Is owning multiples of a console obsessive/hoarding?

[soera]

I think it depends on the entire situation. If you are sitting on 20+ of the same exact console and none of them either 1) are used or 2) work, then you are on the level of hoarding. I personally have more than 1 of Gamecube (blue/black/silver), Playstation (original and PSOne), Wii (Original and mini), NES (Front loader and top loader), and SNES (Original and mini).

[tripredacus]

I have multiple Genesis consoles but that is only because I bought lots for the games. Some of them are broken and I am missing too many parts to put together a set. But just last weekend I put together a Model 1 kit and got about 15 of my duplicate carts together and gave it to a friend.

[disgaeniac]

A hoarder would buy the game at a low price no matter how many copies they owned.

As would a collector who also buys, trades, and sells/resells 

I see a copy of Suikoden 2 for $5...even if I had 20 of them...I'd buy it just to re-sell and/or put in the "trade material" category 

My point?

It doesn't so much come down to *what* you do -but- *why* you're doing it!

In this case, if you were buying a 21st copy as a "backup" for when your other 20 copies get scratched/no longer work = it would (IMO), signify something different that buying it in the way that I stated above 

[bobster]

A hoarder would buy the game at a low price no matter how many copies they owned.

As would a collector who also buys, trades, and sells/resells 

I see a copy of Suikoden 2 for $5...even if I had 20 of them...I'd buy it just to re-sell and/or put in the "trade material" category 

My point?

It doesn't so much come down to *what* you do -but- *why* you're doing it!

In this case, if you were buying a 21st copy as a "backup" for when your other 20 copies get scratched/no longer work = it would (IMO), signify something different that buying it in the way that I stated above 

In Suikoden 2's case, I'd probably get 20 copies for the hell of it. That game is just too amazing 

[scott]

Ha, I wish I could stumble on a $5 copy of Suikoden II.

[instantreplay]

A hoarder would buy the game at a low price no matter how many copies they owned.

As would a collector who also buys, trades, and sells/resells 

I see a copy of Suikoden 2 for $5...even if I had 20 of them...I'd buy it just to re-sell and/or put in the "trade material" category 

My point?

It doesn't so much come down to *what* you do -but- *why* you're doing it!

In this case, if you were buying a 21st copy as a "backup" for when your other 20 copies get scratched/no longer work = it would (IMO), signify something different that buying it in the way that I stated above 

I knew someone was going to say that XD
You actually missed the most important point. The behavior has to be interfering with the person's life. It is a combination of both the what and why that ultimately allows a you to determine if a person is suffering from a mental disorder.
If you just look at why someone is doing something, then someone who compulsively washes their hands 3,000 times a day (there is a case study about someone like that) is merely being thorough. Also, if you've broken 20 copies of a game and are buying a working copy, that's simply replacing something that's broken.

Understand that I'm trying to condense what I've learned in 3 years into a couple of paragraphs so there are a lot of things I'm just skimming over just to get the main points across.

[burningdoom]

Having a back-up in case one breaks is smart. Or having one or two extras for spare parts. And having extras if you're gonna sell them makes sense. But otherwise, yeah, it kind of is hoarding in my eyes. What do you need 10 Xboxes or whatever for?

[disgaeniac]

A hoarder would buy the game at a low price no matter how many copies they owned.

As would a collector who also buys, trades, and sells/resells 

I see a copy of Suikoden 2 for $5...even if I had 20 of them...I'd buy it just to re-sell and/or put in the "trade material" category 

My point?

It doesn't so much come down to *what* you do -but- *why* you're doing it!

In this case, if you were buying a 21st copy as a "backup" for when your other 20 copies get scratched/no longer work = it would (IMO), signify something different that buying it in the way that I stated above 

I knew someone was going to say that XD
You actually missed the most important point. The behavior has to be interfering with the person's life. It is a combination of both the what and why that ultimately allows a you to determine if a person is suffering from a mental disorder.
If you just look at why someone is doing something, then someone who compulsively washes their hands 3,000 times a day (there is a case study about someone like that) is merely being thorough. Also, if you've broken 20 copies of a game and are buying a working copy, that's simply replacing something that's broken.

Understand that I'm trying to condense what I've learned in 3 years into a couple of paragraphs so there are a lot of things I'm just skimming over just to get the main points across.

Fair enough 

[scott]

What do you need 10 Xboxes or whatever for?

LANing Halo 2. >_>

[dreama1]

Obesssion is such a dirty word. But in actuality it's not so bad, in my opinion it's the lesser of the two evils video game obbession compared to other obbessions. To say it does not influence you or your decisions at all, or doesn't effect your daily life is total nonsense sorry from the people you meet to things you do they shall haunt you forever even after the person or thing has ceased to exist that's the cold reality. So tread carefully. If your worried about the console breaking with it will break down then that must mean all consoles will break down totally meaning collecting consoles is pointless which means collecting video games is pointless if they all break down or die in the end.

I say again be careful where you tread there's gold farming in WoW they keep telling themselves there going to make money off it but they never end doing so, and things all get worse at that point. Only afew elite experts actually make anything.

[burningdoom]

What do you need 10 Xboxes or whatever for?

LANing Halo 2. >_>

Touche.

[gartcat]

I used to have backup systems, but the only instance where it truly made any sense was my 2 PS2s, where one played blue discs but not PS1 games while the other was the other way around.  I think a lot of it is paranoid thinking, worrying about things that haven't happened yet.  Systems are easy to replace, especially with all of the after market ones coming out all the time.  Having multiples makes you feel 'in control', which certainly has a psychological component, but if it's obsessive is another story.  FYI, I didn't regret selling my duplicates at all.

[kamikazekeeg]

What do you need 10 Xboxes or whatever for?

LANing Halo 2. >_>

Halo LAN's were the best lol Me and my buddies would regularly hook up Halo 1 and 2 in his downstairs with 4 tv's and systems and get as many friends and family over as we could for big matches lol

[sin2beta]

I own multiples of consoles. I own multiple XBox consoles. They are just easy to find at flea markets now. I picked up a spare as a bundle deal with the 25 or so games for $30. I'd like to mod it some day perhaps.

I actively buy SEGA CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast consoles when they are on the cheap. These I worry about dying. Oddly enough, the newer they are, the more worried I am. The SEGA CD is pretty rock solid. But the lasers will burn out. I've never tried replacing one. The Dreamcast... damn those GD-Rom drives. I would not mind having 5 or so of those. If I could find one brand new, I would not be opposed to paying the original MSRP for it. It would sit back as a final replacement. But even then, I don't know. You can find them really cheap right now still. 10 used ones or 1 new one... I'll take the 10 used ones in most cases.

[MJMaranan]

Ha, I wish I could stumble on a $5 copy of Suikoden II.

Lowest price I paid for a complete Suikoden II was around $70, but the seller never shipped it complete.  Still upsets me a little thinking back on that.

As far as collecting multiples of a console...  Modding and tinkering/repairing would be great options/skills to have.