Conflicted about collecting?

[gartcat]

I know that posting a thread like this on a collector forum might seem stupid to some, but some of you must have some conflicted feelings about this hobby, and most of the people here seem to be more mature than on other forums I've tried and might relate to the question.  From time to time I get the idea that my mind would be much less preoccupied with games if I just stopped collecting.  Of course I always write those feelings off as impulsive ways to make a positive change in my life.  As a video editor, I could sell all or many of my games and buy some really nice equipment to use to better myself in my career & as an artist.  Being a creative person, I get a lot of satisfaction from the work I produce, whereas many collectors don't have this and simply won't understand where I'm coming from.  I could spend more time learning software and creating things myself rather than tracking down old games or obsessively looking for underpriced buy it nows on ebay.  I could also use the money I get to improve my family's home, etc.  Maybe moderation is the answer as always, sell half of the collection and buy things to support my new theory and see how it goes. 

Collecting video games is something I've done since I was 12, so I've been doing this for 24 years, which is another thing that makes this hobby difficult to get out of.  I'm just interested if anyone else has had an experience like this and what they did about it.  Thanks!

[turf]

If it doesn't make you happy, don't do it. This is supposed to be a hobby, not an addiction.

If you think your money could be better spent somewhere else, quit buying games. There are more important things in the world than video games.

I'm not telling you to sell everything on a whim. I'm just saying, take a break. Don't buy any games for a month of two, and see how you feel and how things are looking. If you still feel like you don't want your collection anymore, PM me. I'll give you my address and you can send all your stuff to me. 

[kamikazekeeg]

Yeah unless it's something you really enjoy doing, it might be a good thing to just hold back on your collecting.  Like you said, you could use it to do some other stuff you want, so maybe try that for awhile, just keep what you have, maybe even slim down the collection abit, and bring your focus to something else.

I think unless your able to go hardcore into your collecting like TheFlea, it's probably better to just sorta do it as a side hobby when you can.  Try and do it in a way that might be less hectic with less trips for the hunt and no buys off Ebay.  Just leave it to the weekend or just Saturday that you spend time looking around.

[desocietas]

This thread doesn't seem stupid to me at all.  Many of the folks active in this forum are older than the expected 18-25 yr old gamer market, are married, have kids, own home(s) and businesses.  Sometimes I look at my collection and the time I put into scrounging about eBay and thrift shops and game shops looking for deals and wonder if the energy and money could be better placed somewhere.  But honestly, I have so much fun with the hunt and the games I've collected (my purchases really only started maybe 13 or so years ago) that I can't imagine my interest sustaining itself as much as collecting has.

It should be noted that the energy I put into building my collection goes in waves.  Some weeks, or months even, I find that the only additions I make are any "necessary" preorders.  Other times, I go store to store for back-to-back weekends or spend hours each day on eBay looking for missing manuals/boxes or any older titles I'd missed years back.

In the end, I'm still having fun and enjoy sharing the collection with friends.  Currently, I'm getting excited about streaming some of my handheld titles and showing off the boxes and manuals to a generation getting used to having manuals at all.

[bikingjahuty]

At the end of the day video games are just material objects that can easily be replaced. The people in our lives, our work, or family, or school and many other things of that nature are way more valuable than video games will ever be, at least in my book. If you feel like video games could advance your career options and make you happier, maybe it would be a good idea to think about parting with some of your collection, at least maybe the games/consoles that you are less attached to. If you do end up advancing with your job and hopefully making more money, you can always go back and re-buy the games that you sold in order to advance.


I am actually coming on a period of my life that might necessitate selling off a huge chunk of my collection, the first time i've had to do this ever. I am going back to school about a year from now, and depending on how much I'm able to save by next August, I might possibly have to sell off some of my collection. I've already narrowed down some of the games and consoles I'd sell first if I had to. While I would be super bummed about selling any of my collection, going back to school is a top priority for me and it is worth the agony of parting with some of my collection in order to achieve. In the end it'll be worth it

[dashv]

You do video editing? We should get a PM conversation going as I moonlight in film/editing myself!

I'm in the opposite boat right now. I've spent enough money on film gear (lights, audio, cameras, software) over the last 5 years that at this point I feel like I've used that stuff more for other peoples projects than for my own projects and enjoyment. It kinda killed a lot of the incentive for me.

For me getting back into retro games after a nearly 15 year hiatus is me finally doing something just for me. I went from just wanting a couple of the games I used to have as a kid to an insane (in my mind) amount of research, cataloging and wishlisting items, and pulling U-turns when running errands to stop and check out garage sales for deals.

It's not practical or economical but I'm enjoying the hell out of it. It's even something I've been able to get my 11 year old into.

I'm not saying you should keep collecting. I actually agree with everyone elses advice here. If it's not making you happy and it's just a habit and money pit at this point, perhaps it's time to devote more to your Film aspirations.

Take some time off from adding to the collection and see how it feels. The games will still be around if you decide to come back.

I'd hold off on selling stuff you already have though. The stuff that vexes me the most is the games/accessories I once had but lost. I hate the feeling I get when purchasing something again that I had before.

[gartcat]

Thanks everyone, good advice for sure.  I think I will take the summer off, and maybe put some stuff in storage just so I don't have to look at it all the time.  The thing about taking a break is that I always feel like I'm going to miss something, or prices are going to jump up   That's probably a common collector trait.  I probably just overdid it, like when you listen to the same CD too many times and don't want to hear it anymore.  I am prone to want to want to make sudden, stark life changes, but one valuable thing video games has taught me is the use of strategy.  Of course another thing they taught me is rush in and shoot everything that moves 

The other factor is that I've been selling my dad's estate, so I'm constantly on ebay anyway.  It's like being an alcoholic bartender. 

[maximo310]

Yeah man, you should collect at a pace thats works for your interests. Its a good idea to moderate your spending if you find it hard to handle. Its really easy to get hooked onto ebay for good deals but to be honest its makes way too easy to burn through money. In my case, I'm taking a break from buying stuff until September to play what I have and store some money for school. Sometimes taking a break is what we need to reginite our love in a hobby.

[bobster]

The way I look at it, everyone needs a hobby of some sort. Wanting to devote more time to your craft is always a good idea, but you also need something to help you blow off steam. Like you said, moderation is key.

When it comes to collecting, it's something my girlfriend and I can do together and enjoy. It's kept me from sleeping in a stupid amount during the weekends, because I'm getting up to go garage sale hunting. We get to drive around and enjoy the morning and we usually accomplish many other things before it's even noon. On top of that I generally only spend like $60 for a weekend of fun and games. That's less than dinner and a movie at this point.

Then there's the other benefit, my girlfriend and I play the games together. My friends come over and we play games. It helps build up relationships.

As long as your other responsibilities are taken care of, I see nothing wrong with it. It's all about priorities like others have said.

[argyle]

The way I look at it, everyone needs a hobby of some sort. Wanting to devote more time to your craft is always a good idea, but you also need something to help you blow off steam. Like you said, moderation is key.

When it comes to collecting, it's something my girlfriend and I can do together and enjoy. It's kept me from sleeping in a stupid amount during the weekends, because I'm getting up to go garage sale hunting. We get to drive around and enjoy the morning and we usually accomplish many other things before it's even noon. On top of that I generally only spend like $60 for a weekend of fun and games. That's less than dinner and a movie at this point.

Then there's the other benefit, my girlfriend and I play the games together. My friends come over and we play games. It helps build up relationships.

As long as your other responsibilities are taken care of, I see nothing wrong with it. It's all about priorities like others have said.

This is pretty much how I feel about it.  I can't get my wife to go with me (in her defense, she has to work starting at noon most Saturdays, so I can understand that ) but I like that garage sale-ing gets me out on the weekends for a bit and feels like a good start to a Saturday.  Even after I get back home it's not like I just sit down & veg out, because I'm typically cleaning things I bought, organizing, etc.  This past weekend I cracked open a NES for the first time & learned how to give one of those a thorough cleaning - was fun, and I ended up with a perfectly working system.    I have a duplicate PSX that I'm going to try my hand at painting soon, so that will be my first custom system.  The way I see it, I'm by this stuff how many guys are about cars.  And typically I end up selling a few things I buy in the sales that pretty much covers what I spent, so it's not an expensive hobby for me at all. 

[insektmute]

Most people have already addressed some of what I would have said, but I'd also toss in that maybe you just need a break from the chase, and to get back in touch with what you love about video games to begin with. Most of us have pretty substantial backlogs, so maybe the trick is to focus more on playing what you already have?

[ferchokyzer]

It's inevitable not to think about the money we could have if we haven't spend all that money in games. I think that is very normal and if you over think it, it could be worrying too.

Nevertheless, if you are able to spend that money and still have a nice life, provided a nice way of life to your family and don't have any needs (Food, clothing, education, house and even luxuries) i think you are doing pretty well. Once you stop having these things for buying games then that's the problem and you should rearrange your priorities.