Why do some people want to collect every Atari 2600 game?

[+Random Terrain]

What's the point of collecting every Atari 2600 game ever made? Here are three reasons that I have stumbled upon so far:

 

1. Investment. You want a complete collection because you plan to sell it in a few years for more money than you paid for it.

 

2. Distasteful competition. Your buddy has most Atari 2600 games, but if you can complete your collection before he does, that makes you better than he is in some sick way in your mind.

 

3. You have an OCD-like compulsion to have a complete collection. It's uncontrollable. You will spend any amount of money to get every game ever made.

 

 

The only reason I wanted to own them all was so I could see if there were more fun games I was missing out on. Now that I have played them using an emulator, I found out that many of the games suck. Why would I want to buy a bunch of games that I don't want to play?

 

Are there other reasons to own every game that I haven't listed?

[Philflound]

I wouldn't call it OCD. If you stick with owning only the US released and those exclusive PAL that are mostly US released, such as Atari or Parker Brothers, then it isn't so bad. If you expand to all the pirates and stuff, then you may have a problem.

 

A collection is what anyone makes it out to be. It can be limited or unlimited. If you finish your collection, then either you're just going to keep playing the games and get bored, or you're going to look to something else to collect. Some people like the art on the carts and/or boxes. Personally some time in the far future, I'll make a mint on the games. In fact, I told my wife that my Atari alone would go for about $10k. That is if anything happens to me. She'll be a rich woman. You can't imagine the amount of crap I have.

 

Phil

[jeepnut24]

Chalk me up to number 3 and add number 4

 

4) I didn't get a 2600 as a kid so Im making up for it as an adult.

[Philflound]

I had mine as a kid. Got it for Christmas I believe in 1979, though it may have been 1978. My brain isn't totally working anymore. I bumped myself up to the Colecovision in 1983. I loved that system more than Atari, so we sold all our Atari games to a friend. His house burned down a few years later, so all my original carts are melted and dead. In 1985, we moved on to the C64 and I stayed with computers since then.

 

In 1995, I got back into the vintage stuff. It started with 1 garage sale. 10 years later, I now have over 2000 games for like 30 different systems. OCD, maybe. My wife may agree with you RT.

 

Phil

[RickHarrisMaine]

I'm making up for the frustration I felt as a kid when I could only get a cart. every so often, because we weren't the richest folks around. I'm not rich now either, but I can afford a few bucks for a cart. that I wanted when I was a kid. I can appreciate this stuff more now. Of course, I could also afford an X-Box or something if I really wanted to, but I don't really like video games enough to want to spend more than $50 for one. I would spend that for a whole box of Atari carts, though. And one of these days, I will get my Colecovision that I have lusted for since I was 12. If my wife lets me, that is....

[Clint Thompson]

It's fun.... it adds to the game.

 

me and a buddy was always collecting games and then comparing our collections (not in a bad way though) in a much favorable way... he'd be like, I got this for $3,... I'd be envious of course because I may have wanted it but it was awesome... and then I'd hit him back saying I got this for $0.99 cents (chase the chuck wagon) it was so fun. We were never really dicks about it and it was a way to push each other to get more games and have a bigger selection of games to play from. We'd loan each other our games that either I or him didn't have so we could just play it so it was obviously more then just collecting.

 

He went nuts though. He got sucked into pokemon and magic the gathering and was dying to get more cards so he wanted to sell his 2600 so I was like.. Ok... well you know I got dibs.. so I bought them.... then he moved on to his 7800 stuff.. I'm not sure what the evil yellow bastard did to my Atari loving friend but it sucked.

 

Those were some fun times and good days... blah, if you got the money wtf cares

[Cassidy Nolen]

Just nostalgia. I did not have a huge collection as a kid, but I always liked to complete things. All my GI Joe cards were organized, all my boxes stored neatly, etc. I think the combo of wanting the "old days" and my interest in order/organization makes it why I want 'complete'.

 

I just start on a company and then dont stop until its done. There are always exceptions, but basically I budget my money and offer sweet deals to people in hopes I can get all that I want/need for a particular company.

 

 

Still offering a Ms. Pac Man fully restored arcade for a boxed River Patrol or Out of Control Shameless plug.......I'll even help on delivery.

 

Cassidy

[sku_u]

I'm building a fort out of Atari carts. I figure I still need about 1000 more to complete the fort. I was inspired by a picture CPU PMmed me of his driveway, which is made entirely of Atari carts.

[keilbaca]

Chalk me up to number 3 and add number 4

 

4) I didn't get a 2600 as a kid so Im making up for it as an adult.

 

That's just about right with me. I was only allowed one system, and it was the atari, which was periodically sold by my mom... lost a silver label gravitar that way... I got a SNES in 1998 and well there goes the Atari collection. I got the games I used to own, then I just never stopped. Its fun, half the time, its more fun to do the hunt, then to play the games. Also, you get a whole new excited feeling going to a garage sale and finding a game you don't own, or better yet, something like a quadrun or crazy climber. I play all of my games, some I just test to see if they work. Most of the games don't suck, you just have to see how they approached it. We learn this with every game we play on the HSC. Perfect example is E.T. It really isn't that bad at all. Its just that people rag on it because they suck. Its not hard to press the fire button as soon as you go into a pit, to save lots of energy. I had to sell some games unfortunately because of the move I just did but once I get my funds back up, I'll be in the hunt for the games again.

[keilbaca]

Chalk me up to number 3 and add number 4

 

4) I didn't get a 2600 as a kid so Im making up for it as an adult.

 

That's just about right with me. I was only allowed one system, and it was the atari, which was periodically sold by my mom... lost a silver label gravitar that way... I got a SNES in 1998 and well there goes the Atari collection. I got the games I used to own, then I just never stopped. Its fun, half the time, its more fun to do the hunt, then to play the games. Also, you get a whole new excited feeling going to a garage sale and finding a game you don't own, or better yet, something like a quadrun or crazy climber. I play all of my games, some I just test to see if they work. Most of the games don't suck, you just have to see how they approached it. We learn this with every game we play on the HSC. Perfect example is E.T. It really isn't that bad at all. Its just that people rag on it because they suck. Its not hard to press the fire button as soon as you go into a pit, to save lots of energy. I had to sell some games unfortunately because of the move I just did but once I get my funds back up, I'll be in the hunt for the games again.

[Stingray]

Just nostalgia.

 

That's it in a nutshell for me. I'm sure I'll never have a complete collection, some of the carts are just priced too far out of my range. However I will continue to buy any cart locally that come across if I don't already have it.

 

-S

[Keir]

For me it is a combination of 3. and

 

5. The challenge/feeling of personal accomplishment

[Mental Vortex]

4) I didn't get a 2600 as a kid so Im making up for it as an adult.

 

That's me too. Had an Intellivision (which I got again and still collect for) but now that I can get all the old games for the Atari that I missed the first time around, why not?

[Atarian7]

I wonder what a complete collection would go for? Would it go for more if the rare games were sold individually?

[Clint Thompson]

Good question. Complete with all boxes and manuals... I bet some rich Atari nut would bid it up to a good $20,000+. ?

[Red 5]

6. A hobby

 

That's pretty much it.

I used to collect baseball cards because I am a huge baseball fan.

The problem is, there is nothing to do with them once you get them.

Just look at them. Not too exciting.

 

I always loved video games and they have been around me my whole life.

I had a lot of my old systems and finally got a big enough house with a basement that I finished and decided to make half of the basement into a sort of video game museum. All my systems are plugged in and completely functional.

 

Basically, it's a great hobby. Not only are you collecting, but as you eluded to, you can play with the stuff too. I do it because I enjoy it.

Some people enjoy stamp collecting, some people get joy out of making models, some people collect coins. While all can be done due to OCD or for profit, I simply enjoy it.

 

My friends and family come over and will spend the whole day, laughing and reliving memories in the basement. The kids play games they never have before, and I enjoy seeing the looks on people's faces when they see a game and say 'I REMEMBER THAT!' and run over and grab a joystick.

 

Also, on Saturdays when the weather is better, my wife, son and I get up early and go to all the tag sales to look for more stuff. So it's also a fun family project that we all love. We always stop around lunch time and eat lunch somewhere fun and spend the day together as a family.

 

No competition, no mental condition, no real hurry or rush to finish.

In fact, I like this hobby because I know I may never be done.

Not looking to make money, although someday prioties may change. If that is the case, then I would sell without thinking twice.

 

My very vanilla answer is "I just like to do it."

 

Here's my basement. (site is still being put together)

www.geocities.com/stevebates44

[Philflound]

I have my list of garage/estate sales to hit tomorrow. First of the season, now that Easter's over and spring is here. Alot of them say rain or shine, so I'm looking forward to it regardless.

 

I think you would break up the collection. You would definitely get a lot more for it. Put the rarest of the rare individually, then maybe do lots. $20k to me is personally not enough if you own everything boxed complete.

 

It is much easier to finish a CV, Intv, or SMS collection and I'm striving to do that before I ever think I'll get all the Atari games that are still on my wantlist.

 

Phil

[The MilkMan]

I'm not going for every game, and or variation. I have all the main titles I wan't for my collection. The only thing that I'm striving for now is to have a total of 365 carts, all different, not dupes. My goal, I want to play a different game every day for one year.

[jeepnut24]

I just start on a company and then dont stop until its done.  There are always exceptions, but basically I budget my money and offer sweet deals to people in hopes I can get all that I want/need for a particular company.   Cassidy

 

That is how I approach collecting myself. Pick a company and go for it. Just finished Data Age as a matter of fact. I pick up the odd Atari brand cart that I need too.

 

NES collecting is also the same for me. We got a PC instead of a NES or Atari so Im just trying to figure out what I missed out on. Well what I missed owning at least.

 

Though with a collection of XBOX games fastly approaching 100 I guess I still like a variety of titles to play.

 

Not to mention its fun to see the number of carts grow. 4 more till I hit 200 unique US released titles.

[Rick Weis]

for those that fit group #1 (GOOD LUCK!!)

 

personally the thought of selling my collection has NEVER crossed my mind, nor will it EVER!!!

 

as for me, videogames is a HUGE part of my life and it all started with Atari 2600. i decided to start "collecting" atari 2600 games 2 weeks after i got the system (dec. 77) little did i know that they would have this many games for it back then. but it has made for many fun times both collecting and playing. and have made many life long friends while doing so...

 

just a great hobby to be part of, and if i did not spend it on atari, i would have me to have to spend it on something else like new car, expensive Island trip, stockmarket, gambling, booze, women, drugs. i can do without any of these..... well, maybe a new car would be nice.

 

Rick

[SS]

3. You have an OCD-like compulsion

 

 

That's me to a T.

[Albert]

Just nostalgia.  I did not have a huge collection as a kid, but I always liked to complete things.  All my GI Joe cards were organized, all my boxes stored neatly, etc.  I think the combo of wanting the "old days" and my interest in order/organization makes it why I want 'complete'.

 

This is pretty much how I got started collecting Atari 2600 games. I had very few 2600 games when I was a kid (especially relative to the huge number of games released) and at some point in the 90's picked up a system for nostalgia' sake. I first grabbed all the games I enjoyed as a kid (Adventure, Yars' Revenge, Space Invaders, Kaboom!, Pitfall!, Pitfall 2, etc.) and soon decided that I wanted to try out all the games I NEVER had played before. Which, uhrr, was probably 90% of them.

 

I'm not on some compulsive drive to collect all the games, though. As nice as it would be to have a complete collection, it's also a considerable investment in cash to get all the 9's and 10's. I'll pick them up when I can, but I don't go out of my way unless I manage to walk into a decent deal. I also collect for many other systems, so those vie for my time as well..

 

..Al

[NE146]

Yep. .It's just called "collecting".

 

Like why does my brother in law find a compulsive need to collect all variations of rare Nike shoes and never wear them in his life?

 

Here's one closet..

[Mindfield]

For me it's mostly about having the ultimate collection that I never had as a kid. I mean, I had a pretty good collection when I was young (Back in 1983/84, 70+ carts was pretty good -- even if I did get nearly all of them for under $10 because it was during the crash that I was blissfully unaware of at the time) but now that I'm older and with a bit more than a $10-a-week allowance to buy games with, I'm getting all the games I never did or could get.

 

Plus. It just looks pretty when you got 'em all nice and organized.

[Albert]

Like why does my brother in law find a compulsive need to collect all variations of rare Nike shoes and never wear them in his life?

 

Whoa, that's kind of frightening..!

 

..Al