Leaving Collecting (for now)

[bikingjahuty]

While many probably don't care, I felt the need to throw this out there somewhere in the Universe. I have officially decided to quit collecting indefinitely. My reason for doing so has to do with various things in my life right now that collecting video games has unfortunately impeded one was or another. Mostly, my desire to go out and find good deals on games, while often fruitful, still costs money and time I need to move my life to the next level. I recently got a new job that may actually allow me to buy a home, and because of my rate of consumption with buying games, this will not happen for quite some time should I continue to actively collect. I said that if collecting games (or anything in life for that matter) got in the way of anything truly important to me that I would stop. I feel like it has been at that point for a little while now and it's time for me to come to terms with that.

Does this mean I will be selling off my collection? No, at least I won't be selling the vast majority of it. There are a handful of items (no more than 20) that are on the chopping block, simply because I can't justify holding onto them given how much they are worth.

Will I not buy another game? Absolutely not; I will still buy games, but far more casually than I have in a while. In terms of buying retro games or pretty much anything that isn't a new release, I will no longer be actively pursing any of them. I am looking to obtain no more than 2 games per month tops for the time being.

Will I never collect again? I have no intention of returning to video game collecting any time in the near future. Someday when there is more money available and when I'm not on the verge of wanting a house or some other large financial commitment I may get back into it, but for now I am done.

Will I stop contributing to VGcollect? Of course not! I love this website and have been a proud member for several years now. I appreciate how little drama there is here and how the site has hands down the best video game cataloging I've seen to date. I will still be contributing and commenting. And while I am no longer collecting, gaming is still a very important part of my life and I will continue to play games, probably even more so now that I am no longer going out looking for them.

It has been a fun run since I started in 2008, but like all good things, they must one day come to an end. It's been a blast for sure...

[desocietas]

Good luck on the house-hunting/saving/buying!

I think we all have ups and downs with our collecting habits... Some years I'll go months without any interest in upcoming games and will go even longer without looking for or buying anything on eBay.  Other years I'll be on eBay all day for weeks or months at a time, looking up whatever I can and bidding on almost everything.

The basic necessities are more important than any hobby, and it's good to know when to put it aside for more important things.  Glad to hear you're still be around VGC! Some folks I've met through VGC no longer come by the forums simply because they aren't actively collecting any more. Thankfully, there are other ways to reach them, but it's still sad not to see them participate in conversations and such around here.

Best of luck again, and looking forward to hearing about what will be in store for you in the near future.

[turf]

Sell me your stuff...

I'm kidding.  You'll regret it if you sell it.  Good luck with the house.  It's fun at first.  Then you have to pay for the thing.  I just want to live in a cave with good wifi.  Good Luck, man. 

You'll be back to collecting when life slows down.  You'll come back.  They always do... 

[betelgeuse]

Good luck on the home hunting!! Make sure to throw that 20% down to avoid mortgage insurance and I'd stay clear of the HOA's.

I've been getting rather tempted myself to sell off some high priced Turbo Duo games... They just sit on the shelf, people are willing to pay ridiculous prices and I never bought the system to play them on anyway LMAO 

[doafan]

Sell me your stuff...

I got a better idea, he can give me his stuff for free, nah am just kidding and about this next step that bikingjahuty is going to make have to say that I do understand your situation, I've been managing my purchases a lot since I got married but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy anymore the pleasure of  purchasing games and most important to play them, hope that this is not an end and of course my respects for you, best of luck in your future projects, I mean it.

[rayne315]

glad to hear your taking a big step in your life but im sad to see a fellow collector stop collecting. we will still talk with you on the forums don't worry and keep in mind just because your not buying games doesn't mean you cant trade for them

have fun getting that backlog down and if your moving to anywhere in the eastern iowa, northern Illinois, or southern Wisconsin shoot me a message and ill come help you move in

[tripredacus]

I go through trends myself over the years. Nearly everything I have ever collected go into hot/cold periods. It is like a natural flow.

[soera]

I've been getting rather tempted myself to sell off some high priced Turbo Duo games...

If one of them is Ys Books I & II, color me interested.

[telly]

Best of luck with everything man! I hope you have success with your job and buying a house! I too started a new job this month so at least I can relate to that.

[gf78]

Good luck my friend. Don't be a stranger and happy house hunting!

[necrosexual]

ohhh good luck))
it's a good thing to slow down sometimes, just don't feel bad if you decide to buy a game or two a month as a general stress reliever.

best of luck to your house hunt!

[atarileaf]

Congrats on making a mature decision. I went through the same thing before we bought our house and even though I still have my collection, that point in my life was also a catalyst to take stock on collecting and cut back. I still haven't stopped but buying has slowed to a trickle and since I consider my collection to be, for the most part, complete I simply don't hunt anymore and it is strangely nice to think about all the money I'm NOT spending on video games every week. It's like someone who quits smoking, they find it amazing how much more money they have. Good luck!

[kashell]

If we all stopped buying games, we would be richer than Oprah!

Anyways, good luck on the new job and the house hunt. Owning a home has its pros and cons, but in comparison to living in an apartment, it's so much better. You'll be very happy with your decision.

[xsuicidesn0wmanx]

Good luck with the home hunting, I'm kind of on the fence with the same thoughts. Thinking about slowing down a bit after I complete this original Xbox collection(166 to go) as I'm at the point now where part of my own house hunting is to find a bigger place for all the games. lol It'd be nice if the dog had a back yard too, but it's mostly no room for games.

I've been getting rather tempted myself to sell off some high priced Turbo Duo games... They just sit on the shelf, people are willing to pay ridiculous prices and I never bought the system to play them on anyway LMAO 

Count me as one of those interested in buying a TGCD game or two if you sell. I've got a TGCD and no games to test it with, tested a music cd to make sure it at least read discs when I bought it 6 or so years ago, but I've never run across a TGCD game in the wild since.

[gf78]

If we all stopped buying games, we would be richer than Oprah!

Anyways, good luck on the new job and the house hunt. Owning a home has its pros and cons, but in comparison to living in an apartment, it's so much better. You'll be very happy with your decision.

I live out in the country/boonies/woods.  Not bad as I actually have a front & back yard, I'm close (enough) to the road, but the rest of the property is woods.  Here's the pros & cons.

Pros:
I can take a piss outside if I like
Me and my wife can get frisky outside to a certain extent
No loud neighbors
I can play my games/movies/music as loud as I want
Not a lot of traffic
Not a lot of theft/crime (your ass WILL get shot)
Wild animals like deer, turkey, rabbits, armadillos, possums, coyotes, foxes and the rare mountain lion (among others) just show up.  And it's pretty cool to wake up in the morning to find a box turtle hanging out in the driveway getting some sun!  Lizards running around, snakes slithering around, toads & frogs jumping.  Just great stuff to me.
No idiot Poke-zombies wandering around trying to catch 'em all and entering my private property!

Cons:
Janky wireless internet.  Fairly dependable, but expensive.  Only other alternative is satellite internet.  No thanks.  Been there, done that.
Storms make the DirecTV conk out if they are bad enough
10 mile ride minimum to go to McDonald's, Walmart or pretty much any other retail store
More frequent power outages than if you live in town/city
Deer running across the road in front of you.  Worse if you don't stop in time or if they run into the side of your vehicle.
An occasional skunk stirring up a stink
Mowing the grass....there's a lot of it!