Thoughts on Complete Sets

[Tulpa | 3,493]

4 minutes ago, LaytToTheParty said:

Those last few aren't required for a complete set, are they? I know DKC and Super Weekend aren't, since they're competition carts. Unless it's something about them being liquidated through NP magazine.

People have different definitions of the set.

DKCC and SFSW were available for purchase. MACS probably weren't, but they don't fall into the prototype or non-retail competition cart categories, and they are a unique SNES game and an awesome conversation piece, especially if you have the gun.

Edited May 24, 2020 by Tulpa

[GPX | 1,369]

I just thought of a good analogy to compare collecting of full sets versus partial sets - the analogy of buying a car and upgrading it. Here’s your choice:

- Buying a car and upgrading all its parts (eg. engine, wheels, stereo etc) until you can’t upgrade no more then moving to the next car for maximal upgrading (this is similar to full set collecting)

- using the same amount of cash and time to the above example, buy 2 or more cars with less emphasis on maximal upgrades (this is similar to partial set collecting).

———————

The above analogy highlights purely personal preferences. Either options can give the consumer satisfying personal gratification as well as personal headaches! 

 

[Tanooki | 4,933]

On 5/21/2020 at 12:21 PM, LaytToTheParty said:

I've got all of the games I want and have been looking for for NES, SNES, Wii, GB, GBC, and GBA. Should I pursue complete sets? What are the pros and cons of complete sets? It seems to me that there are a ton of crappy shovelware titles on every system, especially on the NES and Wii, but I'd like to hear what y'all think.

I may be parroting someone here but I don't like always reading others and getting manipulated into thoughts.

Should you?  Maybe? --  How much does it really interest you?  How much money to you have that fluid or other stuff you can sell/trade away to get a set taken down?

Pros/Cons -- Pro, well nothing really you have an entire set of games, and you can wag your e-peen online about that you did it, and if you enjoy being a completionist then knock yourself out and be happy you did it.

CON, you just pissed a shit load of money, thousands maybe into the tens of thousands to get hundreds to thousands of games based on the system.  You now own a hell of a lot of games, start playing you may finish them before death.  Or would you rather just have a library and leave it at that knowing it's there, that could be a pro, but also a space wasting worried it could burn down or flood out one day con.

 

Maybe dip your toe in with a small not so costly set?  Also perhaps when doing so, look at the game, not the manual box and other tidbits?  See how you feel about it after going to that next level.

Personally I never wanted it after attempting it around a decade ago with the NES and I got around 350 games.  I had a hard time storing them at my condo at the time, got desperate enough to use as seen on TV 'shoes under' pull out square bags under the bed along with DVD racks in the walk in closet.  90% of it I put more time into cleaning/sterilizing and testing than ever enjoying... I burned it down to get stuff for another system I needed to restore some happiness to.

All that said, believe it or not, look at the icon to the left, I have one.  Virtual Boy.  Why?  Because a mix of good fortune, enhancing my repair skills, and using some buy and switch, upgrade and release, I was able to get all 14 games, 3 extras even, and various other bits including a 2nd system, blockbuster case, and more for just over $900 which is LOW given what the stuff is typically worth.  I had no intent, but it worked out, and with just a 14 game US library it's hard not to try as 14 is far easier than like PS1 and 1400 or whatever it is.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,525]

On 5/24/2020 at 1:30 PM, LaytToTheParty said:

Those last few aren't required for a complete set, are they? I know DKC and Super Weekend aren't, since they're competition carts. Unless it's something about them being liquidated through NP magazine.

I mean I honestly don't really care what is or isn't anything, but those are the vintage carts I don't own.  No interest in most of them either.  Just the top 3.

[Nostalgic Machine | 27]

Some people get a thrill from collecting complete sets. Others enjoy the gaming aspect. Some enjoy both. It's important to go in the direction that makes the hobby both fun and rewarding for YOU!

[AlfPogs | 29]

On 5/23/2020 at 2:20 PM, Andy_Bogomil said:

You're living in the past, man Hunting these days (for the last 5+ years) is just depressing. It went from finding something of note almost every time I went out to maybe finding something once a month to just giving up even though I was looking for less. I agree that full sets on display look pretty killer though if it's nice and tidy. I really did want a full SNES set at one point but couldn't pull the trigger on  a lot of the $40-$100 games even with the majority of the 'heavy hitters' out of the way.

3,000 years of beautiful history from Moses to Sandy Koufax YOU'RE GD RIGHT I'M LIVING IN THE PAST!!!

 

You're not totally wrong. I don't envy anyone attempting to go for a complete NES set and starting now. But the part of your statement I disagreed with mostly is saying it's a waste of time and space. If you enjoy it, it's not a waste of time. If you like the way it looks displayed, it's not a waste of space. Hell, if you can afford it, it's not a waste of money either. Different strokes and all...

[NESfiend | 1,515]

On 5/21/2020 at 12:14 PM, LaytToTheParty said:

Yup, I already have. However, I'm kind of done collecting what I like, and I just enjoy collecting and the hunt in general. So now I'm down to 2 options: finding better condition copies of games I already have, or completing sets. Some systems just don't interest me, like the 32x, and Sega CD, since they seem to have 1 gem for every 30 shovelware titles.

I have never been a fan of collecting to complete a set for a lot of reasons I won't bore unless you want me to. But I also totally disagree with the sentiment that you should call it quits once you have the games you want. If I had just got the NES games I wanted at the outset, id have 30 or 40 and wouldnt get anywhere close to the use and enjoyment I do out of my collection today. 

There are 700+ licensed NES games. There are another big handful of unlicensed games. Fan made stuff isn't for me, but it adds to the options. The point is, there is absolutely no way anyone knows every title they "want" without years of actually playing one new title after another. And for the common titles, I wouldnt play them if I didn't buy them. When I reached a point where I didnt know what I wanted, I did a few things. First, I spent a lot of time on NA and look at threads to see what people liked that I hadn't played. I did generally by category, i.e. what racers or beat em ups do others like that i haven't played. Those threads make for great conversation too. Also, for a long time, id go to my local shops after work every Friday. Id get 3-4 commons I hadnt really played and check them out over a handful of beers. Some weeks I found one that I'd really get into. Others I didn't. Its never really a loss though because it adds to your collection and shelves anyway and now you know if you like them. Id suppose you could do this emulating, but doubt it would be the same. Once you've bought it, even for a little, you have some incentive to try to find the good in the games and get into them. 

I also am not a fan of shaming people who like to have valuable games. If you want to take fliers on cheap games and hope to hit, great. If you want to surround those games with prominent shelf space rares that add to your collections value, great. I do a lot of both. Thats mainly I don't like complete sets. Every one is the same. My collection is unique to whats there and whats not. I can tell you why and when I bought any particular game and if it worked out. Still track what % of the set I have out of curiosity, but its not a goal to complete one and never will be. 

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

On 5/26/2020 at 4:52 AM, Nostalgic Machine said:

Some people get a thrill from collecting complete sets. Others enjoy the gaming aspect. Some enjoy both. It's important to go in the direction that makes the hobby both fun and rewarding for YOU!

How many plastic gray squares do you have?

[Columbos_Raincoat | 1]

On 5/23/2020 at 3:28 PM, Tulpa said:

Funcoland, RIP.

Most games have disappeared from yard sales and swap meets in favor or eBay, or the people selling them want $100 for a banged up copy of SMB because they saw a news story about how "YOUR GAMEZ ARE WORTH GOLD!!!!1"

It's 2020.

This.

While I agree with the general consensus that the "thrill of the hunt" is definitely one of the best parts of game collecting, the problem is finding anything from most retro systems (for a decent price) is nigh impossible with any consistency. If all you did was try and complete sets nowadays for most of the older consoles via "scoring" stuff for under it's "market value", you'd never finish anything set wise.

I sometimes wish I could go back pre-Cell Phones armed with my knowledge about how the game collecting market would shape up. A few purchases (few pallets of Stadium Events or 250 sealed copies of Panic Restaurant + Little Samson) ... and I could retire for crying out loud.

In any event, if you're going for a complete set of most anything and value your money, I'd recommend cart only be your first priority. Some of the cardboard + posters and such can set you back some serious $.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,013]

3 hours ago, JamesRobot said:

How many plastic gray squares do you have?

Sega reference before I dip.

[Columbos_Raincoat | 1]

On 5/24/2020 at 3:30 PM, LaytToTheParty said:

Those last few aren't required for a complete set, are they? I know DKC and Super Weekend aren't, since they're competition carts. Unless it's something about them being liquidated through NP magazine.

The problem with the combo cart is it does have it's own box + literature and (I think) it's own barcode (which makes it different then just the Mountain Bike Rally release with no Speed Racer). To me, that qualifies it as it's "own release", and something someone (back then) could purchase. Granted it may have only been available to people who owned those fitness bikes...? But still, people COULD call a # or send off a check/money order and have the game shipped to them all wrapped up nicely, (which is how you see so many sealed copies for sale as opposed to opened copies).

The competition carts did not come with any unique paperwork, just a clamshell with printed artwork from Blockbuster (some people go ga-ga for) from what I've seen. While you could order them from Nintendo at one point, they were never given their own box/barcode/manuals, so are more side-bars to a complete set (IMO). If they were put in a store setting (Toy's R Us or Kaybee type deal) back then, Nintendo would've produced so kind of box/manual to complete the package.

Same with the MAC's carts which were designed specifically for the military and never meant to end up in civilian hands, (which is why they have warnings/numbers to call on them in case they DID get off bases). I don't consider them part of a set, either.

 

Having said all that, though: if you get far enough into collecting for the SNES that you have everything BUT MACS/MB-SR/Competition carts ... well that itch may have to be scratched regardless.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

When I was 10, I recall wanting to own every single Nintendo game.  I definitely don't have the stamina for such a feat.  Still collect, though.

[Nostalgic Machine | 27]

11 hours ago, JamesRobot said:

How many plastic gray squares do you have?

Exactly. At one point I had over 480 NES carts, in order, on my media shelf. That was the largest of any gaming collection I've ever had, far and away. Next closest was like max 50 games, and I don't even remember what console that was. Probably GBA, honestly.