any maker, games either more or less, though enough of those mistakes were remedied not long after.  I do have my original games though for the NES forward, at least most of them, as they had meaning to me enough to save them and the manuals too.

Edited by Tanooki
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I've very much regretted selling any of the original stuff I chose to part with as a kid. You often hear collectors say it's their original copy they grew up with. Wish I hadn't sold the copy of Wonder Boy 3 my brothers and I grew up continually borrowing from the neighbors, until one day I finally bought it from them. But alas, I hastily sold my SMS collection as a kid one day. For a Jaguar of all things.

Edited by DJ Clae
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18 hours ago, HoshiChiri said:

If I still have the one from my youth, then it matters to keep it- even if a better version comes along, the sentimental value of having the same machine from back when it was new is of far more value.

 

But, if that machine is long gone- then it's not a problem to get a replacement. It can be sad to think of the once beloved machines now lost to time. But the replacement was once cherished too, and also thrown aside- and you just rescued it. You realized your mistake & now this new deck gets a second lease on life with you. Most people here, even if they just intend to flip, take the time to clean & test the stuff they get. Plus, we usually sell to other collectors who'll appreciate it. It's almost like adopting and/or fostering pets- only, y'know, not, becuase this stuff isnt alive.

100% agree.  I still have my original 6 switch Atari and Colecovision complete in box from my youth.  No way I’d ever replace them. The small collection of Atari games that i had are also still CIB. Some are not in great shape, but even then I won’t upgrade them since they’re my originals. 

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I have my original 800 from 1983, but I don’t really use it (and it works well) because I won’t mod it...because it’s my childhood computer. I had less sentimental attachment to all my other A8s, which I picked up years later, which are all modded and get heavy use, because they’re much more fun to use in 2020. 

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