What rules govern your collecting?

[topspot123]

topspot

i agree with all them apart from 3.
if i get a game that follows on from a story i want to play it in order.
i started playing uncharted 3 and as amazing as that game is i put it down until i get the first 2. i think games like this build the character so i want to play them in order.
having said that i will still buy the game if i see it. i will just try and get the previous game before if the above is the case.

of course they are exceptions to this. final fantasy as each is a different story with different characters.

In context I was specifically referring to trying to avoid poor quality games.  For example, skipping Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, but still buying Tomb Raider: Legend; or skipping almost all of the last 7 years worth of Sonic the Hedgehog games, but still buying Sonic Generations.  My 'collector's OCD' would not previously allow this, but I am slowly becoming more rational with my habit/hobby. 

In your example of the Uncharted series, I sort of followed the opposite path.  I was only ever marginally interested in the first game, but as the sequels received so much critical acclaim, I decided that it would be worth me picking them all up to follow the stories.  But no one considers the first game to be low quality, so it wouldn't be affected by the rule. 

As far as story is concerned, sometimes it is worth playing a bad game for an okay story.  Story is such a big part of modern games that story quality and game play quality are two separate deciding factors for me. 

[topspot123]

Sealed games - When i buy a new game I never open it til I'm ready to play it. This way If a game
                          never gets played and later I find out its valuable I have a sealed copy. But unless
                          I find a classic game sealed at a good price I don't hunt for sealed games because
                          It just makes me want to buy the game twice to have one that can be played.

I do this too!  Not specifically for the resale value, but just because I like them new.  It drives my friends nuts (especially if they want to borrow that game).  Unfortunately you can tell just how huge my backlog is by how many sealed games are on my shelves. 

BTW A year or two ago, Parasite Eve was fetching big bucks for sealed copies (perhaps it still is).  This was one of the only games that I ever let a buddy open to borrow.  I still haven't played it, so it would still be sealed otherwise.  So now I remind him of that lost value when he wants to borrow an unopened game. 

PS (maybe I really do have OCD problems)  I actually borrowed a game from a friend once instead of opening my own copy.  Do I need help?

[bikingjahuty]

- I don't mind collecting loose cart-based games, but CD based games must be complete, unless they are in a DVD case, then I can go without the manual.

- Unless it is a game I really, really, really want I wait to buy it until I find it for at least 1/3 of it's current average Ebay price

- I only buy games that I think I will play someday and that I'd enjoy.

- I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible

- I will not buy any Greatest Hits/Players Choice games unless it is a super good deal (like a buck or two) or if it is a game I've had a hard time finding for a good deal.

- I will buy a game I already own if the copy I find is an upgrade in condition. I usually sell/trade the one in worse condition.

- I will never never buy games from Gamestop or a few local independent game stores that make the highest BINs on Ebay look like charity.

[MJMaranan]

Universal Condition:
-Always remember the price limit when purchasing.  Sometimes it gets difficult, but if this rule is not applied...  No extra spending money on something else.

Game Conditions:
-Game must come with at least case and manual.
-Everything needs to be in at least good condition.  If I'm bidding on a game or lot, a definite must.
-Only original label games.  No Greatest Hits/Platinum Hits/Player's Choice/Classic.
-Research Limited or Collector's Editions.  Buy only if the contents are worth having.
-Buy Game Of The Year Editions or compilations if the cost of all the DLC/Expansion Pack is greater.

Swag Conditions:
-Always consider if the promo/collectible/add-in is worth collecting.
-Definitely look for item in good condition.

[karyann]

- I don't mind collecting loose cart-based games, but CD based games must be complete, unless they are in a DVD case, then I can go without the manual.

- Unless it is a game I really, really, really want I wait to buy it until I find it for at least 1/3 of it's current average Ebay price

- I only buy games that I think I will play someday and that I'd enjoy.

- I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible

- I will not buy any Greatest Hits/Players Choice games unless it is a super good deal (like a buck or two) or if it is a game I've had a hard time finding for a good deal.

- I will buy a game I already own if the copy I find is an upgrade in condition. I usually sell/trade the one in worse condition.

- I will never never buy games from Gamestop or a few local independent game stores that make the highest BINs on Ebay look like charity.

Ditto on all of these, except the Gamestop part. I hate them, but sometimes they have a game I'm having a hard time finding, or randomly low prices (like this week, I bought Rhythm Thief on the 3DS for $20 there, while it's worth around $50 on ebay). I'll always opt for somewhere else whenever I can, but if they have a pretty good price, I'll go for it.

Seriously, we're really collecting in the same way apart from the GS thing!   

[bikingjahuty]

- I don't mind collecting loose cart-based games, but CD based games must be complete, unless they are in a DVD case, then I can go without the manual.

- Unless it is a game I really, really, really want I wait to buy it until I find it for at least 1/3 of it's current average Ebay price

- I only buy games that I think I will play someday and that I'd enjoy.

- I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible

- I will not buy any Greatest Hits/Players Choice games unless it is a super good deal (like a buck or two) or if it is a game I've had a hard time finding for a good deal.

- I will buy a game I already own if the copy I find is an upgrade in condition. I usually sell/trade the one in worse condition.

- I will never never buy games from Gamestop or a few local independent game stores that make the highest BINs on Ebay look like charity.

Ditto on all of these, except the Gamestop part. I hate them, but sometimes they have a game I'm having a hard time finding, or randomly low prices (like this week, I bought Rhythm Thief on the 3DS for $20 there, while it's worth around $50 on ebay). I'll always opt for somewhere else whenever I can, but if they have a pretty good price, I'll go for it.

Seriously, we're really collecting in the same way apart from the GS thing!   

That is awesome! I am not too picky usually, but those things are a must. I turned down a fairly good PS1 deal on Craigslist about a year ago because I found out all the games were disc only (they had like Einhander, Saiyuki, and I think Mega Man Legends 2).

Yeah, my main beef with Gamestop has to do with their policies and several bad experiences I've had with employees in the past. There prices have never really been an issue though. The last game I bought from them fell into that cheap hard to find category; found MS Saga on the PS2 there years ago for like $10 and bought it because of how uncommon that game is and how awesome of a deal it was. That was the last time though. I do go in there occasionally if it is near some place that I am visiting. I found Cave Story 3D on the 3DS for like $30 bucks complete and that was a hard one to walk away from lol.

[karyann]

- Digital games are ok. If they are PC games or XBLA/ Nintendo eShop only downloads. But I'll always go for physical over digital on retail games. I boycotted Patapon 2 until they released a UMD version of it because it was Digital Only.
- PC games, I don't really hold much value in. So I'll usually go digital on those. But I'll rarely, if ever, download a console game. I think the only full games I have for consoles that are digital are the ones Sony gave away for their huge network fail.

I'm the same on digital and PC games. I even boycotted Patapon 2 too  It's good that they turned around and made a UMD version too. I don't even know why they would make it digital only in the first place.

3.  It must be a game I have the console/handheld for.

I do buy games for consoles that I don't have, but only when I know I will buy the console for sure someday. I buy the games only when the deal is really good tho, like if I find the game brand new for $5 I will probably not have a better deal. I don't have a PS Vita yet, but I have bought 3 games already because they were from $3-$5 a piece.

Yeah, my main beef with Gamestop has to do with their policies and several bad experiences I've had with employees in the past. There prices have never really been an issue though. The last game I bought from them fell into that cheap hard to find category; found MS Saga on the PS2 there years ago for like $10 and bought it because of how uncommon that game is and how awesome of a deal it was. That was the last time though. I do go in there occasionally if it is near some place that I am visiting. I found Cave Story 3D on the 3DS for like $30 bucks complete and that was a hard one to walk away from lol.

Ugh, Gamestop policies... unwrap their "brand new" games then put them on the shelves when they get lots of wear damage, annoy you to no end so that you pre-order games you don't even have the system for, annoy you with their useless guarantees, and so on... I know which employees to avoid if I want to be left alone when I shop there, and I won't shop at all if there's one of them currently working.

[pzeke]

Okay, since there's no law against necrobumping...

My rules are simple:

- Quality over quantity, always
- Any sealed game stays sealed until I decide to play it (unless it's a disc-based game and it happens to be loose inside the case)
- Any and all dupes get sold ASAP (I'm almost always buying lots, so this is a recurring thing)
- Every single game I buy gets thoroughly cleaned, especially used ones, most especially now during this pandemic
- Since I stopped buying cartridge-based games, all games I buy must be complete
- Using eBay as a metric for condition, the least I'll accept is "very good" (I've broken this rule a few times in the past due to specific reasons)
- I'm a cheapskate, so I won't pay $60+ for a game, unless it happens to be one that I will play on-the-spot (Final Fantasy VII Remake being a recent example, which actually didn't cost me $60)
- Physical media always (whenever possible, of course)
- And most importantly, it always must be a game that I know I will play

I also don't buy, or at least try my hardest to avoid getting "Greatest Hits" versions, mainly for PS2 and PS3, although I still have some that I either got in lots or happen to be GOTYEs. My PS1 collection has at least 5 green-labeled games, and for the PS4 I ended up getting some red-labeled ones, too since they were cheap (which is almost always the case).

[telly]

- I don't mind cart-only games, though I do prefer cases for DS and 3DS games.
- Discs in a jewel case must be complete. DVD case games are fine without the manual as long as it has the case and cover art.
- I don't really mind greatest hits versions; if they're cheap, I'll pick it up. It's the game inside that matters the most to me.
- I only buy stuff that I want to play.
- I used to buy stuff that I didn't have the console for with the intention of owning it someday (like the OG Xbox), but I've since stopped doing that.
- I will spend full price on games if it's a franchise that I want to support (or if it's from Limited Run or something)

[bikingjahuty]

- I don't mind collecting loose cart-based games, but CD based games must be complete, unless they are in a DVD case, then I can go without the manual.

- Unless it is a game I really, really, really want I wait to buy it until I find it for at least 1/3 of it's current average Ebay price

- I only buy games that I think I will play someday and that I'd enjoy.

- I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible

- I will not buy any Greatest Hits/Players Choice games unless it is a super good deal (like a buck or two) or if it is a game I've had a hard time finding for a good deal.

- I will buy a game I already own if the copy I find is an upgrade in condition. I usually sell/trade the one in worse condition.

- I will never never buy games from Gamestop or a few local independent game stores that make the highest BINs on Ebay look like charity.

Lol it's so funny to look back on this and see how much things have changed, and to be honest how much I've changed as a collector.

I don't mind collecting loose cart-based games, but CD based games must be complete, unless they are in a DVD case, then I can go without the manual: This actually still holds true mostly. I don't collect loose disks, however I've become a lot more picky about picking up loose carts. The reason for this is I have most of the loose cartridge games I'm after and also I'm actually trying to complete many of the loose carts I already have. If a good enough deal comes my way I'd buy just about any loose cartridge I'm after, but it would have to be a screaming deal at this point.

Unless it is a game I really, really, really want I wait to buy it until I find it for at least 1/3 of it's current average Ebay price: God, I wish this were still true. I think one of the biggest factors that killed my drive to collect more was how difficult it's become to find any sort of substantial deal on retro games. I know they're still out there, but I'm not going to spend 5 hours on a Saturday going to every single garage sale in a 5 mile radius of where I live, or half my day refreshing facebook marketplace and CL. We were definitely spoiled during the first half of the 2010s with how easy it was to find cheap games. I used to find gold all the time just at several of the local stores around me, and at this point I know our flea market was still worth going to. I know thrift stores had started turning to the dark side around this time, but deals were still mostly plentiful. It's got so bad that I'm willing to buy a game I really want at even 10% off its normal price. I can't even remember the last time I found a game for 1/3 or less of its current ebay price.

I only buy games that I think I will play someday and that I'd enjoy: This is pretty much still true, although I'd probably change it to games I know I'll play someday. I'm done hunting down trophy games or "hidden gem" titles that look like mediocre versions of much, much better games that are also way more common.

I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible: I'm pretty sure at the time I wrote this I meant if there's an ultra, mega-deluxe collectors edition for a game, that's the one I want. I came to the realization several years ago that collectors editions typically take up way too much room, so I've become way more picky about which ones I want. Pretty much unless it's a game I really, really want I don't even consider getting the collectors edition.

I will not buy any Greatest Hits/Players Choice games unless it is a super good deal (like a buck or two) or if it is a game I've had a hard time finding for a good deal: This is one of the few things I can say is still 100% true. I don't do greatest hits/player's choice games. Years later they're still hideous looking and they clash with my non-greatest hits aesthetic in my game room.

I will buy a game I already own if the copy I find is an upgrade in condition. I usually sell/trade the one in worse condition: I suppose this is still true, however i'm not really big on label/case upgrading like I used to be, nor do I come across retro games enough anymore where this is a luxury I have anymore. As mentioned earlier I'm trying to gradually complete my loose cartridge based games which I guess is an upgrade of sorts, but I'm not swapping games out in order to get a copy that doesn't have a minor imperfection on the label like I used to.

I will never never buy games from Gamestop or a few local independent game stores that make the highest BINs on Ebay look like charity: I had to save the best for last lol. God, I cannot believe how much not only my attitude has changes regarding various points made in this statement, but also how much my options as a collector have changed. At the time I wrote this we probably had 15 game stores within a 20-mile radius of where I live, now it's about a third of that. Not only that, but all those stores are way overpriced. Sure, they get some cool stuff in, but it's so expensive that it really dampens my desire to visit most of them. As for Gamestop, it's actually my goto place for buying video games now and has been for a few years. Sure, they're retro game selection is pathetic, but for newer titles they're the best in terms of selection and certainly price. I know Gamestop is not the best company in the world and their days are nearly numbered as a company, but they've really grown on me and I'll genuinely miss them a lot when the last of disappears in probably the next 4 or 5 years. I guess like everything on my old list that is no more, I should savor my Gamestop trips while I still can.

[tripredacus]

Something strange has happened to me. After years of just buying whatever, then just buying Sega stuff, it all stopped. I think part of the problem is that I started up a playlist queue for myself, so that I can actually play nearly everything in my collection. I mean it would still take 1000 years maybe. And then adding new games to that list seems like a waste of time. So in general I am down to this:

- is something I haven't played on a workable system i own
- is Transformers or related properties (such as G.I.Joe, Macross, etc)
- is a baseball game
- not going to bother chasing games online unless it is on my WL.

[oldgamerz]

1: Only buy what I don't have already, unless the one I have is defective.

2: I don't sell the defective one, I usually keep it. Unless it's cracked beyond repair.

3: I don't buy expensive games that I don't think I'll enjoy

4: I go in bulk and try to get more of what I like for less money.

[sworddude]

- I don't mind collecting loose cart-based games, but CD based games must be complete, unless they are in a DVD case, then I can go without the manual.

- Unless it is a game I really, really, really want I wait to buy it until I find it for at least 1/3 of it's current average Ebay price

- I only buy games that I think I will play someday and that I'd enjoy.

- I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible

- I will not buy any Greatest Hits/Players Choice games unless it is a super good deal (like a buck or two) or if it is a game I've had a hard time finding for a good deal.

- I will buy a game I already own if the copy I find is an upgrade in condition. I usually sell/trade the one in worse condition.

- I will never never buy games from Gamestop or a few local independent game stores that make the highest BINs on Ebay look like charity.

I like to collect the coolest version of a game if possible: I'm pretty sure at the time I wrote this I meant if there's an ultra, mega-deluxe collectors edition for a game, that's the one I want. I came to the realization several years ago that collectors editions typically take up way too much room, so I've become way more picky about which ones I want. Pretty much unless it's a game I really, really want I don't even consider getting the collectors edition.

I wanted to do this back than aswell, but since the beginning of wii u and late 3ds era pretty much every game got a collectors edition of some sort so not really interested let alone usually pretty huge compared to older CE and far more pricy than a standard edition. The novelty wears off in the current era..

I'm pretty pleased with the standard release of modern games these days, I'll only try to get a cool version if it's a game I really like otherwise I'm not going to bother with the most fancy release.

For old stuff that rule still applies though, ps2 wii ds psp and pre era's. but most collectors editions in those era's where both rare and not much bigger than a standard release it wasn't overdone. Still I've seen plenty of people that hated the lack of CE in past era's so I guess having both options ain't to bad.

[grose]

My rules are very simple:

1st - I need to be really interested in game, be for a childhood memory or to be played in the future. I don't buy just for the oppotunity.

2nd - Where I live (Brazil) the prices in general are very high, some cartridges are a little more affordable, but most of 90% are very expensive. Then for me, 30~40S is the limit price for a game, I don't pay more than this.

3rd - Carts for SNES, N64 and Gameboy is ok to be loose, for all the rest I need the case (at least) or I don't buy.

4th - The game must be realiable, here there are so much games dirty or destroyed, what need an extra careful.

5th - I try to pick just NTSC-U games, but if this version is expensive i don't mind to get a NTSC-J, my Saturn games are only japanese for an example.

I have few collectors edition, and generally don't buy games just after the release, cuz 60$ here is like a 250~300$ for us. It's crazy how the actual government put the country into a deep black hole, to say a minimum. :/

[burningdoom]

I don't have many of them, and few I do have are because I'm cheap:

1. I generally won't spend more than $20 (plus shipping if needed) for a game. If I do, it better be one I REALLY want. Even then about $40 is the limit. I'm the type of gamer you see scouring Goodwill and local used music shops for the best deals.

2. I'm not a collector that needs the box to every game, but it at least has to have sticker/label on the cartridge or CD fully intact.

3. I don't buy duplicates of games, unless it's a handheld version of a console game or vice-versa, or a remake. I'm not the type that needs special collectors variants of games or both a Saturn and PS1 version of Resident Evil (but I do own both a PS1 and Gamecube version). I just want a copy to play, but I do try to get the best version if it's within reasonable cost.

Things have since changed, lol.

1. I've spent plenty more on games I really want since. Drying up of local sources, and having to turn to online sources are mostly why. But also because I'm at a point in my collection where I'm getting more picky since I have most of the essentials I want.

2. I still do get disc only on some of the really expensive titles, but other than that I've gotten a little more picky with most of my disc-based games. Artwork and case, at least.

3. I have bought many remasters at this point, lol. Just to see what's been changed, and to get achievements and such.