Has anyone every given up collecting?

[nightrnr]

Somehow, I have my entire collection stored in my room (not saying the amount, it's almost embarrassing).
But, I'd like to think there's a reason for each and every game that I own. I can't give it up entirely.

Anyways, this thread makes a good case for emulation. I mean, even if you can afford it, you can't own EVERYTHING.

[Hazerd]

I have.

I've mentioned elsewhere on the forum that I sold my entire complete USA boxed SNES collection, but I've sold more than that -- my NES, GB, GBC, GBA, N64, PS1 and other collections. The fact of the matter is that the bloody things really do take up a huge amount of room, and are a huge pain to move around. I'm just as happy with a system and a flash cartridge these days, yay for modern technology.

I love the games, but I don't feel like owning physical copies makes my love any more legitimate. I've been there, done that. Not to mention, the amount of money I gained selling it all was atrocious, allowed me to get out of university debt and have a fresh start.

My physical storage space can't keep up with my gaming interests, so I've largely stopped collecting physical copies. I often find myself getting annoyed now if I can't get a digital copy of a game I want, which is weird because I used to get annoyed when I couldn't get a physical copy of a game I wanted. I even keep a lot of my CD/DVD games in binders and store the cases in boxes.

As much fun as it is to show off a gargantuan collection of all media, it's also nice to actually decorate a room. My house looks less like a Blockbuster video and more like a nice living space. Oh, look there's space for a bamboo plant here. Perhaps I could put a lamp over here. Yes, that's refreshing.

the Force is weak with these 2... a BAMBOO PLANT!?

or maybe women in there lives took over... mmm i shall meditate on this..

[StuntDouble]

I've given up on collecting, and only buy games that I think I will enjoy playing. I hate having something and knowing I never use it, which is why I'll probably be selling off my Dreamcast and Gamecube collections pretty soon. I'd get rid of the PS2 too, but I think my girlfriend would remove my head.

[J T]

the Force is weak with these 2... a BAMBOO PLANT!?

or maybe women in there lives took over... mmm i shall meditate on this..

Speculate away, but you should know that irixith IS a woman and even though I don't like to wallpaper my house with them, I still have an extensive collection of games. If you had been on this site a little longer, you would know that the force of our combined gaming enthusiasm is not even an issue for sane debate.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

[Hazerd]

the Force is weak with these 2... a BAMBOO PLANT!?

or maybe women in there lives took over... mmm i shall meditate on this..

Speculate away, but you should know that irixith IS a woman and even though I don't like to wallpaper my house with them, I still have an extensive collection of games. If you had been on this site a little longer, you would know that the force of our combined gaming enthusiasm is not even an issue for sane debate.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

how can you even call having 1000+ games CUTTING BACK!?! on collecting... ug my neck hurts.

[irixith]

the Force is weak with these 2... a BAMBOO PLANT!?

or maybe women in there lives took over... mmm i shall meditate on this..

Speculate away, but you should know that irixith IS a woman and even though I don't like to wallpaper my house with them, I still have an extensive collection of games. If you had been on this site a little longer, you would know that the force of our combined gaming enthusiasm is not even an issue for sane debate.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

I still have a collection of sorts as well, just not the massive amount I had in the past. Collecting anything can take over your life, and it took over mine. I was constantly "on the lookout", at garage sales, flea markets, online, every brick and mortar store I could find that might possibly stock games. I was always in collecting mode, and never in "sitting back and enjoying the fruits" mode. There's always one more game, or a special edition you didn't know about, or 2 colours of your favourite system only released in Japan. Collecting and cataloging, collecting and cataloging, making lists of what to search for next.

Obviously it's a bit mixed up in my genetic wiring to go about it like that, but that's how it was. I'd be away somewhere, and I'd be calling my partner in a panic to go to such and such store RIGHT NOW to get such and such deal on such and such games. I collected an entire boxed SNES collection in six weeks. SIX WEEKS! When I think of all the other things I could have (and should have) been spending and saving for, it makes me a little sick to my stomach. I wasn't being particularly frugal, like a lot of smart members here are. I simply wanted to collect, collect collect.

Now I have a smaller physical collection, and quite a large digital collection. The digital stuff obviously doesn't have the same impact -- it's just bits and bytes on a hard drive, but still there when I want to play. Now I concentrate more on playing, and have a better experience for it. It's almost like an addiction -- that little collection bug is always whispering in my ear, but for the most part I'm really good at ignoring it.

[J T]

I still have a collection of sorts as well, just not the massive amount I had in the past. Collecting anything can take over your life, and it took over mine. I was constantly "on the lookout", at garage sales, flea markets, online, every brick and mortar store I could find that might possibly stock games. I was always in collecting mode, and never in "sitting back and enjoying the fruits" mode. There's always one more game, or a special edition you didn't know about, or 2 colours of your favourite system only released in Japan. Collecting and cataloging, collecting and cataloging, making lists of what to search for next.

Obviously it's a bit mixed up in my genetic wiring to go about it like that, but that's how it was. I'd be away somewhere, and I'd be calling my partner in a panic to go to such and such store RIGHT NOW to get such and such deal on such and such games. I collected an entire boxed SNES collection in six weeks. SIX WEEKS! When I think of all the other things I could have (and should have) been spending and saving for, it makes me a little sick to my stomach. I wasn't being particularly frugal, like a lot of smart members here are. I simply wanted to collect, collect collect.

Now I have a smaller physical collection, and quite a large digital collection. The digital stuff obviously doesn't have the same impact -- it's just bits and bytes on a hard drive, but still there when I want to play. Now I concentrate more on playing, and have a better experience for it. It's almost like an addiction -- that little collection bug is always whispering in my ear, but for the most part I'm really good at ignoring it.

This is an insightful post about the nature of collecting. The games have even taught us that collecting is some sort of worthwhile goal. Before you know it, collecting every video game on your wishlist is as much a game as getting every gold star in Mario 64. Once you have a ton of them though, you're kind of like.... "oh. shit. What do I do with all of these now?" The obvious answer is to play them, but when your collection is massive, you'll never complete every game in your collection within your lifetime, so you have to be strategic about what you play and for how long. Though I may be interested in thousands of games, I am limited by space to put them and time to play them. The more I realize this, the easier it becomes to pass up certain games that I don't think I'll really enjoy much even if it is a "totally awesome deal". I'm also fine with playing a game just to get a feel for it, then moving on without completing it if I wasn't enthralled by it.

[dedalusdedalus]

I collected an entire boxed SNES collection in six weeks. SIX WEEKS!

Amazing. Do you have any pictures of your old collection?

[final fight cd]

I collected an entire boxed SNES collection in six weeks. SIX WEEKS!

Amazing. Do you have any pictures of your old collection?

i am curious of this as well. reading nintendoage, i know some members over there have spent a few years just looking for one boxed copy of a snes game. how did you manage to buy 700+ cib games in 6 weeks including games people have spent years trying to locate?

that sounds more than just a hobby. that is just insane.

[irixith]

I was working a well paying job at the time, and money was no object. (As was the case for the fellow I ended up selling it to.) I probably spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $30,000 between the games and shipping and whatnot. I don't think I have any pictures, but I'll check. At that time in my life, I wasn't really aware there were other people like me out there doing the same thing. If only there was a racketboy 12 years ago!