Support NeoGAF

[entremet]

I slowly began buying the games I cared about again, and putting them back on the shelves. It felt good, in a way, but it was more of an obligation than a way to heal. It felt like lifting barbells with a phantom limb. I was trying to get something back, but it wasn't the physical copies of the games, it was a past in which I imagined I was happier.

Part of me believed that if I recreated the collection carefully enough, one evening I would wake up and she would be there, playing games in front of the TV in one of my shirts. If I owned enough of those same games, I could create a portal back to the past and never have to move forward.

I never really understood how damaging this attitude could be until I heard it explained in a movie. ”All the time you spend trying to get back what's been took from you, there's more going out the door," a very wise character from No Country for Old Men said. ”After a while you just try and get a tourniquet on it."

I stopped buying old video games by the time I was 30. It was my way of tightening a belt around the stump. The games were ultimately boxed up once again when I got married and bought a house.

Good piece by Ben Kuchera. I've had conflicting thought about collecting of late. The thrill of the hunt is fun and so is original hardware, but so many new games to play.

I really liked how his collection brought back individual memories.

Have you offloaded a huge collection either voluntary or not?

https://www.polygon.com/2017/7/12/15958318/the-5000-decision-to-get-rid-of-my-past

 

[CountAntonius]

I never been one to hoard games but I find it so hard to get rid of my box of CD's that I haven't used at all in like 8 years. Like it's really hard to get rid of them.

I'd imagine it's a similar feeling.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Honestly, it just makes me think I don't want to be like the author.

 

[prag16]

I unloaded my entire NES collection including hardware and accessories in the late 90s when I was young and stupid. (Wasn't large by any means though, less than 20 games.)

...yeah, I've since bought back just about everything I owned then, and more. And yeah I haven't had the actual NES hardware hooked up in over 5 years. I have a (minor) problem.

 

[Aonuma]

I'm offloading parts of my collection right now and it's a crappy feeling. It's definitely all worth much, much more than $5,000, though. I've probably got closer to $30,000+ worth of games, systems and rare memorabilia.

 

[13ruce]

I recently bought alot ofgames i missed and still wanted to try and rebought quite a few games i lost due to movin lending etc wich i wanted to replay or try out again.

I keep all the games i buy especially ones i like wich is mostly 100% since i do my research. I also replay games so it kinda is a curse i don't want to sell my games cuz i want to replay em someday.

Even if my hardware breaks i would just play em on pc since by that time even a budget pc can run them at normal speed.

So i will probably end up with a pretty big closet or shelves or whatever full of games. Some wich i might even never replay but i just want to keep em because of a sort of fear that if i want to replay it in the future i don't own it and have to rebuy it.

Oh and like 40 amiibo's but i won't buy much more i only wanted a few of my favorite games wich i grow up with.

Edit: also still planning on a Samus, Marie from Splatoon and maybe Marina from Splatoon (if shes likeable in splatoon 2 to me otherwise Callie) tattoo on both sides of my back wich probably also is like 1500+ bucks (good artists cost alot and i don't want a ugly tattoo especially if they are from video games).

So yeah it's pretty expensive year but honestly from now on i am only going to buy 1 game a month my backlog is huge i think it's about 250+ games (what i still have to play) with all consoles combined and what i want to replay wich is 10s of thousands of hours probably of game time. Also goin to school soon again so buying lots of games at a time is just not a smart thing for me at this time. So yeah i kinda had a desire to own all good games but t simply is too much and not feasible timewise and even money wise.

Sorry for long post.

 

[Falchion]

I've never really caught the collector's bug thankfully. I just buy lots of video games for the experiences they contain.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Really powerful peice. Collections are a really wierd thing. They can snowball so easily from a fun hobby to a genuine burden, and the emotional weight of all that stuff can become a drowning force.

 

[panama chief]

Wasn't a huge collector, but had a nice shelf and all the consoles. But games played a part in my divorce.
I've started to build a modern collection and I'm loving it. I can afford everything I want and surround myself with people who appreciate it.

 

[Baron Von Beans]

I've sold a bunch of my old games, and it felt great, but I stopped at the PSX era. I felt I didn't want to lose them, lose the past. But I have a ton of games I could sell for PSX, Saturn, PS2, DC, Sega CD, and more. I never play them, nor will I ever hook the consoles up...I need to do the same. Time to really clean house.

 

[Kadey]

Applies to me. At my peak I owned 4K+ games and nearly 200 consoles.

I sold a lot, I gave out a lot. I still have a lot I want to get rid of. It's not easy when people only want a thing here and there but I just want to get rid of it all at once instead of piece by piece. Don't have the time or patience for it.

 

[entremet]

I unloaded my entire NES collection including hardware and accessories in the late 90s when I was young and stupid. (Wasn't large by any means though, less than 20 games.)

...yeah, I've since bought back just about everything I owned then, and more. And yeah I haven't had the actual NES hardware hooked up in over 5 years. I have a (minor) problem.

I actually have a more curated collection these days, but even that is a heavy burden lol.

I do love digital distribution more and more because of this stuff.

 

[TrutaS]

I hate the feeling of owning things. I like getting rid of it all as soon as possible, and being able to move and change my life without worrying about carrying things. So I can't understand at all why someone would buy so many things and keep them.

 

[Abilidebob]

I mean, in a situation like his, where he was collecting stuff to try and remember someone else they're not involved anymore, sure, sell it.

But there's nothing inherently wrong with collections and so. Unless, of course, you're actively ruining your income because of it.

Anyway, hell, I don't know why but I sincerely can't read most articles by Ben Kuchera without cringing. It's like the way he writes makes me sick or something.

 

[Mihos]

I will offload when I die.

 

[Lyte Edge]

Related to collecting, but not so much the article, I think it's fine to collect if you just limit yourself. Some of the bigger game collectors I've seen on Youtube and the like come almost come across as hoarders at times. When I collect games, it's more about finding stuff I'm legitimately interested in owning and/or playing, not every game released under the sun.

 

[benicillin]

Digital future wins again.

 

[entremet]

I mean, in a situation like his, where he was collecting stuff to try and remember someone else they're not involved anymore, sure, sell it.

But there's nothing inherently wrong with collections and so. Unless, of course, you're actively ruining your income because of it.

Anyway, hell, I don't know why but I sincerely can't read most articles by Ben Kuchera without cringing. It's like the way he writes makes me sick or something.

I don't think he's anti collecting as a wide recommendation. The piece is more personal in nature. It was interesting seeing his feelings change over the years.

 

[jfoul]

This reminds me that I really need to sell my Gamefan collection. I have sold thousands of my physical games over the years now. I've only kept my PS2 collection around, and I've seriously considered selling it as well. Just seeing these games is like a portal back in time that helps trigger memories.

 

[choodi]

Honestly, it just makes me think I don't want to be like the author.

Nobody wants to be like anyone who works at polygon.

 

[Mihos]

Nobody wants to be like anyone who works at polygon.

LOL!

 

[zelas]

I never understood the hoarding mentality. Going through my games to sell to Gamestop a couple of weeks ago made it even more obvious that life isn't for me. So much stuff that was absolutely worthless to me. Thank god for gamefly.

 

[reelbigtink]

I mean, in a situation like his, where he was collecting stuff to try and remember someone else they're not involved anymore, sure, sell it.

But there's nothing inherently wrong with collections and so. Unless, of course, you're actively ruining your income because of it.

Anyway, hell, I don't know why but I sincerely can't read most articles by Ben Kuchera without cringing. It's like the way he writes makes me sick or something.

I dunno about the last paragraph, but I agree with the rest of your sentiment. I don't buy old stuff to try to hold on to the past, but because it is appealing to me. And the cool stuff I have will one day belong to my kids, and they can either keep it or profit from it.

 

[Omegasquash]

Nobody wants to be like anyone who works at polygon.

Savagery.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

I'm trying to force myself through this as well. First up to the chopping block is the PSP. I'm trying to play through my library one last time and I'll sell off most of it along with the hardware, maybe keeping a title or two that's particularly special to me.

After that I'll move onto the DS, then Wii, then Dreamcast.

The shit is just sitting in a closet. It's doing me no good, it needs to go.

Unfortunately I break down and buy Famicom carts every so often. Ain't helping things.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

Learning to let go of my collection and to trade games in or order to save money on new ones is the best video game-related decision I've ever made.

 

[Lyte Edge]

I never understood the hoarding mentality. Going through my games to sell to Gamestop a couple of weeks ago made it even more obvious that life isn't for me. So much stuff that was absolutely worthless to me. Thank god for gamefly.

Sometimes I'll watch game room tours on Youtube. There's a guy in Australia, IIRC, who has a Guiness World Record for the largest game collection ever. It's absolutely insane and his videos make it look like he has a store inside of his house, as well as a pretty large arcade full of mostly Sega cabs. But while his collection is impressive, at the same time, he's posted about how he has run out of space, and has added rooms to his home and even moved to a larger home because of it. That's also kind of insane. But it seems like he has plenty of money on hand to cover everything.

 

[Vark]

I'm currently in the process of divesting a lot of my stuff. I've been collecting games for over 20 years, I have shelves and shelves full of games (thousands).

Initially I started selling off some of my more expensive stuff to help fund some indie development, but the more stuff I've gotten rid of, the more I realize I don't really miss it.

It used to be the thrill of the hunt, and I would scout flea markets in college and eBay when it was a new thing. I have games people have given me, stuff I've bought, stuff from when I was a kid and kept in good condition. But now it's so transactional and the 'market' is structured that you will rarely really score something actually rare or interesting (and really I owned most of the White Whales I was looking for).

It's too many games to actually play, and choice paralysis is a real thing so they just sat on the shelf and looked cool for the most part. Hell, some systems are old enough that without some intervention they won't even work anymore (RIP my beloved Game Gear). That doesn't even take into account modern games where servers get shut off or games become useless (That Chromehounds box looks cool taking up space, I guess?).

I'm much more content focusing on actually playing games, selling them off when I'm done, and if I get the itch for something retro then I can always buy it, play it, and flip it.

That's not to say I want to sell everything. There are some games that just have a certain value, and even if I have digital copies or updates available the physical box still means something to me, that stuff I'll hold onto but that's such a small percentage of the stuff I've accumulated over the years.

 

[QuantumBro]

Nobody wants to be like Ben Kuchera.

FTFY

 

[Tailzo]

Great writing. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Arkhanor]

Great article. Makes me think about my hoarding problem and how I need to leave my past behind. It's fucking difficult, but not impossible. I need to keep trying.

 

[Tain]

Part of me believed that if I recreated the collection carefully enough, one evening I would wake up and she would be there, playing games in front of the TV in one of my shirts. If I owned enough of those same games, I could create a portal back to the past and never have to move forward.

I can't relate to buying games to return my life to a past state.

I buy old games that I have never played before, for the purposes of playing them.

 

[entremet]

Related to collecting, but not so much the article, I think it's fine to collect if you just limit yourself. Some of the bigger game collectors I've seen on Youtube and the like come almost come across as hoarders at times. When I collect games, it's more about finding stuff I'm legitimately interested in owning and/or playing, not every game released under the sun.

I think Youtube has a huge effect on retro game collecting.

There's the AVGN effect, when a game featured in AVGN and the price automatically goes up.

 

[SocksAndShoes]

The key is to own old games and then actually play them. Buying any form of interactive media and then throwing it in storage is completely pointless.

 

[Mareg]

When I was around 17, I sold my whole collection. I almost regretted it instantly.
I then painfully started collecting from 23 to 37. I was never able to get as beautiful a collection from the generations I sold. But still, I got that crazy big collection of hundreds of games and guides.

This year, I just had it. My dream of playing Video Games to end my days is futile. The dream of using my huge collection to initiate my kids to gaming is also a lie. They don't even care. Them and their tablets. Casuals ! As I grow older, my goals and what makes me happy in life are changing. I barely have the time to play current gen. Let alone my crazy backlog.

This year I'm just selling everything. And not quickly. I'm having a blast just putting stuff to sell as an Amazon seller. Slowly and gracefully getting nice paychecks every weak. It an all new meta game. Getting the best price. Undercutting competition. Finding the rare games in my collection and putting them up for crazy prices. Sometimes 10x the price I've paid.

It was a nice ride. I have many fond memories. One in particular is wasting a whole semester of uni to Ocarina of Time. That one earned me a lot of unwanted debts

 

[Kadey]

My house use to be a big mess too for my game room but since I've gone digital and got rid of many things it just looks and feels better. I'm all about simpleness now.

 

[Gold_Loot]

The key is to own old games and then actually play them. Buying any form of interactive media and then throwing it in storage is completely pointless.

Nah. People like to collect things. Nobody travels the world to play with Star Wars toys. They want to collect them.

 

[sibarraz]

After getting a job for the first time I decided to build a physical collection, at first it was very cool but after 2 months I realized that I really don't care for those discs in a way that justifies not selling them at a high price

 

[Mikey Jr.]

I have like 3 or 4 games that I will always keep. FF7 PS1 original, Xenogears original, ff9 original, disgaea ps2 original.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Given the parallel structure of the beginning and ending of the article, I assume that this is a pretty serious cry for help. I hope Ben is able to get the mental health support he needs. Writing can be good catharsis but I think ultimately ongoing trained mental health support is going to be the better option.

 

[Raven117]

They weren’t games as much as they were the story of my life.

This is a potent line.

Im not a collector, by any means...but think about your favorite games. Now think about what you were doing in life. You can easily correlate the two. Why? Because games (like many hobbies, but especially games due to how discreet and insular each experience is) often act as signposts for your life. And sadly, usually with an inverse correlation (but not always).

Games are some of the most accessible escapism there is. All you need is a TV, a console (or computer), and a game of your choice. Turn it on, and wham, you are wisked away from any problem you may have. Things ranging from a broken heart, to unemployment, to abuse, and even death.

I completely identify even now that he is married and with kids, looking back through bitter-sweet memories of youth and naivety about "her" and innocent (and clueless) life he had in his 20s. Sure, he is "happier" now, but his collection was the sign post.

It was letting go of youth.

 

[dubq]

Honestly, it just makes me think I don't want to be like the author.

Also this seems like a very specific situation. My retro game nostalgia is not at all connected to a failed relationship, so I see no issues trying to re-collect the games that my parents sold in a yard sale while I was away at college.

 

[SocksAndShoes]

Nah. People like to collect things. Nobody travels the world to play with Star Wars toys. They want to collect them.

Toys aren't interactive media though.

 

[eXistor]

The key is to own old games and then actually play them. Buying any form of interactive media and then throwing it in storage is completely pointless.

Exactly. I regularly buy vintage games (at some exorbitant prices sometimes) and I love having them to fill out my ever-growing collection, but if I'm not gonna play them, they're absolutely worthless. Every game in my collection is one that I want to play and my entire collection is a reflection of me as a person in a way (I know how it sounds). To this day I'm still able to display all my games, but as soon as I start to become one of those people that just has entire libraries of games in boxes that never see daylight I think I'm gonna have to rethink some things (I realise not everyone has the space to display thousands of games though, but you see what I'm saying hopefully).

 

[Ogodei]

There's little point in selling things in my mind. You'll get a pittance for it, and if you have the space you might as well. Learned my lesson from selling Pokemon Stadium 1 for like 75 cents back in 2001 when Pokemon Stadium 2 came out.

Of course, i've also been making a conscious effort to go enjoy deep cuts from my collection when i hit a lull in new games.

2014 i replayed: No More Heroes 2, Super Mario Galaxy, StarFox 64, Bomberman 64, Wario Land II, Phantom Hourglass, Super Mario World, and Yoshi's Story.

2015: Kirby 64, KOTOR II, StarFox Assault, Shadow the Hedgehog, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Land 2, and Rogue Squadron 3.

2016 just Super Paper Mario and Sonic and the Secret Rings.

But you have to make an effort and have the time occasionally. So i get why others may not take my route.

 

[Fury451]

Interesting read, though a bit melodramatic, but hey that's just an outsider opinion.

There's a strong grain of truth to that kind of collecting though; some do it for the fun of it itself which seems healthy as a hobby, others do it to gloss over hurt or try to fill a void of something, which I've done in the past. Honestly it feels good to unload a lot of shit that you don't have the time to ever go back to (even though you convince yourself you will), whether it's games, books, films, tv, whatever. I still have a few collections of things (mainly individual series), but downsizing and selling off my old stuff has been a load off.

 

[cyberheater]

Applies to me. At my peak I owned 4K+ games and nearly 200 consoles.

You owned nearly 200 consoles 0_o

 

[Netherscourge]

Yet, here I am trying to snipe every store I can for a Super NES Classic.

And NOT to scalp one either. I WANT one for myself.

I want to go back and relive those games, not just stare at their boxes on a shelf.

 

[Trace]

I don't understand the appeal of collecting games outside of having a copy of something to play. Just hoarding isn't healthy.

 

[lobdale]

Nice writing. Dat grim ending though.