1308 games...That's what I counted. How do you go about your collecting?

[Loganm187]

Not including doubles, sports games, or anything digital I have 1308 Physical games in my room. I have never counted before, but I do have a room just for my gaming stuff. I have been "collecting" for about ten years, but I have never used ebay or anything to find a rare or clasic title. Always in person and for hardly a few bucks (not so much anymore as much of you know it's hard out there these days lol.) I can safely say that my collection hasn't cost me a single dollar in the long run considering I have sold probably a thousand games from extras I have gotten in lots found out and about. I know my collection has earned me a few thousand actually.

Collecting is without a doubt my hobby, but I refuse to spend money on it unless I can make that money back at the same time. and that mindset has netted me a damn fine collection without any investments. I know many of you search all over for the most expensive games and pay hundreds on ebay when you get desperate for a title. Are there any of you out there like me who refuse to actually "spend money" on this stuff? Crazy I know, but I work freelance and my income has never been consistent and I have what could be considered an expensive hobby that I won't spend a dime on lol. I will post some pics later today!

[danawhitaker]

Not including doubles, sports games, or anything digital I have 1308 Physical games in my room. I have never counted before, but I do have a room just for my gaming stuff. I have been "collecting" for about ten years, but I have never used ebay or anything to find a rare or clasic title. Always in person and for hardly a few bucks (not so much anymore as much of you know it's hard out there these days lol.) I can safely say that my collection hasn't cost me a single dollar in the long run considering I have sold probably a thousand games from extras I have gotten in lots found out and about. I know my collection has earned me a few thousand actually.

Collecting is without a doubt my hobby, but I refuse to spend money on it unless I can make that money back at the same time. and that mindset has netted me a damn fine collection without any investments. I know many of you search all over for the most expensive games and pay hundreds on ebay when you get desperate for a title. Are there any of you out there like me who refuse to actually "spend money" on this stuff? Crazy I know, but I work freelance and my income has never been consistent and I have what could be considered an expensive hobby that I won't spend a dime on lol. I will post some pics later today!

Right now I don't invest in it. If I find great deals, awesome (and by great I mean bargain bin prices at garage sales or thrift stores). My actual collection is quite small - 100 - some of those are just games I've acquired through actually buying them for more recent consoles. Others are games from my childhood. Others are games I've absorbed from friends when they were getting rid of them. Some is from eBay when I was in high school and college and had more free income.

When I'm able to actually start investing more in it, I'll probably go for somewhat of a blend of your approach and spending more money, because ideally I want to acquire the games sealed. Not because I don't want to play them, or because I'd only display them, but I absolutely love (and I know this sounds ridiculous) the process of actually opening a new game, the smell of the plastic and the manual and...yeah I know. It's stupid. But I wouldn't toss down hundreds of dollars on something sealed just to get it that way either. I'm sure I'd make compromises along the way. At the very least I'd aim for having the box or case. I don't really like loose games. I still kick myself a hundred ways for getting rid of all my boxes from my older games when I was a kid.

[Loganm187]

I put some pics up and yea, I sold most of my snes and nes games when the Playstation came out (KICK!) but I always kept my PSone games though as towards the end of that systems life I re bought a snes and some games. I never had a whole lot though as my family didn't have much money and I only got a game for christmas every year. I did rent a lot though. Buying games sealed to just open them...hmm I'm sure you could find some sealed sports game for cheap and have yourself a fake fantasy christmas of Madden 19xx ;)

[recorderdude]

I never get a game unless I get a deal, or it's common/cheap, and I usually find other games that I resell to make up for it. So yeah, that's how I roll too. I only started last year, but I've already got a Genesis collection of nearly 100 games, a Game Gear collection of nearly 30, and a SNES collection of nearly 20 with quite a lot of rares/desired titles (every us game gear sonic game including blast, labyrinth and tails adventures, every shining game on genesis cib except shining force II which is loose, ristar, gaiares, zombies ate my neighbors, CiB mcdonalds treasureland adventure, and a few SNES classics like mario world, super punch out and the kong countries just to start).

[Loganm187]

It's very easy and Cheap to get a huge Genesis collection. I have over 150 and mostly all rare and or the best games on the system. I didn't even have to try to find any of them. Just boxes of Genny games for cheap all over. SNES is whole other story took me a while to get all the "classics for that even though I have had about 10 earthbounds over the years I still have not seen a copy of EVO...I want that game so bad. I also sold my only copy of Suikoden 2 last year when times were getting rough. I regret that as I have a feeling I won't find that one again.

[Rickstilwell1]

It's very easy and Cheap to get a huge Genesis collection. I have over 150 and mostly all rare and or the best games on the system. I didn't even have to try to find any of them. Just boxes of Genny games for cheap all over. SNES is whole other story took me a while to get all the "classics for that even though I have had about 10 earthbounds over the years I still have not seen a copy of EVO...I want that game so bad. I also sold my only copy of Suikoden 2 last year when times were getting rough. I regret that as I have a feeling I won't find that one again.

Suikoden II is very easy to find online. I just sold mine on ebay recently with no worries because I know I can buy it back when I get some paychecks, for the same price or less than I sold it for. I assume you're only buying locally instead of online? If you're going the locally only route you might be out of luck on finding certain big name titles.

[GamerTheGreek]

I used to have about 2000 games from every walk of life, loose, with manuals, and complete in the box. I might have spent maybe 2500 to 3000 on everything. including my systems. Buying most at flea markets garage sales and thrift shops in the late 90s early 2000s. I sold 95% off to buy a classic car. Which I still have today. My atari 8 bit side I kept and working on so my collection total now is around 85 games. The thing with 8 bit I am learning ( as opposed to 2600 and NES ) is that you need to pay $ to get games. Your not gonna find many a8 games for 1.00 or less anywhere. heck its hard to get a8 games for 3.00 or less especially online. Dirt commons seem to have a 3 to 4.00 tag on em and anything worth playing starts at around 7.00. The more expensive games are those that seem to be non game carts , microsoft basic 2, any OOS titles, Salt SUper Salt etc. Since they were not games alot either not kept or main stream. Anything like that seem to have moon money on it ( $100+ ). Romox games seem to have a high tag too ($65+) I dont know if its really worth the extra money but so far in the 8 bit world ive spent the most ive ever gone on a cart ($65) but this seems to be alot harder and more expensive than any other atari console to buy and collect for. Starting to get the feeling that if you can get a full atari 8 bit cart collection you can basically get a full collection of nearly any atari console ( yes i know some have really rare games with 20 or less known like air raid for a2600).

Working as an EMT we get paid low and well what little play money I get I have to make go real far. Craigslist is the best way for me to do so. Buying reselling and trading is the only way I can build my collection and also have fun at the same time. But I try to spend as little as possible but I dont know if im ever gonna pay 100+ on any game for this system. I gotta belive anything and everything can be had for less than a brand new PS3 game.

[Damaniel]

I probably own about 2000 games at this point, give or take a couple hundred, but I'm actually in the (slow) process of downsizing. I used to track them using software, but these days the only part of my collection I'm actively tracking is PS2 games.

I rarely buy from eBay, and never the expensive stuff. All of my best finds have been found in the wild (including my CIB copy of E.V.O. - sorry Loganm187), and I've made a few decent trades here over the years as well. However, I'm long past the point of finding any decent deals around here (I swear that one of the local game stores is sending employees off to all the local garage sales and thrift stores to grab anything of value), so rather than spend big bucks to finish off my older system collections, I've moved on to more recent systems. You have to try really hard to spend more than $10 on a CIB PS2 game. :)

(EDIT: I just looked up the prices for E.V.O. on eBay. Are people freaking smoking crack? My manual is beat to shit, but I bet that doesn't matter much. At those prices, I'd sell it in a heartbeat.)

[Collector_Gaming]

God damn O_O *bows all waynes world like* WE'RE NOT WORTHY WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!!

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/544011_529098893802242_644532296_n.jpg

I got 400 games some how squeezed in there with some console stuff XD (when i get my new place i am gonna get some more racks and stuff to let things breathe)

[wiggyx]

I'm a lot like you in that I deal hunt a LOT, and generally won't pay eBay prices. However, I find my SNES collection is getting to the point where I own most of the sub-$30 games that I want. It's starting to look like I'll need to spend the $60+ required for the last bunch of games that I really want for my collection and its sorta making me nuts. The prices are just skyrocketing, and I worry that $60 may turn to $100, then $150, and so on like with Earthbound. To the point where I simply won't bother (damn you, Wild Guns!).

I am dissimilar in that I don't try and break even or make money collecting. I find it to be too laborious and tedious. But I applaud anyone that can collect that way. That's one way to make a wife not loath your game collection LOL!

[Loganm187]

It's crazy how the market has changed just in the past year or so. I bought wild guns from a retro game store for 25 bucks two years ago....FAT CHANCE now! and I know Suikoden 2 isn't hard to find online but I'd only buy it back if I was desperate and honestly I don't even like the game. Just sucks It's gone lol

[Dashopepper]

I also find that collecting thrifty is not as thrifty as it might seem. By the time you count gas, time spent, wild goose chases on Craigslist or flea market finds, you might as well got a $30 eBay find for the cheap price of...$30! Never even leave your living room, and get exactly what you want.

[recorderdude]

I also find that collecting thrifty is not as thrifty as it might seem. By the time you count gas, time spent, wild goose chases on Craigslist or flea market finds, you might as well got a $30 eBay find for the cheap price of...$30! Never even leave your living room, and get exactly what you want.

The biggest element you're forgetting is the thrill of the hunt. Sure, most attempts may be pretty fruitless, but it's all worth it in the end for that one amazing find. I mean, what *feels* better, finding an amazing rarity and having a story to tell about how you got to it, or....buying it off ebay for full price? It's fine for something you really want and isn't *too* expensive, but finding a game you could never afford like an NWC or Stadium Events cheap in the wild is an unequaled joy for many treasure-hunting collectors.

[Bojay1997]

I also find that collecting thrifty is not as thrifty as it might seem. By the time you count gas, time spent, wild goose chases on Craigslist or flea market finds, you might as well got a $30 eBay find for the cheap price of...$30! Never even leave your living room, and get exactly what you want.

Strongly agree. I used to thrift and go to swap meets and garage sales or used game stores a lot when I first started collecting and the reality is that driving around costs money, but more importantly, my time has value. All those hours I spent running around trying to find cheap games cost me time I could have been spending with friends and family. Sure, it can be fun, but as your collection grows, it can become more and more time consuming, especially as you search for rarer items. Unfortunately, time is the one thing in life you can't get back or make more of, so while you might not be spending much out of pocket, all that running around and reselling stuff probably costs you far more than you would have spent just taking ten seconds to do an Ebay search and paying a little more for the item.

[Schiggidyd]

Constant hunting for approx 2 years has earned me about 950 games. It would be thousands if I kept every shitty game I had, but I aim for quality or uncommon games over bargain-bin crap. My collection hasn't costed me a cent either.

[Flam]

my strategy consists of searching ebay then purchasing it straight from the 'Buy It Now' price.

Seriously though, I don't consider myself a "collector" nor do I have the time, mind set to "wait it out", nor local shops to purchase my games.

My strategy is pretty straight forward. I only play the NES, I purchase off Ebay. Most of the time I look for "best offer" options, if not I'll bid. Also I have been known to pay "buy it now" prices every now and then (THE HORROR). It's not like paying $15 for a game that usually costs $10 is going to break the bank.

[Flam]

I mean, what *feels* better, finding an amazing rarity and having a story to tell about how you got to it, or....buying it off ebay for full price?.

What 'feels' the best is having the game in my hands within 3-5 days and being able to play it, as opposed to waiting around for years (possibly never finding the game) just so you can have the pride that you "found it in the wild" and saved $10 in the process. (which this all goes back to time value of money as far as search vs. buying off ebay)

[GamerTheGreek]

I also find that collecting thrifty is not as thrifty as it might seem. By the time you count gas, time spent, wild goose chases on Craigslist or flea market finds, you might as well got a $30 eBay find for the cheap price of...$30! Never even leave your living room, and get exactly what you want.

I think I'm just more picky on the craiglist lots. Last 2 I found are well worth the price even with shipping. At least according to eBay asking ( averaging it out , completed auctions and the dp price guide. But yeah some games are about the same price on CL as apposed to eBay so might as well buy it on eBay. Atari 8 bit seems to be much scarce than NES and snes so I think scarce and demand aren't equal. Everyone wants 65+ a game just cause its hard to find. Which sucks for people like me who want a complete cart collection but they was nego prices which is cool do your thing BUT then why you let it sit for months on eBay or CL is beyond me. Why you can't take a hit and move it you rather just like to tie up money.

One eBay dealer I made friends with charges higher prices on the scarcer carts but I talked to them and now I get an instant 40% off any game. Just shows you how inflated Atari 8 bit game prices really are.

What is worse inflated prices due to the assumption of being valuable due to not seeing many around ( and may not have as many collectors OR inflated prices due to high demand and game quality.

Which do you find easier to work with.

[recorderdude]

What 'feels' the best is having the game in my hands within 3-5 days and being able to play it, as opposed to waiting around for years (possibly never finding the game) just so you can have the pride that you "found it in the wild" and saved $10 in the process. (which this all goes back to time value of money as far as search vs. buying off ebay)

I do believe that if a game's only moderately rare/valuable it's better to just give in and pay its worth; when I got a SNES without mario world, it's something I NEEDED in my collection and $15 isn't a ton to spend on one game in retrospect, honestly. What I tend to do is plan around 3-4 days a month where I hit up a certain district that has both retail gamestores and thrift shops/flea markets, get what I can find, and then go home and let the games sink in for a while. I'll hit up community yardsales in the summer, but usually only one or two. If you're going out looking for this kind of stuff super often, and if your goal game is only moderately costly, then yeah, just ebay it. Like I said before, never buying on ebay really only applies to games you absolutely can't afford to buy like NES top-rarities or complete copies of bloated SNES RPGs like Earthbound.

I find that, most of the time, the biggest thrill of my hunt isn't finding the games I was looking for, but rather finding other games that I'd never heard of before and discovering a great new experience I was completely unaware of (or at least a game with some ridiculous aspect to mock if it's crap and resell it). A great chunk of my library was stuff I bought on a whim since it was cheap, took it home, and played it through enjoying it all the way. That's really something you don't replicate with ebay quite as much since you look directly for the games you want (though it can work out the same way with game lots). The point is, if you're going to go looking for nothing but one or two games and reject everything else or spend all day looking in a shiton of places, there's really no point of going out and spending your time on that. It devalues the experience and the finds.

[Mr Mort]

I know this is considered heresy, but I have no compunction about getting the games I want off Ebay.

I work long hours, have a long commute, and have a family. I simply don't have time to dig through bins at pawn shops, troll neighborhood yard sales, and drive out to flea markets only to come back empty-handed, when all I want is a specific game. I gave it the old college-try, but it has never worked out for me.

I've discovered that some of the local collectors have established relationships with all the local pawn shops and record & tape traders to put all the good stuff aside for them. I can't "get my foot in the door" so to speak, so when I do go to those places, all the good stuff is on hold, and all the crappy sports games are all that's left. It got to the point where I just gave up, as I was wasting time.

I'm with Flam on this one, finding stuff "in the wild" may give you a sense of accomplishment and save you some cash, but in my experience, it comes at the expense of time, which is the most valuable commodity imaginable to some people, myself included. It ticks me off to hear people insinuate that buying a game off Ebay or Amazon is somehow shameful or low-class. (Disclaimer: I'm not saying that's what's being implied by anyone in this thread in particular)
That sort of attitude breeds a snobby kind of elitism that I find distasteful.

[XYXZYZ]

I only have a little over 400 games and to tell you the truth I don't really want a big collection of games I never play just taking up space. The only time I ever buy a game is when I see a game and say "Man, I want to play that!" and I just go to eBay. But I do see the appeal in only buying games in the wild. It's about the thrill of the hunt, and it's a fine hobby, it's just not mine.

[o.pwuaioc]

I only have a little over 400 games and to tell you the truth I don't really want a big collection of games I never play just taking up space. The only time I ever buy a game is when I see a game and say "Man, I want to play that!" and I just go to eBay. But I do see the appeal in only buying games in the wild. It's about the thrill of the hunt, and it's a fine hobby, it's just not mine.

You can do both. Sitting in at a mere 627, my collection is limited to games I want to play, will want to play, loved playing in the past, or that my fiancée wants, will want, loved. I have bought games off eBay, but by and large I get games from forums or from my local game store down the street or random little shops or craigslist. It may not be "garage sale" wild, not usually, but it's generally good.

[Collector_Gaming]

It's about the thrill of the hunt, and it's a fine hobby, it's just not mine.

Thats why mine is taking so long to grow. Because I love that feeling of the hunt. I grew up being a Indiana jones fan. And this to me kinda feels like a video game version of that!

I goto goodwill find a rare game and i grab a vhs and swap them out like raiders of the lost ark (not really but i should and video tape it for shits and giggles some time! haha)

But no it gives you a sense of satisfaction when ya find it like that vs hoping on ebay and going "oh.... there it is let me get my debit card and buy this"

[Rickstilwell1]

Really the best way to thrift for games and feel less disappointed about your travel is to go there looking for more than just games. Go to the games section first, but then have some other ideas as backup in case you find nothing and want at least something. You can also flip items from other hobbies to pay for games.

Right now my backup plan has been to look for music cds since they're so cheap. I can listen to them for a while and get some enjoyment out of them before trading them for others or reselling them at equal cost (since there's usually no rare music with iTunes and piracy in existence). The only music cds you don't usually see there is newer music.

[Atarileaf]

I work long hours, have a long commute, and have a family. I simply don't have time to dig through bins at pawn shops, troll neighborhood yard sales, and drive out to flea markets only to come back empty-handed, when all I want is a specific game. I gave it the old college-try, but it has never worked out for me.

Yep, its gotten to the point with the price of gas that a day of going to all the thrift stores or yard sales in the summer is a more costly scenario than buying online. What's the point of scoring that $20 game for $1 if you spent $20 in gas plus wear and tear on your vehicle and a day wasted that could have been spent on other endeavors like family and friends. Easier, quicker, and yes, many times cheaper, to just buy online.


I've discovered that some of the local collectors have established relationships with all the local pawn shops and record & tape traders to put all the good stuff aside for them. I can't "get my foot in the door" so to speak, so when I do go to those places, all the good stuff is on hold, and all the crappy sports games are all that's left. It got to the point where I just gave up, as I was wasting time.

Same thing is happening here a lot. Collectors are making side deals with managers and employees in thrifts and pawns all the time. One employee even admitted it to me.


I'm with Flam on this one, finding stuff "in the wild" may give you a sense of accomplishment and save you some cash, but in my experience, it comes at the expense of time, which is the most valuable commodity imaginable to some people, myself included.

Amen brother.

[kamakazi5]

I enjoy going out and looking at thrift stores and garage sales but I don't spend an entire day doing it either. I'm lucky to have an abundance of thrift stores, pawn shops, and a few Half Price Books within 15 minutes of me so I can spend an hour once a week and hit up a good number of places. I have no issue buying stuff online either so I can get the best of both worlds (although I'll admit this is typically for newer consoles). I also sell duplicates or things I have no use for which makes it a lot easier on my wallet.

[Collector_Gaming]

Really the best way to thrift for games and feel less disappointed about your travel is to go there looking for more than just games. Go to the games section first, but then have some other ideas as backup in case you find nothing and want at least something. You can also flip items from other hobbies to pay for games.

Right now my backup plan has been to look for music cds since they're so cheap. I can listen to them for a while and get some enjoyment out of them before trading them for others or reselling them at equal cost (since there's usually no rare music with iTunes and piracy in existence). The only music cds you don't usually see there is newer music.

My back up items are quirky odd ball items generally antique which I know is impossible to find in a thrift store but hey. Wouldn't it be fun to find a home shock therapy device in a thrift store ;)

[recorderdude]

My backup is certain comic book compilations, such as the far side, calvin and hobbes, garfield, etc and any other graphic novel/manga/whatever that catches my interest. I usually don't find them at thrifts either, but when I do I find a TON all at once.

[swlovinist]

Owning thousands of games, I prefer to collect in person and have scoured the West Coast over the last 20 years to amass a large and as complete as possible on a budget. I will pay a fair price if I have it for a game that is uncommon, but have mostly benefited from collecting games before they were a popular trend, and have known what to buy before they were sought after. I would be lying that I also have benifited with helping pioneer the first six PRGE shows with other organizers as well as attending several CGE shows(still the best way to buy games in my opinion). Sitting at about 20 complete US collections, I have seen what I now pursue in the last few years change due to the sudden sticker shock of adding additional games to my collection. Like others, it has been less financially viable to search pawns and goodwills only to find out that internal workers have picked all the great games/rare games going online for high $$$. I have now relied on a most awesome local used game store for local pickups, Portland Retrogaming Expos, Seattle Retrogaming Expos, Vancouver Canada Expos, as well as Cowlitz Gamers for Kids Shows(Next one April 13th, my own show hehe) to add to what I already have. I now really focus on homebrew games which are neat ways of customizing my collection with unique stuff. As long as there are videogame shows to attend(no shortage of them in the Northwest USA), I will continue to just save my $$$ for expos where I can save time and effort and gather quality game items to my collection at a usual fair price.

some pics of my game room
http://s268.beta.photobucket.com/user/swlovinist/library/The%20best%20of%20the%20best%20of%20my%20game%20ro om

[vrikkgwj]

I love looking at these pictures, mainly because I can't even fathom owning that quantity of games. I always go for quality over counts, but... I'm still jealous :)

All of my games are in a dresser, and my consoles are in a spare walk-in closet. Not worth taking pictures of sadly since it doesn't look nearly as impressive compared to the rest of this thread (and site).

[Flam]

I have an 'armoire of doom' with my tv, NES, and games; as opposed to a room. This is how small my "collection" is.

[Atarileaf]

I have an 'armoire of doom' with my tv, NES, and games; as opposed to a room. This is how small my "collection" is.

As yoda would say - "size matters not".

I used to have well over 1000 games but got rid of over half of them, or more. Now my collection is smaller but a lot more enjoyable with no fluff or filler that'll just sit and never be played.

[Trebuken]

Can't you do both? I scour any local places that I am likely to find older games, the thrifts are worthless for games around me. If I do not find anything interesting or priced reasonably I come home and spend on ebay. If I am nearing a target (all Working Designs games for example), I will usually just hit ebay/half.com and Amazon.

I collect everything. I try to at least taste every game. I feel it gives me a sense of the evolution of gaming. When I hear someone say E.T. was one of the worst games ever, I want to see for myself.

I enjoy the hunt as well, but part of the hunt is also getting deals on ebay. In recent years many local stores have begun using ebay to price their games; the only benefit to the local stores is a reduction in shipping charges which are negated by the price of gas and time spent.

Whatever works for you is cool to me. I never had any purist notion that finding a game in the wild is superior, though I do relish it more when it happens.

[jonebone]

I have somewhere around 2,000 CIBs / Sealed games myself and nearly 100% has been acquired online through eBay / Amazon / forums. I don't hunt in the wild at all, not enough free time and very little stuff locally. I may visit Play N Trade a few times a year to check the Xbox / Gamecube section and that's about it.

I also use the extreme patience concept. I don't care if I lose 20 auctions on a game at $20 when it's only selling $30 BIN. I'll keep bidding on the auctions until I win at $20. Only exceptions would be ultra high priorities such as my childhood favorites sealed + Minty... then you have to pay to play in that area.

[Flam]

..... a lot more enjoyable with no fluff or filler that'll just sit and never be played.

This is part of my "feng shui" philosophy when it comes to collecting.

It's really a balancing act between wants v. needs, quality over quantity, etc. All my games are games that I have a desire to play, all my stuff is neatly organized and compacted into one entertainment cabet, it keeps my house free from clutter, my wife happy and my kids out of my games, everything I have is of some type of use, and I don't feel over run by "stuff".