What collecting advice would you give a younger you?

[Flack]

My 20 year high school reunion is just around the corner, and I've been thinking a lot about how much more I know now than I knew back then. When I was 17 I was pretty sure I knew everything. Now, at 37, all I can think about is how stupid I was at 17. Then again, when I'm 57, I'll probably think I was a moron at 37 too. Anyway ...

What if you could go back in time and talk to the younger you? Specifically, what advice would you give yourself when it comes to collecting? Are there any items you would tell yourself to hang on to? What would you tell yourself to sell, and when? Anything you would warn yourself about? What do you think the younger version of yourself would have a hard time believing?

[kafa111]

i would tell myself to never open any games and definitly not throw away the boxes

[Mattiekrome]

Buy all those Starfox Weekend, DKC Competition, and NES test carts when they were under $100.00 each... Just couldn't cough up that kind of dough

[boatofcar]

I would have told myself that buying video games as an "investment" instead of paying off my credit card was a stupid idea.

[ugly_monster]

I would have told myself that buying video games as an "investment" instead of paying off my credit card was a stupid idea.

I like this one.

I would be able to talk people down even more on prices because it doesn't sell for "this much" on Amazon or ebay

[Greg2600]

Maybe that trading in a lot of NES and Genesis games to Funcoland wasn't worth the $2 store credit.

[The 1 2 P]

Maybe that trading in a lot of NES and Genesis games to Funcoland wasn't worth the $2 store credit.

You could say the same thing today about trading 360 and PS3 games to Gamestop.

I would have told my younger self to buy up all those remaining sealed copies of Snes and Genesis games at Toys R Us. And also to have bought every single copy of FFVII duing the black friday sale when they were only $15 each.

[Steven]

I would have told myself to start my SNES collection rather than wait until 2006. I would have snatched up a 100 boxed Earthbounds as well

[courtesi1]

I'd tell my younger self to forget video games and save his money to buy an assload of Apple stock when its $5 a share.

Videogames can come after.

[goatdan]

I would have held onto a couple of the copies of Earthbound that I bought absolutely mint for $7.99 instead of selling them for $30 apiece.

Beyond that, I really can't say I'd have done much differently.

[Emperor Megas]

Honestly, I wouldn't really do much differently as far as gaming goes. Outside of the obvious answer of telling myself what to look out for that will be rare and valuable later, there isn't much I'd do differently.

I never really spend much on games. I've always been a very frugal shopper. When I use to purchase games new, for higher prices, it was when there weren't as many games on the market, so it balances out. I never throw anything away, or sold or traded in anything I bought. I traded a few friends for other games before, but that's about it. Everything that I lost since I was younger was either in the house fire I had about 10 years ago, or in the flood (Katrina).

It's had to even think about video games when the issue of giving advice to my younger self goes. There are so many things I'd advice myself on, the least of which would be toys.

[Boltorano]

Keep all your packaging and contents in good condition. My pile of loose SNES carts would probably be worth $2000 if CIB today.

[kafa111]

i also would have told my self to get a job at nintendo and take every prototype/competition cart

[j_factor]

My advice would be: Don't start.

[chrisballer]

I would of told myself to buy the entire shelf of Top Loaders at Toys R Us when they were at $15. Or go buy up all the Sega Nomads when I saw them at Meijer for $25.

[Icarus Moonsight]

It's hard to even think about video games when the issue is giving advice to my younger self. There are so many things I'd advise myself on, the least of which would be toys.

Very low priority. If it were to come up somehow, I'd suggest not keeping the Saturn stuff at my apartment to prevent it from getting lifted.

[CDiablo]

Beg my parents to buy me multiple copies of Stadium Games

[PapaStu]

Buying new is great.... but think about the price drops when you're 'collecting' a system! I understand that not everything drops nearly as fast as it does now, but still... to play is one thing, but to just collect it can get damn expensive.

[swlovinist]

I would tell myself to keep all the shrinkwrap on the older games I did not want to play.

[Doonzmore]

Strictly talking video games, I'd say just be patient and listen to your instinct. All the games you're day dreaming about owning will one day be yours.