Collecting goals and status for 2018

[Keatah]

So, tell us, what are your collecting goals for 2018:

 

What do you want to acquire?

What do you want to sell off?

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

..and more!

 

I don't expect answers to each of those. This is not an interrogation. They're merely there to serve as ideas for discussion.

 

My own plans continue to be the same as before. Minor accumulation of documentation and the occasional spare part or miscellaneous cable or expansion card. I currently have:

 

1- Apple II, II+, //e, //c, //c+, //e, Platinum, IIgs.

2- TRS-80 Pocket Computer 1, 2, and 4

3- TI-59 Programmable Calculator

4- Gateway 80486 DX2-50

5- Pentium III 1.5 BX6R2

6- Various modern-day (non-sentimental) PC rigs for work and play

7- All kinds of electronic stuffage, some in good new sealed condition, some now exposed and beginning to corrode and decay. Predominately 286-class hardware from when Xenix was a thing, old stereos, CB stuff, power tools, server racks, Dell Dimension and Inspiron garbage. Some consoles and peripherals. Car audio amps and speakers, I can't believe I spent time being involved in that nonsense. Other unidentified crap and rack-type contraptions with wires.

 

With all the heavy iron and Apple /// material we used to keep in the cellar and basement finally gone now, we've gained back about 800 sq-ft. Probably more. Items 2 through 5 listed above don't take a whole helluva lot of space - a few Rubbermaid tubs. I consider that done and complete and nicely packed for the long term. Something I plan to pull out and look at on occasion.

 

Item 6 isn't an issue, it's all non-sentimental commodity items that we can buy/sell/trade/dispose of on a whim.

 

Items 1 and 7 still remain a sprawling problem. So I plan to redouble efforts to get it all under control this winter. I swear it! The final push (with a Bobcat if necessary) will happen in 2018.

[fiddlepaddle]

My thrust has been more like "uncollecting":

 

This year I've been going through all my boxes of stuff, taking inventory of all those 3rd-to-nth backup consoles and all those things I thought would be neat to have but have become unimportant over time, and getting rid of everything I know I'll never want, broken stuff, and esoteric uninteresting things I was, but am no longer curious about.

 

I now know what's there and in 2018, I'll mostly be selling stuff to game stores or maybe put some things on craigslist or whatever. Lighten the load for when we eventually move again.

[djour]

We plan on moving to another state in the Fall, so I need to curtail any major additions to my collection. I may sell off my Arcade pedestal, and I have 2 extra Electronic Talking Battleships to unload.

 

That being said, I would like to get my hands on a 7800 with S-Video mod, 2 newer Vectrex and Colecovision controllers, and any 2600 and Colecovision carts I don't have.

[AtariLeaf]

So, tell us, what are your collecting goals for 2018:

 

What do you want to acquire? Mostly homebrews for the systems I collect for - 2600/7800/XL/XE/NES/SNES/Genny/Gameboy

What do you want to sell off? Tandy Coco/Colecovision/C64/TG-16 Already gone actually a couple of weeks ago. Biggest purge since I started collecting.

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle? Yep, my collection is the collection I wanted when I first started out in 2008/09

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples? Don't have many now so probably not.

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them? Nope

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for? Perhaps an Atari 800 and a 486 DOS PC would be really nice.

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today? Not anymore

 

 

[ubersaurus]

For 2018? Maybe pick up some more 2600 games, European Master System games. Been thinking about grabbing an SD card reader for the Commodore 64, and a flash cart for the turbografx... and I still am itching to get a ZX Spectrum with an SD reader of its own.

[Eltigro]

Starting this a bit early, aren't we? Usually have these threads closer to mid December or so I thought. Oh well...

 

I'm currently thinking I'll try collecting more games for the systems I already have as opposed to any new systems. More VCS games, more Saturn games, more Jaguar games... Need to get my Game Gear back from being recapped... Thinking about buying a replacement shell for the DS lite that I have with a bad hinge, they're cheaper than I thought they would be... if I can get a good deal on a fully working PS3, I'll probably replace the one I have (it has a bad disc drive)...

 

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[Silverfleet]

Ok, here we go...

 

What do you want to acquire?

I'm still on the hunt for a TI99-4A, a Fairchild Channel F, a XEGS, and 32X. Since I'm a cheap bastard, I am waiting for the right deals on those. I'd also like to get a PS4 and a Switch at some point, but we'll see what happens there. Maybe a Vita at some point as well.

 

What do you want to sell off?

I actually just ditched a ton of spares recently, but I still need to go through my Atari 2600 carts and sell off some commons.

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

It's pretty much under control right now, however, I could still organize it better.

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

See above comment on the 2600 carts. Yup.

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

I usually hang onto stuff for a while. Also, I don't buy stuff I don't think is cool!

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

I really want a boxed, complete copy of Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator for the Vectrex. I'll wait for the right moment to snag one on eBay.

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

Ha, probably. But, having a big collection with lots of variety is great!

In all honesty, I'm past the "bulk collecting" days. I won't pick up a big haul unless I can sell off what I don't want out of it. It's nice finally being in the maintenance stage of my collecting.

[Keatah]

The maintenance phase of a collection is really quite fun I think. In any case it's relaxing and slower-paced allowing the nuances of what you have to shine through.

[Keatah]

Starting this a bit early, aren't we? Usually have these threads closer to mid December or so I thought. Oh well...

 

Maybe so. But it's done and done and the ball is rolling.

 

In my case it might not be too early considering the amount of crap I still have. It's also not too early to start saving for the more expensive items.

[dj_convoy]

What do you want to acquire? Still working on a complete US Master System set. Someday... Would be cool to finish off my 5200 collection, as well. I've thought about getting a complete Genesis set in a half assed manner... but ultimately, that's a lot of drek along with the good stuff. I collect SHMUPS and (good, or unique) arcade ports, amongst other things. Other than that, I just get stuff I like with few collecting "goals" in mind.

What do you want to sell off? What is this "sell off" of which you speak?

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle? Hmmmmm. Don't know how to answer this. Games fit into my life as of now.

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples? Yeah, come to think of it, I do have a box of doubles that probably needs to be shown the door. Problem is it's mostly stuff that no one would possibly care about. If you want some lame Master System, Intellivision, 5200 and PS3 games, hit me up!

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them? Pretty rare that I have any buyer's remorse.

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for? There's stuff that I would like, but is too expensive to be reasonable (see any SHMUP on the Saturn or hell, pretty much any platform these days). Radiant Silvergun was a bit of a holy grail for me, and I got it last year, so I'm not too fussed. I try to make my money go further. I'd rather blow a hundred bucks on a bunch of old Famicom games or something than buy one expensive title unless I'm really burning with desire.

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today? Honestly? Yeah, but I try not to worry about that sort of thing. I assume both I and the games will be around for awhile.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I know you said we didn't have to answer all 7 of the questions, but I thought it was a good template so I'm sticking with it.


1.What do you want to acquire?

The only systems on my agenda at this point are an Atari Jaguar and a Lynx II. After that I need a set of composite cables and games for the Jaguar, a couple parts to fix up my XEGS, then the rest of the year should be just picking up games for the 2600, 7800, XEGS, Jaguar, and Lynx all year. Or at least that's the plan, which I may or may not follow through with since 2018 hasn't even started yet and I'm already feeling depressed and burnt out on it.


2. What do you want to sell off?

Right now I've got about 50 Game Boy and Game Boy Color games up for sale, to fund the purchase of the aforementioned Jaguar and Lynx II. What I'll sell after those are gone is pretty up to question though. I might not sell anything else in 2018 at all, I might sell my entire retro gaming collection and just be done with it, or anywhere in between. My enjoyment of anything gaming related these days seems to be pretty mercurial. Loving stuff one day, wishing I never bought it the next, then loving it again the following day. What I'd like most of all is just to be able to make up my damn mind some day.


3. Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

Not really, I'd mostly just like to be able to be happy with the systems I have; regardless of how many or how few that ends up being. How exactly to do that I'm still trying work out.


4. Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Nope, because I've never bought duplicates of games or systems.


5. Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

That is the story of every single game console I've ever owned. Nothing ever seems worth the money after owning it for a month or two.


6. Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

Does "Piece of mind" count?

 

 

7. Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

I don't think so. I've played everything I own and beaten all the games that can be beaten, and I always have more free time on my hands than I know what to do with. I'm not sure I ever "fully enjoy" any of my gaming stuff though, usually it's just something to do to pass the time that results in a varied mix of entertainment, frustration, nostalgia, and regret. While nice in theory, having every day of the year be a weekend does start to get monotonous after a decade or so.

Edited October 27, 2017 by Jin

[rasch_C]

What do you want to acquire?

I want to start focusing on the roots (Atari 2600 and computer (PC & Commodore)). I try to also acquire 1 system a year. At this time my sights are now getting to the more obscure. Either a 3DO, Jaguar, or Vectrex - whichever one I can get a deal on. Next in line in the Commodore collection would probably be a PET of some sort. And, getting back to focusing on my roots, I'll probably look for a 386 or 486 PC or two. I currently have a 1.2Ghz machine with W98se that plays most things I want, but is not fully DOS compatible.

 

What do you want to sell off?

I have a few items (systems/games) that I'm always going through as part of the growth of the collection.

 

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

With my recent life changes, it comes down to limiting my acquisitions. I think it's about right size for me at the moment and the above mentioned purchases would be acceptable.

 

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Who doesn't have excess doubles and triples? What we use for trading fodder and system sellers.

 

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

My non-impulse (read cheap) purchases usually exceed my expectations actually. So, no.

 

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

Still looking for a complete Gameline and Steel Battalion. The Gameline seems to be harder to find these days than a couple years ago.

 

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

I'm sure most people in the hobby have a huge backlog of games. At 550 consoles games and 12 or so systems, the biggest challenge is having time to play. Hence why I want to limit my acquisitions going forward. I want to concentrate on playing, programming, and tinkering.

 

 

-Allen

[HoshiChiri]

What do you want to acquire?

 

​​Honestly? I'm not sure what I want to pick up in 2018. I mean, I've by and large picked up all the systems I want... I'd like an OG Gameboy, a TurboDuo/PC Engine, and a Vectrex, but space/cost/need don't put any of those as a big priority right now. I suppose, if anything, I kind of intend on actually giving digital a serious look-over, pick up some titles that looked good but got passed on due to lack of a disc. Maybe make a steam account.

 

What do you want to sell off?

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

 

​I've always been pretty careful to work within my constraints at the buying stage. I don't really buy doubles (and don't keep them long when I do), I don't pick up stuff I can't or won't be able to store & use easily- so I don't really have to worry about any of this stuff.

 

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

 

​​Nah. I mean, sure, I've got some stuff bought impulsively that doesn't hold much interest now- but every so often that same impulse that made me buy it makes me play it. Plus, once in while I find a new game/accessory/whatever that gives me a new appreciation for an oft-ignored system. I'd rather have it handy for when that happens rather than have to scramble to buy another one (especially since prices can spike on ya.)

 

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

 

​Oh, there's always a holy grail to be had- but no, there's nothing I'm specifically after. Of the unobtainium out there, I'd still really like Keio Flying Squadron, but I'll never be able/willing to afford market prices on that unless something drastic changes. I can always dream of a lucky find, though!

 

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

 

​​I can't imagine anyone on this site keeping a small enough collection to "fully enjoy". ​But that's fine, because if all goes as I want, I'm not the only one enjoying it! I don't mind other people playing my stuff when I'm not, I prefer it gets the use. The main issue is making sure the people who do want to play, also care enough to treat things well. I mean, if someone stops by to play Saturn games & swaps discs by hucking things loose onto counters instead of returning discs to cases, they ain't gonna be over very long!

[godslabrat]

What do you want to acquire?

Gonna get me a Switch next year. On the retro side of things, I'm shifting my attention to GameBoy... a lot of gems there that I've missed over the years.

What do you want to sell off?

A lot of the trinkets and weird marketing items I got from my time at Circuit City.

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

Yes, exactly. My collection started off as the effort of a single guy to indulge his video game interests. It's since shifted into being something I share with my wife, and in a few years, my daughter. I need to move away from stuff that looks good on a shelf and move toward stuff that is actually fun to play.

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Haven't accumulated many of those, ever.

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

My buying has gone way downhill. I learned in the Xbox 360 generation that just buying everything leads to regret.

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

Not anymore. My grail was always my R.O.B. and Stack-Up. That hasn't changed.

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

Not at all. I just wish I had more time to play.

Edited October 27, 2017 by godslabrat

[Professor Gull]

What do you want to acquire?

I think I am at the point now where I want to fine tune my gaming experience so I might go after an OSSC then redo the basement game room a bit to add additional storage. Weird right I don't want games to go with it? I do but funds have to go into structure before acquisition.

What do you want to sell off?

Just extra crap I have accumulated. Often is not games but stuff like game boxes, sleeves, manuals, cover art and the like. I don't often get doubles as I have really not actively bought up lots of items.

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

So as my wife put it. This is my collection and game room so I should do what I feel needs to be done but remember there's only room for Skyrim in the end since that's one of the few games she really enjoys.

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Just extras in the items mentioned above.

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

This question comes up a lot and as my friends have restated over and over.

"You got the coolest games." As I hand them over the Jaguar controller for some Tempest 2000.

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

A replacement for my Magic Knight Rayearth manual. I never find just the manual and everyone always wants too much money for it. I lost mine to a flood 4 years back which turned it into a wavy paper brick but I am sure an opportunity will come.

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

I would say no. I am not over 1000 games and no planes to get there really. I like hanging with friends playing games. I don't classify as a collector in that view. I even open up sealed games to play them if I find them with never a care of value on them unless they are just terrible to play then it will become a bookend or prop up the coffee table like that weird blue cartridge with the handle. Its just right to hold up my lopsided end table who would have guessed.

[HoshiChiri]

 

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

A replacement for my Magic Knight Rayearth manual. I never find just the manual and everyone always wants too much money for it. I lost mine to a flood 4 years back which turned it into a wavy paper brick but I am sure an opportunity will come.

 

Hang in there, dude- it took me 10 years to get a case for Lunar: Silver Star!

[Cepp]

I want to finally get round to picking up Dragon Warrior 2 and 3 on NES as well as the second Fire Emblem and Advance Wars games on GBA. I'll probably continue to buy cheap/interesting PSX games as well.

 

I have a few bits and bats to sell off but I'm too lazy and probably won't get round to it.

 

Nothing super rare I'm hunting for, I'd love a CIB Chrono Trigger or Snatcher but I'm not willing to fork over the money.

 

I do sometimes feel overwhelmed by choice but can usually manage to enjoy going through a game or two at a time. I'd love to get into 8bit computers more, specifically, the ZX Spectrum, C64, Apple II GS and Atari computers but space is too much of an issue and I probably wouldn't be able to give them the time they deserve.

 

I think my main goal is just to keep steadily making my way through my existing library and enjoy what I have while picking up the occasional game here and there.

[Keatah]

I have a lot of disk images and original adventure games on the Apple II. So many that I don't realistically seeing completing those in a lifetime.

 

I've played most of the action games to completion, however. Rolling the score or level counter is as good a definition as any here. As is playing to the point where difficulty doesn't increase.

[Cobra Kai]

I spent so much money last year on games that I actually feel satisfied with the state of my classic collection and modern collection. I will probably buy a few Xbone games as they peak my interest in 2018. Other than that, I have a new home I moved into and a real life game room/man-cave in the basement, fully furnished with a nice gaming rig. I plan to play games this year and next, that's it. I won't be buying much classic stuff at all, as honestly, I have what I want now.

 

I have no urges other than to play my games, and that feels good. All though, there are many of the other aspects of this hobby that I enjoy like the collecting part, but I was way unbalanced in 2017 with not enough playing and mostly the hobby parts. Time to balance back out the other way.

[Punisher5.0]

I'd like to pick up some more SNES and NES carts. Also want to get Everdrives for N64 and TG16.

[zetastrike]

What do you want to acquire?

I really couldn't tell you. I'm at that point where I have pretty much every console I ever wanted, besides the MSX. There may be a few impulse buys here and there, but from a hardware standpoint there isn't much left for me to get. The main thing is that I left a number of things back home in NY before I moved to NC this summer. I'd like to get some of that down here.

The biggest thing I'm waiting for is for Prof. Abrasive gets his Saturn cart into production someday.

What do you want to sell off?

My Super Famicom and SD2SNES. I got the system back in August. I bought it because my original SNES I had since the 90s was stolen 5 years ago (along with all the games) which hurt. Coming back to it now, the library doesn't really do it for me, too many slow easy actions games and way too many RPGs. Playing it makes me realize how much more I like the Genesis, which is currently back in NY waiting for me.

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

Well, I have an everdrive for flash cart for almost every cart system I own. That's the deciding factor for whether a console is worth bothering with. I like to collect hardware, but not original software.

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Not really.

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

See the Super Famicom answer.

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

I think an MSX computer is pretty cool. I would only want to get one if I can get a flash cart for it. I'd also like a C64, but the more I read about the power supplies, the more I think that's best left to emulation.

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

Nope, everything I have gets used. Sometimes it might not for a while, but everything is always there for when I want it.

[Cepp]

I have a lot of disk images and original adventure games on the Apple II. So many that I don't realistically seeing completing those in a lifetime.

 

I've played most of the action games to completion, however. Rolling the score or level counter is as good a definition as any here. As is playing to the point where difficulty doesn't increase.

The Apple II seems so cool but they're pretty pricey here in the UK.

 

I guess if I don't get round to it this year I'll be picking up an AV modded NTSC 2600jr in 2018. It was my first console but I always thought the games were too simple for me to go back to. Obviously that's not true and I've been surprised by how fun and addictive games like Galaxian and Demon Attack still are.

[Keatah]

In revisiting my 1st post in this thread I find I'm still "on track" for disposal of what I said I was getting rid of. Namely no-name PC and other electronic material. Namely item #7. The piles are building, and near critical mass. Once reached (soon) they're gonna come take it all away.

 

Next on the agenda is building a database for all my Apple II physical stuff. I plan on making it totally local, no online database or crap like that. Because, as soon as it would be completed the service would get shut down. I intend the database to last for next 50 years. I suppose I'll plan on using MS office 2003 for max compatibility, speed, and simplicity. This is software that can be run on a computer that doesn't need online activation or anything else "online".

 

A proposed record would look something like this.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Name:

Type:

Manufacturer:

Part #:

Model #:

Serial #:

Revision:

Location:

Accessories:

Documentation:

Box:

Media:

Photos:

Original:

Original BITD:

Ebay value:

Tested:

Working:

Notes 1:

Notes 2:

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

And filled out it would look something like this:

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Communication Board

Type: Serial Interface Card

Manufacturer: Apple Computer Inc.

Part #: 670-X003

Model #: N/A

Serial #: N/A

Revision: 1

Location: Box 23

Accessories: Cable and fitments

Documentation: Manual

Box: No

Media: None

Photos: 5509-5511

Original: Yes

Original BITD: No

Ebay value: $90

Tested: Yes

Working: Yes

Notes 1: Apple's first serial interface

Notes 2: Wanted one back in the day

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Do you think that is complete and comprehensive enough? Too much? Any additional suggestions?

I'm also wondering if I should do Excel or Access for something like this. I can envision both ways and even a massively long text or CSV file!

[HoshiChiri]

Just because I'll feel better with a specific goal list:

 

1- Acquire a Turbo Duo. And by that I probably mean Modded PC Engine Duo, cuz prices. It's not gonna be an early pickup- I do need to upgrade my phone- but I'll work on saving up for one & hopefully have it in the fall.

2- Start picking up digital games. Especially on the Wii/Wii U, just because that shop won't be around next year. There's definitely some stuff on Xbox One I'd like to check out, though.

3- Continue to play through my collection. This year I averaged 1 game complete a month. It's not a great number, I'll try for more next year.

 

And that's it. I kind of enjoyed taking a bit of a step back from the acquiring stage and just playing some things. Looking forward to doing it again next year.

[Tanooki]

So, tell us, what are your collecting goals for 2018:

 

What do you want to acquire?

What do you want to sell off?

Do you want to "right-size" your collection to fit a certain lifestyle?

Do you want to get rid of excess doubles and triples?

Do you want to sell recently purchased things that are not so cool now that you have them?

Is there 1 single magical and highly desirable piece you're hunting for?

Do you have too much stuff to fully enjoy what you have today?

..and more!

 

1) Acquire? System wise probably nothing, but I still go through wanting something NEC (TG/PCE) related, written off optical on that. Perhaps Core Grafx 2 (for RCA cables) and an everdrive. I'd get a few more MVS (Neo-Geo) games, other than that, dunno random stuff.

2) A couple tabletops (already started, one gone today), also 90% certain want to throw the 3DS into the firing line too as I can't make myself play it anymore even on new games more than 2-3 hours or so. Famicom games likely going too, perhaps more handhelds.

3) Been trying that for over 5 years now, getting there, but then I get stuff back so the total keeps above 300 and under 400. Less awful as years go by though thinking 350~ games, 32years, not much. It is but isn't rationalizing things.

4) Don't have any other than maybe a NES/SNES/GB re-release on GBA or like that. I got rid of them on purpose.

5) Yes, but I try not to make that mistake, last time was Windjammers MVS, damn it sucks (for my idea of fun) but got it just cheap enough minus fees I can get out even.

6) Yeah a re-capped Turbo Duo I'm too damn cheap and sane not to throw $500+ at. I miss my old one from the mid/later 90s that was lost to a mega sell off outside my control in the 00s.

7) I feel that way. I have a kid, home, other stuff, not much time so I need less so I can enjoy what I have instead of feeling bad I have unused stuff someone else would use as it ends up just being a waste and a mental boat anchor.

 

As it is now +/- a few I've skimmed my NES/SNES stuff to original 20th century buys and gifts, most of it first owner. N64/GC are much the same too, as is Gameboy, GBC, and GBA where they've aged well enough not to stink now as I ditch em on any system or handheld.