My Video Game Collecting Habits Need to Change

I was watching my friend ‪@Pacmancase‬ recently, and he had a fantastic video about readjusting his collecting habits and his collection as a whole, and it got me to thinking about my own collection. I think some healthy introspection from time to time is a good thing. I know that Andy's latest video really spoke to me - and I need to trim things down a bit.
Huge thank you to both Andy for allowing the usage of footage from his videos, as well as from ‪@ToyGalaxy‬ allowing the use of his footage. Be sure to watch their full videos below!
Pacmancase - "The Worst Way to Collect Video Games!" • The WORST way to Colle...
Pacmancase - "The Power of the N64 flows through me!" • The Power of the N64 f...
Secret Galaxy - "Why I Sold My Collection" • Why I Sold My Collection
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[@Pacmancase]

Thanks for joining the discussion Jay!

[@ColdSteelKid]

Yeah this video hits close to home. I have been working for a while to break my collecting addiction. For me it was primarily comics. It was a long process but realizing that I needed to get a storage unit for the family's comics and that DC and Marvel have nice digital services has really helped out. For the price of two comics a month I can read a ton of DC comics. It saves money and space. I just need to find time to get my comics properly organized so that I can start off loading most of them. Another problem for my family was realizing that we collected too many things. Comics, games, movies, books, etc. It needed to end. I have found that what works for me is not to try to get rid of everything at once. That kinda leads to regrets. So I try to prune stuff every few months. Look over my dvds and realize there are six movies I don't plan to watch again. Get rid of them and then continue to spend time in my collection room. Over the next month or two I start noticing more dvds that I don't think I will watch again so I get rid of those too.

[@ricslick]

I stopped “collecting” games in the matter of which you described as of this year. When I saw the oasis of factory sealed games on display, it dawned on me that I was hunting far more than enjoying my hobby of PLAYING what I’ve acquired. I’m no longer in the camp that is afraid to miss out. Games will be unsealed, played and enjoyed.

[@SquarePegs]

I'm glad you're onto the new phase of collecting the memories of playing the games! Thanks for watching!

[@zacharypierce2970]

Great video! I personally used to be really into just collecting things, but had what I called a "Marie Kondo" moment where some of my rarest pieces gave me 0 joy. I did a bit of a refocus on a niche that interests me, unlicensed games, and started selling stuff that didn't give me the joy i find in my niche.

[@SquarePegs]

I consciously avoided mentioning Marie Kondo, but it's 100% what I was thinking when I saw Andy's video as well as going through my own collection. So many things I've spent my money on are completely joyless - I want to feel happy about the things I buy. :)

[@beth7467]

@@SquarePegs The Marie Kondo-ization of your collection going forward is totally what leapt out at me as I was watching. It's all about "does this spark joy?" If it doesn't, move it on to someone it does inspire happiness in.

[@SquarePegs]

@@beth7467 That's the idea! Thank you so much for watching! :)

[@GameOnNetwork]

I've been scaling back on my collecting habits since last fall. It's better to just collect games for the sake of playing, not just because it's uncommon/rare. Good video!

[@dansprenger7268]

Every collector needs to watch this video. Excellent job... well done.

[@melvinblackburn195]

I love your honesty. I was in a similar circumstance a few years back. I consciously decided that every last game I was going to own or buy would be a game that I desire to play and enjoy on any given day. Period. I'm an arcade kid at heart, so I'm not going to buy a bunch of big budget "AAA" titles. I'm measured in every purchase, so in that sense I don't consider myself a collector. I respect that folks collect and seek out "rare" items. That does very little for me. First and foremost, I'm a PLAYER, that same 11-year-old kid who was blown away by the 4-Player TMNT Cabinet in 1990. This is a nice place to be. I know precisely what I want to play.

[@scottstephenson2112]

I have a list of games that I want and when I go to a store I try to stick to the list. My passion in collecting is to actually play the games, not just buy to fill up shelf space. I’ve gotten into survival horror since 2020 and am focused on playing the games from that genre I never did as a kid I do stray from time to time if I see a great deal, but I rely on the KZbin community to suggest games before buying. Great video as always!

[@SquarePegs]

Thank you, Scott!

[@brettsadler4211]

Great video. I sold off 70 percent of my massive collection. I kept what I loved and actually played. It felt great. You buy for the high it gives you. Then it just becomes walls of old plastic. Like rgt., he didn't regret it. It will make you happy. Trust me.

[@WhatGameBefore]

I did similar things as you at the start of "re-collecting" experiences from my youth. I picked up some retro hardware like a PSP and a GBA, then started hunting for games to play on it instead of looking for games I wanted to play. Now I've realized that and switched my focus to buying games I want to play because I enjoyed them, or games that I never got to play back when they were out originally. It's made me really think about what's important to put on the shelf, and I will say that some games will likely be sold on once I've had my enjoyment from them. Is the fact that I've ran out of space and shelving, again, a factor in my decision? 100% 😆 Good luck with passing on some of your collection at your next convention!

[@RetroRivals]

A beautiful addition to both the videos you mentioned here. I'll tell ya, when we paired down our collection last year it was eye opening and changed the way we pursue our gaming happiness. All joy, no filler now. I'm happy to report we will be pairing down again in the near future. It's like feng shui for our game space

[@LameDadRetroGamer]

I went through this about 6 months ago where I finally realized I didn't have to buy a game everytime I walked into a game store. Honestly it was a relief and it made me shift my focus to what I loved and not what I missed and didn't play that will sit on the shelf. Great video as always my friend

[@SquarePegs]

Thank you sir! Yeah, it's been a long time coming and it really just took me the time to sit back and recognize what I needed to do. :)

[@GamerAhmer]

Always great to hear different thoughts on this. Great video!

[@rbatesmotel]

Way ahead of you guys. in the past couple years the price increases and inability to beat resellers to the punch when hunting any longer, they've made it their occupation, its my hobby, has already put me on this path. I have accepted my collection for the state it is at and turned to emulation at this point. On the bright side the emulation scene with all the new retro handhelds and OG HW modding options has opened a whole new hobby to me.

[@rodgyretrogamer3334]

A really interesting video, I can definitely relate to your thoughts and feelings. It's good to 'fine tune' the collection to what is most important to you and what's sustainable to ensure we don't burn out...and most of all, play and enjoy the games in the collection already, it's crazy the time we all waste searching for titles we still need!out Nice one😉

[@GameJunctionMedia]

Another great video. We have a similar discussion coming up, and points in time where collecting isn’t exciting or fun and you just need breaks so you don’t completely burn out.

[@1UpJohn]

Great video! Thanks for sharing. I'm in the same place myself. I only want to hold on to things I really want. There's many games I've beaten and have no desire to ever play again. I'm starting to sell those.

[@therealbitwars]

At the Midwest Gaming Classic I found a copy of Les Chevaliers on the NES. The excitement of finding a game I had never seen in person before reminded me of why I love collecting. There's no need to rush. Enjoying the journey is the best part.

[@samuelsmith6892]

Fantastic video. I needed to hear that as I too have fallen victim of the 'collecting for the collection' rather than just adding games I love to the collection.

[@Dandaman999999]

I’ve fortunately managed to keep myself in the mindset of only collecting items that are sentimental to me. I think it mainly stems from not growing up around money which meant I often had to part with things I liked but it also made me all the more grateful for those things that I could afford or were gifted to me. An example for me is football (soccer) shirts. I love them and could buy 10-20 a season for different teams but I stick to those of teams I support or, if I’m fortunate enough to travel, I like to pick up a football shirt as a reminder of a fun trip someplace. Retro shirts can be even more expensive but, again, I like to limit myself to those that I have a fund association with.

[@eliwright8564]

Great video! Thanks! I've realized that I buy way too many video games that I'll never get around to playing. In the past I sold off a large portion of my game collection, and I wish I had kept a few pieces from them for sentimental reasons. But I feel like my buying is out of control sometimes. I'm trying to cut back on buying so many games, but I don't want to sell anything from my current game collection because I don't want to regret getting rid of something.

[@TJacks23]

Great conversation, really appreciated this Jay!

[@GrimmHollywood]

I just started collecting about a year ago - starting with PlayStation 1 to 5 and it's been a lot of fun doing unboxings (unpackagings) here on YT. I don't want to aim for complete collections, but I've just been collecting as I go. I just watched your Ranked EA BIG games video and realized I didn't have NBA Street V3 or SSX 3 so I bought SSX 3 and got V3 on the list. I just want to play these games, especially as a streamer who personally doesn't like emulation. Love the vids, man, sub'd 👊

[@Owazrim]

Great video. I am in a similar collecting space. It can be tough to keep collecting to just what you want. I know I have gotten bitten several times with Game Gear games. Too often grabbing games (sports titles) I don't care about or really want because I can get them in a bundle and haggle for a better price. Sadly it isn't limited to just the Game Gear or just video games. I am working on looking at the collection and identifying stuff I really want in the collection and want to be able to have out and displayed. Games I want to beat or put some time into and then release back into the wild. Figures I have that I grabbed because they looked "cool" at the time but don't do anything for the collection. The list goes on... and on... Good luck with your collection gleaning efforts.

[@mrdrybonestv]

I’ve been this way for a while. I have an excel spreadsheet broken up by games and only have games that mean something to me or some hidden gems. I’m currently looking for 80’s arcade games for NES and those are pretty cheap and great titles. Keep your expectations realistic and there is a lot of fun to be had in collecting.

[@Colincardsfan]

I'm not much of a collector. I have one "collection” which is comics that Ambush Bug appears in lol. Whenever I'm in a comic shop I'll take a few minutes to flip through the back issues to see if they have any I'm missing. It's a slow project.

[@SquarePegs]

I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE AN AMBUSH BUG COLLECTION!!! Seriously, that's one of the coolest collections to have!!

[@deepstasis6651]

Thanks for this video more inspired now have to work with the space i have

[@8BitGlitch79]

Totally heading into the 3.0 phase myself. Except still really focused on NES, Switch and WiiU I would say. I've started trimming down other collections and using those funds to get the items that mean something to me, like upgrading certain titles to CIB versions etc.

[@Bikeguychicago1]

My collecting has shifted focus to enjoying old and new titles via ROMs on my flash carts. I do not own a complete collection for any of my consoles, though I am down to a few on a couple of them. I own a house so I don't have the disposable income to spend on what it would take to finish off some of these collections, and I am perfectly fine with that. Similarly, I don't have $70-120 a pop to spend on new homebrew games just so I can have the cart/box/manual/overlay experience of a new game. If it's something I'm really interested in, i may spend the extra money for the physical cart, but if a ROM option is available instead, I will generally choose that option instead. I do have a little more space than you do but I don't want my game room turning into a Blockbuster Video either. I enjoy my space and don't want to feel crowded in it.

[@projectfanboy]

I have always been lucky as I only collect things that I genuinely want to play / collect.

[@SquarePegs]

That's the right mindset to be in, Commander. Just took me awhile to get there. 🙂

[@SuperNicktendo]

I'm in between stage two and three. Recently I have been only adding things to my collection that I really want and in that process I decided that I could stand to trim my collection down more to make it more curated. All killer no filler. I'll be at video game summit and I bought a booth. I'll be going through my closet and Marie kondoing things that I don't want anymore.

[@BittyKongsQuest]

DUDE. I TOTALLY relate on Xenoblade. I got it on launch on the Wii, and I've gotten 70 hours into it 3 separate times, and I still haven't finished it all these years later. On topic though, last year I transitioned to the Collection 3.0 mindset and I've been so much happier with the pursuit. I still look for deals and unloved games to restore, but anymore I fix those up and take them to the local shop to trade for stuff that I do really care about. Anyway, you're making a good move man. Good luck with transitioning the collection!

[@1UpJohn]

I put over 100 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles AND Xenoblade Chronicles X and haven't beaten them. The games go on forever and I get burned out. They are both excellent games but due to those experiences, I skipped 2 and 3.

[@SEGAblocks]

I think everyone of us that have collected at any point have gone through this. We all lose sight of what our original point was to begin with. The gaming Gods know I have. Over the last year I offloaded a ton of my collection, though was cool stuff and in some cases expensive games, just didn’t feel right sitting on the shelf collecting dust. My main goals are to buy what I want or hope to actually play for the consoles I own and also will always chip away any and all Sega title I can get my hands on. Would be cool to have a complete collection for master system or Genesis someday but it’s not priority. Great topic Jay!!

[@TumoFiji]

This is about where I am at too. I'm at "collection 2.5"where I have 43 games left on my wishlist and 1500 games in the collection. But now it's time to curate and boy is that a struggle. Cheers.

[@retrowildlands]

I've been collecting pretty seriously for about a year now. The mentality I've developed is, I want to play video games. The games I have in my collection are ones I want to, or have put time into. While I am collecting for the PSP and trying to get a pretty sizeable collection for it just because I love that console, my life has no room for anything that doesn't bring me direct value. And that is NOT to knock on anyone who collects or other reasons. We all have our reasons! These just happen to be mine. :) Great video!

[@iHeartIndieGames]

Thank you for this very thoughtful video. I'm on the bridge about selling my collection for the second time and this time, youtube is around. I watched about 15 other videos and yours was one of the few that I thought was really well done (others' were too, don't get me wrong). You put into the galaxy what I've been thinking, what i've been hearing and, most importantly, what I actually want to do. That guy that spoke about actively pruning really hit home... which video is that? Do you have a link to it? I thought about this Hydrangea plant that I have in a confined space... If I don't prune it properly, it will not produce flowers nicely... It will simply keep getting bushier and, quite frankly, unattractive.

[@IuseanXboxController]

Sweet video, I love how personal some collections can get. I collect blockbuster stuff myself a lot and only started collecting 2 years ago. Don't feel like I gotta catch them all but I do have 4 of the 5 N64 pokemon games with blockbuster stickers on them now. Still gotta find puzzle league lol.

[@SquarePegs]

That's such a cool way to build a collection! I love that idea! May I ask why Blockbuster?

[@IuseanXboxController]

@@SquarePegs I really appreciate that. :-D I wanted to collect blockbuster stuff because I have fond memories of going into them as a child both down in South Florida and then up in the Carolinas. It's funny actually because I just started collecting in March of 2021, it triggered some memories after I started learning more about older games. Obviously a grail for n64 is StuntRacer, and I remember renting a copy and playing it as a kid... so when I got into collecting and learned how much its worth now and it was exclusive to blockbuster that was interesting to me. It's definitely high up their on my list of things I want in my collection so I can play it more. I've seen a few nice blockbuster sticker copies pop up on ebay for "decent" prices. So I just thought it would be cool to have a bunch of rental cases and stickers on my stuff from blockbuster because it reminds me of my childhood - teenage years and I don't think many people are going into this niche yet. My current goal is to get every N64 game that I want to play and have with clean blockbuster stickers on it. I have about 20 n64 games so far with them including Conkers, Mario 64, Pilot Wings, Road Rash, 4 of the 5 pokemons, and a few other gems. :-) Check out my IG - M.G.Floaty, I am going to start posting pictures more often and might start making youtube videos because I can't find any blockbuster collection videos yet of other people. Sorry for the long response

[@SquarePegs]

Do not ever apologize for expressing your excitement about something you love. :) I think this is one of the most clever and uniquely, deeply personal collection methods I've ever heard of, and I'm excited to see what you're able to get!

[@IuseanXboxController]

@@SquarePegs Thank you so much for the kind words. :-)

[@nitewatch3082]

Now that I have found what was left of my old NES collection at my parents, I've slowed down and started to focus on what I would actually play, and how much time I have to game, instead of just randomly buying gaming stuff

[@GenerationPixel]

This is me in my Omega Collection phase, the last collection, and I only collect what I want to play. I have very little in the way of games I have no interest in playing, and those came from bundle deals Nd will and do move on. The majority of my pickups are current games, because I'm always looking for the next Suikoden II or Final Fantasy VII. Nothing has knocked those two off my top spot yet, but I live in hope that the best game ever has still to be made 😉

[@Bryan-df7kc]

I’ve been in a similar situation where I’ve bought just to buy but never got joy from. Recently I’ve sold several things that I didn’t care about and kept only what really like. I did that for my comic collection, video games, game systems, even power tools. Now if i am going to buy something it’s because i either like it and or need it, not just to have it.

[@dlzchaos588]

So I’ve been collecting for about 2+ years and something I’ve been trying to make sure I don’t do is collect for no reason. Also with the prices currently it really doesn’t make sense to collect for the sake of it. I’m trying to just jump to game collection 3.0 so I can avoid trying to get rid of stuff in the future

[@retroandgaming]

Your journey sounds a lot like my own and maybe everybody have to take it (1.0 "the strict collection" --> 2.0 "the out of control collection" --> 3.0 "the collection rebirth"). Started collecting the cassette tapes of the games I played on my C128(C64-mode) when I was a kid. Have a healty collection and I have only bought the games I know and really enjoyed back then. So it's a keeper. This is probably my 1.0 collection. But then I started to collected for the PS2 and PS3 (cheaply). I didn't own these systems when they came out but at least the PS3 I have had great fun with so it's not wasted. But I'm not sure that I really need to keep all these games going forward. But I guess as I "mature" and find my way to my "3.0" collection I will start to figure out what I really want and what I want to get rid of. Point is, you probably don't know you have "gone to far" or strayed from the path until you actually have. Money wise it's probably a good idea to have a strict budget on how much you can spend every month or year regardless. That shouldn't change wherever you are in your collection journey.

[@chiefjay6559]

great vid brother i remember i did the same thing and also maybe lil different for me. where i wanted game like Mario rpg or Pokémon stadium but i saw the price and i was like nah nvm but i would get 5 or 6 games at a low price like 10-25 dollars games. im also from Toronto so cdn prices but i was like i bought 6 games for the same price as one of those when i could of got the game i wanted. also i wanted a dreamcast and someone was selling one with all games already loaded on it and i was like "naw i want physical." finally got one and i got A YEAR AGO AND HAVE NOT BOUGHT 1 GAME FOR IT. i mean honestly it was very impluse to get it cuz i saw it but oh well 3.0. love your insight and thanks for always adding joy to my day. cheers

[@ecmyersvids]

This seems very sensible! I have always mainly been interested in collecting NES games, as my childhood console, and primarily only games I am interested in playing. But there are games I own that I don't like, and I can't part with them. I collected some N64 carts a few years ago, again, stuff I planned to play, but I have no real attachment to the console and I have since picked up an EverDrive, so I don't feel the need to buy more. Most of what I get is games I intend to play, but the backlog is so large, realistically I don't need them! I have slowed down on buying physical Switch games as well, because I think I got caught up in the FOMO mentality there. It took me a long time to embrace eBooks, but I got there eventually, and I think I'm slowly getting to the point of being OK with digital or emulation for all but the games I really love.

[@JosephMichael23]

I've been thinking about this recently.

[@tomrwills]

You definitely need to keep it in check. I discovered SW The Black Series and wanted them all, then I decided to only do The Empire Strikes Back Bounty Hunters and leave it at that.

[@RichardDubya]

No I get completely what you mean, like I've went though my collection and boxed up things I don't care about . Just gotta figure out about selling em. Been looking for stuff I remember, stuff I'm nostalgia about, being more picky what I pick up. Would love to find .hack part 3 and 4, I wanna finish the game. Recently got a rob, looking forward to playing that.

[@popculturehero]

I try to only go for games I would potentially play. Just as a book collector collects books on all the subjects they would ideally want to read. I have blockbuster video cabinets that hold the bulk of it. Huge Metal drawers. Multiple rooms in my house are storing toys, that I intend to do something with eventually, just a bit disjointed as I've branched off from Transformers into all kinds of toys, attempting to focus on mecha and robots. Since the only machines that aren't buried under Toys right now are the Sega Genesis, Nes, PS3 and the Nintendo Switch. Those are kind of where my focus is mentally to appreciate games. I'm trying collect a lot of console RTS games, since I love Herzog Zwei for genesis. But anything with robots will catch my interest.

[@leeokami1021]

Been collecting since I was a teen but got serious in 2017, a year into it I knew I only wanted to collect games I wanted to play. I have about 1500 now and thought I had a lot until I saw youtubers just buying everything and it felt more like I was watching a hoarder. When would I want to play NBA live 2002, tiger woods 99, or multiple bass fishing games. Every game in my collection is a game I've wanted and will play. I also do a yearly purge of games I know I won't play again (or games I get in bundles) and put it towards games I actually want.

[@SquarePegs]

This is the healthiest approach to take, I think - thank you for sharing that yearly purge idea!

[@josephbradshaw6985]

The Hunt! I do like that bit. I don't buy online, I'll got to retro stores and see if there's anything cool. I do a lot of trade ins. I do the same with books and movies. I keep it all on a single media shelf, if it doesn't fit, it gets traded in. I used to work at a library so cycling things in and out is second nature.

[@DoYouNerd]

All my life, I've had people call me a collector or historian because of my ever-existing want to procure and secure nostalgia. I think I kinda was born a collector (it's much deeper and personal than that, but in short...). Because of that, I've actually always been one to hold onto things with little to no need to re-collect my childhood/nostalgia simply because as much as possible, from day one, I've held onto it. That being said, I think that's what's so fascinating for me to watch as people change they ways they collect in the fact that, yeah, they didn't always do it, so it's vastly different to my take. Therefore, all the more reason for me to follow people and their collecting journeys to see how, well, the normal people do it. ha ha When Lady Laci really took the dive into comics, she was totally in that buy anything phase. However, the convenience of things like the Marvel comic app that lets her read most stories digitally helped slow that down, because while she loves the physical form and cover collecting, she's mostly wanted to read the stories and that's it. Much how many people feel with games, often scaling down to keeping only the games that play or truly want to play. Since I've kept that which I was most interested in, there really is very, very little I'm looking for, so for me, I collect the community now.

[@IowaRetroGamerDad]

Andy's latest video was great. I've recently been selling off some stuff and thinking of doing a video about collecting too. I'm purging alot and when I first started collecting.. I made the mistake of buying everything in site and regret it!

[@undamned]

I'm at the stage you are at. Collection is just stuff I want/enjoy, not by compulsion to complete a full set of something.

[@CHIKARAfan1]

i been collection for 5 years and i always give my seif a budget on what i spend on games

[@solutionxero]

i feel like im kindve following this, with games. but now im buying vinyls, figures and other plushies and collecgables for no reason. i have an addiction. but for retro games, i have a complete US sms collection. the rest of the retro games i may want to play ... i have a steamdeck.

[@elidragom]

hell yes

[@74bobby]

I had a huge Star Wars Collection that sat in My Closet because I didn't want my kids to play with them. I felt bad Because they're toys and that's what toys are for so I sold off my Collection and Started buying Retro Games so my kids and I can play them together...

[@josephbradshaw6985]

Speaking of curating, I like to make short lists of ROMS by context. Like, best NES to play with a 4 year old, and put all those into a folder. It's silly, but we all engage in retro gaming in different ways.

[@MrWrightWay]

Great video. I enjoyed the thrill of getting sub-sets I happy I was a lot to complete the Wii U and the 3DS set, after that I just want subset of what I like. Most PlayStation focused

[@SquarePegs]

The pursuit of something you really want, like the 3DS set and the Wii U set are great things to chase - I know how long you've been on the grind for those! But you've got the right mindset to keep things focused outside of those major chases - that Fighters Edge subset you went after was one of those first kind of bells for me with collecting that lit the signals of 'only go after things you like'. I appreciated that it wasn't just a 'Look what I have' video and a legitimate excitement of showing something you love that's now part of your collection. That's the best kind of collecting content, to me. Thanks as always for watching, Steve! See you in Columbus! :)

[@MrWrightWay]

@@SquarePegs yea man it fees a freedom going after what you love. See you soon

[@WhostheMAC1]

I am in the same boat, Collecting for the sake of Collecting. I need another Game like I need another hole in my head!

[@SEGANERD85]

I have only been collecting since 2010. In that time I have about 300 games in total. Since I started collecting I have never really collected just to collect or even tried to get a full run for a system If a game sucks I will not have it in my collection. A good example is action 52 for the NES, I got it off of a lady at a yard sale for $4. I turned around and sold it to get money to buy better games. I do not regret it. I only collect games that I grew up with, or games that I think maybe fun.

[@guits_n_games7678]

I love the hunt, but at the same time I have the need to fill the need. I also enjoy the collection (playing some looking at others). Lately however, it has been waning and thats ok. I have too many games, (more than i'll ever play). Many are sentimental, there are a lot I want to play, but im out of space. There is still stuff I want, and in a way I hope I don't find them easy as then what? Its sad when you complete a collection. Physical media is pretty much dead in new consoles so with the exception of modern and homebrew releases for retro consoles there is a finite amount of media available. Part of the mentality for me is have it so you have it when / if you want to play it. I can say that it is a blast to have retro couch co-op nights and am grateful that we have a good selection of titles to play. Ive been teetering on the same ledge you are, perhaps not quite as close to it though. Let us know what the landing is like for you.

[@miketendopower]

This is how I generally collect. There are only two retro consoles I am still trying to completet. One is the Sega Master System because it was the second console I ever owned and most sentimental. The other is the Game Gear simply because I never owned one. Outside those I just collect what I know I like. I already have more than enough games for a few lifetimes😂.

[@sterlingkart9562]

Yeah I totally agree. It's one of those things where it's fun to collect or be a fan of memorabilia or games in general. However, there's a line where it becomes a sense of hoarding as well as these games are not your identity. They're the things that you grew up with and you love them in an nostalgic way However, if you feel that this collection is your identity, this is clearly a coping mechanism

[@JordanNyce]

Ive been doing a lot of this. Down to just the things i cant sell lol

[@SquarePegs]

That's the worst part! 😂 My idiot brain always saw that pile of garbage that I couldn't sell and said 'Well, if I can't sell it, I might as well keep collecting for it...'

[@DrLevelUp]

My collection is really currated. I only keep what I want really want to have. It leans heavily on everything in the RPG and JRPG space and a few retro titles on the NES and SNES from my childhood I want to have. I have some Super Famicom stuff. There's a reason. I can't afford a CIB Chrono Trigger for SNES, but I CAN afford a CIB Chrono Trigger for Super Famicom. If I find a CIB Super Famicom of a favorite childhood game, I typically pick it up. I have some loose carts too. My big problem is $$$. We're trying to pay down debt, so I haven't been as spendy recently.

[@davidb69]

I get it, I found myself collecting for the original Xbox and I was like, dude , you hate the controller and the system, why are you collecting for it and I ended up dumping most of those games from my collection. The n64 is a dream to complete, I have the games in my collection that I have enjoyed , minus 1 or 2 , but that being said , I have 82 (non Japanese titles) , I took the tray out to play Japanese games on my n64. My biggest collection is sega Genesis and every title I purchase now on that system, I have never played but I’m picky to make sure they are completes. With other systems , I don’t go crazy shopping just to buy more stuff even though I am looking forward to this summer at SEGE. I do have the space for storing more games, just not shelf space, I find myself buying more and more shelves . I somehow own 472 ps2 games over the years. I really don’t resell those unless I get duplicates or loose disks cause I only enjoy completes. I love the snes comparisons to genesis and even dup titles have differences that make them worthy pick ups . I mean we could see slight differences in frame rate and quality between ps2/GameCube/Xbox but the games played the same, can’t say the same about snes vs genesis. Now the why? That’s a deep question, that I have to ponder.

[@booboo7502]

Just because you specifically mentioned it; I am from Utah and have found my way to ya! Maybe the algorithm is stretching out for you and putting more hooks in the water. It’s working. 😊

[@SquarePegs]

GREETINGS TO BOO BOO IN UTAH! I'm glad you found your way here! 😁

[@GunMetalJackal]

I'm not collecting for the sake of collecting and filling shelves, I'm collecting games I intend to play. Having said that my flaw is that I'm sucker for a deal and deals come up often especially following deal accounts on social media. And with money being more plentiful than time lately it's a volatile combination. FOMO plays a part for sure as well. I also feel like I'm developing a sense of what games will go out of print soon or are becoming rarer, so that triggers said FOMO.

[@b4rs629]

I have about 27 games most of which are pokemon titles that i still need to playthrough.

[@moandaindesigns]

Umm but I can not read the video.... So I get it. I never was much of a complete collector of a system. I still have my Kenner Star Wars Toys. They are all over my office at work and they help me keep my mental calm at work. I have been collecting video games since 1996. My first goal was a complete subset of Working Designs games. I got the final game (Exile: Wicked Phenomenon) in 2016 and it was exciting at first. I had finally accomplished this grand goal. What I did not expect was the depression after. It was hard to try and understand why I felt depressed after getting the last game. I worked thru it and found my own answers and now everything is ok. So no need to worry. My collection is more about the memories. Beating a game with a cousin. The hours spent playing a game with friends on the weekends. A NES game that was a gift from a family member that is no longer with us. The first Video Game that my granddaughter played. A system that was a gift from my wife because I was having a hard day. They are more than just games to me. They are a representation of a connection to family and friends. Now with games that I have purchased myself. Yea I will do things like trade away my PS4 version of Ghost of Tsushima because I have a PS5 copy now. I also do not keep multiple versions like Doom (2016) on the Xbox one and PS4. there is no need for that in my life. However I do keep "LAN party copies" of games like Halo 2. Great Video. I am not sure what stage of collecting I am in but I mainly just buy what I want to play and if a game is really bad or I do not like playing it, I just get rid of it.

[@gp63]

Don't know how old you are ( I'm 45), but it seems like many people of our vintage who've been in the game for years are really starting to re-evaluate what collecting means. I've been curating my collection for the last 3-4 years. Some stuff was bought either because it was cheap or to fill a shelf, and really has no practical purpose in my life.

[@mattlockwood6089]

Buy in lots, keep what you want and sale the rest to pay for the hobby. Personal collection is all killer no filler. If I think I won't play it or don't like it then it gets sold.

[@josephbradshaw6985]

Luckily I'm more of a player. I have physical copies of my old fav carts, but other than that I'm big into emulation. EDIT: Just counted, I have 58 carts across NES/SNES/SEGA/GB.

[@Sayishere]

Great video, buy whats nostalgic for you, dont feel the need to get a complete set of games or even chase rare games. I mean if a nostalgic game for you is rare expensive go ahead :)

[@AneurynPlays]

Dude, hit me up if you have some Atari stuff you want to unload. Maybe we can make a swap story out of it!

[@SquarePegs]

Would that I did, my friend. I own a grand total of two 2600 carts, and a Flashback mini system - that's the extent of my Atari ownership! :)

[@AneurynPlays]

@@SquarePegs Ah well! Worth a shot :P

[@hitotsufutatsu2203]

emulation has entered the chat..

[@SquarePegs]

Oh, it has absolutely entered the chat, set up shop, and kicked its feet up on the coffee table.

[@zoreyaswain1133]

Wrong, humans are hunter gatherers. 😉 But yea it gets out of hand really quick for some.

[@SquarePegs]

...now listen here you. 🤣🤣🤣

[@zoreyaswain1133]

@@SquarePegs Honestly tho, if there is an internet apocalyptical type event, your gathered resources, might skyrocket in value.👍🏻

[@SquarePegs]

Can't argue that point at all!

[@zoreyaswain1133]

@@SquarePegs I see a day when internet access is stupidly expensive, locked out, or even disrupted permanently…cartridges will become mini gold bars. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@zoreyaswain1133]

@@SquarePegs Just found out that retailers are pulling physical games in 2024. Therefore your physical stock should increase in value down the road. Hold all of it for as long as possible!

[@pauljacob99]

If you don’t enjoy your collection please sell and bring the prices down for the rest of us!

[@SquarePegs]

Nah, I enjoy my collection just fine. I just don't need to buy every game I see. That's an unhealthy way to live.

[@pauljacob99]

Cool. Now for everyone else who this applies to, please sell.

[@Mario-zi8wr]

Emulation makes original hardware obsolete.

[@SquarePegs]

For some, sure. There isn't a 1:1 answer that's going to appease every person. For everyone I know that emulates games, I know more that prefer original hardware. No one is wrong, they've just got different play styles.

[@Mario-zi8wr]

@@SquarePegs yup! Emulation makes the NES, Sega Genesis and SNES Obsolete. There is NO REASON to buy those consoles anymore! Emulation for those consoles is just THAT GOOD y’know… You can use any controller you like and are comfortable with using :))

[@BoushoC]

I feel like this guy is just wanting other people to get their collected games back into circulation so they he can finish his collection..... fuck that

[@SquarePegs]

Is that what you feel, sunshine? I'm sorry you feel that way - especially since I say several times that this just applies to me, and anyone who actively collects and enjoys it should continue to do so. But believe what you want, I don't really give a shit, because you're an inconsequential troll in the grand scheme is things. As you say: fuck that. Enjoy obscurity!