When Does Collecting Become a Problem?

[dsheinem]

There are people with long backlog of games, hundreds of games just sitting on the shelves collecting dust, thinking in their minds that they will have the time to play all of them, yet, continue to buy more games.

You are no longer a collector at that point

A Collector (of any kind) seeks rarity.....Current Video Game collectors think the more you have the better....that is hoarding.

What an absurd definition of "collector". I think a lot of people collect so that they have a library on hand of many games to potentially play when the moment strikes them. Rarity is nice, but not requisite. Others collect for the sake of collecting - why is that "a problem"?

I'd also add that many people who collect large collections with the intent to play them actually do play them...

I'm sorry about your own personal problems, but don't try and apply whatever is going on with you or your own personal views equally to everyone involved in some aspect of the hobby.

[Zodd]

I don't really agree with this...hoarding is a mental illness that doesn't necessarily revolve around wasting time/money, as the OP seems to be having issues with, but an inability to let things go while also picking up new things they have no use for. It seems similar, but there are differences.

As you stated, "an inability to let things go while also picking up new things they have no use for."

As a video game collector, can you let go of your collection?
As a video game collector, do you pick up new games?
As a video game collector, do you have any use for the new games brought when you already have games that have not been touched yet?


If your answers are:

1: No
2: yes
3: No

You are a Hoarder based on your own definition, Retro.

Maybe the TV show HOARDERS have painted this stereotypical characteristics of what hoarding is and people believe they are nothing like that.....when they commit the same actions

Would you consider any of the big internet gaming personalities to be hoarders? Avgn, Happy Console Gamer, The Game Chasers? Pete Dorr (well, maybe this guy, his collection is out of control) but I guess my point is that people CAN be collectors and not have to enjoy it every second of every day.

I don't know if AVGN buy any new games but he seems to focus on Nintendo and play his games.....so no he is not a hoarder

Happyconsolegamer do not rush to get every game that comes out and only buy or review games he has already....and he plays his games....so no he is not.

Game chasers and Pete Dorr are hoarders, IMO, because they seek to acquire games rather than play them. Game chasers whole show is about going place to place to buy video games cheap.......and Pete Dorr have already stated that he begun collecting because he wanted to have what he saw on the internet of other people rooms.

[Curlypaul]

I don't see the problem with being a collector or hoarder by anybodies definition. The problem the OP has is that his hobby consumed his life and cost him his partner.

If his hobby was playing games 24/7, would the outcome have been any easier to swallow? what if he liked fishing, being drunk, building model airplanes?

Doesn't really mater what it was, he spent too much time on his hobby and I can relate to that. My obsessions regularly take attention away from my wife, and over the years she had complained, I adjusted and tried again until I was at the stage am I now. I have to consciously walk away from my hobby sometimes but I'm generally in the habit of balancing my life a bit better.

Stinks that she didn't give you a chance to talk about it. I hope that she is at least willing to talk to you about this soon.

[Hatta]

Collecting has become a issue at my home already. Foxhound has bought games and hid them in the car thinking i would never find them. He constantly ignores me for games and online stuff it makes me feel worthless sometimes. But no amount of fighting and game hoarding is gonna change how i feel about him. I know that collecting is what makes him happy so i just deal with it.

I don't want to be too nosy, but I don't think just dealing with it is the best thing to do. In 10 or 20 years you might have built up a lot of resentment after being made to feel worthless repeatedly. It may seem like a little thing to put up with, but little things add up. If you value the relationship the best thing to do is find a workable compromise now so you're both getting what you want out of it. Just dealing with it is how people grow apart.

[Zodd]

What an absurd definition of "collector". I think a lot of people collect so that they have a library on hand of many games to potentially play when the moment strikes them. Rarity is nice, but not requisite. Others collect for the sake of collecting - why is that "a problem"?

I'd also add that many people who collect large collections with the intent to play them actually do play them...

I'm sorry about your own personal problems, but don't try and apply whatever is going on with you or your own personal views equally to everyone involved in some aspect of the hobby.

This whole post basically reads as "People who enjoy the hobby in different ways than I do are flat out wrong and terrible people."

I find it quite interesting that when someone put hoarding into the mix of things some people here get defensive.....as if to defend something sacred.

Someone posted that his fiance left him due to his obsession with obtaining a mass amount of video games...and wanted to know if there are any negative side of collecting video games...and people here start defending that collecting video games is not a problem and its a joyful thing.

[fastbilly1]

Collecting becomes a problem when it cost you something in real life. I am a collector, but not in the magnitude of others. I am also a gamer, but shamefully have many more titles than I have beaten. Has my collecting caused a problem in my personal life, yes and no. Yes it has in the past, no it is not causing one now. I dated a girl in college who thought gaming was fun but more than every once and a while was silly. She hated that I wasted time playing PC games with my friends instead of going to baseball games with her - even though she knew that I am bored out of my mind at baseball games. She also thought that having more than one console was a waste of money. Well that relationship ended very badly (via facebook) and that was that.

Fast forward many years and my wife likes that I enjoy collecting not only games but neat looking things. She also loves that games allow us to play together. She was the one that asked for a Gaming PC so she could play games with my college friends. So like the others have said, you need to have balance. One of my favorite things in the world is boardgames, and my wife was not a fan but gave it a shot and now loves playing them now. So in her sewing room we are adding a desk for me to paint figurines at - yeah I am one of those kinds of gamers. So while we may be working on separate projects, we are still right there talking. Now it does mean I do not play as many single player games, but thats ok, there are plenty of coop games out there.

[AppleQueso]

Maybe the TV show HOARDERS have painted this stereotypical characteristics of what hoarding is and people believe they are nothing like that.....when they commit the same actions

Compulsive Hoarding is actually pretty well documented, and it's not just acquiring a bunch of games you don't bother playing.

Basically, you're choosing a very board definition of "hoarding" so you have an excuse to insinuate that people are mentally ill if they choose to go about participating in the hobby in a different way than you do.

You really wonder why people are acting defensive when you're trying to paint them as being mentally ill?

Someone posted that his fiance left him due to his obsession with obtaining a mass amount of video games...and wanted to know if there are any negative side of collecting video games...and people here start defending that collecting video games is not a problem and its a joyful thing.

People defend the position that collecting video games is not inherently a problem. You seem to think for whatever reason that if you collect, situations like the OP's are an inevitability, which is completely absurd.

[Retrogamer0001]

I don't really agree with this...hoarding is a mental illness that doesn't necessarily revolve around wasting time/money, as the OP seems to be having issues with, but an inability to let things go while also picking up new things they have no use for. It seems similar, but there are differences.

As you stated, "an inability to let things go while also picking up new things they have no use for."

As a video game collector, can you let go of your collection?
As a video game collector, do you pick up new games?
As a video game collector, do you have any use for the new games brought when you already have games that have not been touched yet?


If your answers are:

1: No
2: yes
3: No

You are a Hoarder based on your own definition, Retro.

The answer to all of your questions is yes. Like I already said, my life doesn't revolve around my collection - I have a fulltime job, a girlfriend, bills to pay, etc. It doesn't consume all my free time either, as I have other hobbies as well. Could I let my collection, or pieces of my collection, go for the right price? Absolutely. Am I struggling financially right now and need to resort to that? Not at all.

As far as picking up new games goes, I don't see how that makes me a hoarder. I am not out every day scouring the city I live in for new games to buy. I do, however, wait for new games to be released and will keep an eye out for price drops and good deals. I am thrifty and do attempt to save myself money whenever possible.

As far as gaining a backlog of games while still acquiring new ones, that is what collecting ANY hobby is about. I buy games used whenever possible to avoid paying retail, and have a list of games I want to purchase. When I see a game on my list for a good price, I buy it. That's a part of being a video game collector, in my opinion. I play my games and beat them when I have the time. I'm curious as to how you feel about people who collect old cars, sports cards, dolls, toys, etc...is every person who actively collects something a hoarder in your eyes?

[Retrogamer0001]

Maybe the TV show HOARDERS have painted this stereotypical characteristics of what hoarding is and people believe they are nothing like that.....when they commit the same actions

Compulsive Hoarding is actually pretty well documented, and it's not just acquiring a bunch of games you don't bother playing.

Basically, you're choosing a very board definition of "hoarding" so you have an excuse to insinuate that people are mentally ill if they choose to go about participating in the hobby in a different way than you do.

You really wonder why people are acting defensive when you're trying to paint them as being mentally ill?

Someone posted that his fiance left him due to his obsession with obtaining a mass amount of video games...and wanted to know if there are any negative side of collecting video games...and people here start defending that collecting video games is not a problem and its a joyful thing.

People defend the position that collecting video games is not inherently a problem. You seem to think for whatever reason that if you collect, situations like the OP's are an inevitability, which is completely absurd.

Well said, Queso!

[Zodd]

[

Compulsive Hoarding is actually pretty well documented, and it's not just acquiring a bunch of games you don't bother playing.

Basically, you're choosing a very board definition of "hoarding" so you have an excuse to insinuate that people are mentally ill if they choose to go about participating in the hobby in a different way than you do.

You really wonder why people are acting defensive when you're trying to paint them as being mentally ill?.

From your link, it states, "Compulsive hoarding behavior is a pattern of behavior that is characterized by the excessive acquisition of and inability or unwillingness to discard large quantities of objects that cover the living areas of the home and cause significant distress or impairment. Compulsive hoarding behavior has been associated with health risks, impaired functioning, economic burden, and adverse effects on friends and family members"

So you mean to tell me that collecting video games never bring about ANY of those effects?

Can you depart with your collection tomorrow?
Does your collection cover large areas of your home?
Does your collection cause distress to your significant others?
Economic burden?

This is what YOUR link defined it as.......