Great advice, man. If there was a bible of video game collecting, this would need to make the canon. If I might be so bold, I do have a few pearls of wisdom to add to the string:Originally Posted by cheesystick
Let other people know that you collect retro video games. I have had friends and acquaintances simply give me their old video games and systems. I have a Virtual Boy in box that was presumed broken that was given to me by my girlfriend's friend along with three games. With my 4.55mm security bit, I opened it up and pulled three Virtual Boy game covers out of the cartridge slot and it works great now. My most valuable game, Darkwing Duck on the Turbografx-16 (goes for like $60 on ebay), was given to me along with an entire Turbografx-16 collection by an old friend who was being deployed overseas with the military. So, next time you have friends come over, invite them to play a round of Contra or Tetris with you, and there is a good chance it will stir up some nostalgia and philanthropy that will swell your collection.
Consider collecting video game controllers. They can breath fresh air into playing your games as well as add another dimension to your collecting. I have everything to kickass controllers like the NES Dogbone to Bandai's awkward Mega Controller. They're interesting functional pieces in the collection that add a bit of spice to the overall flavor.
Lists can be helpful and (sorta) fun- as much fun as lists can be anyway. Make a list of the games that you REALLY want, and cross them off as you go. I keep a list of the games that I have for my NES, which is the system I seriously collect. On the former list, it is fun to cross off; on the latter list, it is fun to add.
Do video game research! It is extremely fulfilling to discover a video game online that rocks that you never knew existed. Video game critics and wikipedia are your friends here. The Happy Video Game Nerd has turned me on to a handful of gems. Wikipedia gave me the bare bones of the Kunio (River City Ransom) story, which lead me to the quirky Crash n' the Boys. Also, forums are your allies, too.
I get a great deal out of playing games from Japan that never came to the USA. Of course, this involves research and, sometimes, a good bit of ebay luck. I flippin' love playing the original The Goonies on the NES and playing the Puyo series on my SNES. To me, this enriches the experience so much. Part of collecting is to own and play games that you never had as a kid. This takes that idea and multiplies it by 10x.
Get a girlfriend who supports your habit. My girlfriends takes the utmost pleasure out of deriding my collecting. We'll see who is laughing when my mail order Russian bride, Anna, comes in the mail next week. I don't think she plays much, but the language barrier will probably make it too difficult for her to effectively communicate mockery, so that's good enough.
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