Very Sad to see somsbody selling off their collection of games, How do you feel?

[PROTOTYPE]

I'm bidding on some games right now and they are all in flawless condition. He's selling off what looks like his entire collection of game for various systems. I have mix feelings about this... As its good for me but kind of sad in away too. I don't know why and really won't ask till I win game or two.[ maybe not ]Yea, I know there can be a lot reasons.. money, sick of it all, etc. When I see somebody selling off their whole collection of games that took them years to complete and keep them in flawless condition . As a collector, even though I don't know him its feels like I do. So, the reason I'm bringing up this topic is how do you feel when you see this? Sad or happy you can finally get that rare game? or his lost my gain..

[8bitgamer]

I always feel a tinge of sadness. Maybe they are having financial difficulties or getting a divorce. Maybe there's another bummer of a reason.

[rocky412]

I'm also very sad to see this. I had to sell off some my atari collection almost 2 years ago because of losing my job. I had spent almost 15 years collecting a lot of cartridges from taiwan, Germany, UK, Brazil etc. I hated to get rid of them but I had bills to pay. I guess it was a good investment for my part. But something I can never get back.

[PROTOTYPE]

Yea, maybe you hit on something there? Maybe,I'm sad because I've sold off some of mine in the past too. dreamcast, turbo ect.. And that feeling you know you can't get back unless you have a lot money to burn.But as a collector we are the only ones that know what it truly means to sell it all off. A lot people don't understand why we collect video games, To me its keeping my childhood alive and well... Are body's will get old but are spirit is always young at heart.

[PapaStu]

It's stuff. Stuff that isn't needed in life. I've bought stuff from people liquidating a number of times over the years. At some point i'm sure that i'll be doing the same. There are so many more important things than having 'all teh gamez'. Often times having a place to stay, food on the table, that room for the baby or the lights on trumps (and always should) the need of entertainment. Priorities change for people and ones that revolve around a collection of X are often the first to go.


I know far more people who've sold off stuff and not only felt good, but relieved that they have gotten it out than those who've been truly crushed by selling it all. I'm not saying that it doesn't sting to get rid of something that holds sentimental value, it's just not as bad as you think it is.

[wiggyx]

I sold of a LARGE portion of my collection while in college to, um, pay for college. I wasn't as sad at the time, mostly because I was too busy to even think about it, but now it bothers me a bit, and I've SLOWLY been starting to build the collection back up.

Some folks just move on. A good friend had a MASSIVE collection, and he sold about 85-90% of it just because he was tired of having to pack it up every time he moved (which was often) and because he just didn't really feel the need to collect anymore. He kept just what he played regularly.

[Tempest]

Some folks just move on. A good friend had a MASSIVE collection, and he sold about 85-90% of it just because he was tired of having to pack it up every time he moved (which was often) and because he just didn't really feel the need to collect anymore. He kept just what he played regularly.

This is pretty much what I'm doing. Over the past few years I've sold off large parts of my collection and invested in Multicarts (I still like to play on real hardware). There comes a point where everything starts taking up too much space and you realize that you haven't touched some of it in years. I'm keeping the parts of of the collection that mean something to me (mostly my Apple II and Atari 8-bit stuff) and as for the rest, I've found that I don't miss it. In the future I plan on moving across the country so I'm sure more of the collection will go then.

I think the hardest part is being honest with yourself. Sure you want to own everything, but do you really NEED to own everything? What do you play with? What haven't you touched in years? What can be sold for decent money that could be used for something else that you really want? Once you figure this out, everything else is easy.

[sloan]

It's mixed. If a person is selling due to loss of job, home, divorce, death in the family, etc., then the human side is saddened, but then the person needs the finances so it helps them too if I buy some of their stuff.

I feel sad most often at pawn shops because those places normally rip people who are vulnerable and poor. I don't buy too often from pawn shops because of that.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Well,

It's sad if somebody explicitly states that they're selling off a beloved collection that they worked to amass based on a hardship that is requiring/forcing them to do so.

Otherwise, I don't tend to speculate or judge.

[Enmity]

I had to sell off roughly 90% of my collect a few years ago. Around 1200 games total. It hurt at the time and I still miss my shelves of carts.

It was to pay rent so it had to be done. I kept some of the more important games to me not really most valuable just the ones I cared about the most (NES World Champ Repro).

I've slowly been working on it but not to the extent that I use to. I use to collect just about everything. I've decided to work on one thing at a time.


It does suck a lot, but some times its very necessary.

[treismac]

I'm a deeply nostalgic and sentimental person, so selling off a collection is a downer in my book. As a handful have said before me, it is by no means the end of the world, but anytime someone has to part with something that once meant something to them it tugs at a few of my heart strings.

I might end up going across the Pond in a year or so, perhaps having to part ways with the majority of my collection. Not something I want to think of. I reckon I will invest in a handful of Power Paks/multicarts and make do that way. Honestly, I'd rather bury my collection in airtight containers on my parents' land than sell off my collection. That way if and when I return to Savannah my childhood will be waiting for me to unearth again and pick up where I left off.

[BetaWolf47]

It saddens me too, although I think I may end up selling most of my collection someday too. I have a lot, but never feel as if I have the energy to play anything. Would be nice to be able to sit down and play something for three hours, but whenever I do, I find myself turning off the game after 45 minutes at the most. Might sell the bulk of it and keep my top 25 games for each system.

[Badhornet]

I hate to see it if it is because of financial reasons. Most times people's economic position will get better, than they regret they sold their stuff......but hey you gotta eat.

Sometimes people move on and want to get rid of their collections because they lost interest or maybe outgrew them............. most of us will come to that stage one day

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

You should only feel bad if they actually stated their circumstances in the listing. Otherwise, you don't know what their situation is.

Plus it's a cycle. That collector probably bought some of those games off people in desperate need. The games will continue to change hands over time, but at least the games are being preserved.

I realize that people's situations can change suddenly, but there are also people out there that collect beyond their means, or collect at the wrong point in their lives. It should be: go to college, establish a career, then collect, not the other way around. That also prevents the "buy, sell, then buy again" pattern that some have alluded to.

[wiggyx]

Honestly, I'd rather bury my collection in airtight containers on my parents' land than sell off my collection. That way if and when I return to Savannah my childhood will be waiting for me to unearth again and pick up where I left off.

, do it!

[treismac]

... at least the games are being preserved.

Excellent point. Better to sell your collection than junk it.

, do it!

If I were to subterranean stash my games, you can be damn sure that they will be preserved. My family business is industrial construction, sir. I have access to backhoes, excavators, assorted metal, containers and drums, concrete mixers, and welding machines. If I bury my collection, it will survive a nuclear holocaust. Bet on it.

[wiggyx]

Well now that you've laid all that out, you have got to bury them when you move! It would shame the family business if you didn't!

[Yago]

I have come across a few people who do not feel the need to own carts anymore as everything can be emulated these days. No, of course it is not the same as putting a game in an old system with it's old clunky joystick in your hand. For me, that is a necessity. However, some don't feel that way.

[BydoEmpire]

It's sad if he's selling it because he has to - for example, to pay a medical bill. I've sold a lot of my collection because I wanted to, in order to fund other things. I have no regrets whatsoever about that. That said, I didn't sell off all of my collection, just stuff I didn't play much and didn't see myself wanting to collect for in the future.

[heybtbm]

Maybe upon deep reflection, he feels this way now.