How intentional are you about picking up new stuff?

[seether]

Do you have a wishlist and regularly buy off it or just browse flee markets, goodwill, ebay etc. until a good deal is found on something that interests you that you stumble upon by accident?

[pizzasafari]

The effort is noticed and appreciated, Seeth. Though you really should take part in your own discussions too. Which do you do? Chat about it with us.

Ideally I have in my head a list of games that I really want, and when I can afford it I go on ebay and buy them up. But I am also a reckless spender and if I'm in town I will always wander into a game shop and see if I can spot anything that takes my fancy.

[snyderec3]

I try to group items by priority of how much my collection "needs" them and try to stick to buying the higher priority items. This is mostly just so I can give my collection some focus instead of just buying whatever interests me at the moment.

[bikingjahuty]

I'm maintained a Wishlist ever since I began collecting. It is ever changing, mostly expanding, and I update it whenever i find a game I'm after and remove it from the list. I used to prioritize by how badly I wanted stuff, but I feel like when I find a game I have an internal knowledge of how badly i want a game and how much I'd be willing to spend on it.

[wartoy]

I go with the flow and look for somthing that catches my eye. I don't always want to drop a ton of cash so I might settle for somthing not on my most wanted list if I think I'll like it.

[mark1982]

I definitely keep a wish list of items, but it's usually for unreleased games or harder to find older titles for me to keep track of that I can order online.

When I head to thrift stores or retro shops I don't get my hopes up, just take a look if anything catches my attention for a good price. I don't buy every game under the sun so if I'm lucky I will spot something that I like.

[hoshichiri]

Little of both, but mostly wishlist. I keep a list on Amazon (it's convenient) that I update as I discover new titles/buy things. I don't prioritize, but the list is divided up based on a title's availability & cost. That's both to help anyone using the list during the gift-giving season & to help me review titles based on what my budget would allow for at the time & current sales.

I find it helps keep me focused- for example, let's say Gamestop has a buy 2 get 1 free on preowned. Instead of popping in and buying the first 3 titles that catch my eye, I consult my newer game list & figure out if there's 3 titles I want in a local store at all. I may not even go in during the sale if I can't make a set from my list. I also do a quick skim before conventions & trips to the larger game stores. I don't bring printouts or written lists, though- the way I see it, if I can't make it stick in my head, I probably don't want it that badly right then.

I am willing to browse, of course- they're always some title you're curious about but forget the name of so it never makes a list, plus it keeps the thrill of 'the hunt' to get something good that just happened to be there. I find keeping the list helps me do that largely with lower cost items- I'm not likely to spend $100 on a random copy of Bomberman 64: the Second Attack I find at a store, becuase for that kind of cash I'd rather have Truxton, or Albert Odyssey, or Thunder Force V. On the flip side- poking around a Gamestop to kill time before work & finding a $5 copy of Heavenly Sword? Yeah, I'll buy that, I forgot that game even existed.

[gf78]

I keep a wish list on here that is ever changing. I mark them according to importance when I have the time. Right now, Zelda stuff is top priority and there are items like instruction manuals I am missing that while not on my wish list, I'm always looking out for.

If I come across something not high on my priority list but it's a great deal or I can get on a trade, I'll grab it. For example, Battalion Wars II for Wii was nowhere near the top of my purchase priorities. But a near mint complete copy for two bucks was a no-brainer.

[kashell]

I like to keep a mental list of things. Usually, when I'm in a new town or killing time at a store, I just browse. If something catches my eye, then cool.

[ysssk]

I have already gone through all of the shops and flea markets in my local area, so i am now restricted to online searches.
I do have a wish list of sorts, i look on several online sites for titles i need, and if the price is what i am willing to pay, i buy.
Currently i am working on a Red Set for the PS2, and oh boy that is getting harder to find ones i dont have at my price point.

[oldgamerz]

I like to buy a variety of things and keep a mental note of the games I buy as well as music CDs. I don't like to own the same item twice because that is just a waste of money in my opinion, especially if there is a ton of other stuff I don't have already and want  that is also in front of me for the same price. I  don't like to buy a lot of video games anymore because I've been sick mentally lately plus most of my games are not even played.

I believe in mastering a video game that I am not already sick of but that never happened in my whole life yet.

[stevenholly]

I personally have a wish list for most of my consoles and handhelds. I still sometimes spur of the moment buy because it looks interesting. That being said a few years ago I realized how many games i had that when i put them in I hated them, so I spent 2 weeks looking up game play videos of a lot of them and made my wish list.I have a few systems im going for a complete set of but the majority of them I am not. But systems like the master system, wii, genesis, ds, and gba just had a ton of games that did not interest me. So i went to pricecharting and went through alphabetical order and just watched gameplay videos and made a wishlist from there. It was completely mind numbingly boring but it helped my wallet a lot.

[kypherion]

I do a fair bit of both, I'll make a game list for a swap or con I go to but also do a bit of freelancing if I see a game I want at a reasonable price.

[ferraroso]

As some other people here also seem to be doing, I have a mental list of the games I want... however, these are all too expensive... Haha
So, what I usually end up doing is buying a game I find to be interesting when I feel that it is worth the price and that I can't find it cheaper on Yahoo! Auctions.

[pzeke]

Yeah, I have one. It’s fourteen pages long, but nothing in it is a priority. I like to go with the flow – if I find whatever I want in the list, awesome; if not, it’s good. Good things come to those who wait, as the say.