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[Hellraizah]

I don't exactly understand why, but video games have a very powerful attraction when it comes to buying (and keeping). Maybe it's my geeky side, but there is some games I can never get around selling or trading.

For example, I wanted to trade my Neo Geo AES for a consolized MVS not too long ago (to finally be able to afford Metal Slug 1), but the sexy AES keeps pulling the idea out. I will probably end up buying a PHANTOM-1 converter instead to be able to get some MVS love.

Also, when I got my Nintendo DS, I strongly considered getting all the games and keep buying every new game that would come out, just to have one perfect collection. Ping Pals discouraged me to do so, though.

So, what are your collecting habits ?
What do you collect ?
What do you refuse to sell ?

 

[Drensch]

I try to get everything. But I'm a cheap bastard and I'd just as soon not buy used unless I have too.

My personal goal is to get every game ever made for a Nintendo system.

I never sell anything unless I can relace it and make out on the deal.

 

[demi]

I'll buy cheap stuff.

I collect most stuff, but not really Atari and legacy systems. The oldest I think I have is NES. I just don't really feel the urge to collect stuff I've never really played..

I don't really have a "goal", I'll just collect what I can.

http://users.ign.com/collection/demiownsign

I will refuse to sell the hard to find shit.


But really, you gotta be pretty stupid to buy all Nintendo DS games on release...or even think about it. Even collectors gotta know when the line of stupidity has been crossed.

 

[Drakken]

I have a harder time than I should selling (and even sometimes trading) my games. Even when I've played them already or know I won't be playing them; I feel like keeping them. That's changing a bit now, as I have a good amount of games I'm going to be getting rid of on eBay, but still...games can have a sort of hold on you.

 

[therock07]

in high school i was buying every game I could. I bashed up the Game.com like 20 minutes after I bought with Sonic. I still remember those commericals too and I would hide my games when I had girls over. But I think once I get this job I'll be back on money binging agian I spent so much FUCKIN MONEY in 6 months

 

[Oni Link 666]

I'm the kind of guy who doesn't enjoy buying back his old games 15 years later. I only trade in games that suck now.

As far as collectins go I have some pretty nice Zelda and Metroid collections. I have every Metroid released in the US minus NES Classics Metroid which I plan on getting soon. I also have every Zelda game released in the US including gold and grey versions of OOT and both versions of Link's Awakening. I'm only missing NES classics Zelda II and the CDI game but, I don't care about the CDI games.

 

[Attack You]

I used to be into trade-ins, but somewhere along the way trade-in values turned to shit. So, I try to keep everything. It's a little complicated. I'm not into the "collecting all of x game" thing. I don't even have the complete series of some of my favorite titles - much less, all of the games from a publisher or on a platform.

I'm not big on collecting merchandise, no matter how obsessed I am with something. I try to leave those open as gift ideas for friends.

I refuse to sell, trade, or lend out gift games under any circumstances.

 

[bobble]

I buy stuff I think I'll like. Then if it sucks I don't trade it in just so it can sit on the shelf and tell me that I'm a dumbass retard.

I don't trade stuff, I'm afraid that sooner or later I might actually want to play Ogre Battle (SNES) even though the 20 minutes I've spent on it over the past 7 years I pretty much hated.

 

[Pedigree Chum]

I used to do trade-ins, don't really do it anymore. I've amased a large PS2 library and I will do the same for PS3. I want to create a huge PS collection (PS1, PS2, PSP, PS3).

 

[Santini]

So, what are your collecting habits ?
What do you collect ?
What do you refuse to sell ?

My collection is all over the map, with a mix of hard-to-find imports, special editions, and current titles. I've calmed down over the years--my days of spending $100+ on obscure import games are pretty much over.

I used to buy everything under the sun that interested me, but not working full-time killed that habit quick. I've since learned to wait for the inevitable price drop AKA the bombas. Waiting is good--it lets me play, appreciate, and enjoy some of the games I've amassed over the years. Admittedly, since I live near a Fry's, it's sometimes hard to resist the siren song of a new release I want to play that's cheap, like the recent Fire Emblem sequel.

That said, I sometimes tend to pick up games that are in short supply (like almost anything made by Atlus, and some collector's editions), though I've been burned by the quality of some of these so-called low-print run games. Like Spikeout; it just didn't do anything for me.

I'll sell or trade-in games that I have no interest whatsoever in playing again, but this only applies to current-gen games that can be applied towards new stuff. I won't let go of: anything I really like, deem a permanent part of the "collection", is relatively hard to find (like Rez or Gitaroo Man) or is from a previous generation. I've also kept some games that friends or family like to play when they'e over.

 

[Kakusha]

I'm very glad and thankful to have managed to part with this game collecting habit.

In my younger days, during school years, it was either mopping floors or doing other tedious work and such to get to play the latest thing on time for release. When thinking about it, no wonder it was a hard decision to part with those games. Often enough they didn't compensate very well to the hours spent on the boring work done to acquire them.
Then, better and seemingly more fun games kept appearing. So the cycle continued.

Eventually I ended up selling and giving away what was left of my "collection".

These days, I'd import a game, play through it and resell it near full price while it's still possible. For the very good ones, I often settle with the artbooks instead and sometimes even the guide books. Then, flipping through those quickly remind me why I enjoyed the games so much or why I wouldn't want to replay them again.

Unlike games, to me the artwork seems to remain interesting and inspiring no matter how old and have a certain appeal to even people who aren't slightly interested in video games.

As a dying person who could part any time while leaving everything gathered behind, one may come to think of better things to consume and pass on.

 

[_Angelus_]

No real habbits. I just keep games that I term as keepers,what I claim to be fun no matter how old they may be. Eveything I buy though-if the game is a chore to play,its sold or traded in. Simple philosophy to go by,keeps me from burning out too. I'm not in this for collecting purposes. Its entertainment,I like to keep it that way. Though I have to admit I do a large number of Sega games. I understand some here collect for those classics,I do that all the time. But at the same time you won't see my keep a turd like NightShade around,just because its from SEGA.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

I used to sell games constantly. However I stopped that with the PSP launch because I looked back and realized how much I got back vs. how much I spent. I'm a guy who pretty much plays a game once or twice (unless its a fighting game or DW or its really, really good) but when you buy a $50 and a month later, trade it in for $15, its almost not even worth it.

What was worse was selling/rebuying systems. I just got a Game Cube, which will be my 2nd. So far this gen, I've had 1 Dreamcast, 2 GCs, 2 Xboxes, and 3 PS2s. I also sold my DS and after E3, I've been wanting it back. I forced myself to not get one unless E3 2006 for PSP is a complete dud. I'm making a pact with myself to only get one console and one handheld per generation from now on for economical and backlog reasons. With getting a GC, there's about 2-3 dozen games worth owning. I also got the GB Player so thats even more games. I've even thought about just waiting for 2-3 years until getting a next gen machine.

My collecting habits usually involve me getting a well paid job. I pay my bills, go out on dates, gas, clothes, etc. but then I'd have $150+ in my account. The money is just burning in my pocket so I rush to EB just to get "one game." Then I'd walk out with two or three. I'd maybe play 2-3 hours at most for these games. Rinse and repeat. I also took another oath to only get two games max per paycheck. Since right now I'm backlogging, I'll probably get one GC game and one GBA game. Thats anywhere from $35-65 since I hate paying anymore than $25 for a console game. Handheld games never go down in price it seems so I digress and pay full amounts. Then after getting a shitload of games, I want to get some more and money runs out. Then I sell half a dozen games for one new one. I'd go from a 30-40 collection to about a 10 collection. Then I'd want some of those games back. Then I'd rebuy them. Its sickening now that I'm typing it out.

I collect games. I don't care about a GH/PC/PH label or anything like that or even an EB sticker.

I now will refuse to sell any games but I would sell if there was something I wanted but didn't have the cash or didn't feel like selling anything I had.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I understand collecting favorite titles or holding on to rare likeable games. The general hoarding that many gamers seem to do seems more pathological than interesting to me. Collections which are more narrowly focused or thought out are more likely to catch my interest. That holds for more than games.

Collections are held aloft by the taste bearing them, whether I agree with it or not. The shotgun approach to buying everything for a system or company when their line-up includes both gems and trash seems to forego any process of real selection at all. I also notice that the "collect everything" types seem to have bad general taste in games (or whatever it is their storing up) because they haven't really developed any sort of discernment. GAF has sort of confirmed that hypothesis for me.

 

[Andy787]

I collect games that are fun and original. I like games that are unique, interesting, and like someone said above, if a game is a chore, why keep it?

I don't think I own a single licenced game --as in a game based off a licenced IP like a movie. I do of course own racing games with licenced vehicles, and obviously there are things like product placement in Shenmue or the Sims or whatever, but that isn't the point. I'm not opposed to it, like for example I've been meaning to pick up Chronicles of Riddick and Blood Will Tell for a while, but it is just very, very rare for a title that is based off of something outside of gaming to be interesting and worth playing to me. I own very few redundant titles (ie, while I may own several titles in a series like Final Fantasy or Mario, I only own one Gran Turismo). I don't keep games just to keep them --if I don't really like the game or will never play a game again, I trade, sell, or give them away.

So, basically, all the games I own are games that I really like, and actually wouldn't mind playing anytime. Works well for me.

 

[Wario64]

i buy cheap games and keep them. that's my collecting habit.

 

[MoxManiac]

I "collect" everything I can get my hands on.

 

[Link316]

just collect NES, everything else I just keep the games that I like

 

[bjork]

I buy stuff that I think will be fun.

 

[Tiktaalik]

I used to live in a town with a great mom and pop shop, where trading it was actually worth it, and the used games were actually dirt cheap, so alot of my early collection is used, but when I moved for university, the only thing here is an EB Games, so I'm spending way more than I used to. I almost never trade in stuff, only if I haven't even beaten the game and I can't see myself playing it again. When I was young I used to trade all the time, but once I had bought Super Mario World again for the third time, because I wanted to play it again, I realized it was just easier to keep everything.

With regards to collecting for collecting's sake, I recently found a near mint condition colecovision in the box and I find it incredibly fun to go around to flea markets to try to find weird games for it. It's better than Atari, because you don't have this completely daunting library or buckets of crap games.

Eventually (when im rich), I'd like to have some arcade machines, like Robotron, Pac Man, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, and Crazy Taxi.

 

[Vandiger]

I'll only buy games that have been reduced to 50% off the launch price so far it has worked for every title I had wanted at some point. I got such a huge backlog of games I don't know whether I'll go into the next-generation for awhile since I even have pc titles I had not even completed....really pathetic to buy a game and let it sit on the shelf for months untouched . My resolution is to at least complete about 30-40% of my backlog so I can clear up space in my storage area and get away from rat-packing.