Things you wanted, but had to tell yourself you can't have.

[Lynda Monica | 350]

I genuinely love how boastful this site is allowed to get about our hard earned collections, as other collector forums tend to downplay that aspect. However something I don't see a lot of as a result are those stories of humility where we had to listen to our conscience and tell ourselves "you can't have that".

Be it for a wildly unjustifiable price you had to draw the line at, a moment of guilt, or anything else that may have made you look at yourself and say "this isn't something I should do".

Back when I was collecting Game Boy Colour games, I had been dying to pick up a boxed copy of Survival Kids. They almost never appeared for sale, and they were usually over three-hundred dollars. One day a wonderful copy popped up for $250, but it would have left me a little tight on funds for a little too long. I was on the checkout screen thinking about it very hard, when my better judgement kicked in and I said out loud "Lynda, you can't have that."

It was at that moment when I realized I was done collecting GBC games, and moved on to something else. I never ended up with a boxed Survival Kids, and I have no regrets about it as I feel I made the right choice.

Let's hear all your moments of pure clarity!

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Moment of clarity? My collector greed killed that off years ago

 

Seriously though, ive almost never told myself no. Usually it revolves around setting an internal price for something, and not breaking that price. It turns from telling myself “no”, to “it wasnt meant to be”

[Gloves | 11,779]

Gray Not For Resale Majora's Mask. Thing shot up hard.

[Tanooki | 4,934]

That's easy for me at least I can name a few things.

1.  Earthbound CIB, got the game and guide cheap, not paying hundreds for a big cardboard condom for it
2.  A hold-over from NA, Aerofighters SNES, not paying $200, sure as shit not paying $1000 for it now.
3. VIrtual Boy Box for 3D Tetris, Nester's Funky Bowling, and box+manual for Jack Bros.  I'm 11/11 but not complete, price sucks

Each of these cases it's price, but in most it's wasting money I'd enjoy on a new game on paper product which is insane.

 

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

Things that are realistic and not something completely unobtainable anyway, like an NWC? Then I’ve never told myself I can’t have it due to funds but space. I’d love to get an arcade cabinet, a real one or the Simpsons Arcade 1up, but I just don’t have the floor space that also is practical for playing it right now.

[phart010 | 1,707]

Collecting for these systems:
MSX
Turbografx/PC Engine
Sega CD
Saturn
Dreamcast
or any single game that is $200+
These doors will stay closed

[3rdStrongestMole | 430]

I almost pulled the trigger on a sealed DKC 1 right before the boom. I passed,  thinking I'd scoop it up in the future when I was in a better place financially. 

Now I'm in that place,  but the game is farther beyond reach than ever

[Skorp | 383]

2 hours ago, Gloves said:

Gray Not For Resale Majora's Mask. Thing shot up hard.

Was gonna post the same thing. I tried to get the last auction with my bid at $5k thinking I had it and even that was not enough. Now I am kicking myself not getting it at $2k but that time I didn't have the money for it even at $1k. Ah well. Hoping one of these days I can get it somehow since I would love to have the N64 NFR set complete (still missing Super Smash Bros. as well though) Too many people are after it though.

[Gloves | 11,779]

Just now, Skorp said:

Was gonna post the same thing. I tried to get the last auction with my bid at $5k thinking I had it and even that was not enough. Now I am kicking myself not getting it at $2k but that time I didn't have the money for it even at $1k. Ah well. Hoping one of these days I can get it somehow since I would love to have the N64 NFR set complete (still missing Super Smash Bros. as well though) Too many people are after it though.

It's just such a unique item, ya know? And for my literal favorite game... ugh. xD

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

I am one dumbass putting a Buy It Now price on a listing away from literally any of my top wanted games.

No game is forever out of reach with the power of persistence and dumbass BINs. Special thanks to GVN and VGPC for letting these sellers know exactly what their games are worth regardless of variant and condition. 

 

[RpgCollector | 900]

PS1 Elemental Gearbolt Assassin’s Case
PS3 Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter Edition
PS1 Syphon Filter 3 911 Cover

[docile tapeworm | 4,198]

A blunt and a brew 24/7

[16BitBricks | 59]

The Zombies Ate My Neighbors variant. It was $500 ish for years and I couldn’t justify it. As it crept up to $1,000 I realized if I didn’t get it then it would be too expensive. I finally decided to put out an open offer of $1,500 for a good copy and got 0 responses. Good condition copies dried up on eBay for almost a year and now they’re selling for $2,500-$3,500 plus in good condition for a cardboard box. I’m out.  

Edited September 12, 2022 by 16BitBricks

[Lynda Monica | 350]

29 minutes ago, docile tapeworm said:

A blunt and a brew 24/7

Maybe I should have been more specific. That being said, keep fighting the good fight.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,533]

Like, anything that's more than a few hundred bucks.  Hard to justify buying Little Samson and Panzer Dragoon Saga when there's plenty of $100 games I want and don't have.

[guitarzombie | 924]

Honestly, nothing.  Everything I'd want would be not only within reason, but I'd just wait up to get it, no matter how expensive.  Luckily, nothing I want I'd have to take out a loan for.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

5 hours ago, Gloves said:

Gray Not For Resale Majora's Mask. Thing shot up hard.

I was in a pawnshop and someone brought back a gray Majora's Mask bc it wouldn't get past a certain point. Turned out they sold a NFR for $25 and the man brought it back. I stayed around like a coyote stalking the prey and asked if I could buy it. They did the usual run around, "we have to wait a couple weeks before we can put it back on the floor". I got greedy. I mentioned how I had cash on me and we can make a deal.

Owner laughed and shrugged it off. I told em I had $50 and he looked confused. Asked me why I'd pay double. I told him I'd pay $200 if he'd let me walk out with it there and then.

I fucked up. He didn't know what was up but he knew it was something. I went back and forth with a dollar amount it would take for me to walk out of the store w the cart but he wouldn't sell w.o knowing what it was and I wasn't letting on.

I went in months later and he told me he put it at auction and go $700-800. I guess the jokes on him now bc goes for almost 10x that? I actually can't believe I was that close to one and might've gotten away w it if I would've been a more seasoned buyer. Now, 10 years later, I think I could've talked it out of him.

 

And on topic, a couple hundred bucks. Maybe if I got a really good deal I could spend $500ish w.o feeling too bad but $100-150 I really don't have an issue with.

 

Edited September 13, 2022 by RegularGuyGamer

[Tanooki | 4,934]

Wow that was one grade A newb f-up move if there ever was.  Bad enough to just some clueless person, but if you're owning a pawn shop you're a shark, the sharkiest of sharks who knows how to smell bullshit, inspect goods, and get the most you can.  Served yourself up pretty questionably at double as it was, but offering $200 that was instant game over right then and there.  He didn't have to nor need to sell that thing immediately and you served up an excuse to take 30min to so some extreme research for go for it.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

Yep, this was back in 2011 so I was like 23? I skipped some dialogue to save space but yeah I started throwing offers out like an idiot lol it would've served me better to just give him my number or even just hawk the store the next several days to try to catch it once it hits the floor. 

I still cringe thinking about it. 

[a3quit4s | 4,099]

Stadium Events though I was close with someone on here selling one. 
 

Probably 8 bit Xmas 2008 and 2009 too. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by a3quit4s

[docile tapeworm | 4,198]

50 minutes ago, RegularGuyGamer said:

Yep, this was back in 2011 so I was like 23? I skipped some dialogue to save space but yeah I started throwing offers out like an idiot lol it would've served me better to just give him my number or even just hawk the store the next several days to try to catch it once it hits the floor. 

I still cringe thinking about it. 

If it makes you feel any better I picked up a grey turok for $7 local brick and mortar. It was sitting on the cheap shelf right next to the black cart. I sold it for $125…it’s a kick in the nuts seeing the price of it now.

hate to hear you come on to strong when going after the grey zelda. 

Edited September 13, 2022 by docile tapeworm

[wongojack | 215]

I had to decide years ago that I simply would not collect classic computers, and . . . for a while I held to that.  I ended up re-buying a ton of C64 stuff in a big lot, but I have to tell myself "no" constantly when I see TI99s, Atari 8bits, Amigas and others available from time to time.  No J, you do NOT need a Coleco Adam.

I also once passed on a Fairchild Channel F in the box that was pretty sweet looking.  It wasn't too expensive, but I talked myself out of it pretty fast.

[docile tapeworm | 4,198]

10 hours ago, Lynda Monica said:

Maybe I should have been more specific. That being said, keep fighting the good fight.

Thank you. Video game wise I have a piggy bank. If there is something I want I’ll save pennies until I can afford it as long as family is first and it’s free and clear.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

I had a shot at a NWC gold cart about 10 years ago and couldn't justify the price even back then. I did get a gray cart from the same guy, but I ended up having to sell it years ago before the prices went totally crazy.

Edited September 13, 2022 by Bearcat-Doug

[RH | 4,903]

14 hours ago, RpgCollector said:

PS1 Elemental Gearbolt Assassin’s Case
PS3 Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter Edition
PS1 Syphon Filter 3 911 Cover

Man, I feel that.  I loved the PS1 soooo much and even though I didn't really want to collect every title, the story behind both of these really compelled me to want them but considering prices of both, that's just not happening.  And of course, there's the issue that there are only a handful of Elemental Gearbolts Assassin's Editions in existence, so that was never a real desire but, man, I could dream.

Here's my list that immediately popped into my brain...

• A nice, CIB copy of left handed SMB3.  Before prices shot up (and I think maybe right before NA closed) I wanted an original copy of SMB3.  At that time no one was really looking for it vs. other standard copies so I figured if I offered an "insane" price (I think it was around $100-$125 at that time) just so I could get a copy and get one in really nice shape.  Well, in that time within about 3-4 months of when I started my search for a pristine copy, Wata/HA started pushing their nonsense and people all of a sudden started paying attention to the orientation of "Bros" in the title.  Prices shot up, even for CIBs and I never got a copy.  I don't want a beat up box because it's my favorite NES title and I want a lefty because I always prefer first run items.  I haven't checked prices lately, but I'm not paying $500 for something like that.  It's just not worth it.
• Next is something that may not even exist.  Back in the NA days, there were a few guys who were into collecting original game art.  Though prices back then were still kind of high ($1,000 as cheap entry point, with a mid-range value for something nice for about $5,000) I set about $10,000 aside for one thing--the original sword graphic used in most of the old US Final Fantasy covers.  The same sword was used for Final Fantasy II, II, Final Fantasy Adventure and FF Legends II & III.  I knew it possibly existed because someone (can't recall his name) had the OG art for Final Fantasy Legends.  Plus, the sword graphic with the starburst light behind it was only used in the US so there was a fair chance it was discoverable.  Well, that never happened and that $10,000 I kept accessible disappeared with time.  At this point, I'd consider trading near my whole collection for that piece of art, nicely framed in a professional, museum-grade archival frame.  I know it'd be odd to clear out a game room for... on painting that's probably 18"x18" at the most, on a cel sheet but I'd do it.  No question.  Regardless, I had to give up the dream of ever getting it because I lack the funds and in today's market $10,000 feels like a steal for something so iconic.
• As a close second to the FF cover sword, my follow-up is any original production art by Yoshitaka Amano, that was printed in any game source material like covers or manuals.  First, that stuff isn't possible to get because Square Enix Japan keeps all art under lock and key, in perpetuity, because of their legal/copyright system.  There's next to no hope of any of us finding any of that amazing pieces of art in Japan, much less the US even if you had bottomless pockets.  I have found some amazing pieces by Amano in galleries that were Final Fantasy related but not used in development, but they were still worth $$$.  I had the cash for it back then too and considered even pulling the trigger, but I just couldn't do it.  It's probably my biggest collecting regret but it was what it was, and I just gave up on the hope that I'll ever have a nice Amano piece framed and in my possession.
• Simple titles that I've been interested in but priced out of when I was about ready to pull the trigger-- Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (CIB), Gun-Nac & Chiborobo (CIB).  I can afford all of these.  I just don't want them bad enough to pay the prices they command now.  I had them all on eBay searches at one point, with the cash to pay for them, looking for copies at in the right condition, but at the cheaper end of the spectrum but... every one, right when I started searching, prices started to escalate faster than my desires were changing.  Moonwalker is the only one I might get on day.  MJ is amazing, and those chiptunes are BOSS!