Game Collecting

[SubCog]

whoops, I guess I missed the PS3 when I drafted the list. Good catch. I've added it now.

[OverclockN']

Whoa, nice collection!

[Silent-Runner]

Originally Posted by OverclockN'

Whoa, nice collection!

https://imgur.com/gallery/W4MGMqE

[logical]

This is a pretty sick wall poster/frame thing made of legos. Where can I buy one..lol

[Silent-Runner]

Originally Posted by logical

This is a pretty sick wall poster/frame thing made of legos. Where can I buy one..lol

buy? pffff, make one yourself

[Jkmetal23]

This thread is triggering my current minimalist ethos.


I mean.... emulators?? More stuff than you guys have time for??? AHHHH! Its stressing me out lol.



I used to have a small collection of PC games and for a while saved the cases of all of the PC/PS3 games I got and I displayed them. Somewhere I have a picture. Even picked up a genesis, PS1, PS2 at yard sales and trolled goodwill's.



I threw out most of my PC and PS3 cases and sold off anything that had value to local game store. I don't miss it.

[SubCog]

Originally Posted by Jkmetal23

This thread is triggering my current minimalist ethos.


I mean.... emulators?? More stuff than you guys have time for??? AHHHH! Its stressing me out lol.



I used to have a small collection of PC games and for a while saved the cases of all of the PC/PS3 games I got and I displayed them. Somewhere I have a picture. Even picked up a genesis, PS1, PS2 at yard sales and trolled goodwill's.



I threw out most of my PC and PS3 cases and sold off anything that had value to local game store. I don't miss it.

In my early 20s I threw out nearly everything, for the same reasons you mentioned. I could run games in emulators, didn't want to manage a bunch of physical stuff, etc.

In my 30s I started collecting again. Partly for nostalgia, partly because I'm better settled now (less nomadic, and have a place to keep my stuff), partly to share with my kids. Also started to notice the limitations of the emulator scene... especially n64 emulation, which at the time was not great, and even now has never really achieved the same level of compatibility and stability of other console emulators.

My current game room setup has 9 CRTs and a couple of HDtvs, many different new and retro consoles, and I'm working on building a couple of arcade units. Sure, I don't play every console every day, but they all get some playtime, at least every once in awhile. My kids like to sample them in the evenings, and sometimes dive-in deeper into various versions of Zelda or Mario Kart. It's extra fun having everything setup this way, rather than just running emulators off of a PC. Sure, it's extravagant, and it makes my wife roll her eyes, but that was kindof the point.

My mom was a bit of a hoarder, so I've always been a bit conscientious of that. To me, there's a difference though, between collecting and hoarding. A collection has a proper place to be displayed and used, not just piled up in storage... Ironically, I think that's a big part of why I have collected so many CRTs, so that all the game stuff can be out, setup, on display, and ready to play... ironically makes it less of a hoarding thing. While I do have some items in storage, I don't believe in keeping things in storage long-term, or keeping things that I'm unlikely to ever sort, use, or maintain.

The emulation scene has evolved alot in the last several years though. Projects like MiSter make a very strong case that we can now throw out alot of old hardware, unless we have nostalgia tied to the actual physical devices. I'm also fascinated by the way that many modern emulators are enhancing games above and beyond their original constraints, such as running n64 & PS1 games in widescreen, stable 60fps, and getting rid of the wobbly polygons, etc... becoming something of a remaster rather than a perfect recreation. How that impacts collectoring, I'm not really sure.

[Jkmetal23]

Originally Posted by SubCog

In my early 20s I threw out nearly everything, for the same reasons you mentioned. I could run games in emulators, didn't want to manage a bunch of physical stuff, etc.

In my 30s I started collecting again. Partly for nostalgia, partly because I'm better settled now (less nomadic, and have a place to keep my stuff), partly to share with my kids.

My current game room setup has 9 CRTs and a couple of HDtvs, many different new and retro consoles, and I'm working on building a couple of arcade units. Sure, I don't play every console every day, but they all get some playtime, at least every once in awhile. My kids like to sample them in the evenings, and sometimes dive-in deeper into various versions of Zelda or Mario Kart. It's extra fun having everything setup this way, rather than just running emulators off of a PC. Sure, it's extravagant, and it makes my wife roll her eyes, but that was kindof the point.

My mom was a bit of a hoarder, so I've always been a bit conscientious of that. To me, there's a difference though, between collecting and hoarding. A collection has a proper place to be displayed and used, not just piled up in storage... Ironically, I think that's a big part of why I have collected so many CRTs, so that all the game stuff can be out, setup, on display, and ready to play. While I do have some items in storage, I don't believe in keeping things in storage long-term, or keeping things that I'm unlikely to ever sort, use, maintain.

I'm in my early 30s myself but I'm far from settled and with no kids. So, likely although I'm close in age to most in this thread, my circumstances regarding living arrangements and family structure are very different.



My Grandfather was a bit of a hoarder and I've been mindful of 'use not need not' since he passed. I too used to pick up CRTs (monitors) but I sold off the last two this past July. Nice to have, I barely used them, especially for PC gaming.



The game store guys nearly had a fit when I said that I just tossed most of my PS3 game manuals and cases lol.


I guess I'm posting ITT bc I over the past three weeks I got rid of the last of anything and the entire collection now lives digitally or in CD binders.

[Meteor_of_War]

Haven't checked in on this thread in a while but cool to see its still going.

I have always tried to hold onto my old childhood physical games, and would from time to time buy more over the past 20 years when I wanted something, but I didn't really get big into collecting until about my mid-thirties (I'm 43 now) when I bought my first single family house and had a good room to dedicate to displaying them. Also usually that's the point when old gamers really start getting the nostalgia bug and I was no different.

I decided my main goal along with restoring and displaying my old NES/SNES games from the 80's/90's was to try to buy all the games I wanted as a kid but never got, and always try to pick up anything else that looked cool and interesting that I'd find along the way. In that time I amassed a collection of 1200 physical games across two dozen different console platforms from mainly hunting yard sales and thrift stores on a daily basis. Its not as easy to find them anymore but back in the 2005-2015 time range they were everywhere and for pretty cheap. Around 2016 the retro collecting scene exploding in popularity and now game hunting for the stuff from my generation is pretty much a waste of time.

I definitely at least try all the games I get, and do end up playing through a lot of the better ones. But honestly I collect them more so as physical trophies of nostalgia and game hunting, and its something that emulation just can't provide for me. I am a kid of the 80's and video games were a huge part of my entire life starting as young as age 3. I consider myself as much a retro collector as a retro gamer. To me nothing puts a smile on my face and warms my heart like sitting in my game room and flipping through old physical games that I found to soak in the nostalgia. I understand not everyone would be into that sort of thing but it really does it for me.

Originally Posted by Jkmetal23

The game store guys nearly had a fit when I said that I just tossed most of my PS3 game manuals and cases lol.

Have to say as a collector of complete disc based games this triggers me for sure. One of my biggest peeves when out game hunting was finding someone selling loose console games in a binder. I'd always ask, "hey do you still have the cases and manuals for these?" and when they said they threw them out it made me want to cry. Same for Sega cartridge based games or Nintendo DS games or anything that came in a non-cardboard case. Those cases are not meant to be disposable!

[Jkmetal23]

Originally Posted by Meteor_of_War

Haven't checked in on this thread in a while but cool to see its still going.

I have always tried to hold onto my old childhood physical games, and would from time to time buy more over the past 20 years when I wanted something, but I didn't really get big into collecting until about my mid-thirties (I'm 43 now) when I bought my first single family house and had a good room to dedicate to displaying them. Also usually that's the point when old gamers really start getting the nostalgia bug and I was no different.

I decided my main goal along with restoring and displaying my old NES/SNES games from the 80's/90's was to try to buy all the games I wanted as a kid but never got, and always try to pick up anything else that looked cool and interesting that I'd find along the way. In that time I amassed a collection of 1200 physical games across two dozen different console platforms from mainly hunting yard sales and thrift stores on a daily basis. Its not as easy to find them anymore but back in the 2005-2015 time range they were everywhere and for pretty cheap. Around 2016 the retro collecting scene exploding in popularity and now game hunting for the stuff from my generation is pretty much a waste of time.

I definitely at least try all the games I get, and do end up playing through a lot of the better ones. But honestly I collect them more so as physical trophies of nostalgia and game hunting, and its something that emulation just can't provide for me. I am a kid of the 80's and video games were a huge part of my entire life starting as young as age 3. I consider myself as much a retro collector as a retro gamer. To me nothing puts a smile on my face and warms my heart like sitting in my game room and flipping through old physical games that I found to soak in the nostalgia. I understand not everyone would be into that sort of thing but it really does it for me.



Have to say as a collector of complete disc based games this triggers me for sure. One of my biggest peeves when out game hunting was finding someone selling loose console games in a binder. I'd always ask, "hey do you still have the cases and manuals for these?" and when they said they threw them out it made me want to cry. Same for Sega cartridge based games or Nintendo DS games or anything that came in a non-cardboard case. Those cases are not meant to be disposable!

I'm a monster. I know.



If it helps, I did save two cases and put it into my 'chest of worthless sentimental/personal items). Silent Hill Downpour and Silent Hill HD Collection. So, there is that. Plus I sold off my PC silent hill games, my PS1 games and sold off a number of my other PC games. So the games with the most current value to collectors have largely been preserved.



Should I have held on to my case and manual for 3D Dot Game Heroes? Maybe. I just can't be weighed down by things right now. Probably some of this has to do with me coming into possession of my PS3 games when I was an adult. They have little nostalgia value to me, so its have them on a shelf for.... ? Someone. Not myself.



Wow at 1200 games... Not going to lie, I'd be tempted to sell off all of those with how crazy the retro market is. I made some $$ selling off the N64, Genesis and PS1 and some of the games, that was to a store to boot, so I got maybe 50% of what I could have gotten. (**** the idea of meeting up with some collector type or shipping to someone via ebay, way to many exacting jerks in the video game collecting hobby)

[Meteor_of_War]

Since I'm fortunate enough to be pretty financially stable and solvent right now i don't think I'd ever consider selling any of my collection. I'd have to be desperately in need of cash. I just don't see it that way. Its a collection for personal enjoyment to me, not an investment.

The value of my collection doesn't have any bearing on anything for me. Aside from my original games i bought at retail, they pretty much were all acquired for pennies on the dollar from local game hunting and i would always sell or trade off any duplicates I'd obtain in large lots which would more often than not recoup most or all of my costs. I was at a point where i had a good system going that funded my collecting so i hardly ever had to put any money into it.

[Jkmetal23]

Originally Posted by Meteor_of_War

Since I'm fortunate enough to be pretty financially stable and solvent right now i don't think I'd ever consider selling any of my collection. I'd have to be desperately in need of cash. I just don't see it that way. Its a collection for personal enjoyment to me, not an investment.

The value of my collection doesn't have any bearing on anything for me. Aside from my original games i bought at retail, they pretty much were all acquired for pennies on the dollar from local game hunting and i would always sell or trade off any duplicates I'd obtain in large lots which would more often than not recoup most or all of my costs. I was at a point where i had a good system going that funded my collecting so i hardly ever had to put any money into it.

Then you're in it for the right reasons.


The $$ attached to some of the things I had.... that sealed the fate of everything I sold. (sealed the deal for my old Baseball cards too, which are worthless)



I used to troll yard sales in my early-late 20s, I would troll library sales and thrift stores until I was 30. I used to get deals on things I actually wanted in those years, especially at libraries.



Early 30s have been pretty brutal, with this past year being a garbage show where just having to think about things that sit around was a big mental drain.

[Meteor_of_War]

I actually really enjoy (and miss) doing the yard sales and thrift stores. Its actually another big part of why I love collecting. No matter how wealthy I get in life I will still always like browsing second hand items for sale. It feels great to find an awesome treasure in a pile of junk.