Reasons for collecting video games?

[Tanooki | 4,929]

Well the original run of it before the decimation of things 15 years ago-ish it was to get something new, try something new, learn and experience something new as I liked to experiment, and I'd never let it go as it was a personal archive to have fun with.

These days, I keep the 500~ pieces of physical console/handheld games I have because it's a mix of stuff (largely) I've had the entire time, or did have back from the original days I recovered.  Sure I could use a stupid kit and ROM dump, but those I have no mental/personal value put to them, so they're meaningless to me.  The real stuff, I have the memories on them, still like to randomly go back, and want to do it as I did it, and would do it again, like it was more or less meant to be (other than being HDMI now by whatever means.)  I don't collect, I play, I just don't get rid of stuff I like, but it's not actively collecting or even passively collecting.  If there's no interest, it's toast.  The games are fun, for entertainment, for escape, for a mental vacation, whatever works.

[Sumez | 2,930]

When I see a game that looks fun, I want to have it.

My "dream" is to be able to go up to a set of set of shelves stuffed with the best games produced of the past four decades, that's interesting to just look through. Where you can pick out any game, and it'll be something that's cool and fun to put on and enjoy. And those shelves might as well be mine.

Like that feeling when you see those big libraries stuffed from the floor to ceiling with books, and you wonder about the centuries of knowledge, culture, and stories they contain.

And on that note, why people would intentionally buy games they know are shitty, is a mystery to me.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

I really liked what @Naked Warrior said because if I can be honest, this part of the video game community is the best community I have ever experienced. And if any of you knew what I experienced, you would understand that being here is what keeps me from giving up on this hobby. And why I chose to pull a David Letterman, as opposed to say why first collection's (import Transformers) spiritual successor is my current collection.

Even though I guess OptOut is not familiar with Danny Elfman's band. Even though saying "Opt Out Oingo Boingo" is fun to say. But even then my story involving him is non-video game related. 

In all cases my means of collecting Dragon Quest (again) is because of the fun times I had when it came to the Dragon Quest Monsters Super Light event in Akihabara (2016) and both the makeshift Dragon Quest Museum in Nagoya's Parco Mall and Dragon Quest the Live in Osaka's USJ (both 2017). As well as the multiple times I saw Shoko Nakagawa's prop (she used while doing promotions for the Dragon Quest Heroes games) at her shop in Nakano Broadway.

With the rest being tied to other narrations that I hope will give a better narration on what has me collect video games.

Minus the parts that have me miss a few sealed games I kind of wish I still owned these days. And not just because they jumped in value long after I got rid of them.  *remembers his budding Biohazard collection* 

[GPX | 1,369]

I regard myself as a random collector, the basis of which I collect for all sorts of stuff in random patterns and no set immediate plans. Just an overall scheme of collecting what I personally regard as “cool”. 

Initially I definitely collected to play, catching up on all stuff I had missed out on in the 90s, which is my favourite gaming era. Then it got to a point the initial game room was overflowing with games and then the collecting fever became an obsession of sorts..

Anyway, I can dwell on this subject forever but I will end with some dot points. I collect:

- CIBs because I like checking the inside contents, the pamphlets, manuals, posters, advertising sheets, love anything that reminds me of the shops and the time I was a gamer just eager to opening up a game!

- mint/new CIBs because i collect for subsets of mint/new stuff, and great to display them.

- sealed/graded for the challenge of obtaining them as well as to preserve historical pieces where they’ve stood the test of time, untouched from dirty gamers’ hands! Some are for investment pieces because..why not?

- as a form of stress-relief. I become a kid when I touch a game and any stressful thoughts seemingly disappear during those moments.

 

[SNESNESCUBE64 | 531]

I started collecting many many years ago because it was cheaper to buy a box of NES games than it was to buy a new game (oh how the times have changed). Over the years I've narrowed down to what I really like.

Personally, I'm not really buying random games, but rather stuff that I want to play these days. I've also grown to like working on arcade and pinball stuff, it is the project that I particularly enjoy. Just the thought of getting these ancient electronics going again is a wonderful feeling.

[Ferris Bueller | 495]

20 hours ago, dvertov said:

I'm sure a few here have seen this before, but a friend of mine once wrote this great article about Stadium Events collectors (and what motivates them) for ESPN.

Just read it. Am I crazy, but didn't Jay from Nintendo Quest end up selling the copy of SE he got? Why does that seem like a familiar story, or am I misremembering?

Edited April 27, 2021 by Ferris Bueller

[Strange | 1,700]

When Smash Bros. Brawl came out when I was in middle school I made it my goal to collect every NES game those characters were from (the ones that were from NES games, anyway).

I took a hiatus from collecting video games after that to collect musical instruments.

Then one day in college while thrifting I found a GameCube and remembered how thankful I was to have kept my childhood copies of stuff like Double Dash, Sunshine, etc. and I wanted to get back into GameCube and explore more of that library. Eventually branched back into other consoles like NES, SNES, N64.

I creeped my way into collecting Sega to see what I had completely missed when I was younger and I fell in love with Sega stuff. So now I’ve got a Master System, Genesis, CD collection (My Dreamcast collection is lacking and I’m just now getting back into Saturn) to complement my Nintendo stuff. I’m experiencing an entire side of gaming that I never had before.

One day while game hunting I picked up a Game & Watch and was fascinated by the simplicity of the tech. It was then that I decided I wanted to collect pre-NES stuff because I loved the history behind it and the simplicity of the hardware and software. Now I’ve got a huge Atari collection, some Intellivision, etc. but my G&W collection is the same size because that stuff is pricey.

I also love collecting Game Boy almost as an extension of my love of the G&W stuff. I’m one of those Gunpei Yokoi nerds.

So yeah a combo of nostalgia, fascination with the history behind the industry, a desire to branch out from my childhood tastes and experience new games, and a heaping spoonful of OCD.

[Homer | 17]

No joke!  It was a cheap hobby.  I would compare buying a game to buying a Starbucks coffee. I'm nostalgic of 80's and 90's arcade games. Having a copy of old games that I used to own, rented or played on the arcades is relaxing.  Even if it's a port.

Fun to find electronics and fix them up and clean them. 

Always something to check out while on vacation. 

Discovery of games and consoles is fun. It's great to dive into a console's games after the dust has settled.  With the Wii and GameCube I can remember starting a wanted games list after their popularity faded. A lot is those games well rated and like $5.

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Homer
Fixed a copy/paste/edit issue. Derp

[Tanooki | 4,929]

5 hours ago, Homer said:

 

I'm nostalgic of the 80's and the 90's arcade games. Having a copy of old games that I used to own, rented or played on the arcades is fun.  Even if it's a port. 

No joke!  It was a cheap hobby.  I would compare buying a game to buying a Starbucks coffee. I'm nostalgic of 80's and 90's arcade games. Having a copy of old games that I used to own, rented or played on the arcades is relaxing.  Even if it's a port.

Fun to find electronics and fix them up and clean them. 

Always something to check out while on vacation. 

Discovery of games and consoles is fun. It's great to dive into a console's games after the dust has settled.  With the Wii and GameCube I can remember starting a wanted games list after their popularity faded. A lot is those games well rated and like $5.

 

Sigh..yup.  Hadn't thought of it that way, but yes...pre 2011-2012 the whole second hand gaming market was basically like going for a large frappucchino which is $5 at starbucks.  That nice drink at a retail location would be the same price as an old game at a retail location.  That drink cost at a garage sale or flea could get you maybe 2-5 games for that drink cost.  When it's that low, you have utter fun, you experiment, you try things out and explore and enjoy the ride.

Now it's like pulling up to starbucks, you order the drink and they say pull around for your total (trapping you in line) and when you pull up they say ... That'll be $500 for your drink, thanks!  -- NOPE! (hits gas...)

 

Your idea of things you enjoyed then, the exact ones, not just more discovery but those you remember best, maybe owned then or rented, or did in an arcade actively....those have more meaning.  That's what I've whittled it down to, and in the case of arcade added into (I have a neo geo and an icade modern 60in1 cocktail too.)   They're not daily use, but it's comforting it is there, and fun when the want/need hits.

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

I go through phases where I collect and acquire things as a hobby. I have to do it sustainably though, so I only fund my collection by selling items. It's a good time passer and I get fun shelf pieces for a little while. I've been playing more than collecting lately though. I started picking up various Mortal Kombats for different system after watching the new movie lately!

[avatar! | 1,807]

42 minutes ago, Kguillemette said:

I go through phases where I collect and acquire things as a hobby. I have to do it sustainably though, so I only fund my collection by selling items. It's a good time passer and I get fun shelf pieces for a little while. I've been playing more than collecting lately though. I started picking up various Mortal Kombats for different system after watching the new movie lately!

What else have you collected?

[Kguillemette | 1,543]

5 minutes ago, avatar! said:

What else have you collected?

Drums and cymbals mostly in between video games. I started collecting unique bibles as well.

As far as video games go, I had a nice sized nes collection until I moved on to SNES, then back to NES and started expanding on from there. I had a nice little JRPG collection for a little bit, then moved on to GameCube, then Wii-U, Wii, and lately it's been just aquiring games with the intention of immediately playing them. I usually keep a few fragments or highlights from each phase. It's been all about MK lately, though. I got MK9 for ps3, MK11 for Switch, and Deadly Alliance for Gamecube. I still want Armageddon for Wii, and maybe MK vs DC for PS3 also. I had Deception for GC back in the day, but the story mode for that one feels more like a chore than a game.

 

[T-Pac | 7,513]

On 4/27/2021 at 1:10 PM, Strange said:

When Smash Bros. Brawl came out when I was in middle school I made it my goal to collect every NES game those characters were from (the ones that were from NES games, anyway).

No way - that's how I started my NES and SNES collections, too!

I was so stoked to get Kid Icarus since Pit was one of my favorite Smash Bros. characters.

-CasualCart

[T-Pac | 7,513]

The impetus for my collection is mostly practical:

I am against any piracy that I consider unethical, so authentic cartridges or licensed re-releases are my only method of playing classic games.

I only buy games that I want to play (or that I otherwise find interesting, like collector-staples or oddities), which means I don't really care about condition, packaging, or region.

I prefer physical media because it's mine forever and I can build a nice display from it. If I weren't collecting and displaying games, I would probably being going after my favorite movies and music. As others mentioned, there's nothing better than a shelf full of your favorite media, ready to enjoy at your leisure.

I'm also not driven by nostalgia, because I only really collect games that are older than me haha.

-CasualCart

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

13 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

I prefer physical media because it's mine forever and I can build a nice display from it.

 

[avatar! | 1,807]

18 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

I prefer physical media because it's mine forever and I can build a nice display from it.

I've often wondered if people have thought about what they will do with their collection once they leave this mortal coil Will you leave it for your kids? Would it bother to know that your kids will likely sell the collection?

[T-Pac | 7,513]

2 minutes ago, avatar! said:

I've often wondered if people have thought about what they will do with their collection once they leave this mortal coil Will you leave it for your kids? Would it bother to know that your kids will likely sell the collection?

I haven't given it much more than a passing thought personally. I don't intend to grow my collection to the point that it's a burden for someone else to deal with when I'm gone.

Ideally, I just hope someone benefits from it - whether that be my family getting some money from selling it, or making sure the games go to someone who will be happy to play them. (Or they could get tossed in the trash - it's just a bunch of plastic squares after all haha.)

-CasualCart

[avatar! | 1,807]

7 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

I haven't given it much more than a passing thought personally...they could get tossed in the trash - it's just a bunch of plastic squares after all haha.)

-CasualCart

[Strange | 1,700]

52 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

No way - that's how I started my NES and SNES collections, too!

I was so stoked to get Kid Icarus since Pit was one of my favorite Smash Bros. characters.

-CasualCart

When I played NES growing up, I played what my brother had. I was too young to really have a say until the N64’s later years. That being said, he didn’t have Kid Icarus so Brawl was my first introduction to Pit and really the first time I considered exploring games outside of the main Nintendo pantheon. I guess, besides the love of old stuff and Nintendo, you could say the desire to explore games I’ve never experienced is a major driving factor for me.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,011]

Mostly mental problems I think. 

[Tanooki | 4,929]

As far as I'm concerned whatever remains of the vintage games and toys, my kid gets.  She can sell it and have a nice chunk of change or play with it, keep a few for the memories, whatever.  If I chose to go enough into it, I'd stipulate it isn't trashed, some good for her would come from it.

[Inzoreno | 102]

I've had a collector's urge ever since I was young. I've done Pokemon Cards, Star Wars figures, magazines. I currently collect PS4 games and Transformers. At the core, I buy games that I want to one day play through, even though I am probably way past the point of ever being able to realistically do so. But beyond that, there is just something internally satisfying to see my shelf full of games. I also enjoy the hunt as well, there's just something so exciting about walking into a game store and finding something I have been looking for, or something so obscure that I've never seen it previously. I could sell my entire collection tomorrow and I would just go hunting again. 

I also think that deep down, it may be a coping mechanism to deal with the fact that I am very likely never going to be able to afford to do the things that I really dream of doing. Collecting is something that I can do that I can find some feeling of accomplishment when I know things like owning my own house are just unachievable. 

[Super Nintendo Chalmers | 53]

A few reasons. Collecting is an enjoyable outlet for me, along with the thrill of the hunt and meeting like minded people within the community. I prefer physical media to digital so that's another plus. Nostalgia like many plays a part and having the ability to showcase my appreciation of the history and memories of video games. Plus actually playing said games too!

Like many, I would always game with family and friends growing up and getting into my teens. Would play the occasional "mainstream" games at the time, with mates but we would spend just as much time playing many strong retro multiplayer titles well after their original releases. So already had that keen interest in retro. 

I'm pivoted a couple of times and first went for childhood and franchise favourites. Now focusing on certain Game Boy/ Color/Advance games/consoles and expanding my Donkey Kong collection(variants, merch, promo, employee items and anything in between). 

[Bighab | 58]

I collect for several reasons. One incident early on that made me hold onto most games was the time I traded in a bunch of Nes games to my local video game store. Was around 1992(22 at the time) and I was broke and wanted to go out drinking with the guys that night. I remember going to the game store and trading in my mint, CIB copies of Bandit Kings of Ancient China, Genghis Khan, and Romance of the 3 Kingdoms. The store only game me $50. Now that was enough for 3-4 pitchers and I had a hell of a time but I remember going back to the same game store a few weeks later hoping to buy back one of them only to see price tags of $100 to $80 on each. I was less than impressed.  I vowed I would never trade in anything into a game store again(not including garage sale scraps) Some games hold a lot of memories that remain long after I've beaten them. Getting my first computer and internet in 1999 I discovered a lot of gems that I had missed that I had fun tracking down. I remember piecing together my copy of Snatcher for the Sega CD. Around 2001 I bought a disk only copy for $50 off Ebay. A little while later I tracked down a manual on Ebay for $13.  I ended up getting someone to make me nice color copy of the back case artwork. I ended up trading him an Ogre Battle PSX manual and monster chart for it.  It always bothered me a little that my back art was a copy. Fast forward to 2017 and I bought a manual less copy on Ebay and swapped out the back art and sold the disk only copy to recoup some of my costs. The authentic back art ended up costing me close to a $100 which I find funny compared to what I paid for the important parts of the game. I'm a fan of box art and I love some of the Genesis and Nes box art. I enjoy displaying them on my shelf. I'm fortunate enough to have gotten most of my retro stuff before 2010 but now I enjoy collecting various Switch games and collector's edition sets with all the bells and whistles they release them with.