(Re)Starting the Collection

I have very few regrets in life. Selling the video games I had throughout my life is one of them. Admittedly, it's a trivial regret. Nonetheless, taking a nice collection and putting it up on eBay or selling it off to a local reseller is something I wish I hadn't done.

So what did I have and why did I sell it? Let us investigate chronologically by console age and see what I may have been thinking at the time.

COLECOVISION
The first system I owned and my introduction to video games in general, the Colecovision was a graphical dream-come-true when compared to its rivals (the Atari VCS and Intellivision). I had about a good 20-30 games for it (controller inserts intact) as well as Expansion Modules 1 (the VCS clone) and 2 (the steering wheel for TURBO).

This console lasted a long time in my collection. I only sold it because I needed the closet space and figured that emulation (both console and MAME for the superior arcade versions of Colecovision's ports) would have me covered.

COMMODORE 64
This one survived! I've been meaning to sell it but shipping would be a pain with its heavy, fragile disk drive and monitor. Glad I still have it around.

NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
This one hurts. By the time the system left the public consciousness in favor of the new 16-bit behemoths, I had approximately fifty boxed games (not all "complete-in-box" - i.e. manuals, inserts, but at least the box).

One evening, I finished playing THE ADVENTURES OF BAYOU BILLY, a game so difficult it literally blew up my Nintendo. Okay, not really. There was some sort of electrical surge and the power supply was fried shortly after I turned everything off. I figured this was a sign that it was time to move on to newer, sexier systems and sold my collection to various buyers for a few bucks each.

If only I could have waiting for eBay to be invented, would have gotten more money for my offerings.

SEGA GENESIS/SEGA CD
I had the Model 1 Genesis, with the "High Definition Graphics" writing on top (considered superior over later Model 1 revisions) and the Model 1 Sega CD with the mechanical drawer. Kept games in their case (which was easier since these plastic clamshells cases were made for keeping the cartridges safe). Not an extensive collection by any means, I sold it for some quick spending money.

I did manage to hang onto a promo music-video collection for the Sega CD that was actually signed by one of the bands featured on it (Too Much Joy).

SUPER NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Nothing spectacular here (my collection, that is), I had a decent collection of games (saved some boxes too) that was sold around the same time as the Genesis/Sega CD combination.

It's worth noting that it was around the time of the SNES and Sega Genesis (and CD) that I had been getting sloppy with my games (e.g. throwing them in drawers, broken cases, etc.) I wasn't a collector back then, just a guy who liked video games. So in hindsight, it probably deserved a better home as I was a neglectful owner back then.

SONY PLAYSTATION
Still have it and most of the games I bought (a few were sold during its lifecycle). Was going to sell it at one point until I realized that playing these games on a PS2 was good unless you wanted to fire up one of the many incompatible titles.

NINTENDO 64
Sold the console with the Expansion Pak, four controllers and a handful of games to a friend for some quick beer money. He sold it back to me with additional games years later. It's like a faithful dog that you drop off in the park and finds its way home again.

DREAMCAST
Sold this a couple of years back with some great games, four controllers and a couple of VMU's. Again, thinking emulation had me covered (and the recently launched Gametap), I figured someone would appreciate it more. But every now and again I want to fire up Crazy Taxi and I curse the day I introduced Sega's little dream machine to the cold, grabbing hands on eBay.

SONY PLAYSTATION 2
Still have it, will not sell it. Just too many great titles for it that I still thoroughly enjoy.

NINTENDO GAMECUBE
Sold the console itself and one controller but kept the bulk of the games and controllers for it (including a couple of Zelda collections) for play on the Wii. I may pick another Gamecube up just for convenience if I find it on the cheap.

XBOX
Okay, this one is weird. I bought it, enjoyed it. Then I put a mod-chip in it to play emulators and homebrew. Realized it wasn't as great as I had anticipated (good - but not "great"), I removed the mod and reformatted the hard drive. Figuring I didn't play it much and I could just play my games on the Xbox 360 (that I still haven't gotten around to buying), I sold the console with a couple of games I didn't care for.

I'll definitely pick another one up soon. They're pretty inexpensive and I still have choice games for it (including MARVEL VS. CAPCOM 2 and PANZER DRAGOON ORTA).

My current collection as of 11/12/10.

And that brings us to today. I've been bitten by the game collecting bug and I no longer put games up on eBay unless they are duplicates or I can get something better in return. Not only that, I'm looking to right the "wrongs" of my past. So far, I bought a used NES with a few boxed games. My friend who sold me back the N64 I sold him, also threw in a later revision of the Model-1 Genesis that suits my fine (for now). I'm scouring yard sales, thrift stores and online to get back what I once had with the side money I get from selling old (non-gaming) junk on eBay or various computer jobs. I'm in no position to drop an entire paycheck on a hefty collection, but an occasional ten dollars here and twenty dollars there has done me well so far.

But now the real question: Why am I doing this? Why not just use an emulator? Why not focus on the latest consoles? I'll leave those topics for future posts.