When is it a good time to sell off your game collection?

[DudeistBelieve]

Heres my dilemma: I'm facing an undertaking in my life that requires a large pool of money. I'm considering selling off what possessions I got to help supplement it. Selling my past to pay for my future type deal. And I don't have much, but every little bit would help.

Thing is, some of this junk I'm attached to.

I have a Sega Dreamcast with a copy of Seaman. Never beat Seaman. I keep hooking the console up to the TV saying "I'm gonna play Seaman", never do. Shouldn't I just sell stupid thing? I don't use it, it's taking up space, someone else would love to have this Dreamcast I bet.

And it's like this with all my old consoles. The NES, SNES, ATARI, N64 things I've picked up over the years I can't bring myself to sell.

The nagging thought is always What if you want to play the games later in the future well we all know there are ways of playing those games without the console right? Still theres a part of me that just wants to hold on to them, for no rational reason. It's not like they'll be worth money someday, they haven't been stored particularly well and have wears and tares.... And I really don't like my bed room resembling Linkara's living room.

Mind you my feelings are different towards say, my PS2 or Xbox360, which are consoles I actually play.

When do you choose to sell off your collections? Does it sound like I should just man up and have a garage sale?

 

[Erttheking]

This is probably just my perspective, but I just can't get behind selling games. I've had games that I haven't played for ten years, but out of nowhere I get a nostalgia rush and I want to play them again. And even if you never do...well...you never know...

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/attachments/reading-corner/29573d1341660403-54-today-thank-everything-mr-waterson-the_future_by_cmcmangel.jpg

 

[Eve Charm]

I guess the answer is, Are you going to get a good price for them? If you have a friend or someone willing to actually give you say a fair market price for something, ya go ahead. If your just selling it to people that are about to give you just the bottom dollar so they can turn around and make a big profit off of it then no.

You can always buy them back, I know I have with a few thing.

 

[Pink Gregory]

If you sell them, you'll want them back, but if you have them, will you have time to use them?

Guess it's a matter of weighing that up.

 

[Vegosiux]

See, I was going to answer differently, but when you framed it as "selling my past to pay for my future"; I simply can't get behind it. You don't sell your past. It's part of your identity.

My different answer was going to be "When you're certain all it will ever do is collect dust, and you know someone who would put it to use."

 

[Randoman01]

Usually when digital copies of the game come online or when they are in a collectors edition.

 

[Rednog]

This is probably just my perspective, but I just can't get behind selling games. I've had games that I haven't played for ten years, but out of nowhere I get a nostalgia rush and I want to play them again. And even if you never do...well...you never know...

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/attachments/reading-corner/29573d1341660403-54-today-thank-everything-mr-waterson-the_future_by_cmcmangel.jpg

The sad truth is that more often than not kids won't be interested in your past stuff.
Odd are they'll react like these kids I'm reaching the age where people I know are having kids and the stuff they've saved to share with their kids are pretty much scrapped or kept in the parents personal collection. I know guys who grew up on the 80's & 90's cartoons and their kids honestly don't care for it. They end up being more interested in modern day kid shows because they're constantly bombarded by it wherever they go, backpacks, cereal, their friends etc.

 

[ADDLibrarian]

And I really don't like my bed room resembling Linkara's living room.

Aww, what's wrong with his living room? Yay TGWTG reference FTW

If you haven't used it in more than 2 years (my rule of thumb for games/dvd's/music/electronics) you don't need or truly want it.

This does seem like a good rule of thumb if you truly want to get rid of things, but...

You don't sell your past. It's part of your identity.
My different answer was going to be "When you're certain all it will ever do is collect dust, and you know someone who would put it to use."

This. Just because an object is sentimental doesn't mean it's useless. Go through and get rid of duplicates first, or games that you can/will play in another format (like Steam, etc.) You don't want to be one of these poor guys who sold their souls in order to pay for their unfeeling fiancee's wedding or something (you never hear about what those ladies did or did not give up- you usually just see someone being forced to give up a part of who they were/are).

 

[DrOswald]

This is probably just my perspective, but I just can't get behind selling games. I've had games that I haven't played for ten years, but out of nowhere I get a nostalgia rush and I want to play them again. And even if you never do...well...you never know...

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/attachments/reading-corner/29573d1341660403-54-today-thank-everything-mr-waterson-the_future_by_cmcmangel.jpg

The sad truth is that more often than not kids won't be interested in your past stuff.
Odd are they'll react like these kids I'm reaching the age where people I know are having kids and the stuff they've saved to share with their kids are pretty much scrapped or kept in the parents personal collection. I know guys who grew up on the 80's & 90's cartoons and their kids honestly don't care for it. They end up being more interested in modern day kid shows because they're constantly bombarded by it wherever they go, backpacks, cereal, their friends etc.

Those kids reacted very well to the gameboy. They correctly identified it for what it was then and is now: A technological marvel of the past and a piece of junk in the present. The original gameboy was an impressive piece of technology in its time but it is not even a passable gaming device by today's standards.

Except for the one kid who made the comment about it not having a touch screen. To hell with that kid. DISCRETE INPUT IS A FEATURE YOU LITTLE SHIT.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I guess the answer is, Are you going to get a good price for them? If you have a friend or someone willing to actually give you say a fair market price for something, ya go ahead. If your just selling it to people that are about to give you just the bottom dollar so they can turn around and make a big profit off of it then no.

You can always buy them back, I know I have with a few thing.

They're really not in good condition. I mean you couldn't make a big buck off them unless you gave them some much needed TLC, if that.

If you sell them, you'll want them back, but if you have them, will you have time to use them?

Guess it's a matter of weighing that up.

Will I even want to? Yeah, I don't want to part with my copy of WWF No Mercy, but I can't ever really see myself playing it again. With those graphics and the lack of an online community.

This is probably just my perspective, but I just can't get behind selling games. I've had games that I haven't played for ten years, but out of nowhere I get a nostalgia rush and I want to play them again. And even if you never do...well...you never know...

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/attachments/reading-corner/29573d1341660403-54-today-thank-everything-mr-waterson-the_future_by_cmcmangel.jpg

The sad truth is that more often than not kids won't be interested in your past stuff.
Odd are they'll react like these kids I'm reaching the age where people I know are having kids and the stuff they've saved to share with their kids are pretty much scrapped or kept in the parents personal collection. I know guys who grew up on the 80's & 90's cartoons and their kids honestly don't care for it. They end up being more interested in modern day kid shows because they're constantly bombarded by it wherever they go, backpacks, cereal, their friends etc.

This is probably just my perspective, but I just can't get behind selling games. I've had games that I haven't played for ten years, but out of nowhere I get a nostalgia rush and I want to play them again. And even if you never do...well...you never know...

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/attachments/reading-corner/29573d1341660403-54-today-thank-everything-mr-waterson-the_future_by_cmcmangel.jpg

Well heres the deal, I don't have kids and I don't want kids. I know people say "Oh you'll change your mind later". No, no I won't. I have nephews, and I enjoy playing Sonic The Hedgehog with them (Genesis is another of the ones I still play regularly) but they're already growing up.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Sell a game collection?


Unless I was in a desperate situation, I would not get rid of a game collection, even if I don't play the games very often. Now, if in a few decades I have a collection that is worth a lot of money, and I don't care for the games in question, then I would consider selling them.

You never know if you want to break out and old game, and wind up falling in love with it again. Plus, I personally love having a big collection of games, it feels nice to have a collection constantly expanding with every year.

 

[Ratty]

Heres my dilemma: I'm facing an undertaking in my life that requires a large pool of money. I'm considering selling off what possessions I got to help supplement it. Selling my past to pay for my future type deal. And I don't have much, but every little bit would help.

Thing is, some of this junk I'm attached to.

I have a Sega Dreamcast with a copy of Seaman. Never beat Seaman. I keep hooking the console up to the TV saying "I'm gonna play Seaman", never do. Shouldn't I just sell stupid thing? I don't use it, it's taking up space, someone else would love to have this Dreamcast I bet.

And it's like this with all my old consoles. The NES, SNES, ATARI, N64 things I've picked up over the years I can't bring myself to sell.

The nagging thought is always What if you want to play the games later in the future well we all know there are ways of playing those games without the console right? Still theres a part of me that just wants to hold on to them, for no rational reason. It's not like they'll be worth money someday, they haven't been stored particularly well and have wears and tares.... And I really don't like my bed room resembling Linkara's living room.

Mind you my feelings are different towards say, my PS2 or Xbox360, which are consoles I actually play.

When do you choose to sell off your collections? Does it sound like I should just man up and have a garage sale?

Since it sounds like you don't really want them for decoration/display I'd say you should ask yourself if you'll want them when they no longer work?

Video games/consoles are unique as collectibles compared to something like comic books or figurines since as electronics they require a lot more maintenance to remain in working order. There are copies of Superman's first appearance and old Aurora model kits that will probably outlive our great grandchildren. And theoretically cartridge games can last like 100 years (CD games much less so) but I can foresee not being able to replace parts of the systems they run on within the next 20 to 30 years.

Already a lot of the save batteries for these early games are starting to die (I know I've replaced several of them) and since they use watch batteries will we be able to find replacement batteries when they die again in 20 years since no one uses wristwatches anymore? More and more computers don't even have disc drives these days, will we be able to find replacement lasers for our disc based systems in 10 - 15 years? Just something to consider.

 

[Fyrana]

Heres my dilemma: I'm facing an undertaking in my life that requires a large pool of money. I'm considering selling off what possessions I got to help supplement it. Selling my past to pay for my future type deal. And I don't have much, but every little bit would help.

Thing is, some of this junk I'm attached to.

I have a Sega Dreamcast with a copy of Seaman. Never beat Seaman. I keep hooking the console up to the TV saying "I'm gonna play Seaman", never do. Shouldn't I just sell stupid thing? I don't use it, it's taking up space, someone else would love to have this Dreamcast I bet.

And it's like this with all my old consoles. The NES, SNES, ATARI, N64 things I've picked up over the years I can't bring myself to sell.

The nagging thought is always What if you want to play the games later in the future well we all know there are ways of playing those games without the console right? Still theres a part of me that just wants to hold on to them, for no rational reason. It's not like they'll be worth money someday, they haven't been stored particularly well and have wears and tares.... And I really don't like my bed room resembling Linkara's living room.

Mind you my feelings are different towards say, my PS2 or Xbox360, which are consoles I actually play.

When do you choose to sell off your collections? Does it sound like I should just man up and have a garage sale?

Do you love your collection? If so, don't sell them. Get a loan if you can and pay it back over time.

There are many ways to earn money. Some are quicker than others. I myself would never sell my collection unless I had need for some life-saving medical for the one I loved or myself. Others have said that if you don't play the game regularly now, you won't in the future. Bullocks to that. The point of a collection is to view it. To go back whenever you have that strange whim to replay or view something from the past.

That is just me and I am bloody weird.

 

[Artaneius]

I really don't see the point in keeping old consoles. Just buy an i5-i7 processor and a dedicated video card and you can easily run emulators for all the older consoles including PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube generation. Vast majority of games on all emulators don't have hardly any issues running. I say sell all your older consoles and just use emulators. So much easier to use and don't ever have to worry about the consoles or games dying.

I sold my older consoles and got emulators and honestly the emulators run 100x better than the consoles did. And like someone else previously said, sooner or later disc drives will be completely gone and there will be no way to find someone to repair disc readers and lens. Using emulators destroys the need of having to use disc related and cartridge related technologies. Just use daemon tools lite and just emulate the drive if needed. ROMS which are for cartridge based games are usually played automatically through the emulator.

It's honestly just a waste of space to have an older console when you can use an emulator. And the best thing is, as long as you keep your data on multiple drives... your games will last FOREVER. One of the biggest reasons why I hardly buy any games anymore excluding GOG or Steam sales. I can just play a HUGE selection of older console and PC games for the rest of my life.

 

[Ratty]

Do you love your collection? If so, don't sell them. Get a loan if you can and pay it back over time.

Very good point. Regret sucks. If you have sentimental attachment to them I wouldn't recommend selling them.

 

[Bofus Teefus]

Here's my take- my games are like my babies... there's a lot of them and I'm not sure where they're all at. That said, I wouldn't sell my babies.

We all think of our games differently, but I'm always going back and playing old stuff.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Heres my dilemma: I'm facing an undertaking in my life that requires a large pool of money. I'm considering selling off what possessions I got to help supplement it. Selling my past to pay for my future type deal. And I don't have much, but every little bit would help.

Thing is, some of this junk I'm attached to.

I have a Sega Dreamcast with a copy of Seaman. Never beat Seaman. I keep hooking the console up to the TV saying "I'm gonna play Seaman", never do. Shouldn't I just sell stupid thing? I don't use it, it's taking up space, someone else would love to have this Dreamcast I bet.

And it's like this with all my old consoles. The NES, SNES, ATARI, N64 things I've picked up over the years I can't bring myself to sell.

The nagging thought is always What if you want to play the games later in the future well we all know there are ways of playing those games without the console right? Still theres a part of me that just wants to hold on to them, for no rational reason. It's not like they'll be worth money someday, they haven't been stored particularly well and have wears and tares.... And I really don't like my bed room resembling Linkara's living room.

Mind you my feelings are different towards say, my PS2 or Xbox360, which are consoles I actually play.

When do you choose to sell off your collections? Does it sound like I should just man up and have a garage sale?

Since it sounds like you don't really want them for decoration/display I'd say you should ask yourself if you'll want them when they no longer work?

Video games/consoles are unique as collectibles compared to something like comic books or figurines since as electronics they require a lot more maintenance to remain in working order. There are copies of Superman's first appearance and old Aurora model kits that will probably outlive our great grandchildren. And theoretically cartridge games can last like 100 years (CD games much less so) but I can foresee not being able to replace parts of the systems they run on within the next 20 to 30 years.

Already a lot of the save batteries for these early games are starting to die (I know I've replaced several of them) and since they use watch batteries will we be able to find replacement batteries when they die again in 20 years since no one uses wristwatches anymore? More and more computers don't even have disc drives these days, will we be able to find replacement lasers for our disc based systems in 10 - 15 years? Just something to consider.

This.

I'm starting to think maybe it's the little kid inside me that just wants to keep them. Like I wanted an SNES so badly throughout my childhood, and then at like 15 I finally found one at a garage sale. Barely play it. Same with my Atari 2600.

And if they don't work? mmm that's a question. The Atari is the only one I particularly like because of the Retro-Wood design (I really wish that would come back in style).

I even have horded some non-gaming items I feel the same way about. I got two like 1980 TV console units, you know the big things that are like furniture themselves that sit on the floor? One of them was my childhood TV. I keep meaning to gut them out and convert them into HD televisions but what's the point? Should maybe just throw them on craigslist, they'd get great love from someone that likes to play games on retro TVs.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I sold a game once, when I was five... I've regretted it ever since.

 

[Strelok]

Sold my Commodore 64 with all the games I had and my Nintendo 64... Still regret it.