My friend and I collect old video games. I’m a But all my physical media just sits on my shelves and collects dust. Why do I even collect them? I literally just emulate everything. Is there a purpose to what I do? People ask me why I collect and I never have a real answer because I don’t even know. If I never play my stuff, is it worth just selling?
Two questions to ask yourself:
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Does it make you happy?
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Does it hurt anybody (yourself included) in any way (including financially)?
Collecting physical media is very valuable if you are a passionate gamer. Time has proven that the older a game gets, the harder it will be to legally obtain it. Yes, emulation is a thing but doesn’t quite beat the experience on the original hardware IMO. And of course emulation is under constant legal scrutiny to the point where it’s only a matter of time before enough money passes hands and emulation itself could be outlawed or heavily restricted.
Unless you have extraordinarily rare games, likely you will not see any financial benefit. If you do not want to play any of your games ever again, and you will never have kids or anyone you want to pass history onto, then likely the collection holds no value.
Yes, emulation is a thing but doesn’t quite beat the experience on the original hardware IMO
This is why I think the best solution is original hardware with flash carts. The correct experience but no clutter.
Absolutely. Ive been slowly snagging Everdrives for my retro systems and they are amazing. Being able to play patched roms alone makes it worth it.
. Yes, emulation is a thing but doesn’t quite beat the experience on the original hardware IMO
Depends on which hardware. I have had more fun with emulators than I had when I was a child with a real NES, because I could play more games with an emulator, and was easy af.
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It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory. - Fitzgerald
Look mate. Sometimes we do things just because we want to or just because we can. I feel like in the world we currently live in, everything has become a struggle to squeeze out every last drop of our life to generate money, reputation, fame or whatever else.
It’s ok to just have something you do that’s just sits there and it makes you happy or relaxed or even if you just look at it and not have to worry about anything else.
That’s a good piece of advice. I went from being a carefree teenager to a highly “efficient” grown-up who’s always asking how I can get more by doing less. I mean, that are obviously perks in setting goals and being time and money savvy, but in the process I’ve lost the child in me – the child who wonders and has multiple hobbies. I couldn’t even sit down to play a game without feeling like I was wasting my life away.
So yeah, like you say, fulfilling one’s responsibilities is important, but don’t go crazy chasing after the next shiny thing. It’s perfectly fine to want to do nothing and just enjoy ourselves sometime.
I relate to your comment so much. I’ve actually been trying to “go back” by making more time for myself. Simple things like taking naps, playing my console (instead of just watching YouTube videos about it), getting more physical activity in, etc. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully reconnect to my inner child but I’m closer than I was a few years ago that’s for sure.
I knew something was wrong when I first noticed that I was feeling anxious for wanting to do something that I enjoy, and that the anxiety has been slowly killing off all of my interests. I’m so calculative that in order to prevent wasting 2hrs of my life watching a movie I wouldn’t enjoy, I’d spend hours browsing through the whole catalogue and going on IMDB to check out the rating for every single movie, then bookmark them and end up watching nothing.
The same thing for Spotify. Never happy with my choice of song. But when a good song comes up on the radio, I totally enjoy it.
I miss being spontaneous and going with the flow, and I’m working on “going back” like you too, by reminding myself to be contented and live more in the moment.
It’s pretty wild that I have the same exact tendencies. Are you (or were you) super into finances? That was my thing for a very long time. I was trying to optimize every purchase, striving for an earlier retirement, and so on. It became pretty unhealthy because for years I was planning and living for some distant future instead of enjoying the moment.
This thread is a great commentary on grind culture. I feel every word of this. As I understand it, it’s in part the mindless pursuit of “success”, and the suffering caused by losing a feeling of safety in the world
At the end of the day, life isn’t meant to be effective, it’s meant to be enjoyed as much as reasonably possible. I’m also on a journey of getting back to my inner child. Only piece of advice I can offer: if it seems a little silly as an adult, you should probably do it.Today as I left the gym, I one-foot-hopped through some hula hoops laid on the ground for the next class. I realised after it probably looked silly, but it also made my heart smile, so: worth it
Your comment put a smile on my face. “Growing up” is such a huge lie isn’t it? I don’t remember ever crossing a line where I suddenly become an adult and stop being the child I was being crossing the line.
I’m glad to hear it :) it really is. What’s the fun in being hyper adulty if it only gets you slightly “ahead” of everyone else over an entire lifetime? Maybe the biggest hoodwink is the one we do to ourselves when we (maybe unintentionally) start focusing on the rat race instead of the little things that make life fun - and generally don’t cost much haha
Are you (or were you) super into finances?
I am, or was, I don’t know anymore. But mostly to survive rather than wanting to be rich and successful. I’m free spirited by nature but circumstances made me this way. All my loved ones, while being great in many things, totally suck in managing their finances. It’s up to me to constantly watch over everything like a hawk so I won’t have to keep cleaning up their mess.
I think the grind culture as mentioned in comment below applies to most people though, not just those who are really into finances. We’re all driven by the fear of not being able to put food on the table, of falling sick and becoming a burden to our families.
I’m now in a pretty comfortable spot where I can just work part time and still pay off the loans comfortably. Maybe even retire a little earlier. But getting here has really taken its toll. Don’t get me wrong though, I’d still do the same even if I was given a second chance; not for myself but for my loved ones. But I’ll go through everything again with a different attitude, enjoy the journey more, have fewer expectations and be a little kinder to myself and others.
I couldn’t even sit down to play a game without feeling like I was wasting my life away. I’ve only recently managed to tackle this particular problem : I now play while commuting.
If collecting brings you joy, do it. It keeps retro hardware out of the landfills.
It will still go into the landfills, eventually, when op is gone.
Sure. But eventually is better than now. Because as long as it isn’t in a landfill, and it’s not broken, it can still be experienced. Honestly, even when I’m not using my Nintendo 64 games, I like just looking at them.
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I am a big believer in decluttering and getting rid of stuff that no longer has value to you. But I also take photos of everything before I get rid of or sell them. Old letters, drawings from children, small collections, large collections. Maybe I’m sentimental, but I don’t need the physical object to remember the feelings associated with it. But a photo helps
Some people like collecting physical objects. It is a weird thing that some humans do.
Do you enjoy collecting? If you do, that is good enough. If you don’t, then maybe you should sell off your collection.
I’m personally not the collector type but I do blow money on other things, but usually it’s either hobbies or tech (not to mention all the gear I use for my work).
Why do people collect cars when they don’t drive them ever? What about stamps (who use stamps anymore)? Pokemon cards? We keep things that bring us memories and make us happy from time to time. If they have ever made you feel proud or happy, I would say keep them. It definitely worths more than the monetary gain from selling them.
I think it’s just up to if that’s something you enjoy and gives you value then it’s worth it.
I’m similar with books. I personally prefer to read ebooks because I find the experience a lot easier and better, but there are some books or authors that I really enjoy so I like to get the hardcover books as well. Some books I have both digitally and physically even though I’ve never read the physical copies but I like and enjoy them so I keep them even though they “collect dust” as you say.
If you are thinking of paring down or downsizing, mayve just think of what games are really special to you and that you find meaningful to keep.
I also like to collect old video games but I don’t think I ever stopped to think about why I do it. I just like having them, even just seeing them all lined up on a shelf, knowing that I have pieces of gaming history in my room just makes me happy. There doesn’t need to be a real reason, sometimes we do things just because we feel like doing them. Do things because you feel like doing them and not because you have to justify them to other people.
There doesn’t need to be a real reason, sometimes we do things just because we feel like doing them.
This all sounds like good, but it isn’t.
What if we need to feel a purpose to do things? I am not a hoarder, just because of this reason. I only play or buy games that me or my children would play. Because hoarding, for the sake of hoarding doesn’t make sense to me.
You say that we don’t need to have an excuse to do things you do, and I disagree with that, because to feel good about my actions, I need to make sense of my actions. Otherwise it all feels purposeless.
Life is purposeless! There’s literally no meaning to all of this we’re just here for a lil while and then we’re gone! let people enjoy their game collection or whatever holy shit
let people enjoy their game collection or whatever holy shit
Where tf did I say people shouldn’t enjoy their life, why are you putting words in my mouth. I only said that people rather should do what they think it purposeful instead of doing things that feels purposeless. I think that people can enjoy their life for the better, if they do things that are more purposeful instead. If collecting things makes them enjoy it, let them.
Either be against that, instead of getting a straw-man argument.
Life is purposeless!
Disagree with that statement, but I don’t want to get into that, as that is not the subject.
It isn’t hoarding. People really need to stop throwing that around so casually.
And Im sorry to hear you can’t just do things. Needing a purpose all the time sounds exhausting.
I collect planes that just sit around and look cool and I can say I have them. I’d never sell them because I love planes and they make me happy, some of them are toys from when I was a kid and I don’t play with them anymore but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna get rid of them, they bring me great joy. I’d look at it that way if I were you
I’m similar, except I collect rpg books and I’m 30. I haven’t sat down read a paper book properly in years, I just don’t have the attention span (thanks undiagnosed ADD). But I keep collecting because it brings me joy to do so and I enjoy the thrill of the chase going through second hand bookshops looking for deals.
These sort of hobbies are also great for bringing together like minded people, like you and your friend, so there are additional social benefits to them too if you’re looking for that. This is something Ive come to really come to appreciate more as I’ve aged and fallen out of contact with school friends and it gets harder to meet new people outside of your social circle.
Sorry for the ramble but I guess my main point is to ask yourself whether it brings you joy to continue collecting or not and if it doesn’t maybe to hold off for a few months and check back in with yourself then as you may feel different.
It’s kind of a tough call. In my case I keep a library of Blu-Ray and DVD disks. I’ve ripped them to network storage so I don’t actually need them, but I did spend an amount of money collecting them. So at this point I just keep them for posterity.
In general I have a rule about not keeping stuff I don’t use, but there’s always exceptions. There’s been a few things I’ve wished I had not parted with, but if you never get rid of anything you’re just hoarding. I’m more of an anti-hoarder and it’s cost me before. On the other hand there’s too much “material stuff” in life. Best to keep it minimal.
Sounds like you enjoyed the experience of the hunt, but don’t enjoy feeling like a hoarder. That’s fine, and perfectly healthy I’d say. If you don’t have space or don’t get enjoyment from the collection, by all means sell it and experience something else you enjoy. If you think it will appreciate in value, or you know someone you’d like to pass it on or donate it to, then maybe keep it around for now.
It’s also fine to have a change in hobbies as well. They liked collecting games, and now they don’t. It was not a waste of time.
