I need help from experienced collectors!

[modest9797]

Ok, here is my "dilema"

I dont know what or how to collect. I have many different options that I am considering....
-Collect only Xbox 360 games
-Collecting all video game related things I can find
-Collect all video games I find
-Collect only popular games for each console
- Collect for only modern systems
- Collect for only Nintendo systems (+ Xbox 360)

Right now I have a pretty big collection of Xbox, Xbox 360, Gameboy, and GameCube games. However, I also have some PSone, Intellivision, and Nintendo 64 games. But I also have games for consoles I don't even own yet. (PS2 and Sega Genesis/CD)

So, my question to you is, how should I collect? What has been most enjoyable for you guys? :pimp:

[traser]

asking what others enjoy collectoring is your furst mistake, you half to sit down and think hard at what you enjoy collecting. becos if you dont know something that basik, I dont se eny reason why you shud be collecting enything at all.

its easy, go for what makes you happy.

I have bin collecting for at least 20 years, and I have never bin botherd whit what others think.
I have always bin collecting what ever sparks my intrest, how ever mainstream or out ther the intrest have bin.

but based on what you right, I wold say you shud consentrat on the more resent consoles.
sins it seams that is what you have the most of. as of how you go about collecting for what ever you desid, eny and alle methods are god as long as you enjoy what you do.

my main intrest for the last years have bin collecting Complet Gameboy Consoles, but other then that I collect what ever I stumbel apon of games and consoles.
as long as it dosent cost a fortune.

[Cinder6]

I say: collect what you want to play. I have 18 systems total, and I don't focus on any single one of them. I'll play as much as I want of the current game I'm on (whether or not that means actually beating it). Then, I'll find another game I want that's within my grasp (meaning, it's on a console I own, and it's not some ultra-rare, $300 game), buy it, and play. Repeat the process as necessary.

Or at least, ideally, that's what I'd do. In reality, I buy a bunch of games I'm interested, play some of them, find a bunch more games I want, buy them, play some, go back to some of the older ones I never got to, buy more games, etc. But I still only buy what I want.

Buying all video games you see is a quick way to insanity and bankruptcy. Focusing only on one console or brand is a good way to miss out on a lot of great games.

Hope that helps.

[carlcarlson]

Well I'll tell you what most collectors agree not to do, and that's your second and third options. Those are quick and easy ways to get burned out and spend all your money doing it. I recently went through my basement and was quite surprised to see all of the worthless junk that I had, like spare components, accessories, and games for systems I'll never find. I've been trying to rid myself of the rubbish ever since.

[Poofta!]

ok, first ill address the options you present:

Q -Collect only Xbox 360 games
A -If by "collect" you mean "amass" then sure, by all means go ahead. the 360, as with most modern consoles ESPECIALLY Microsoft, does not (and may not) have "rares" with minimum printing criteria, it ensures all games are plenty and easily acquired. also all good/popular games see even larger prints. games drop in price and collecting them at 50$ is rather pointless. if you truly want to get a crap load of 360 games, wait till they drop in price.

Q -Collecting all video game related things I can find
A -A noob decision which you will quickly abandon. unless you are a millionaire and own a mansion to store it all and found some sort of space/time warp thatll give you the time to enjoy and find them all -- this is impractical on all levels.

Q -Collect all video games I find
A -See above. you might as well go into ever gamestop you see and buy out their inventories one by one.

Q -Collect only popular games for each console
A -ok, a little more realistic now. this is a good option and someone a lot of people do. the upside is you get a pretty good collection of games of every console, the downside is you may get quite a bit of games you yourself may not like as well as miss a lot of hidden gems which may not be too popular. a good modification to the option is to replace the word 'popular' with 'good'.

Q -Collect for only modern systems
A -for certain consoles, like ps3/360 this is kinda of a waste of money. since print runs are so large your collection will be of little worth other than its just large. DS and PSP on the other hand have (and will have) many rare games. the other problem with collecting for only modern systems is that since they are mainstream, prices can be rather expensive. i say just get the games you REALLY want to play, and wait till the price drop for the rest.

Q -Collect for only Nintendo systems (+ Xbox 360)
A -Well this kinda depends on whether or not you like nintendo... if you do then go ahead. i already said what i think about xbox collecting.

in short: you should collect what you like. the amount of time you spend researching what is great and worth getting should be almost as much as the time you spend tracking it down (or more if you ebay!). i say choose a console you have the biggest connection with (not the most games for...) and research it, research the games, make lists, learn about it, and start tracking them down.


here is a copy/paste of what i wrote to another wanna be collector on these forums not too long ago::

""""i assume youre young and unemployed? itll be hard since these days this seems to be a very mainstream hobby. try not to blow your cash on "crappy" and "cheap" games. no one cares if you have 100 games in your collection, people care if you have 100 ps1 RPGs in your collection (or equally in demand/quality stuff).

collect what you have passion for, not just because its popular. your collection is your own, and should have more sentimental value to yourself than monetary value to most others.

start small and specific: just judging from your list there, you have a mish mash of [largely] unrelated things. choose a focus (again, something of value to yourself personally) and research it and look for deals/items. that rob will do you no good if youre just gonna put it to gather dust on the shelf and not even explore (and undertand) its history and games. (fyi, a sealed black DC will prob net over 200$ a price which is largely inflated and can get you a lot more bang in terms of rare and quality games). Choose a platform/genre/generation/theme and stick largely to it.

expect to spend serious cash going into collecting old DOS/PC games. loose games are close to free, complete games usually go for at least 10 times that amount (a loose ultima 6 is barely 10 bucks before shipping, a truly CIB will hit 70-90).

always always always remember: quality over quantity. consider this when buying all those tempting $1 genesis sports games or all those .50 cent loose atari carts. as your age, budget and collection grow (and storage space decreases)... all of a sudden a MIB Lunar for ps1 or CIB Fallout for pc mean a hell of a lot more to you than that powerglove or stack of loose common genny/nes games.

collect practically: if you want every sonic platformer so you can play any of them on a whim, it may make more sense to get all the sonic games on gamecube (the most complete collection) than each cart/disk for their original systems.

good luck. dont try to jump too far too quick. it may dishearten you due to your financial constraints or make you feel overwhelmed by the shear amount of what is out there. make lists, go over them several times, and ultimately decide: do i want this in my library?""""

[Trebuken]

I collect all games and hardware I can. I have little interest in memorabilia. Collect in such a fashion is expensive so I collect as I find deals. For example: Gamecrazy marked all of their N64 games $5 a couple of years ago, so I went and bought everyone I can find. At the time any N64 game was worth $5. I then overtime collected the games I did not find, one or two at a time. So I collected N64. When Gamestop was running Buy 2 Get 1 free more often I collected the cheapest Xbox and PS2 games I could find. I amassed a ton of them and now I simply pick and choose them off ebay or in store gradually to fill my collection.

Save a bunch a money for such deals and spend it all when you see them, then rebuild what you have saved for the next time...

Also, look for collections on ebay. That's a good way to get a quick collection and is generally much cheaper than buying them individually. Someone has a complete Dreamcast collection in the buying and selling forum for $1600. That's a deal and that's whay you would want money in the bank.

I am only picking up RPG's and games I want to play and games under $10 for the modern consoles. Most of the others will be in the bargain bin in two or three years.

[modest9797]

Ok.

So far I have crossed off these things from my list of things to collect...
-Odyssey
-all Atari systems
-Coleco Vision
-Sega Master System
-Neo Geo
-PS3 and Wii (for now)
-memorbalia (Unless it is cheap)
- Game guides (same as above)
-Most not-so-popular systems
- Every handheld besides Gameboy series

Right now I am trying to think if I should put PS2 and Sega CD/Genesis

Any other advice?

[DefaultGen]

.....

[modest9797]

Yeah. I will collect the Atari/Odyssey at a later time. I am not too interested in thoes.

I decided that I WILL collect the genesis/Sega CD. However, I am not going to collect PS2. Way too many games and I don't really like Sony.

[ssjlance]

My personal method is buying whatever catches my interest. I have a decent enough VB collection, and I own a Vectrex. Just go for what you like.

[Leo_A]

Ok, here is my "dilema"

I dont know what or how to collect. I have many different options that I am considering....
-Collect only Xbox 360 games
-Collecting all video game related things I can find
-Collect all video games I find
-Collect only popular games for each console
- Collect for only modern systems
- Collect for only Nintendo systems (+ Xbox 360)

Right now I have a pretty big collection of Xbox, Xbox 360, Gameboy, and GameCube games. However, I also have some PSone, Intellivision, and Nintendo 64 games. But I also have games for consoles I don't even own yet. (PS2 and Sega Genesis/CD)

So, my question to you is, how should I collect? What has been most enjoyable for you guys? :pimp:

I didn't read this thread, so forgive me if this has been covered. But why do you want to do this if you have to ask what you should do? I never understood threads like this or ones asking what game I should buy next or what system to buy next, etc. We're not the ones this is for, only you know.

Why don't you take the novel approach and just buy games you want to play? You'd be surprised how quick that can add up. Buying games just to collect is stupid, buy what you want. If you decide later on that you love something down the road that you've bought a few of in the process, like the boxes to Activision 2600 games, start collecting things then.

[Poofta!]

Yeah. I will collect the Atari/Odyssey at a later time. I am not too interested in thoes.

I decided that I WILL collect the genesis/Sega CD. However, I am not going to collect PS2. Way too many games and I don't really like Sony.

i had an odyssey, and i have to say its more hassle than it is worth. i recommend getting an anthology pack or even dare i say it -- emulation?

as for genesis/scd there arent that much less games than the ps2. and why would you care about getting ALL the games since a huuuge portion of both system's libraries are trash. almost all the good games these days that were only available for genesis/scd are now available on other consoles.

not liking a company's business practices is a stupid reason for not enjoying some of their great games.

[modest9797]

I haven't seen any games for the PS2 that make me want to buy the system.

I made this thread because I don't want to get in over my head.

[Leo_A]

If you haven't seen anything worth playing on the Playstation 2, a system that literally has something for everyone, I'd suggest doing a ton more research before you start throwing away a lot of money to complete something like a Sega CD collection...

[modest9797]

There's a bunch of good games, but none of them are exclusives. Besides Tekken I don't see anything interesting.

[Leo_A]

I don't get that, you must have a extremely limited selection of stuff you really enjoy then, which makes me question your desire of trying to go for complete collections even more.

But again, I'm not you, go for what you can afford that makes you happy, just don't bankrupt yourself. :)

[modest9797]

I have a diverse group of games I like. 2 of my favorites are Viva Pinata and Dead Rising. Half of me likes horror/shooters and another part of me likes fun colorful games.
:)

[Fuzzball24]

Just try to collect things you are interested in, with no specifics. Some of the collectors here do collect for a specific system, however. You could always do that, but it's not for everyone.

[carlcarlson]

I haven't seen any games for the PS2 that make me want to buy the system.


Whaaaaaa?! I'm thinking your bias might be blinding you a bit there. I'm not going to rattle off a list, but I would suggest you take a second look. And no I'm not a Sony fanboy, but with over 1000 games there really is something for everyone.

[tholly]

Just collect the Magnavox Odyssey 2.

You could then be one of the elite few to own Power Lords...

[debian4life]

When I first started collecting, I did it for a money reason only. I only wanted to collect games that were 9+ rarity. I found that the super rare games I got weren't that great to begin with, thats just my opinion though.

I then started collecting for five systems: Atari 2600, Colecovision, TI99/4a, NES, and PS2. I then found the games I liked for the 2600 and Colecovision and stop looking for games for them. I now collect for the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, PS2, and TI99 still.

The great thing with the Nintendo brand is that a lot of games are easy to find and play great. The PS2 has the most RPG's in my opinion and that is my favorite type of game. As for the TI I like programming with the editor assembler and extended BASIC, plus the text adventures are in depth and fun.

I hope this helps!

[Cobra Commander]

My main area of collecting is Nintendo. I love the brand so I collect whatever I can find for a good price for every system. The rest like Xbox, 360, PS2, PS1, Dreamcast, those I buy almost everything to play. I bought a few things like The Guy Game or Magna Carta or The Bible game just to have in the collection, but the rest is all for the love of gaming. The only systems I strive to get EVERYTHING for is Nintendo. That's enough for a lifetime right there....

[PapaStu]

When you come to a board that has a ton of people that all collect thing differently the only answer that you're going to get from us as a collective is that no one collects the same things, the same way, or for the same reasons.

What i've noticed over the many moons of collecting things (not just games) is that when you've got to ask others what to get, you're not really ready to start devoting money into the 'hobby' yet.

It's not stupid to start out getting a bit of everything until you find your niche. Ask yourself what you like and what would make you happy to own. It does neither your wallet or your storage space any good to toss lots of money at Genesis sports games just cause you can get them if you don't give two shits about them.

Find systems you like, or genres, or even franchises that you like, start there and see how you feel about everything. I know it can feel daunting when you are starting out and you get this feeling of inadequacy because you've only got 15 games and someone just posts their 47th complete collection thread with pics or something disheartening. But its not a competition, its a hobby.

So in closing, collect what you care about. Thats what I do and besides I'm a variant whore. Even if I complete it, i'm still missing something in my mind and I keep going hunting for moar. That keeps me looking far past what most consider even remotely healthy.

[DeputyMoniker]

Just do whatever you enjoy doing. Why bother asking people how you should go about squeezing yourself into their definition of collecting? Ask yourself what you find appealing about this hobby and do what you have to do to fulfill that desire. You'll know within a few months whether or not you should take a new direction with it. Only personal experience will tell you what you enjoy.

[Sothy]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1375527&posted=1#post1375527

see? Just toss a bunch of money at your hobby and have the maid organize it.

[Cloud121]

Just buy what you enjoy, and what you want to play. Do a lot of emulation. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have half of my collection if it weren't for emulation, discovering some pretty kick ass games, that I had never heard of before (Shatterhand on NES for example. I just discovered it last summer, and is now one of my absolute favorte NES games).

Don't for a complete collection if a specific console unless you're truly passionate about it. As a Sega nut I eventually plan on going for complete sets of USA Master System, USA 32X, USA Mega CD, USA Saturn, and maybe USA Dreamcast. I'm still really on the fence of a complete USA MegaDrive set though. I also plan on going for complete USA sets of 3DO and Jaguar as well. Probably USA PC-Engine too. Though I still need to actually buy a PC-Engine first.

Until I actually decide to devote my purchases to very specific things (Complete collection for a specific console), I'm just buying what I like and want to play.

That's the easiest way to go. Just buy what you like.