Leaving ...

[Vroomfunkel]

Well ... I don't know how to say this. I have been doing a lot of thinking over the last couple of months, and have decided to sell off my whole collection.

Not from a need of the money (although I do need some .. but not that much!) - nor from having become disinterested in gaming / collecting. However, it was getting in the way of other things that I want to do more - such as giving time to the campaigning group that I volunteer for, and trying to get started in the writing business. And the truth is that without taking this drastic step, I just wouldn't end up making time for these things.

Yeah, the problem is that i just like it TOO much!

My concession will be that I will be holding onto a Saturn, multitap and some pads for Death Tank usage. But everything else will go. I am probably going to ebay almost all of it, but a few items will find their way as parting gifts to a couple of DPers .. watch your PMs :D

The actual logisitics of selling it all are going to be interesting ... I intend to sell the majority of items individually - including all my 32X games, all the sealed Mega CD and Megadrive games, all the Atari games, and all the Japanese Saturn games.

There will probably be bulk lots of Megadrive and Saturn games, along with individual auctions for the rarer titles.

Also going will be boxed Megadrive 2, Mega CD 2, 32X, Playstation 2, Playstation, Nomad (with Nitro 2 adapter!!), Dreamcast, 2 Samba De Amigo Box Sets, a Bomberman Party Pac (Saturn) Nights Box Set (PAL), two sets of Saturn Twinsticks, two Shadowblade PS2 arcade sticks, Virtua Cop Box sets for Saturn, Saturn Arcade Sticks and a loose Steering Wheel, Megadrive Chair Controller(!!!!), and Multimega.

I probably missed some stuff too ... whew!!

I'm gonna miss it all .. not least since I am giving it up basically because I like it too much, rather than because I've lost interest ... but my commitment to these other goals of mine are absolute and therefore I have to remove all obstacles.

I might be back some day ... and I'll be around a little longer whilst all this goes down. But thereafter you probably won't see much of me. You guys are all the greatest, and I'll miss the community!

Incidentally, as well as this, one of the things I will be doing soon is organising a fundraiser for SPEAK (the campaigning group www.speak.org.uk .. NOT the animal rights group of the same name!). For this I intend to make 1000 origami cranes, and get sponsored £1.00 for each one - or else allow people to make their own and put it towards the 1000, for a fee of £1.00 As you may know, making 1000 cranes is a hugely symbolic action in Japanese culture so this is also part of the reason.

If anyone here would like to sponsore me in this I will post full details when the event draws near.

(N.B. I will reply in this thread as and when I can, but I am very busy at the moment and it may be infrequent - and I cannot guarantee a swift response to PMs also, as I have no web access at home at the moment, until I can get a new monitor)

All the best!

Vroomfunkel

[Cauterize]

*brings a tear to my eye*

send us a spare mega cd then will ya? LOL

[digitalpress]

Well best of luck to you, sir.

If I could give you one nugget of advice it would be to NOT sell off everything. Put it in storage or have a friend hold it for you. If you don't need the money now then consider that a) you may very well have time for gaming again in the future and; b) the value of things will likely go up on them should your situation become more permanent.

I think you should evaluate things after a year or so before giving it all away.

Whatever you decide, I do hope that you continue to stop in here and say hi every so often. Let us know how things are going.

[Nez]

You will be missed. But its for a noble cause, so I guess its for the best. Good luck to you in the future.

[Quintracker]

I agree with DP. Since money isn't really a problem, just pack it up and store it somewhere, preferably not in your house. Whatever you decide to do I wish you luck!

[anagrama]

I'm sorry to hear it, Joel. I'm sure UK eBayers will much the poorer (yet financially richer) without your regular influx of tantalisingly rare items ;)

I'm guessing this is different to the "I'm thinking of quitting" threads that we see here fairly often since you've been around for a long time and won't have taken the decision lightly. Still, at least it sounds like other worthy causes will be able to benefit from your extra free time ;)

At least your contributions to the DP cause are commemerated for posterity in the small print of DP Advance - I'm eternally grateful for your help with the Megadrive & MegaCD lists (btw, the MCD list is just about finalised - you're very welcome to have a look over the finished [well, rarity-wise, no pricing yet] document before you depart if you want?)

It's a shame we never got to arrange the mooted gaming session, but I'll certainly be up for Death Tank action someday if it's a possibility :)

Give us a shout regarding the sponsorship of the 1000 cranes - I'll be happy to chuck a few quid your way. And will probably be near the front of the queue for any Megadrive bulk lots ;)

Best of luck, and hope to occasionally see you around in the future...

James

[Cmosfm]

Hey man, good luck, if you feel this is something that you need to do than do it! There's more to life than games, and if you feel that something else is your true calling, than I say go for it! You have some nice stuff there (especially the Samba De Amigo sets), and it can all fetch you some good change, which I'm sure will come in handy while persuing your dreams.

Just remember, you don't have to be a collector to post on DP. :)

Best Wishes.

[hydr0x]

wow, Joel

that's a big step man! i honestly envy your for being strong enough to decide this way, i KNOW i couldn't do that

i hope your decision is the right one and you'll never regret it but as you seem to have thinking about this a lot i don't think you will

good luck with your new projects :)

and check your pm please ;)

[Oobgarm]

Good luck with what you're doing. SOunds like a noble thing to do.

If you come across feelings that maybe you shouldn't sell certain items out of your collection, act upon those feelings and hang onto it.

FWIW, I've enjoyed reading your posts here. Do try and drop in every now and then.

[thegreatescape]

Sad to hear it, but good luck on your quest (looking foward to seeing some pics of the 1000 cranes).

[davidleeroth]

Hate too see a PAL gamer go but I see it's for a good cause. I hope all goes well for you and and your group.
Hey, I can look after those MD and Saturn games while you're making the world a better place.

[Vroomfunkel]

Many thanks for all your replies :D

In answer to a some of the queries, I have thought about this for some time and have indeed considered just putting the games into storage. However I do not have anywhere appropriate to store them - and the simple fact of the matter is that while they are still in my possession, the temptation to continue adding to them would simply be too great.

Furthermore, much of my enjoyment of the hobby has come from the process of collecting all these gems - so if and when I do take it up again, I will be more than happy to simply start from scratch once more.

Death Tank action will always be available at my residence. I just couldn't give that one up! It won't bite into my time, since it needs four or five participants to be done properly, and that doesn't happen too often. It will take minimal space to keep the requisite items, and those items would garner me hardly anything if I sold them anyway. Hence on all counts, there is no reason not to keep it.

But the decision is made. All the rest will go. I'll be sure to post pictures of the 1000 cranes, and also of the project that it is raising money for (construction of the world's biggest dress ... made from 10,000 square feet of material, and hopefully to be put up in the houses of parliament, in order to lobby MPs inside it about exploitation in the garment industry).

Vroomfunkel

[Vroomfunkel]

I forgot to mention .. in addition, I am hoping to move to working 4 days a week in order to work the other day for SPEAK, which would mean I would not be able to afford to carry on buying at the rate I am now ... and I find it almost irresistable to add to my collection whilst I know it is all there, so that is my underlying reason for parting with it completely.

Vrromfunkel

[LeGIt]

However, it was getting in the way of other things that I want to do more - such as giving time to the campaigning group that I volunteer for, and trying to get started in the writing business.

I have sold things when I ahven't needed the money so I can pursue activities before now and I strongly advise against doing so. Trust me, you will regret it sooner or later, even more so if the things you pursue don't work out as planned.

[WiseSalesman]

It's always a bit sad to see a long standing member go. You're one of the few posters left that was here when I joined up. I know this day will come for me eventually, too, so it's also a little bit scary. Either way, I'll miss seeing you about, 'funkel, but I hope you're writing career is successful and you end up with everything you want to accomplish from this decision. As a fellow prospective author, I can understand where you're coming from. If and when you do make it, be sure to hit us up here so we can read your work. I know I'd be interested.

I hope this doesn't sound too vulturish, but when you do start selling/ebaying stuff, make sure to post us some links here. I'm sure we'd all love to help you get your "distractions" out of your way. :D

[Cauterize]

However, it was getting in the way of other things that I want to do more - such as giving time to the campaigning group that I volunteer for, and trying to get started in the writing business.

I have sold things when I ahven't needed the money so I can pursue activities before now and I strongly advise against doing so. Trust me, you will regret it sooner or later, even more so if the things you pursue don't work out as planned.

i totally agree with you man! ive felt liek this over small things liek trading cards and toys, but to get rid of a massive collection will be heart breaking!

[Videogamerdaryll]

Best of luck to you..

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

* leap toward Vroomfunkel in slow motion to knock the very thought of selling his whole collection outta his head *

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Seriously...do what you gotta do.

[Querjek]

Good luck. And, as everyone else has suggested, don't sell all of it... just maybe some. You may regain your hobby later in life.

[kai123]

Don't worry about it, do whatever it is you are wanting to do. Unless you have a absolute one of a kind item, I wouldn't sweat the rest of it. It can all be replaced. This hobby isn't that hard to get back into.
Good Luck!!!!

[Sotenga]

The same basic thing here happened to another one of my great friends, so I am saddened by this. :(

But you gotta do what you gotta do, and your decisions are yours to make. Vroomfunkel, good luck, godspeed, and we'll be seeing you. :)

[Vroomfunkel]

It begins ...

The first lot of stuff has gone up - a bunch of import Megadrive games.

On all my ebay auctions DP members are entitled to 10% off the final price (not including p&p, which I charge pretty much at cost)

All you have to do, if I don't already know you by name / email / ebay id is to PM me here after the auctions have finished.

Having thought over various peoples advice, I may actually hang on to the Samba De Amigo Sets and a Dreamcast as well as Death Tank. But everything else will go!

For those that do not know, my ebay ID is joelthejester. Keep watching!

Vroomfunkel

[kainemaxwell]

Good luck to you.

[DigitalSpace]

Good luck!