Should I Sell: Looking for Some Advice

Welcome to the PGRF gaming community! Everyone here is very friendly, so don't hesitate to say hi and engage in some video game discussion with all of us! From retro to modern, there's no discrimination here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the moderators and administrators! Have fun.

Registration is simple, fast, and completely free!
Join our community!

Should I Sell: Looking for Some Advice; To sell or not to sell
Tweet Topic Started: Oct 6 2013, 02:34 AM (457 Views)
PhD	Oct 6 2013, 02:34 AM Post #1
Level 3 Posts: 213 Group: Members Member #4,197 Joined: Aug 20, 2011	Hey everyone, So I've got a question that I honestly didn't think I would every ask but unfortunately here I am. So I guess I'll start with a little back story and then how I got to where I am today. basically Im 28 and I've been collecting games for as long as I can remember, but made it a pretty serious hobby about 8 or 9 years ago. I have done all of my collecting at garage sales, thrift stores, and kijiji (canadian craigs list). I truly love collecting possibly even a tiny bit more than I like playing games. As with many of the people on the forum I have amassed a significant collection which has a dedicated room in my home. My friends think its great, my girlfriend think I'm nuts but I know she loves that it makes me happy. I love when people of all ages see it for the first time and instantly start getting super nostalgic "man i wish i would have kept that", "I can't believe you found one of these"... I am a firm believer that people need hobbies to keep busy, stay off the TV, and just to get that sense of accomplishment in a world that can sometimes seem harsh or unrewarding. At first you might think video games, a way to stay off the TV??? but as I implied earlier playing the games if only part of the hobby garage saleing, cleaning, fixing, displaying, trading, hunting, socializing...the list goes on. Video games have been a big part of my life as I am sure many if not all of you reading this can relate to, so why am I hear asking if I should sell my collection? Well the simple answer would of course me money, but it really isn't that simple. Over the last few years vintage game collecting has really changed, way more people have taken an interest (which is very cool in many ways) but this has also driven prices up. This began for me as a hobby that was in many ways self sustaining hit a few sales, get a few deals sell of a double or a system I fixed and break even or just end up a few buck down. Unfortunately those days are pretty much gone, I'll admit it makes the hunt much more fulfilling when you do find something but at the same time finding stuff is few and far between. I still love collecting but in many ways it's just not what it use to be, the profitability of the market means if I want to continue to collect (the way I have become accustom to) I either need to become a full blown reseller (not a terrible thing, just not for me) or I need to drop more money than I want to. Now I have a decent job, me and my girlfriend purchased a small home about 3 years ago and we live a comfortable life; that said the collection that I paid for mostly in hard work has become pretty valuable. I don't really feel the need to share a number simple because it is relative in that what I consider substantial may not be, or may be more substantial to a person with more or less money/value for money. Moving on lets just say it worth enough that I could do some things I would like to do, and would alleviate any financial stress that may come from a wedding. I have to say there is absolutely zero pressure from my girlfriend for me to sell this in fact I have only ever even brought it up as a hypothetical and she has shown very little interest in the idea. I'll also add that I wouldn't be giving up current gaming so it's not like I would never play a game again. I guess in a small way I just feel like maybe my passion for collecting has run its course and perhaps it is time to move on, but at the same time I love my collection and am very proud of it. So if anyone made it to the end of this disaster of a post please let me know what you think. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Edited by PhD, Oct 6 2013, 03:27 AM.
	TOOOOOOOOOOOOO LATE!!!!!!!!!


Mamonuth	Oct 6 2013, 03:42 AM Post #2
Level 5 Posts: 612 Group: Members Member #2,277 Joined: Jun 30, 2010	Just sell games that you don't have any emotional attachment to or that you know you are never going to play. That's what I did when I stopped collecting and I don't regret it. Most of the collections I see I honestly just see as hoarding. If you've never played a game, never will play the game and wouldn't really be able to tell a difference if you didn't have the game then why have it? If you want some sort of a mini video game museum then sure, go for it but if not then just sell the shovelware.



PhD	Oct 6 2013, 10:01 AM Post #3
Level 3 Posts: 213 Group: Members Member #4,197 Joined: Aug 20, 2011	Mamonuth Oct 6 2013, 03:42 AM Just sell games that you don't have any emotional attachment to or that you know you are never going to play. That's what I did when I stopped collecting and I don't regret it. Most of the collections I see I honestly just see as hoarding. If you've never played a game, never will play the game and wouldn't really be able to tell a difference if you didn't have the game then why have it? If you want some sort of a mini video game museum then sure, go for it but if not then just sell the shovelware. I think hoarding is a hard word to define but I tend to believe if you take care of, and have the space for whatever it is you are collecting then you're probably not hoarding. Everything I own is clean and has a spot on a shelf. There nothing in piles on the floor or all over the house. I understand that you probably weren't calling me a hoarder I just thought it was relevant to the conversation to add that in my opinion I am not one. As for playing the games (great signature btw) I think it's super important that you play the games you own and not just amass a pile of "shovelware" as you put it. I have in fact played most of my collection and most of what I own I did enjoy playing at one point or another, that said if I've played it I don't often go back and play it again. There are exceptions especially when it comes to multiplayer stuff that I can throw in when my friends are over but most of the single player stuff has been played and is now just essentially a piece of decor. I'll be honest I love the look of a wall of games and systems and the museum aspect is a definite factor so just selling of a portion just wouldn't work for me. Again the money also plays a factor in that if I don't end up with a enough to really make a difference then whats the point. Did you just stop collecting or did you sell off what you had as well?
	TOOOOOOOOOOOOO LATE!!!!!!!!!


GameEscape	Oct 6 2013, 10:04 AM Post #4
Level 3 Posts: 154 Group: Members Member #6,446 Joined: Jul 30, 2013	I think in situations of extreme financial need, yes, one should be willing to part with his collection. But if you are just mulling it over and it is not a pressing matter, I would be hesitant to get rid of everything. Mamonuth's point is a fair one, you can just sell the games to which you have little or no emotional attachment. On the other hand, you will likely never again have this many games. The quality and value of your game collection will never be as high as it is now if you sell off all of your retro stuff, so careful consideration is in order. The market is high, but will it go higher? Has the market just begun its expansion, or has it reached its limits? I would think hard about these questions and do my research before selling. On a personal note, there were times in my life when I was tired of gaming and collecting and gave away or sold some stuff that I really wish I had now. Maybe just put the collection into storage and live without it for a few months. If the passion for the hobby never comes back, then you might have your answer.
	YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/wcladley Twitter: @Game_Escape_


tri4ceofpowr	Oct 6 2013, 11:50 AM Post #5
Existentialist Posts: 0 Group: Members Member #5,310 Joined: Aug 1, 2012	Just do what makes you happy. That's the whole thing. Honestly, this issue doesn't require *too much* painful deliberation. If for some reason possessing your current collection precipitates suffering and unhappiness, then sell it. If not - if it truly makes you happy - then keep it. I find that there's no objective, moral value in collecting games. Perhaps in regards to which games you collect and for what reasons, but that's another issue entirely. From this standpoint, the question of financial responsibility arises. To a degree, I understand the stresses that accompany having a girlfriend and trying to pay for yourself, your life, and a shared life. However, there's a healthy balance between the life you ought to lead and the life you lead for yourself. If you feel the need to sell some games, fine. You can also tone down your collecting for a while in order to save for your wedding, etc. There's a healthy equilibrium to be found in all of this. Edited by tri4ceofpowr, Oct 6 2013, 11:58 AM.
	Xbox Live : tri4ceofpowr PSN: zeldafreak4life Nintendo 3DS Friend Code : 1633-4279-2188 YouTube: Gamingretrospective Twitter: GRetrospective


Mattrpgfan	Oct 6 2013, 01:52 PM Post #6
Level 4 Posts: 313 Group: Members Member #5,891 Joined: Feb 12, 2013	I would sell the games you don't care about. Keep all the games you love.



browland1	Oct 6 2013, 03:13 PM Post #7
Posts: 3,481 Group: Admins Member #719 Joined: May 12, 2009 Currently Playing Bloodborne.	It's not a decision to be taken lightly, since you might feel completely different a week from now. If you're not in immediate financial need and there is no compromise to your happiness as a result of having it, I wouldn't get rid of your collection unless you feel it's genuinely the right thing to do. People often collapse their collection, only to regret it shortly thereafter. Having said that, it can be uniquely liberating to whittle down your collection to the essentials. I see many people with shelves upon shelves of games they have never played, likely never will play, and were just purchased because they were cheap. That to me is less of a collection and more of a jumble of games bought strictly for volume. If you trim the fat, so to speak, you'll have an awesome collection of the games you love. All killer, no filler, right? I did this very recently when I discovered that I had about 250 Xbox 360 games, many of which were never played and were just taking up shelve space. I traded them in and got a ton of store credit, which I then used to buy the new releases that I really wanted. Do I miss the games? Some of them, but I still feel like I made the right choice overall. At the end of the day, it's your call, but make sure you're doing it for the reasons that feel right for you. If your collection makes you happy and you're not under any pressure to get rid of it, then don't feel like you have to. However, if it's getting out of hand and you want to unload the non-essential games, that can't hurt either.



PhD	Oct 6 2013, 03:46 PM Post #8
Level 3 Posts: 213 Group: Members Member #4,197 Joined: Aug 20, 2011	tri4ceofpowr Oct 6 2013, 11:50 AM Just do what makes you happy. That's the whole thing. Honestly, this issue doesn't require *too much* painful deliberation. If for some reason possessing your current collection precipitates suffering and unhappiness, then sell it. If not - if it truly makes you happy - then keep it. I find that there's no objective, moral value in collecting games. Perhaps in regards to which games you collect and for what reasons, but that's another issue entirely. From this standpoint, the question of financial responsibility arises. To a degree, I understand the stresses that accompany having a girlfriend and trying to pay for yourself, your life, and a shared life. However, there's a healthy balance between the life you ought to lead and the life you lead for yourself. If you feel the need to sell some games, fine. You can also tone down your collecting for a while in order to save for your wedding, etc. There's a healthy equilibrium to be found in all of this. I'm not losing sleep over the issue its just something that to me would be a big change in my life. Financially I am stable and the things that need to be paid for will get paid for it might just take a little while longer but nothing life changing. The fact is the rise in game prices has possibly made my collection worth more than the enjoyment they bring me. That's not to say that they don't still bring me enjoyment but what I'm trying to figure out is if the enjoyment is outweighed by the level of financial stability that selling will give me. I realize this is a decision I have to make on my own I was simply interested in the opinion of the people on the forum. Edited by PhD, Oct 6 2013, 03:51 PM.
	TOOOOOOOOOOOOO LATE!!!!!!!!!


browland1	Oct 6 2013, 04:14 PM Post #9
Posts: 3,481 Group: Admins Member #719 Joined: May 12, 2009 Currently Playing Bloodborne.	Another thing to consider is that there is a difference between the perceived value of your games and what money you can realistically expect to get for them. I know many people who have had to sell their seemingly rare and expensive games, only to get a fraction of what they expected. In most cases, the people who are seeking out the gems are collectors or re-sellers who know what things are worth and will be out for bargain. For example, they say that a complete copy of Earthbound is worth up to $800. I've never heard of anyone paying that. I could be wrong about all of this, but experience has taught me that most collectors are bargain hunters. The "eBay prices" have given people a false sense of what some games are worth. In truth, a game is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Just keep your expectations realistic, that's all I'm saying. Edited by browland1, Oct 6 2013, 04:15 PM.



PhD	Oct 6 2013, 10:34 PM Post #10
Level 3 Posts: 213 Group: Members Member #4,197 Joined: Aug 20, 2011	browland1 Oct 6 2013, 04:14 PM Another thing to consider is that there is a difference between the perceived value of your games and what money you can realistically expect to get for them. I know many people who have had to sell their seemingly rare and expensive games, only to get a fraction of what they expected. In most cases, the people who are seeking out the gems are collectors or re-sellers who know what things are worth and will be out for bargain. For example, they say that a complete copy of Earthbound is worth up to $800. I've never heard of anyone paying that. I could be wrong about all of this, but experience has taught me that most collectors are bargain hunters. The "eBay prices" have given people a false sense of what some games are worth. In truth, a game is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Just keep your expectations realistic, that's all I'm saying. Ya I'm not going off of ebay BIN prices I'm pretty conservative on the price of my collection. I've got some more thinking to do, I have to imagine I will regret doing it but again at the same time I can't help but feel like it's a bit of a burden I guess it's kind of like the stadium events at a garage sale do you keep it or sell it, on a much smaller scale of course. Either way thanks for the opinions I'd like to hear more if people are interested but I think I've got a good idea of how people feel about the topic.
	TOOOOOOOOOOOOO LATE!!!!!!!!!


1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


« Previous Topic · General Gaming · Next Topic »