Messages

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Off Topic / Re: Chasing a dream, when you finally go for it.

« on: February 17, 2020, 01:55:08 am »

My dream fell in my lap this year and i'm gonna go for it .    I met the girl of my dreams and am going to start a new life in california 3000 miles away.   And if it all goes bad at least I tried.   But I can't not attempt to chase it.   It's part of the never ending story of destiny.


 

  13 years ago I took that chance. I didn't move 3000 miles away. I instead stayed in a place that offered little to no opportunity. When I was supposed to leave 3 months from that time to a for sure job making great money while traveling. Instead I stayed in a tiny farming community with a woman who was tightly bonded to her family and home. I do not regret a single moment of it. It Is by far the best decision I have ever made. I wish you the best of luck and hope you have found what I did. In my opinion nothing is more important in a persons life than who they spend it with..

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Off Topic / Re: Chasing a dream, when you finally go for it.

« on: February 17, 2020, 01:45:17 am »

I've done a lot and been many things in my life, but the decision process for going into any of these things was roughly the same. Before I decided to try something out I thought about the pros and cons of doing it. Part of that is knowing the odds of it being a successful endeavor. For example, at one point around 2013 I was seriously considering opening up my own independent video game store. At that time you could still find tons of deals everywhere and I had built up half the inventory I'd need to start up a decent sized game store. I then looked into other aspects of the business before deciding that it wasn't going to work out, at least to have a physical store. However, I gave it a serious thought and looked into the logistics of actually doing this, and it didn't work out. Likewise, I have gone into stuff and it has worked out; I was a social worker for 5-years making barely anything and jumped into IT by obtaining some tech certs on my own time, and now I make over double what I did back then.


It's really just looking at what you want to do and deciding what your odds of success are, what is needed to do it, and how you'll go about doing it. Wanting to be an actor is fine, but going in expecting to become the next Brad Pitt is probably not best mentality to have. However, if you love acting, getting into theater, looking into acting gigs and roles, however small, is a great start.


As far as when to pursue a dream, there is no better time than the present. If you want something go for it. Just make sure you are smart about it and think out the pros and cons like I said before uprooting your whole life to pursue something.

 

   We are dealing with that same dilemma. The town that I'm looking at opening in isn't the biggest place. It is growing but I'm not sure about the traffic for retro gaming. It's a big interstate town so that makes it a little easier if people were to travel. Fortunately I've had a little experience. I used to own a couple of tattoo shops in the area in the earlier 2000's. I had for forseen the impending collapse of that business and was able to get out before I lost it all. As for gaming there are a lot of people my age working in the coal and oil industry. Which means there is money around and from what I've seen a solid interest in retro. Now with that being said. I'm no dummy either, the store will have to be small and I'll have to have good online options to sell. I see this as just a way to reach out into the gaming community locally make some contacts and hopefully spread out. I've taken as many steps as possible to insure that if I fail. The damage is minimal. I'm a building contractor and EMT by trade so I do have supplemental income options. Thanks for sharing.

Not to go off topic but I may suggest opening up a a Facebook page, @gamewarden? it's free to do still I think. and it's one way people can find you on the internet,

As long as you have a Facebook account, you can start your own personal page for free, and if you want to put a little money into it then I can give you a tip

ads for reach are cheaper than for likes and get better results.

You don't need money to have a Facebook group or page, but if you are willing to pay to have your page advertised it's not expensive to do so.

but it takes a little attention to detail and if you do you may need to tweak your settings on Facebook to make your account more secure

the only problem with Facebook I find annoying is that the page status is not exactly accurate and more people actually see your page than what Facebook tells you who saw it.

  Thanks I appreciate the advice! Unfortunately there was a hitch with trying to get the store going. After some carefully considering our options. We decided to push it back a few months and make sure that the money we put into this thing isn't just going to sit. Which isn't a big deal I've waited this long. Waiting a little longer to make sure I've made what I think is the best possible move. Makes me feel like I've given everything the best chance.

  Location, location, location lol. In the meantime, learning how to edit video and putting a few things out there for practice. As well as hunting down collections at decent prices. Is time I'd say is well spent. You're right though nothing is more important than advertising. I myself have always been the type who would start a lemonade stand next to a Lemonade factory. If it meant making contacts in that world and meeting the community. I tend to forget that social media is a powerful tool and it's not just handshakes and hang outs that get you connected. I tried my best to stay out of that world, but these are the things that people rely on for information and introduction. Gotta keep up to make it....geez the more I type the more I give away about the rock I've been living under.

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Off Topic / Re: Chasing a dream, when you finally go for it.

« on: February 12, 2020, 12:57:48 pm »

I've done a lot and been many things in my life, but the decision process for going into any of these things was roughly the same. Before I decided to try something out I thought about the pros and cons of doing it. Part of that is knowing the odds of it being a successful endeavor. For example, at one point around 2013 I was seriously considering opening up my own independent video game store. At that time you could still find tons of deals everywhere and I had built up half the inventory I'd need to start up a decent sized game store. I then looked into other aspects of the business before deciding that it wasn't going to work out, at least to have a physical store. However, I gave it a serious thought and looked into the logistics of actually doing this, and it didn't work out. Likewise, I have gone into stuff and it has worked out; I was a social worker for 5-years making barely anything and jumped into IT by obtaining some tech certs on my own time, and now I make over double what I did back then.


It's really just looking at what you want to do and deciding what your odds of success are, what is needed to do it, and how you'll go about doing it. Wanting to be an actor is fine, but going in expecting to become the next Brad Pitt is probably not best mentality to have. However, if you love acting, getting into theater, looking into acting gigs and roles, however small, is a great start.


As far as when to pursue a dream, there is no better time than the present. If you want something go for it. Just make sure you are smart about it and think out the pros and cons like I said before uprooting your whole life to pursue something.

 

   We are dealing with that same dilemma. The town that I'm looking at opening in isn't the biggest place. It is growing but I'm not sure about the traffic for retro gaming. It's a big interstate town so that makes it a little easier if people were to travel. Fortunately I've had a little experience. I used to own a couple of tattoo shops in the area in the earlier 2000's. I had for forseen the impending collapse of that business and was able to get out before I lost it all. As for gaming there are a lot of people my age working in the coal and oil industry. Which means there is money around and from what I've seen a solid interest in retro. Now with that being said. I'm no dummy either, the store will have to be small and I'll have to have good online options to sell. I see this as just a way to reach out into the gaming community locally make some contacts and hopefully spread out. I've taken as many steps as possible to insure that if I fail. The damage is minimal. I'm a building contractor and EMT by trade so I do have supplemental income options. Thanks for sharing.

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Off Topic / Re: Chasing a dream, when you finally go for it.

« on: February 12, 2020, 12:40:59 pm »

Hey man, I'm proud of you!

I'm just about the same age as you, so I know what you mean by it's now or nap.

look forward to seeing your adventures of a game store 

cheers!

   Thanks I appreciate that. It's certainly moving forward. Everything I read suggested make a bunch of videos before starting to post. So it might be about a week or so. It's amazing how people lock up on camera, even myself. Went to look at a building for the store and the lady showing it agreed to be filmed. Instant deer in headlights  and just a bunch of awkward moments. Wet all laughed about it, it made for poor content but good times. Think no matter what happens the experience will be worth it. Thanks again for the kind words. 

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General / Re: Intro thread

« on: February 10, 2020, 12:30:22 pm »

Hi everyone on VGCollect!  Just want to share my collection for you guys to check out.  Would love to hear your feedback and I wouldn't mind checking your collections out too!  I also have a friend named Darkvice1 who got me into collecting Retro Video Games.  We started up a YouTube Channel called Retro Raiders if you would like to check it out.  He would also love to share his page with you guys.  Feel free to stop by his page!  Hope to get to know you all more and we're both very glad to be part of the VGCollect Community!

My Page: https://vgcollect.com/about/RetroRaiderAustin

Darkvice1 Page: https://vgcollect.com/darkvice1

Retro Raiders YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw6cEqO6tRJ9Jl8eFAvoZOg

  Hi there! Liked the videos. Happy to see some other new people here and starting out on youtube. Hope to get to know you as well

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Off Topic / Chasing a dream, when you finally go for it.

« on: February 10, 2020, 02:39:41 am »

 Updated finally! 2024) Alright so everyone has a dream right? I mean some of us want to be actors or space people. Some of us just want to open a restaurant or sell muffins made out of vegetable nightmares online. But how many of us actually take the shot? No one wants to put themselves out there and fail or be made the fool. Yet risk is the only way to achieve those goals. How do we know if or when to pull the trigger on a potentially life changing decision?

  Well I don't know either. What I do know is that it seems there is an expiration date. There is going to come a time. You could be 20 or worked for years. When what you are doing is way to comfortable to risk losing. By then you might have a family relying on you and it just seems insane to throw it all away and jeopardize their future along with yours to take a chance. Of course unless you built your living around what you love from the beginning. In that case kudos to you. Then there is the small percent of us who are going to take a crack at it.

   I have been with my wife for 13 years. for the last ten of those. My grandfather has lived with us. As time went on and his ability to function declined, he began to talk. He talked at great length about how he wished he would've done so many things differently. How he always intended to find a way to chase his dreams, but it never happened. He regretted it and it bothered him to no end.

  I took this to heart and when he left a year ago I decided to make a go of it. In my case I'm 35 so I'm at the age where it's kind of now or nap time. Meaning I'm in a comfortable rut. I've always wanted to own a retro game store. I also always wanted to have a youtube channel making funny gaming videos,as well as chronicling my collecting and starting my store. Both from practically nothing to hopefully something. If nothing else to archive the journey because it's already been fun.

  Well,, the research is done. The money is there, I have an amazing wife supporting me and we begin recording tomorrow to nail down the format and build up videos. I would love to hear your stories about your dreams. "Not the weird kind that require a phd to interpret". Whether or not you went for it, and how did it go? (update) Well for what it's worth these many years later if anyone reads this. As you all know covid blew up shortly after this post. At the time I was an EMT  my wife worked in the medical field and it kept me plenty busy. I did start that channel, I didn't go far but I did do it. I also opened that store. It's not a retro gaming store exclusively but it's still open! I wish I'd kept up on this site but life takes you funny places. Most importantly I continued collecting and I can't wait to get back in and start sharing because it has blossomed into a collection  ;)I'm quite proud of!

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General / Re: Sealed and re-sealed games. Need help with this one.

« on: February 08, 2020, 08:55:28 am »

Not to be mean, but maybe next time make sure to post your images below your typed message instead of sprinkling them about; they made it a chore going through your post.

Anyway, yeah, it’s a genuine seal – great game by the way. If I were you I’d sell it and get it used; there’s a good profit margin in it.

.
   Yeah I agree it is a chore, the image to words ratio looked better before edits. But what I thought would be a Pic ending a paragraph just ended up a mess. Since I've been having trouble getting my imgur links to work, once they did I just said hey good enough. Bare with me buddy they'll get better. Just got lazy.

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General / Re: February 2020 - Recently Added to Collection/Recently Purchased

« on: February 07, 2020, 08:26:17 pm »

  Not sure if I'm supposed to make a new post to show off games recently bought or add them to an existing post. So if I'm doing wrong just lemme know.. Now on to the good stuff!


Great night for me my wife brought these home this evening to add to the collection! Can't wait to go through Turok 2 again it has been some years.

                                                                                     

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General / Re: Sealed and re-sealed games. Need help with this one.

« on: February 07, 2020, 08:13:49 pm »

Thanks guys! I thought so, and that is a very good point. No one would take the time to re-seal the hulk for monetary gain lol. I just thought maybe a re seller may have sealed it just to keep dust out and make it more appealing. Even then it's more likely to have ended up in a bargain bin.

  Cool I may open it just because I've never played it and it looks somewhat fun. 

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General / Sealed and re-sealed games. Need help with this one.

« on: February 07, 2020, 06:29:29 pm »

  Hi all !! During my game hunting I occasionally run across sealed copies of games. Usually it's pretty easy to tell the difference between sealed and re-sealed games. By looking at examples all over the internet and the few videos on the subject. I've learned to take caution when buying and especially selling sealed games. I'm not sure if there are that many people out there that want to take you for some cash. Or if the people selling re-sealed games just got ahold of a copy from a resale game store and just don't know the difference.

 Either way it can be confusing and very frustrating finding out that the sealed game you paid good money for. Turns out to be a used copy with a fresh shrink wrap job on it. With that being said I'm looking to get some help from the community with one I just bought for my collection. I don't know much about PS2 seals outside of they have y-folds at top and bottom, and used to have that strip at the top that opened like a cigarette pack back when.
 
  Ok so I bought a copy of "The incredible hulk ultimate destruction" at a flea market for 3 bucks.   Now at first it looked legit because of these "Y" folds.  .   
   
 
  But I noticed two things. One there isn't a label at the top that gives the title, upc , and has that little reflective tape tab. I realize that packaging changes with manufacturer and also later games were packaged differently. Then there is this seam along the open edge of the case. Its not like a heat shrink seam, it looks machine folded. Yet something just seems off, i can open the folds a tiny bit and expose the case.  . Granted it's been since 2005 that I've bought a new PS2 game, and since had sold the collection,, uggh feel sick even typing that. Live and learn...

 I was hoping that someone who has more knowledge and experience with PS2 can tell me if this is a legit sealed copy or a very well done re-seal. I generally don't collect sealed anything because you can't play it or look to make sure it's actually all there. However someone out there might and I might be able to use it as trade material later on down the road.

 Thanks for reading, I'm still learning the way posts on this site are usually done. Plus trying to get an image posted was really difficult for some reason and small thumbs were the only ones that would work on some pics for me for whatever reason..

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General / Re: Do You Have A Hard Time Picking A Game To Play?

« on: February 06, 2020, 08:21:28 pm »

  Good topic. I do have a hard time picking a game. In fact sometimes it gets ridiculous to the point I've spent near an hour trying to decide what to play. I remember when I first moved to where I am now. I didn't have access to any internet service for the first two years. That made it much easier to decide what to play. There didn't used to be too many options and that allowed me to really get immersed in a game.   

Actually I kind of miss that. Now though between having started to collect different consoles and games. As well as digital downloads. There are so many options I get overwhelmed and kind of freeze up. So farewell to the days of renting a game on Friday night and just being stuck with it until Sunday. Welcome to pretty much throwing a dart at a library of games at home and hoping for the best.

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Off Topic / Re: Were You Considered Cool Or Were You Bullied Growing Up (your stories)

« on: February 03, 2020, 02:09:20 pm »

Bullied yeah, and always physically. But I turned it around. I grew up with a mom that tried to do right but was only human. Because of a cascade of mistakes including psyhopath stepdads we ended up moving everytime the eviction notice hit the door. Every new school in every new town was a new beatdown. No one really likes the new kid. I usually would make a few few friends in the same bullied category. Then move on after the next eviction notice. Nothing was worse though than having to go back to the one school i was in at least a few months every school year. When we would inevitably have to move in with my grandmother a while. That place was a nightmare of kids I'd known for years that knew what my home life was like. They fed on it like tiny little vampires. They were the most brutal. Small farming town kinda thing,friends with most of them now. I had to walk to and from school so I knew if the asshats had basketball practice I would only have to take my recess beating. Then my 8th grade year I started fighting back. That attitude got me to highschool no worse for wear until we finally moved to the "city" I think there were something like 72,000 people. I went to a tattoo shop one day and went back everyday hanging out with some of my stepdads old friends. Back then you could get tattooed as long as your parent signed a waiver..I started apprenticing and by the time I was 15 I was able to move in to the apartment above the shop and work off my rent. Cool mom right?? hmmm..Anyway when you work at  a tattoo shop of questionable moral value and have your own apartment at 15. Things drastically change. I became popular among many circles for just being heavily tattooed at 16 and having my own party spot. Of course after several years I grew up got a good career and got married and no longer live that way. But man what an experience. What I learned from those days I wouldn't change it if I could.It's hard to live through bullying at the time but if you hang in there things do change. You become tougher,smarter and know how you should treat others. If you are suffering through bullying right now. Please hang in there keep your head up high and it will change. Never be ashamed to ask for help either. We all need it.

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General / Re: February 2020 - Recently Added to Collection/Recently Purchased

« on: February 02, 2020, 10:40:07 pm »

Hi I hope this is where this goes. One of the reasons I registered on this forum is because of games like this, I got today.  The hack collection for  I don't know much about them . I've never played , but they all have the bonus dvds only missing one manual. Nearly flawless discs.
 
Then I Found this guy ...contra in box . I've got six bucks in the whole lot. second hand stores. Also I have no idea if these images are going to show I've been fighting with it for an hour. So if they aren't visible just know I'm working on it. I'm new but I have read the how to thread on images. Even stared the imgur account.

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General / Re: Intro thread

« on: February 02, 2020, 08:40:39 pm »

Hello my name is JD and I am 35 years old. I live in the complete middle of nowhere in southern Illinois.Second cornfield to the left. U.S. You know the type of place that has no game stores in a 30 mile radius and few outside of that. The perfect place for a collector..However it does afford me to be the first and sometimes only person to ask about, see, and buy from yard sales attics and other places of hidden treasure in my area. I collect and for just about every console post Atari. Although my favorites are...all the things... Now even though my semi advanced age would suggest I've used a lot of forums in the past. I have not and I worry about posting threads that have already been posted, because I didn't see the info I needed. Sorry in advance to that one guy who absolutely freaks out when that happens. There is always at least one. I'll try to keep it to a minimum.