Does the value of your collection make you feel guilty for keeping it rather than selling?

[attakid101 | 267]

I swear this isn’t meant to be humble brag thread—just want some perspective.

I was at my local game store the other day and got into a bit of a pissing match with the owner and a couple customers. 

We were all listing off the valuable gaming stuff we own or have owned in the past.

I mentioned that I own a single item that I was offered $9K for, and another item for which I was offered $7K. Store owner asked what I did with the money, I explained that I didn’t sell. They all looked at me like I was insane. Even kinda shamed me a little. 

On the drive home I wondered if I was being selfish for keeping these things. My family isn’t rich, but the truth is we don’t need the money. We live comfortably. But really, who couldn’t use extra money? Especially right now. 

My wife has NEVER asked me to sell anything I own and she knows about these offers. But still I can’t help but feel a little guilty now. 

Anyone else ever feel this way about their collection? 

Edited December 1, 2023 by attakid101

[Reed Rothchild | 9,526]

At one I point I realized I should never spend the money on something like a DKC Competition cart, because if I had a video game in hand that was worth thousands of dollars like that, I'd feel obligated to sell it.  I always figured I could use half the cash to buy a bunch of other games I want, and pocket the rest, and come out ahead in multiple ways.

I say this realizing that you have a competition cart.

As far as my bulk collection and it's total worth?  I'll be dividing up small portions of it to share and give to my kids, starting with this Christmas.  No mass sale like we see so many burnouts do, no taking it to my grave, no trying to pawn it off to my adult kids in one big overwhelming move.  Instead we'll get to be collectors together.  Or at least that's how I'm helping justify it to myself lmao.

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

I don't understand the question, really.  If you felt guilt for owning things of value, that would preclude you from collecting pretty much anything... except for maybe rocks.  Seriously, I could buy a house with the value of my video games, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?  I don't need two houses...

[Brickman | 3,986]

I only buy games I can afford and as a hobby. Some go up in value and some barely move but that doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t feel guilty for owning them because it’s my hobby and some items are expensive.

I don’t see a point in selling an item even if it is worth $9k if I still enjoy having it in my collection. 

[portabello | 99]

My collection is mostly based on what I want to have and keep, regardless of monetary value. I don’t own any $1k+ games, but if I did the only guilt I would feel is the paranoia that I own an asset and would need to insure it properly. Collecting just to collect IMO comes with the risk of devaluing the personal attachment to items and making it all about the money. I could understand where maybe guilt comes into play for some on that level. If it brings you joy, you should keep it guilt free.

[jonebone | 1,307]

Yeah, a while back it hit me that if I die my family won't care about my collection at all.  Thus I decided long ago I would constantly be in a trim status and just keep padding away at the savings fund.  I enjoy having a collection of value and would never sell it all, but no one needs thousands of games unless your a set collector (which I'm not anymore).  I don't want to pass that burden to my family if something happened to me so while we don't need the money either, I feel like I owe it to them to pay out a nice dividend to savings every month for their future.  Of course I still reinvest a lot of my sales as I'll be a lifelong collector... everyone needs a hobby. Just have to find balance and whatever you're most comfortable with.

Edited December 1, 2023 by jonebone

[ikk | 560]

I wonder if this store owner guilt trips everyone he sells an expensive item to.

[Rhuno | 107]

I'm not in that position, but I think if I had something worth 10k or so, I'd be selling. It's hard to say for sure. I have sold off a couple of my pricier items (and by pricey, I mean a few hundred bucks), but it was less about the money and more that I just didn't care about them any more.

[Tyree_Cooper | 755]

I have NEVER sold my wife!

[Khromak | 768]

12 minutes ago, Tyree_Cooper said:

I have NEVER sold my wife!

Because she's not worth 7k or 9k.

[Khromak | 768]

I have often felt guilty, especially when talking to some of my friends about the value of some of my items and the amount I've spent on some of them. It does feel a little crazy to own tens of thousands of dollars worth of video games when there are starving children in Africa and yadda yadda.

For my part though, I realize that the entire world's problems are not something I can solve by living like a pauper and donating every dime I make to charity, and I try not to take personal responsibility for solving all the world's problems, it's just too overwhelming.

As far as comparing myself to other relatively well-off people, I don't feel bad that I am frugal and have saved enough money to be able to afford expensive games; I choose to live below my means so that I can spend money on video games. I don't have any vices, I don't have any kids, and I work really hard to maintain low levels of debt, pay things off, and keep my expenses low. I don't feel guilty that others make different decisions about their priorities to a point where they can't/don't want to buy expensive video games.

[TDIRunner | 2,737]

I've often felt guilty about it and considered selling a large chunk.  Realistically, I would probably live with 20% of my collection and still enjoy myself for some time.  However, it's tough because I actually play my games a lot.  I think it's fair to say that every console gets turned on once a year, or once every two years at worst.  So I can't bring myself to get rid of anything just yet. 

With that said, if I had something worth $10k, I think I could and would easily part with it.  

[guitarzombie | 924]

I saw someone selling a Sword Master recently on here for $285.  I said "Wow is it really worth that much now!?".  So I went to pricecharting, and for fun I started a list of all my games from memory and was amazed how how much it was worth.  But I never think of it like that because even if they become really cheap, I would still want to own them.  Although it is a nice feeling.

[final fight cd | 186]

Absolutely not.  I am far from rich, but I do have some disposable income.  The fact others are struggling does not deter me from enjoying materialist shit.

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

No. If i was in financial trouble and didn't sell I would feel guilty but we live comfortably. I sold a few sealed games with the WATA craze because of the money involved and those items becoming a liability but wouldn't have felt guilty if I decided to keep them. You also realize how quickly a few hundred or even thousands of dollars goes **poof** after you sell some games. 

 

[T-Pac | 7,544]

Lucky for me, I don't have any crazy-valuable items in my collection. Even my heavy-hitters are usually loose, import versions. Can't retire off my German copy of Little Samson, so owning it doesn't really weigh on my conscience haha.

That being said - I think owning a really high-dollar game is a matter of how much you actually care about it. If someone else will appreciate it more than you, or if you need the money, then selling it makes sense. But chances are, you got it because you love it and it's a fun centerpiece of your hobby, so there's no reason to guilt yourself into parting with it.

[T-Pac] 

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

I always sell out when collecting stops being fun for me or I need the money. If I ever start a new hobby, I always make a point to sell pieces of the old hobby to fund the new one. The good thing about game collecting is that the items maintain their value, so it's a very self sustaining hobby if done carefully. Plus it's great eye candy for my living room in the meantime!

[nrslam | 475]

I feel guilty about the space my collection takes up, but never about it's value. The money I'd get from selling it wouldn't change my life one bit.

 

[Renmauzo | 1,201]

I've noticed that shaming has become a thing in the hobby. People I know, respect, and am friends with often feel the need for a disclaimer and hushed tones when talking about a new retro game they got and want to talk about because of the invariable, "You're an idiot for spending 'x' on 'y'".  I never feel the least bit of shame about having things of high value, partly because I don't buy with that in mind, and partly because I worked for every dollar's worth; quite frankly, the journey and the game time by myself or with family is the value.

"But Ren, you post regularly in the 'What's new in your collection' thread? Aren't you just a show off trying pump yourself up from reactions to your gets?", to which I say, "No, it's all about sharing the journey with like minded folks". I love sharing with everyone and seeing what all of you are doing on your respective journeys; whether it be $10 or $1000, a dope game is a dope game. Do I need to get an original copy of a game? No, that's a choice I've made and I have my reasons which I've written about here and there over the years, so the hyper-abridged version of that explanation is that I put a lot of value in the complete experience of a physical game which all goes back to the car ride home with a new NES game, pouring over the back of the box, reading the manual cover to cover, etc.

So with that said, I've always been of a mind that I work hard for what I have and what I have, I'm passionate about and I will never feel shame for following that passion. The value has been in the journey, the relationships I've made in this space while on that journey, and playing games: Laughing with my daughter while playing World of Illusion together on Genesis, turning the trash talk on my son in Super Mario World and laughing until we would tear up, watching my brother lose his mind trying to beat Hagane, my wife heckling me mercilessly for getting me with the 'Ring Out' in Virtua Fighter or dunking on me in NBA JAM, wowing the fam when I speed run Mega Man X without looking at the tv...to me this is what matters.

[Splain | 2,569]

Why should you be ashamed to own it but some rando is allowed to give you $9k and then... own it???

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

@Renmauzo

As long as you aren't buying things you can't afford, there's no need to ever feel shame. Many people just love to shame when they get all gel. I tune all of it out. We all need to have fun and focus on ourselves at points in life and those of us on VGS all share gaming in some capacity to satisfy that need. 

[elprincipe | 142]

Not really. I mean, yes, if my family or friends were homeless or starving and I refused to sell some games and help them that way, yes, I would feel guilty, but that's not the case. If I were offered a high amount of money for a game and said no I might later regret it, but that's not the same thing as feeling guilty I guess. Although, honestly, sometimes I wonder if it would be advantageous for mental health reasons to have far fewer possessions

[Sumez | 2,951]

I would feel more guilty if the value made me sell it. Seems predatory to sell stuff for more than you bought it for.

[FireHazard51 | 2,043]

When it comes to collecting I don't have guilt for the value of my collection.  Mostly because I have "junk" that is no where near $1k in value for a single game.  Collectively it has some value but we all know bulk "junk" is never worth as much as it's valued when sold in a large sale.  I feel guilt from SPENDING money on the collection.   I only feel that when I look at the total amount I spent.  I'm sure I feel FAR more guilty if I looked at how much I spend on fast food than my video game collection.  At least I'm spending money on something that makes me feel happy more than just shortly after the purchase.  I can look at my collection and feel happy.  I guess that is what people do when they look at art pieces.  I guess my collection is "art" to me.  Everyone has a hobby and hobbies have pros and cons.  A con is typically that its a money sink.  At least all hobbies are for me 

[GPX | 1,369]

6 hours ago, Tyree_Cooper said:

I have NEVER sold my wife!

Yeah, but did you ever contemplated putting her up for an eBay listing?