Would You Sell Your Collection?

[Sph1nx]

This is a kinda open ended thread. Im not exactly a veteran of this board, but why I've been here I've seen many people selling parts or the entire works of their collections for various reasons. Be it new kids, new house, unexpected bills or other types of personal reasons.

For myself I'm a business student graduating from university within a year, most likely over 30k in debt. From my best estimates I can *relatively easily* get 3-5 grand for my collection, most likely more if I do some hardcore ebay milking. While that is not exactly alot, it will pay some down. Which in the long run will result in less intrest payments and eventually more money to dedicate to gaming somewhere further down the road (when I'm actually financially secure).

On top of that I have a business idea I've been kicking around for the past three years or so. This summer I intend to actually do something with it and finish up my business plan. If I can't get any youth business grants / loans for the start up money I need, then that collection is gonna start to look even more tempting to liquidate.

While selling off my collection is gonna crush my heart I have a feeling it will become a nessicity within a year or two. No doubt I'll eventully spend alot more in re-aquiring it, but by that point I'll actually be able to afford it.

I'm sure people must have thoughts on this type of subject.... just curious about what experiences / opions people have on the whole broad idea.

- Sphinx

[mycarsucks]

aaaaaaaaaa

[swlovinist]

I love video games and collect for the love and the little OCD in me :)
I dont think I could ever sell it for any money and be able to live with the decision. I could only sell my collection if it was a health issue I had to pay for with my wife or myself, loss of a job with savings gone, or a disaster. A family addition would slow my collection, but no, I could not ever sell it. I feel for you just remember to think it over alot. Once you sell an extensive collection, it is hard to get back

[christianscott27]

money come, money go

treasures should be kept

in the grand scheme of thing consider what your collection really means to you, you'll always have debt but will you always have something to escape with like a good game? i've been up and down moneywise many times but i never considered selling off my stuff. money problems only exist on paper, no agency will ever come around to repossesing my collection and it will always be there to cheer me up when the world looks bleak. i say forget about the money you may be able to ebay, its just a drop in bucket, if it makes you happy its priceless, if not..then sell it!

[Bill Loguidice]

You can see a lot of my collection on my personal Website, link below (I'll be updating after Philly Classic this Saturday). It's BIG and has some very rare items in it. Rough guess, could be off by $10,000 or more either way, but let's say for sake of argument it's worth $30,000.

I've found that my collection has been an insatiable monster I've been trying to feed since I was a little boy (I'm 31 now). I LOVE collecting classic computers and videogames and everything related (and hell, new stuff for that matter too). However, it also takes up LOTS of space (one bedroom in our house is devoted JUST to the collection and there are other parts of it strewn about the house), can get expensive and is a cause for a small degree of stress. I have often entertained the idea of "what if?". What if someone came up to me one day and offered me that $30,000 to whatever thousands of dollars for the WHOLE thing, from Pong to Xbox to PC. I just *might* take it. Why? Besides freeing up a whole room in our house and getting the monkey off my back so to speak, I could do a LOT with that kind of money AND get an uber PC setup where I could emulate a lot of the stuff (though I prefer playing on the original hardware frankly) and get perhaps a few token items. I'd do this because I simply DON'T have time to play everything in my collection. I'm a USER as well as a collector at heart. My stuff is MEANT to be used. With that said, I simply don't have time to play anything much at ALL, not even all the NEW stuff I have. Too busy. I expect to play all this stuff when I'm RETIRED, in some 40 years (hopefully it will all still work by then), which I kind of sad if you think about it!

With all of that said, realistically, that WON'T be happening, so onwards and upwards with MORE collecting, MORE of the new stuff and less and less space. I know, I know, it's not a *bad* problem to have... :P Hopefully I will find more time over the next few years to use and tinker with more of my stuff, but it's not looking promising...

[Achika]

Yes. A year ago, I wouldn't have dreamt of it. Ten months ago, I would have pondered it. Mortality has kicked in as of recent, that I've tossed around the idea of selling everything I don't use and step down as a collector and simply just be a gamer. That means keeping nothing but those games that I play or absolutely love.

[Dangerboy]

I've been thinking on and off about selling parts of my collection...and each time it comes down to it, I just can't. I don't play half this stuff, but yet if I sold it off I'd be heartbroken. Dunno why.

It would take a LOT though for me to sell everything. like...a year's salary or something....but then I'd have nothing to play.

Jason

[GaijinPunch]

Anything's possible in a pinch. I'm getting paid well now, so I'm buying what I can. It may not last forever though, and if I have to, I guess I'd sell the games first... at least befoer starving.

[orrimarrko]

You can see a lot of my collection on my personal Website, link below (I'll be updating after Philly Classic this Saturday). It's BIG and has some very rare items in it. Rough guess, could be off by $10,000 or more either way, but let's say for sake of argument it's worth $30,000.

I've found that my collection has been an insatiable monster I've been trying to feed since I was a little boy (I'm 31 now). I LOVE collecting classic computers and videogames and everything related (and hell, new stuff for that matter too). However, it also takes up LOTS of space (one bedroom in our house is devoted JUST to the collection and there are other parts of it strewn about the house), can get expensive and is a cause for a small degree of stress. I have often entertained the idea of "what if?". What if someone came up to me one day and offered me that $30,000 to whatever thousands of dollars for the WHOLE thing, from Pong to Xbox to PC. I just *might* take it. Why? Besides freeing up a whole room in our house and getting the monkey off my back so to speak, I could do a LOT with that kind of money AND get an uber PC setup where I could emulate a lot of the stuff (though I prefer playing on the original hardware frankly) and get perhaps a few token items. I'd do this because I simply DON'T have time to play everything in my collection. I'm a USER as well as a collector at heart. My stuff is MEANT to be used. With that said, I simply don't have time to play anything much at ALL, not even all the NEW stuff I have. Too busy. I expect to play all this stuff when I'm RETIRED, in some 40 years (hopefully it will all still work by then), which I kind of sad if you think about it!

With all of that said, realistically, that WON'T be happening, so onwards and upwards with MORE collecting, MORE of the new stuff and less and less space. I know, I know, it's not a *bad* problem to have... :P Hopefully I will find more time over the next few years to use and tinker with more of my stuff, but it's not looking promising...


I know nothing about computers, but you must have something really special related to PCs to think that your collection is worth $30,000.

I mean no disrespect, honestly, but I took a look at the pics, and couldn't see anything rare, related to console gaming.

Was I missing something?

A complete, all titles with box, sleeve, styro, manual and cart NES collection doesn't even fetch $10,000. A couple of members on this board can attest to that. Since I didn't see anything like that, I was just curious as to what you had that would bring the total that high?

As for the thread question...

Myself, I've had to sell off my collection twice now, and yet I keep coming back for more.

It always depends on the circumstances. Since the fun is the collecting for me, I can always do it again if I really want to. Kind of like now...

Good luck!

[Kroogah]

I have. At least once. But I always end up missing anything I sell at a later date. So I came up with a new motto with this collection:

NEVER AGAIN.

[Bill Loguidice]

I know nothing about computers, but you must have something really special related to PCs to think that your collection is worth $30,000.

I mean no disrespect, honestly, but I took a look at the pics, and couldn't see anything rare, related to console gaming.

Was I missing something?

A complete, all titles with box, sleeve, styro, manual and cart NES collection doesn't even fetch $10,000. A couple of members on this board can attest to that. Since I didn't see anything like that, I was just curious as to what you had that would bring the total that high?

As for the thread question...

Myself, I've had to sell off my collection twice now, and yet I keep coming back for more.

It always depends on the circumstances. Since the fun is the collecting for me, I can always do it again if I really want to. Kind of like now...

Good luck!

Just an estimate my friend, and a bad one at that. Consider it as more of an example, like I stated. Like I said, I could be off by any number of thousands of dollars. I have over 67 classic (and modern) computer and videogame systems, thousands upon thousands of software titles, accessories, many rarities, magazines, tzotches, lots of "regular" (and again, modern) PC's, lots of modern stuff (current generation), etc., and a lot of it in excellent condition. The point was, with the right offer for the WHOLE shebang, EVERYTHING, I'd certainly consider it. It WOULD have to be well north of $20,000, though, and whether it's all worth at least that is certainly up for debate.

[-hellvin-]

I almost did today actually. Hehe

But in the end, with all this time invested what was the point all along?

[Raedon]

If I needed to feed myself yea..

[bensenvill]

personally, I have no problem selling my collection (minus a few guilty pleasures). but if you are intending on recollecting again later, its a mistake. Its going to make a big difference in a few years when you wont be able to find used NES games in a retail store. Stuff like that will make a big difference.

~Tj

[briskbc]

I have done this on a few occassions. Never the whole collection. It's not worth my time to eBay the common stuff. Selling something for $3 is not worth it. I do plan on collecting everything back again. On the bright side. I sold most of my collection when the US dollar was higher than it is now so when I do go to get the more expensive items back, I still come out ahead.

[spoon]

I started collecting for the NES almost three years back. Last year I got heavily into it and burned myself out around the end of the year. I was down to under 100 carts when I decided to sell it all. I made my money back and then some, but, I wish I would have considered the two options below. If I had, I would be chasing down boxes and manulas for the NES, as I would have close to every US release, and concentrating heavily on the DC.

1) Put it all away ang come back to it in four months or so. If I still am not interested, look into selling it.

2) Sell off all of the common stuff and keep the hard to find/one of a kind items.

Number two is basically the "option B". A good one though, as it seems VG collecting has really picked up steam. If there is not another crash and it stays mainstream/popular, things are going to start to dry up. Look at NES stuff now compared to just a year or two back.

[Sotenga]

HELL NO! There are a few certified pieces of crap that I may try to attempt to sell at a later date. However, the vast majority of my collection shall be buried with me, cremated, if necessary. The stuff that I may want to sell probably isn't worth very much. Maybe I'd sell a few games if my financial state becomes desperate... here's hoping that it doesn't come to that.

[kai123]

I am thinking of weeding out the crap I don't play.

[maxlords]

I sell off everything I don't play or like. As I play the games, I decide whether I'll keep them or not, and if I don't like em...off they go.

If I had to sell to pay for food or a roof over my head, I would (well, maybe not food), but chances are very high that I wouldn't ever sell most of it. Even if I had to sell, I'd cherry pick the stuff I could bear to part with and get back later first. My collection is worth around 25-30K right now if I sold EVERYTHING for high eBay prices, and that would take MONTHS.

Basically....barring horrible damning financial difficulties...NEVER!

[Vroomfunkel]

Possibly ... if I had the right offer. I already did once! Then started out from scratch again. It was kinda fun! And I bought a stinkingly good digital camera with the money I got from selling off the collection .. have not regretted it one bit. I've kinda stuck more to just collecting the games I actually like and play this time round. Kinda. Apart from the 32X ...

The fact of the matter is that games I don't play, the enjoyment for me is in the hunting the items down, spotting the bargains and finding the hidden treasures. Once I've got them, unless I actually play them, they hold very little interest for me. So yeah, I would sell up. Pocket the cash. Start the fun all over again! :D

Vroomfunkel

[Flack]

I would NOT sell my collection for financial reasons. Selling your $5k collection when you're $30k in debt serves no purpose I can see. If you're $30k in debt, $25k in debt ain't out of the hole. If it would completely get you out of debt then I could see it. I could probably sell my Shinobi cabinet for $200 or so. My wife and I usually spend $15 for lunch and $15 for dinner (we eat out a lot). Would I trade my Shinobi cabinet for 7 days worth of eating out? I'd rather eat peanut butter and jelly for a week and keep the cabinet!

Now, I WOULD sell my collection if I grew tired or bored with it, but only after waiting for several years. I know that myself personally, I often change my opinion about collecting in general. When I first came to DP I wanted to get on some good trader lists and I had some old Atari instruction manuals so I sold them. Boy am I wishing I hadn't -- I miss them already, and will probably have to pay double what I sold them for to get them back.

[Keir]

If someone came to my house and offered me a fair price for my collection I'd sell it in a heartbeat. (And in case anyone with several thousand dollars to spare is interested, yes I'm serious.) For me it's more about finding stuff than having it since I don't have time to play most of it anyway. Starting my collection over from scratch would be a blast! It helps that there's nothing in my collection which can't be replaced.

As for selling it off on eBay or something I probably wouldn't even if I needed the money because it's too much work for little relief (like Flack said).

[Atari7800]

YES.

In a heartbeat. Every single game. But only for the right price. Not having a fire sale here. Then again, if I was broke and about to go bankrupt, I might even have a firesale.

A few years ago, I would have said "NO, NEVER!" A lot can change in life.

:o

[Cmosfm]

Personally, I have been considering a few things. I have a large collection, which is growing all the time....but I'd one day like to get out of the Jewelry buisness and open a game store.

I figured if I plan to do this, I might as well use my collection as inventory. It's a good idea, it would be like mixing buisness with pleasure. I think it just might work!

:D

[YoshiM]

Would I? I have been over time. While my collection has never been very big I did have all the "major" American systems since the Atari VCS at one time or another. Eventually I never got around to playing them and when I did it was few and far between. They didn't mean anything to me so I sold them. Now I'm down to my NES (my original), "THE" Atari VCS (some of you know the story behind that), N64, Saturn (best version of Bust a Move 2 available in my and my wife's opinion), my Gameboys (original, pocket and Advance) and of course the Xbox and the Gamecube with the NES and the N64 having the most games (about 50 and 20 respectively).

Sph1nx: if it crushes you to sell your collection then don't, unless you are going to be out on the street with only the clothes on your back. You've already bought the stuff so why possibly buy it back when you are on your feet? Take it from a guy that knows: I have owned 3 Genesis/Sega CD systems, 3 TG-16's, 2 SNES's and 3 Gameboys and then sold them off (save for the lastest Gameboy) as they no longer held any value or interest to me but then bought them back when I got an itch to play certain games. If you feel the need to sell play those games and evaluate. I'm not talking on the spot evaluate like whether you McNuggets taste better than a Big Mac while waiting in line a MickeyD's but the kind where you ponder on it for a few days.

[tynstar]

If it was sell or not have food or a house for my family I would sell. Start with the stuff I dont play. Then go from there.

[charitycasegreg]

Im still a kid so I dont really need to sell the stuff. But I need a car soon so I may have to sell some stuff unless I get a new job. I already am selling my boxed saturn with all the games for it which is sad because I got it for extremely cheap. I wont ever sell my nes stuff though. I dont care how low I'm doing...I love my nes stuff.

[orrimarrko]

If it's about the coin, start with the high dollar stuff first. Make whatever profit you can, and stop.

Wait a few days, then see if you really need to sell any more. Replacing a couple of items when you can afford to is a HELL of a lot easier than replacing an NES collection.

If after thinking about it, you find yourself not caring - then sell the rest. Take the time to do so on eBay, it will be worth it to you financially, in the end.

I sold all my rarities, and made a bunch of money. Then I sold my sealed games. Then my NES collection - hardest thing I ever had to do. I would have made at least $500 more if I listed it all on eBay individually. However, I needed the quick sell, and didn't have the time.

But I kept the rest, and it made it easier to continue collecting.

My point is, if you truly need the dough - just do it. Don't think about it - it will all be over soon...

If you don't need the money, wait awile, see how you feel. Or sell a couple of things, to see what happens.

Good luck!

[Ed Oscuro]

money come, money go

treasures should be kept
:rocker:

I feel the same way. I'd only sell my stuff in exceptional circumstances -- for example, if I'd walked out of that Goodwill today with my $1.58 (tax included) Genesis game storage bin and somebody had offered to pay $30 for it, I would have declined, even though I wanted to get that old IBM PS/2 Model 25 pretty badly (though it wouldn't have been a good purchase, lol).

I certainly wouldn't sell most of my expensive imported items, not for a loss in any case. I plan on keeping my stuff for the long haul.

[nesman85]

depends what kind of situation i'm in i guess, but i would try to never sell the whole thing. recently i had to sell off about half of my prototype collection, maybe more. it took me a while to convince myself to sell them, but it was pretty much the only thing i could do. no matter how much you like your collection, sometimes you can't choose whether to sell it or not. just depends what position you find yourself in.

[Flack]

....but I'd one day like to get out of the Jewelry buisness and open a game store. I figured if I plan to do this, I might as well use my collection as inventory. It's a good idea, it would be like mixing buisness with pleasure. I think it just might work!

Could you really do this? I always buy Star Wars stuff to resell and then when I get home I always go, "well, I'll just keep this one and buy another ..." I think the same thing would happen to me in the videogame world. My wife kids me and says I'd have the only store in town unwilling to sell anything.

[Tritoch]

Like several others here, I'm already in the process of doing exactly that. My reasoning was a lot like Sph1nx's...the money I make off of games now can be used to pay off high-interest debt. Also, I realized how much unplayed stuff I really had. So, I've spent the last several months slowly weeding out the crap I don't play. I've held onto most cartridge games with battery backups and my save files on them, but everything on CD/DVD/password carts that I don't play (and I know I won't regret selling later) is up for grabs.

I'll never have as much free time as I used to (until I retire and/or strike it rich), so there's no reason to hang on to most of it. And if I do have the free time to play it again some day, that will likely mean that I'll have the money to buy it back too. Of course, paying off interest now makes it a better likelihood that I will be in that kind of financial position later on. :)

[The Manimal]

I have a tendency to buy excessive number of "backup" systems (talking like 3 of EACH version of a system in some cases), but other than that, I don't think I would sell most of it. I am pretty selective, and to be quite happy to say...



the direction of the gaming industry is making me happy by releasing games i am NOT interested in!~


I like Phantasy Star and Mega Man....however, I DO NOT LIKE CARD BASED GAMES~! I mean, I like Monopoly and those e-Reader things, but I'll take turn-based RPGs and even text-only RPGs over card-based ones, and I like platformers which aren't that big any more. FPS's are uh, not my thing, either. I can play a few. LOL I pretty much only buy continuations of series' of old or games in those vein.

[LazingBlazers]

Such a high priced education should bring in a high priced income.

Am I wrong?

Fuck, Ralph, sell the stuff you don't care about and keep what you do. That's what I did with my collection. I was just looking at some Turbo stuff on eBay. US Might & Magic III is fetching $255.00!??? I paid $75 for mine long ago, and personally thought it was too much. What the hell would it take to get all of my TG-16 stuff back nowadays if I had decided to sell it off? Think about that, and know that I can always make money, but I can't always get paid in TurboGrafx games.

[KirbyStar27]

Nope :D

[Azazel]

I already sold of most of my stuff a few years and got about $8,000.00 for everything. Bought a fair amount of it back for a lot less than what I paid for it the first time. I think I'm probaly going to sell everything I have again and for good this time. I just have no interest in the stuff anymore or time to play much of anything anymore. The only thing I really play anymore are RPGS and it's generally much easier to just play them on emulators than having the real thing. I mainly just own PC Engine, FM Town Marty, and Saturn stuff and about 98% of it is import stuff that i should still be able to get good prices for. I figure I could still get around $5,000.00 for the stuff I have. I don't really need the money right as I'm debt free but I'm sure I could find plenty of other goods I could spend that money on. :D

[ClubNinja]

It's interesting that this thread's come up when it has, since recently I was thinking of posting a similar topic but with a different spin.

Lately, I've considered cutting loose several major portions of my collection. I have no desire to get rid of it all, nor do I wish to discontinue my collecting. I've been realizing lately that, with the exceptions of games that I actually enjoy playing on various systems, I only care about collecting stuff that says Sega, SNK, or Mega Man on it. So then, why do I have (for one example) a box of 86 Intellivision games taking up space? The last time I've played an Intv game was over two years ago (Atlantis). Seems silly to have them then, right?

Let's flash back. When I started collecting several years ago, I was one of those "must have everything" types of collectors. If it was a game, then I'd grab it. No questions. After a while, I said to myself "hey, this Colecovision stuff does nothing for me." I never played the games, and certainly had no "attachment" to it. So, I traded off my 25 or so CV games and never looked back. No big deal there. Then came the NES. At its peak, my NES collection was at 308 different titles. Today, I have 7 - Mega Mans 1 through 6 and a Kiwi Kraze prototype. Do I miss the other 301 games? Nope.

So now I'm to this point where I want to just get rid of everything that I don't really care for or play, but this time it's a substancial amount. 86 Intv games, 400+ 2600 carts, etc etc. Of course, I'd keep stuff like Atlantis on the Intv and Enduro for the 2600, but do I need everything else? At our last trademeet, I scored a Hover Force for the Intv only because it wasn't on my list. After obtaining the game, I tossed it into my box-o-goods and just forgot about it. It lists at $25 in the DP guide and I'm sure that I'd be better off with Spiderman for the SMS or anything else worth about the same that's more important to me.

Long story short: I don't need any extra cash. Would it still be regrettable if I cut a ton of stuff loose only to turn the proceeds around on more goods for the collection? Probably not, but I'm always concerned I'll miss stuff once it goes.

[Darth Vader]

Everything is for sale, for the right price, but I don't think anyone in the world is willing to pay the right price for my collection. Until that day comes, I'll be holding on to my collection for quite a while. :)


A complete, all titles with box, sleeve, styro, manual and cart NES collection doesn't even fetch $10,000. A couple of members on this board can attest to that.

I would have to disagree with this statement, orrimarko. Considering the last parted out set went for over $19,000 (dl_collectibles). A truly complete NES set would easily hit 10K, especially the way some bidders are going crazy over the panesians lately. If you sold it all at once, it would still hit over 10K IMHO.

Danny

[Balloon Fight]

Everything is for sale, for the right price, but I don't think anyone in the world is willing to pay the right price for my collection. Until that day comes, I'll be holding on to my collection for quite a while. :)


A complete, all titles with box, sleeve, styro, manual and cart NES collection doesn't even fetch $10,000. A couple of members on this board can attest to that.

I would have to disagree with this statement, orrimarko. Considering the last parted out set went for over $19,000 (dl_collectibles). A truly complete NES set would easily hit 10K, especially the way some bidders are going crazy over the panesians lately. If you sold it all at once, it would still hit over 10K IMHO.

Danny

Agreed. I am still a kid so I really don't have to worry to much, but if something happend and someone offered me a good price I would sell.

[Ed Oscuro]

Today, I have 7 - Mega Mans 1 through 6 and a Kiwi Kraze prototype. Do I miss the other 301 games? Nope.

This man possesses great wisdom! Last year I probably would've bought more things than I would actually like to play. I buy stuff right now that I won't play, but I limit such purchases to things I really do want. I'll let other collectors chase prices up on crazy, rare items -- since the crazy, rare items I want are hard to get, diluting my spending power making purchases I would enter in a list and then forget about isn't such a good choice.

Notice what you do first with your games -- if you enter each item onto a checklist or some sort of "collection list" (after cleaning, which isn't necessarily a component of being obsessed, but rather tidy :) you should probably think about how much FUN you get out of your hobby, instead of how much it inflates your ego. If your hobby has started becoming a routine or an obsession, start thinking about everything you do each day that feeds into your hobby (checking eBay listings, checking how much money you have in the bank, time spent posting on forums about games, time wasted staring at your collection drooling out the corner or your mouth, etc.) and ask if it's something you should be doing.

At this point, I have a website (which I haven't updated in a long time) and I have a list of games at GameTZ which I updated for the first time in probably two months yesterday, just to add a couple items. I've stopped adding common games -- I don't care that I have them and nobody else does. I have a mission for my site now: I want to show off some stuff I own and write a couple things, but I realize that few people go there and nobody really gives a damn what my sensibilities are...if they *do,* they're either new to retro gaming or are pathetic. I like getting ahold of promotional materials, but I don't expect Classicgaming to host my crap on that stuff anytime soon.

I don't see myself selling the Atari 2600 I bought (and haven't plugged in yet) in the future unless I have a really strong reason to, but by the same token I don't see myself buying any more 2600 games unless I find one worth getting at the local thrifts (because that doesn't take much extra time for me -- I check the thrifts anyway). I'm also at a critical moment as a collector, because I have a couple computer systems on the way which I'll have to do some major moving around in my (nearly Japanese sized) room to accomodate.

I have no problem with the folks who do collect everything, share information, and PLAY everything. I honestly don't have a problem with folks who drive up prices (because constant inflation in the prices of classic games means that I have a better chance of finding games in the future if there are folks who make good money locating and selling them) -- it's a fact of life and sometimes (in the case of certain game series) I'm part of the bidding-up group. When all is said and done, though, keeping my feet on the ground and my pursestrings drawn tight is helping me become an adult.

Supposedly there'll be a point when I won't want to play games anymore, but that crisis hasn't showed up yet (and likely never will), so I'll be able to keep on rolling as I always have :) and it's not really a part of becoming a "true adult" anyways ;)

[brykasch]

Would I?? In retrospect I would try to sell everything but that.

Before my daughter was born we were not well of financially. We had everything we needed for the baby thanks to family and friends, but didn't have anything saved for when the wife was going to be off work, we planned to but thanks to some bad money management it didn't happen. long story short, I had to sell my s**t but quick. CDX, DC, J Saturn, TG-16, XBOX, and about 40 games (insignificant compared to the collection I have now), but at the time killed me, as I didn't get alot for it, not because it was bad stuff , just had to go the local route as time was of the essence.

Now thankfully we are much better off moneywise, I got everything back I sold (and then some lol) learned better game buying ways(nevery buy new release games being one of them, and only buy stuff your going to play) I would sell all my movies before I would sell games again.

[Simply Dave]

Of course I would sell if I needed the money. You gotta go what you gotta do.

[jdc]

No, no, no. For several reasons. My collection is starting to pick up speed....all of it is in a complete, near-mint condition if it's a cart game...and pristine if it's disc based. It didn't cost me too much to amass if you consider that each cart cost me $2 to $10 over time. I'd get jack for it if I sold it through the normal channels.

I have an almost 3 year old son. When he is ready this little guy has instant access to a library of NES, Genny, 64, Sony PS1/PS2 and Cube. No wishing that daddy would buy him a video game system like other kids have to....he's got 'em already. He's sat and watched me "fight big monsters" and "race vroooms" ever since he was born and sits along side me with an unplugged 3rd party N64 controller in his hands.

[v1rich]

Amen to that. I am keeping my collection for my kids (I don't have any yet but I will one day). If I sell any of it it will be stuff that is easiest to get back first.

[MonkeyWizard]

Maybe, but it'd have to be one heck of a deal. I've spent hours upon hours not only tracking down all my games, but also playing them. So, to see them get taken away right before my eyes would be almost unbearable.

I suppose I would sell them if I really needed the money, but it'd be hard to part with something that has so much sentimental value.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

you'll always have debt but will you always have something to escape with like a good game?

Selling your $5k collection when you're $30k in debt serves no purpose I can see.
I'm in a position where I'm trying to keep the above words of wisdom in mind all the time.

But yeah, the thought's occurred. I probably would sell off one chunk at a time, a system and its games here, a system and its games there. Really trying not to though.

[jdc]

I'm gonna add something else.

You amass the possession.

You sell or trade the possession away.

You get the money.

You spend the money.

You almost ALWAYS end up wishing back what you sold.

I figure why put yourself through it. Grit yer teeth, lock the collection away and get an extra part time job delivering pizzas until the debt's more manageable. It's the emotional attachment to the stuff that's hard to conquer.

[Ed Oscuro]

you'll always have debt but will you always have something to escape with like a good game?

Selling your $5k collection when you're $30k in debt serves no purpose I can see.
I'm in a position where I'm trying to keep the above words of wisdom in mind all the time.
That's true...if you have to declare bankruptcy they'll take that stuff anyway. Better to "give" it to a relative if you're about to declare bankruptcy ;D

[jhd7]

Certainly I'd sell it. The people in my will don't know the value of the games, so it would be best to sell it all before I die. I can't stand the thought of them ditching my 770-game NES collection for a hundred bucks at a yard sale.

After I find (and beat) Phantasy Star on the SMS, I'll likely sell that entire collection. I've toyed with the idea of selling my CV setup (120+ games, all expansion modules), but there's no Frogger, Gorf, or Purple Dinosaur Massacre on the NES. I'm already wondering why I started on the Atari 7800. My Game Gear collection is available, but it seems to be expecting too much to want to break even.

Jeff D

[Oobgarm]

This is a tough topic to answer.

I dunno, I think selling everything is a bad idea, unless you are completely out of options and have no other way of acquiring funds. Unless, of course, you’re looking to leave the hobby behind entirely. But if you have any desire to keep playing games, selling off everything is a move you’ll regret. Maybe not right away, but you will—especially if you don’t absolutely have to.


Yes. A year ago, I wouldn't have dreamt of it. Ten months ago, I would have pondered it. Mortality has kicked in as of recent, that I've tossed around the idea of selling everything I don't use and step down as a collector and simply just be a gamer. That means keeping nothing but those games that I play or absolutely love.

I was sitting around, looking at everything, and wondering the same thing myself a couple of days ago. I play maybe a quarter of it, and that’s being generous. I yearn for the days that buying and playing a new game was an exciting time, that making a trip to the game store was a special occasion.

[Savedman]

I just filed bankruptcy and I'm still not selling!! Worked too long and too hard to give it up now. Besides, it would break my kids hearts!

[Ed Oscuro]

Gah that sucks! Well, there you go. I had mentioned this before but didn't think it would actually happen to a forumer...good luck getting back on track!

I don't want to ask it but...how are you keeping your stuff from getting repossessed? O_o

[VACRMH]

All depends on the situation.

I'm sure one day I may get rid of some crappy games just to get a little extra cash.

But if a bill is due, it's due. So if I have to sell everything to pay off some bills... sadly i'd do it.

After I sell blood,sperm,hair and any other "useless" organs...who needs a liver anyways?

[Savedman]

Nothing to repossess really. The bank I have my car loan with is a small local bank so I am reaffirming the loan with them but the rest is credit card debt and a ghetto house that I couldn't care less if the bank takes back or not. Satan....er, I mean my ex-wife came home one day (while we were still together) and announced that she spent $135K on a house without discussing it with me so bankruptcy was inevitable. She is somehow keeping that house but the one we owned together is going back to the bank. It's a dump so I'm not heart broken. Now I'm living in one of my dad's rentals until I get back on my feet financially.

[le geek]

If it was sell or not have food or a house for my family I would sell. Start with the stuff I dont play. Then go from there.

As someone who is about to be a home owner with my longtime gf (sans family), I agree.

When I was a freelancer and I needed a new AC compressor in my car Battlesphere Gold found a new home pretty quickly!

I'd hate to get rid of my 2600 collection (my only true collecting system), but I'd rather keep my (future) digs :)

Cheers,
Ben

[Ed Oscuro]

Satan....er, I mean my ex-wife came home one day (while we were still together) and announced that she spent $135K on a house without discussing it with me so bankruptcy was inevitable.
Wow, that's a nice stocking stuffer in April...http://www.icvdforums.com/html/emoticons/banghead.gif

[Arqueologia_Digital]

Maybe in an extreme situation, but...NEEEEEEEEEVERRRRRRRRRRRR

[The Manimal]

This is a good discussion, and deserves a good "bump". :)

[ianoid]

I have one of the larger collections around, and I wouldn't consider selling it en masse.

If I sold portions of it (1st to the chopping block would be systems like SNES, Genesis, N64), it would be primarily because of space at this point.

Would you sell is a question that reflects quite a bit upon how you bought. I have bought 98% of my collection through local hunting, and many items I can still recollect the exact time in my life that I found it. Not to mention how cool it is to satisfy my urge overkill getting games. It's many faceted nostalgia, and I can't really give up most of the collection for that reason.

Of course, if I had to sell to put dinner on the table, I would. Who wouldn't? I hope things won't get to that.

Space, by far, is now the biggest issue. I mean, how many square feet will I need to house all this stuff, and still have easy access to it?

ian

[Sibs]

I will never sell another game from my collection again! The last few times I did was when I sold my whole NES collection and the system for 60 bucks so I could go get Super Mario RPG for the SNES(about 8 years ago) and the other time I sold a bunch of SNES games and PS-One games so I could pay for car insurance.

[Neonsolid]

Gone.

[izret101]

I could never see me selling my collection. I would sell doubles, or extra things that i just have for the sake of having not becuase they are really part of my collection. If i ever end up in a situation like that i would limit my budget drastically or stop collecting until it became feesable. I dont have to deal with any reasons to sell my collection though. No family, wife or college i'm still 16.

[NintendoMan]

I would, as anyone on here would for the right price.

If I did ever sell my collection though it would take alot of money. I mean, the game don't show the half of it. All the time put into finding games, cold day through fucking hot as hell days. All the driving time and gas I had to buy. All the ebay looking and searching. (Sometimes, I spend hours at a time looking for things I want, or might want)

[DasCrewShtool]

if I had to for my child, without a second thought.

[Psyleid]

depends how much money i'd get.

[Dire 51]

I had to do it once. I didn't want to, but the circumstances at the time - which I really don't want to go into - demanded it.

It may take me next to forever to rebuild, but I'm off to a good start.

[doomedpeasant]

Ive recently just started to box all mmy stuff up except ps, ps2, gc, xbox, snes. Not because i really need money or anything but i just don't have the desire anymore to collect the older stuff anymore. So expect to see a huge list of shit for sale in the next few days from me.

[ROBOTRON]

NEGATIVE.

I would not sell my collection at this time.

[Jumpman Jr.]

No way in hell. LOL
Although, I'm pretty sure, when I get married, my wife will make me sell it. Good thing thats not for a long time :P

[vincewy]

Depends on what part of my collection, my Neo-Geo collection, never, it's part of my youth memory and I've been collecting for 10 years. I'd not be able to get those with new conditions back regardless of how much money I have later on (most are kept just like new). My sealed Dreamcast games, maybe, only if I have to and the price is right, given I have another set of opened games that I want to play, but even those are hard to get rid of as I've put a lot of effort finding them.

[Xantan the Foul]

Sell my collection? Death first!

[Muscelli]

i am probably going to sell it all, slowly though...

I am drifting away from collecting... I hardly play my consoles any more...

maybe this is just a phase that im going through? any other collectors expierence this?

[S_W_Prof]

i had the same problum at one point i just stoped collecting and just sold everything
first to go was my snes the my dreamcast then my n64 then my
ps2 my plastation and sadily my xbox

but dont worry the eurge to collect come back and it comes back stronger than ever

i started collecting again about a year ago and have gotten some of it back but i lost alot of memories when i sold all that stuff :(

[Trevor Belmont]

Never again. I'm currently going through hell trying to get back all that I've lost before. I can honestly say that selling your collection is not worth doing, unless you absolutely have to due to financial reasons.

I went through a period in which I wasn't really into gaming as much as I used to be. During this period, I proceeded to get rid of my Saturn with games like Dragon Force, Panzer Saga, Guardian Heroes, etc. I also sold my Turbo Duo with the Ys games and Beyond Shadowgate, just to name a few.

Well, just like I had started to lose interest in games, that interest became rekindled out of the blue. I slowly started collecting back all that I had sold, paying probably twice as much if I was lucky. I had originally purchased all of my old stuff at a time in which they weren't collector's items and when I could actually buy Duo stuff from a few local game places at normal prices (yes, that time did exist).

To make a long story short: don't do it. Your interest will be rekindled someday. I don't care if I'm 90 and can't even pick up a controller, I'll hold onto this stuff this time around.

[DiabloNeonX]

If I needed to feed myself yea..

I'm in a really big financial pinch myself right now, and I've considered many avenues to either get or save money. The one thing I could never do is sell my collection. Hell, I have Atari 2600 games that are older than I am that my parent bought brand new back in the late 70s.

I have sacrificed food to save money. (I only eat about once a day now. Sometimes twice if I have some extra cash or something)

Point is...I've considered many ideas to make or save money (I have recently just found new employment after being laid off two months ago), but selling my collection has NEVER been one of them..