For the most part, I eventually got what I wanted as a kid. I used to play SNES & Genesis as a kid at my daycare, and I wanted both of them so bad. However, it took many years before I eventually got my SNES. In the meantime, my dad, for some reason I still don't understand as he was never someone who played games in my lifetime, owned an Intellivision that he kept in a closet I had no idea about. Knowing I wanted an SNES, he gave me the Intellivison along with a few games he had, and he got me a bunch more as he would go to the flea market weekly (also, maybe you are seeing where I got my collector instincts from). I actually really liked that despite it being the 90s, I spent my younger years playing a 70s/80s system, writing high scores in the manual.
Eventually I got a Gameboy for Christmas, and later an SNES (I had to choose between it and some games, or the newly released N64 wit no games due to price). From that point on I eventually sold all my SNES games (because I thought the system was broken, it was actually just the cord, though selling those games is a big life regret) to buy an N64, I also managed to save money to buy a used Genesis at Gamestop because it was really cheap. My brother saved for a PS1. Later in middle school my brother was bribed with a Gamecube for going to a week of Jesus camp, and my dad bought a PS2 because of it's DVD capabilities. From that point on I was grown enough to earn money for what I wanted.
However, the one system that alluded my grasp when I was young and always wanted was an NES. The system always intrigued me so much. My REALLY early daycare, like kindergarten, had an NES. However, back then no on knew how to take care of the thing so it rarely ever worked. Then, when I was like maybe 10, a neighbor of mine had a garage sale and was selling his NES. I was so excited because I could afford it, but once I got it home my ignorance of cleaning it and games again lead them to not work. Bummed out, he gave me my money back. It took me until high school when it was way past it's time, and I had to buy it with my own money before I owned it. Now it's the main system of my collection because of how fascinated I was by it and how it alluded me all those years.