Do We Collect Too Many Video Games?

by Norman Caruso on February 9, 2012 in Articles, Feature with 17 Comments
collections

 

“The things you own end up owning you”

- Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

I was browsing the Racket Boy Forums the other day and came across an interesting post. The title of the thread was “Do I have a problem?” Curious, I clicked on it. Here is what the original post said.

“Do any of you often feel that you are more into collecting games than actually playing them? Do you ever feel like no matter how many games you acquire, you aren’t satisfied with the ones you have? I feel this way a lot, for example; I often go online to look for new games that I would like get, instead of spending time playing the games that I already have.

Of course, I collect games to play them, but sometimes I am more motivated to collect instead of play.”

This post reminded me of myself. When you were little, how many video games did you own? Probably not a lot I’m assuming. You didn’t have the money! But you were happy with what you had (at least I was.) Fast forward to adulthood, and suddenly you have some money to spend. Thus begins many gamer’s quest to collect all of the old games that they missed. If you watch any gaming videos, you’ll notice some people have massive gaming collections in their background.

When I reached adulthood, the collection bug hit me. I suddenly had the urge to collect video games. I would go out every weekend and look for games at thrift stores, yard sales, stores, auctions, and craigslist postings. It was an addiction. Now some of you might be thinking “well, it’s better than doing drugs!” This is true. But is it healthy?

I slowly began feeling like the user from Racket Boy Forums. I wasn’t getting games to play them. I was getting these games to own them. I was more motivated to collect than play. Looking around my room, there were games everywhere. They were slowly taking over my office. Just looking at the amount of stuff I owned stressed me out.

That was when I made up my mind. When I moved in June, I decided to sell my video game collection. Not the entire thing, of course. There are some games that are truly important to me and that I love to play over and over again. Everything else I put on E-Bay. I left North Carolina with the following games.

- Earthbound
- Little Samson
- Medal of Honor
- Super Mario All-Stars (Wii)
- Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
- Final Fantasy XII

Selling my video game collection was one of the most liberating feelings I have ever experienced. I made several thousand dollars, I payed off all of my debt, and I suddenly had more room to breathe. Since then, I have made a conscious effort to only get the games I want to play, and I usually play them one at a time. My girlfriend recently got me on Gamefly, a way for me to play the new games without actually owning them.

This post was not written to attack people who have video game collections. If you have a collection and you love it, great! I’m simply presenting the other side of collecting video games. Being a retro gamer does not mean you have to own a ton of games. It’s all about playing the games, enjoying them, and talking about them.

So what do you think? Do we collect too many video games? Or have you found a happy medium?

    Tagged:
    • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Schulz/30800908 David Schulz

      While I’ve been picking up games here or there since college, the collecting bug bit me last year when I discovered RetrowareTV. I’ve always been the collecting/completist type and SNES games are the ones I aim to complete. I buy games for other systems as well, but only games I really want to play. My NES collection has grown in size, but each game I’ve picked up has been one I’ve wanted to play either because of videos or Nintendo Power as a child.

    • EconomyShark

      I’m a combination of the two. I generally buy games I want to play but if a certain game is cheap enough or maybe a cool enough item for a nice price, I’ll buy it just to have them. I rather like the look of my collection, but I’ve considered selling a bunch. At the moment, whenever I buy a game, I have room for it. Maybe one day when i dont have anymore space on my shelves, I’ll decide to sell a bunch.

    • Rokogu

      Yeah I’ve been collecting for almost 5 years now, and i will admit i probly have a dozen games that i havent touched, but recently, like maybe for two weeks now i’ve been actually trying to finish alot of my games like for NES, I usually only buy games i want to play, but when i came to NES i would just buy anything, so now i want to try and finish all of my games. wish me luck

    • Anonymous

      I like to collect and play but I wouldn’t take it too far. I like having a clean organized room and to appreciate what I have on display. I couldn’t do that if I had games piled up to the ceiling.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1210423907 Mathieu Comeau

      To be honest, I have sort of a middle-of-the-road way of collecting. I love collecting and having a bunch of games, but I’m constantly going through the games I own and asking myself: “Do I really play this game?” If not, I make a trip to the Hock Shop or try to sell them to a friend. A balance between quality and quantity.

      That said, I will not go out of my way to get especially “rare” or “expensive” games. I’m sorry, but paying 100s of dollars for an NES game is just not my cup of tea, I don’t care if it’s the original print of Final Fantasy in the original box with all the packaging and booklets and everything in mint condition and it hasn’t been opened. If I’m gonna buy a game, I want to play it and put some wear and tear on it.

    • Anonymous

      Its definently an addiction for some people.

    • tonyseven

      When I was in first grade (1988), my parents bought me an
      NES for Christmas.  I played Super Mario
      Bros. and Duck Hunt for eight months, and then it was August (my birthday), and
      my parents took me to Babbages to buy a new game.  I picked Double Dragon 2 because it was
      2-player and I liked the cover artwork.  It turned out to be a great choice!  For
      the next four years I acquired maybe 15 more games, and I always played the games
      all the way through.  I spent hundreds of hours playing each game.  Each one was
      special to me.  It’s funny how I always picked games based on the cover art – Super C, Ninja Gaiden 2 – and most of the time they turned out to be great. 

      In 1992, I bought Super
      Nintendo and I spent a few years buying SNES games, but then I started to get
      into other hobbies like sports.  So instead of playing video games after school, I was playing soccer and basketball.  By the
      time I started seventh grade (1995), my NES and SNES were buried somewhere in
      my closet, and I had stopped playing them altogether.  My collection of games sat there, collecting dust for almost two
      years, until one day I started thinking about Nintendo again.  Something got me thinking about the past…I don’t remember what, but
      suddenly I became interested in buying NES games again.  It was just like your artilce described!  I had my own money, and so I
      started buying used NES games at Electronics Boutique, Funco Land
      and other video game stores.  My desire to get more and more games was insatiable. 

       

      I started buying NES games from some of my classmates
      too.  My list of games was increasing
      each week.  Before long, I had over 150
      games, most of which I had barely played. 
      I was collecting simply for the sake of collecting!  Back then, I didn’t realize there were over 700 games available for the NES.  I thought there
      were only like 300 games.  So for a little
      while, I fantasized about owning the complete collection of NES games!  I was a foolish naïve eighth grader in the summer of 1997. Once I discovered there were over 700, I was like “Forget that.” 

       

      I kept all of my games in shoe boxes under my bed.  I rarely played them, and probably spent more
      time looking at them or updating my list. 
      After all while, I got bored with collecting NES games, and they sat
      under my bed for a few years.  By then, I was in high school, and video game collecting wasn’t a priority for me.

       

      During my junior year of high school, I made a huge
      mistake.  I needed money, so I
      impulsively sold nearly all of my NES games for roughly $1 a piece.  I don’t know what I was thinking.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.  I started feeling regret within one hour
      after selling my collection.  Fortunately,
      I kept a small collection of my favorite games (25).  As for the other 130+ games, I didn’t realize that I would miss them so immensely! 

       

      Ever since then, I’ve always regretted that day.  I didn’t realize how valuable those games
      were to me.  I sold great games such as Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, River City Ransom, Tecmo Super Bowl, TMNT 3, Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong Classic, and Metroid.  I also sold Mega Man 4 & 5 (two games that I never got around to playing). And to think that I sold all of these for $1 each! 

      Ironically, I also had the entire
      Dragon Warrior collection.  I had Dragon
      Warrior 4 (complete with box and instructions manual).  I didn’t know how rare it was.  I never even played it.  RPGs have never interested me much, so it was nothing more to me than an NES title on my list.

       

      I get so annoyed when I see Dragon Warrior 4 listed on “rare NES collection” websites or videos.  I think to myself, “Damnit!  I had that game!”  I can’t believe I turned out to be one of those idiots who sells games without knowing their true worth.

       

      Well, a few years ago, I found myself watching James Rolfe’s game
      reviews, and more recently started watching Derek Alexander’s HVGN videos.  That got me thinking about NES games
      again. 

       

      So for the past two years, I’ve been collecting like crazy
      again.  I certainly feel like an
      addict.  I keep telling myself to be
      patient and not buy too many games at once. 
      I try to wait for good prices. 
      But sometimes I wonder if it’s healthy. 
      On one hand, I feel it’s not a bad hobby to have.  I buy NES games.  So what? 
      At least I’m not buying ridiculously-expensive furniture or
      paintings.  It’s not like I’m dumping
      thousands of dollars into this collection…just hundreds.  Also, I’ve tried to give myself a goal.  A few months ago, I typed up a list of the “last
      remaining games I have left to purchase.” 
      I don’t want to buy the entire NES collection.  I don’t want crappy games like Hoops, To the
      Earth, or Jack Nickalus Golf.  I don’t
      want a full basement of games like James Rolfe has.  Yeah, that looks pretty cool, but I don’t
      want that.  I just want the best NES
      games – which in my slightly uneducated opinion is about 275 games.  I can do without the other 500 games.

       

      But what happens when I complete my list?  I think I have about 52 left to buy.  By now the titles are getting pretty tough to
      find: Contra Force, Duck Tales 2, Fire n Ice, RC Pro AM 2, Little
      Samson…yeah.  I might never buy Little
      Samson or Fire n Ice.  Oh well.  It’s not gonna bother me too much.  But I keep telling myself that soon this list
      will be reduced to maybe 10 games and then I can take a break.

       

      But will I take a break? 
      Or will I be unsatisfied with my games? 
      Will I start adding more games to the list?  Will I suddenly have the urge to buy Hoops,
      Mag Max, and To the Earth?  Ugh!  I hope not. 
      Right now I have about 220 games. 
      I buy most of my games online because they have the best prices
      (JJGames, GameWerks, LukieGames, DKOldies, etc).  I don’t buy them from used gaming
      stores.  Every time I go into those
      places, the prices seem too high. 

       

      To conclude, I am well aware that I’m collecting games for
      the sake of collecting.  However, I have
      full intention of sitting down and playing them someday soon.  I just recently bought Journey to Silius and
      Shatterhand.  I can’t wait to play them,
      but I’m too busy now.  Maybe this summer
      I’ll actually sit down and play those two. 

       

      Years ago, when I sold all of my games, I was pretty
      upset.  Maybe I’m collecting these games
      to avoid that feeling again.  What is it
      about my collection that gives me a sense of security and comfort? 

       

      I wonder how I’ll feel when I check off the last game on my
      list.  Hopefully better than I feel
      now. 

      • mds0014

        wow, sounds like you have an impressive collection.  good luck and i hope you do feel satisfied.

    • mds0014

      i dont have a collecting addiction probably because i dont have a lot of money.  i know, sad.  but i think i have a Lets Play addiction.  i seem to prefer to watch an lp rather than play the same game i have.  :(    perhaps i’m just really bored and want some real interactivity with real people.  and no online gaming doesnt count.  the last thing i want is some douche teabagging me.  >:O

    • http://www.facebook.com/adriel.minier.5 Adriel Minier

      For Me, I am a retro gamer too, but the thing is with me, when it comes to buying old games, I get old games that I Like and want to play, not to just simply collect a game just to have it, I’m sorry but I’m not one of those people that’s gonna go and pay $100 for a rare game or a brand new copy for that price, because come on, Why pay $100 just because it’s complete? You’re getting the same game you could just get for maybe $10 or less, just with a complete package that’s all, I don’t care if it’s complete package or so, if I want the game, I’ll get it regardless.

    • Zaiko

      Oh man Norman… I didnt,t know you sold all your games exept for a few. I peronally would never do that. I always keep things, even though i dont want it so much I keep it. Just the feeling that somebody, maybe in my family can have fun playing these old games in the future, make me never give them away for money. Here in Skandinavia where I live, there arent many places that sell retro games. The flee markets here were i find my games mostly are different than the ones in the US too. The school-orchestra gathers around used stuff for free and sell it in the school. That only happens twice a year! Hope you made your own choice there and nobody pushed you to do it so you wont regret it :)

    • 8 Bit Loco

      Yes its like an an addiction but I like to name it a hobbie. Its the adrenalin when going to a flee market etc.. and not knowing what your going to find. I love to haggle and get the deals its a great feeling to find out that you bought a $50 dollar game for only $3 bucks. Its sounds weird not sure if people here agree with me. And you don’t have to have a lot of money to start collecting, the key is to have a lot of patience and be educated on how to haggle and know what your buying is worth.

      Growing up I only had about 15 games and yes now that I can afforded them I buy the ones I wanted as a kid. For the most part I play them and they bring memories. When people go into my room they are impressed with all the shit I got, but I can assure that I am not the 40yr virgin. I was at the 8bit era during the 16 bit era, in other words I was always behind a system, growing poor sucks. And Norman I got a feeling your going to regret selling your games, sooner or later.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004113690207 Hannah Smith

      i have some rare n64 games those are
      donkey kong 64
      mario party
      banjo tooie
      super smash bros
      pokemon stadium

    • Monti

      As a minimalist I strive to own very little. However, as a retro gamer I really enjoy playing a myriad of games on any given day. The solution, a MAME cabinet. Take a woodworking class, build a cabinet, and voila thousands of games in one place.

    • http://twitter.com/ChelchoArgueta Sergio Argueta

      As a child kid in the 2000s in New jersey, i had maybe four or five playstation games. Spiderman, digimon rumble arena, Spyro 2, and maybe some others. I killed those games to death. I played spiderman so many times that i decided to read the spiderman comic books. Before i knew it, my local newspaper was giving away the rereleases of the original comic spiderman comic books, like a god-given gift. Anyways, back then, thats all i had. Then turn to 2005, we finally got a playstation 2. I had ratchet deadlocked and Sly cooper three. I killed these games also! I loved being sly and stealing money from the enemys on the rooftops. After 2005, the ps3 got famous. Then i decided to get more games. I got maybe five more, but around thirty dollars a game, you can’t get that many. Then 2007, ps2 games were cheaper, then i had around 20. Now, with a xbox 360, i have more then 100 ps2 games. Plus other consoles to top it off. Still, every time i play spiderman for the ps1, i get all nostalgic.

    • Garry

      I got to this point not with video games, but with vinyl records. Sure, it’s nice having those mint condition artifacts, but I found myself spending more time cleaning and organising them than playing them. I have maybe 20 boxed games now, and there’s a buy, play, sell mentality there now.

      For retro games, I’ve got every video game controller with a USB adaptor attached and emulators on my laptop. Sure, it’s not perfect, but in terms of the saving of money and space, I’m really happy with this setup.

    • J Nes

      -> I love the rush of finding new games every weekend, but in all honesty: I don’t play the majority of what I purchase. As my collection grows (and I stumble upon articles like this), I become more and more aware:

      1. The “rush” lies in the unknown.

      – Will the next flea market be a bust, or will I find a Pioneer LaserActive in a pile of junk?

      2. The “rush” lies in finding “deals”.

      – Bargain deals are awesome when you find a game you love… but like so many gamers – I often make a purchase because “it would have cost more on eBay”. Buying something cheap is excellent for a reseller – but as a collector, I find it difficult to part ways with something I don’t already own: even if it sucks.

      3. The “rush lies” in owning a piece of history.

      – Although it sounds awful, there is something SELFISHLY REWARDING about my entire game collection. When I find a Turbo Grafx 16, Mega Man V, etc – I feel as though I own something to envy. I feel as though I own something my friends want – but can’t obtain without the same amount of dedication and knowledge (of prices).

      - Since retro games are only getting older, I also feel like I’m “buying things before they’re too hard to find” – especially in working condition. I constantly envision my game collection (20 years from now) and think, “I’m glad I have Streets of Rage 1,2 and 3″… “I’m glad I have a complete boxed copy of Gauntlet”…

      *I’m not saying every gamer can relate, but my purchases have more to do with my little bullet list here than anything else. NOTE: I DO indeed play games and love busting out arcade sticks… playing some Golden Axe… don’t get me wrong. But after reading Norman’s article, a new light is certainly shed on why I’m collecting and what I need to watch out for. My room is certainly becoming a mess too! Great article…

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