Anybody Else Ever Fall in and out of Love with Collecting?

[aliensstudios]

Recently I packed up my entire collection and put it into 9 plastic tubs and I haven't bought a video game title in over a month. Shoot, this is the first time I've been on the site in three to four weeks and I'm a guy with 1,000+ items and 5,000+ edits, so I've spent a good chunk of time here on VGCollect!
I don't know what it is, I just recently stopped caring about video game collecting, which for me is actually a good thing in the mental and financial sense, I'd spend about half of my money on video games and I'd be glued to my phone or computer reading news about upcoming video game releases, checking eBay for deals on games I would never play, etc. It would get to the point where I'd have 10-20 things showing up in the mail each week, I'd open them, put them on the shelf, and that was it. I'd be upset after e3 conferences and Nintendo Directs and things like that; video games were controlling my whole life. I was buying things for the sake of buying things, just to have them but I was never using them. I'd get mad at myself and try to hide my collection and not show it to my friends or family. I was depressed all the time, especially looking at the amount I spent on things I was never going to use. It reached a peak when I was about to hit the "Buy it now" button for a $90 copy of The Croods for Wii U on eBay, but for once I stopped myself and thought, "is this really going to make me happy? Enrich my life? Make me feel better?" The answer is no. Since I've stopped buying and gaming, I've been feeling much better, I've made new friends, gotten new hobbies and occupations, and overall I just feel happier, more confident, hell, I feel like a new man! I think I should sell most of it and just keep the consoles/systems I really care about and will maybe want to go back to eventually, maybe I'll actually use my games for videos and the like. Sadly for me that means I will likely spend very little time here on the site, which makes me a little sad because everyone on this site is great and it's hands down the best tool and community for video game collecting.
I guess what I want to ask is if anyone else has ever felt this way? Did you swear off it forever? (Probably not if you use VGCollect, haha!) Go back to it eventually? Or does collecting simply make you happy and you love it and collect because you love video games? For me at first, it was a combination of having money to buy things I wanted and wanting the things I had, but over the past two years I've squandered so much time and money on games I don't use, I don't even care to think about it.

Let me know your thoughts!

[ignition365]

All the time.

Right before I bought my house I had a good almost year of not doing anything with games.  Sometime between signing up here and actually using the forums.

Regularly, I will think about how I, on average, beat about 2 games a week, but I acquire more than 2 games a week.  At this rate, I will never play every game I own, so why keep buying games.

It really gets me down.  I've been trying to buy less and less in general and try to only buy things I know that I intend to play soon.

[azure]

I heavily reevaluate my collecting pretty often I would say. I've sold off a lot of games and changed my way of collecting to be very focused on things I really want and play. My backlog keeps getting smaller aside from new releases, so it seems to be working a little bit. In all honesty when I see huge game rooms of thousands of games, it feels a little much? I'm not sure, and no beef with any big collectors who enjoy collecting that way. For me it's a case of just cherry picking things I think I will really enjoy because I personally don't want to amass something so huge. Maybe I would feel different when I have a dedicated game room or something like most of these big collectors. I'll never be interested in any "full sets" for consoles or anything though I still think that is crazy. Once again though, no beef with anyone who likes the idea of a full set, it just ins't me. I always labeled myself as a gamer first, and collector second.

Edit: Went off on a tangent and forgot to properly answer the question. Yes, I go in and out with a lot of stuff with gaming, but I never really stop enjoying it. It's why I try to reevaluate things so it doesn't get me down, and keep enjoying the hobby.

[telly]

When I decided I wanted to be a more serious gamer, which was maybe 5 years ago, I made the decision to specifically not spend a lot of money on games, for many reasons. Be it to not burn out on collecting quickly, have space, save money, etc. I definitely just buy games that I fully intend to play, which is why my collection is miniscule 

But ultimately I'm a gamer first, collector second. I only make a couple purchases a month, usually $30 or less unless it's a special occasion, which to me is my comparable entertainment budget if I had cable, netflix, hulu or whatever (which I don't)

Don't get me wrong, I love video games, and it's my preferred method of entertainment. But like everything, moderation is good, whatever that means to you. Sometimes I think that I still spend too much time thinking about or playing games, so I feel you there.

[emporerdragon]

I've never really fallen out of collecting in general, but I have switched my focus of what I collect many times over the years. Right now my focus is video games, board games, and vintage Star Trek action figures. 10 years ago, it was Star Wars Miniatures, Lego sets, and Manga. Who knows what it will be 10 years from now?

One important thing for me though, is that I don't get to the point where I am a hoarder. If I collect something, it should be properly curated and organized. Even in a massive collection, everything has its place and looks presentable (Though I do need to dust a lot more often than I do). If the items are just laying around wherever, then I need to take a step back and either reorganize or sell down.

[pzeke]

I have stopped collecting certain things that I used to be into due to loss of interest, couldn't afford them anymore, or straight out needed some money (college sucks!). Video games have been a part of my life since childhood, so even when I did end up abandoning the hobby, I ended up falling back into it a few years later. I just love video games.

I believe you should just take a break and reevaluate your priorities as a collector (as amusing as that may sound). That event where you almost spent $90 on a video game that clearly would have not served any purpose in your collection other than increase the number of it and add some form of placebo effect demonstrated that you were teetering into hoarding territory. When you think you're ready to come back to it, take the time to reorganize your collection, and pick the things you truly like, and either sell or trade the rest you don't. If this hobby was stressing you out, as you said, you really do need to take a step back and wait until things cool down.

I hope you can get past this. Best wishes.

[shepard11]

I've been a gamer all my life. And I have a budget I stick with every week. Usually $25 to $30 but with my wife and I closing on a house. My weekly budget it is more like 5 to 6 bucks a week. So my game room is kinda a mess now because frankly if I'm getting a house what's the point of putting up more racks or shelves. I don't think personally I've fallen out of love of collecting games ever. But I have scaled back in the past either for showing some of my other hobbies (comics, movies, he-man, etc.) love or just can't afford it. It's not like I'll ever not run out of something to play.

[sworddude]

So many people who only talk about collecting and money.

You could also just play some of the better games in your collection wich is why you collect them in the first place.

I'm pretty sure that many have plenty of games to play more than they could have.

The collecting and money aspect should only be a part of this hobby not as a whole as some people make it to be.

Also many people seem to be suckers for rare items wich are just terrible only because of the monetary value.

Why do you need a rare nes snes game wich you would never play anyways.

or ofcourse those sought after items wich everyone is after, it doesn't work that way.

People should focus less on collecting and money, the expensive games are nice to have but to be fair with an everdrive or a free emulator you have the excact same experience.

The main reason why this hobby exists is since people play them games because they are good.

[turf]

Absolutely.  I've never stopped collecting, but there's been times when it was pedal to the metal and times when its more like sitting on a park bench. 
I've had moments where I ask myself, "Self, what are you doing?"  This was the case with the Limited Run Games.  I was buying every release.  No reason why.  I was just buying them because they were collectible.  I didn't care about the games or collecting for the PS4.  It was hard for me to let the first one go by.  Then it got easier and easier.  After completing my NES set, it got real easy to not buy games.  There's no more completionist mentality.  Now, I just buy games that I want to play. 


I've considered packing it all up and taking that bedroom back, but then I'd have to buy bedroom furniture.  I'm saving money by collecting!

[blurks]

This is a constant topic here and there are always times, when you don't feel so attached by your collection anymore. What helps most in my opinion, is to step back a few months and approach your collection without the urge to add something new. Don't let yourself be put under pressure to expand the collection. Just let the opportunities come towards you.

I was collecting for the Japanese GBA when I suddenly became very bored to collect anylonger. After almost a year I just recently (and coincidentally) found a very nice deal online and it really makes fun like back then. Enjoying it a lot, but I don't force it. I am not addicted to eBay and Yahoo Auctions. Every few days I have a short look if there is something interesting. If not that's perfectly fine as well. Due to space restraints I also couldn't ever build up a massive collection, that would overwhelm me, so that helps a lot I guess.

[pzeke]

I agree wholeheartedly with blurks. Let opportunities come to you.

I like that.

[oldgamerz]

I collect both music CD's and every (English) genre of video game, in a balance. I have a lot more CD's and music than video games. Because I found that music is often cheaper. I often listen to music more then actually playing video games. Music is most of my life, I cannot have one without the other though. so I collect both music and games. more and more.

But, I get these items at discount prices, and often used so I believe that, I live the good life. Even though, I don't have any video game display rack, only a small deep bookshelf, and a few storage methods other than something professional.

I collect to share eventually. I used to use emulators and ROMS. but I found out that the free ones can be viral and also ROM's are becoming more and more illegal in my country these days.

to answer the OP's question I just buy to use and I never get sick of collecting, but I collect GAMES, and CD's not books or action figures or complete in box video games unless they are what I actually want and can afford 

[maximo310]

I collect to share eventually. I used to use emulators and ROMS. but I found out that the free ones can be viral and also ROM's are becoming more and more illegal in my country these days.

What does that even mean?! It's pretty easy to find emu stuff w/o getting viruses, and much easier to play what you want if you don't have the money to spare for some of these games. The government does not care enough about ROM's to go after people for "improper usage".

[burningdoom]

The government does not care enough about ROM's to go after people for "improper usage".

Not true. They don't have the resources to go after everyone, but they do pick and choose people to make examples of. I personally know a guy here in my town that got slapped with a huge fine, and had his internet choked as a result of just that.

So it's a gamble. Odds are in your favor, granted. But it sucks if you turn out to be that guy.

[maximo310]

^  Well that's a first. I'm assuming he went way beyond what most people would do to actually get that much punishment. Usually someone who's distributing flash carts gets slapped with punishment, not regular people who download a rom off the internet.