John's Arcade Forum - Classic Arcade and Pinball Collecting and Restoring Discussion Forum - RETRO MAME - Nintendo Vs Forum

Hey guys been a while since I posted anything worth talking about, but this idea has been brewing in my head for the last few months. Recently I have hit a wall with console gaming. I've been collecting for at least a good ten years, and have most of the consoles I want, with the exceptions of a few rare ones, (vectrex, NEC/Turbo stuff, NEO GEO MVS, CDI, etc) As far as those consoles go, I will most likely pull the trigger on one if it pops up. Anyway I feel like at right now, my collection is at the best it is gonna be for me. I have a PS4, but I can't stand it. If anything I find myself on my 7800 the most, and playing MAME on my PC. I feel like I just have lost interest in console gaming in general and hit a major wall.

I have always loved arcade gaming, and since I started watching John's videos for the last 2 years or so, and joining the forum a couple months ago, I think I want to make collecting a reality. I guess what I am wondering is, do I sell all the console stuff that I really don't want/have emotional ties to, to start funding my first cab, OR do I pack it all away for a rainy day. I don't have anything super valuable, just the essentials for Sega Genesis/CD, Nintendo Consoles, Sony stuff, saturn, etc.

Thoughts?

I collect console stuff as well. Granted, most of my stuff has been packed up since we have begun our basement project. Originally the basement was going to be a place for me to go to play console games and with perhaps a billiards table. One thing leads to the next and I now own 6 arcade machines (how did this happen!?). The worst part is they aren't even setup. They are just being stored in various parts of the house just like the consoles. I'm currently in the process of going through some of my NES stuff because I have duplicates (things I got in lots). I mean, who really needs 4 NES systems? I should sell those. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm keeping the titles that are important to me and sifting through the rest. Not all of it, but some.

My first cab was $50 and I wasn't even able to drive yet. Flash forward to 2014 and 2015 and I try to keep my finds still under $300. The average price per game is $87.50. Granted several of those were not working. So getting your first cab is entirely reasonable if you don't mind it being a little rough around the edges. You could sell a few of your things on eBay and easily get into your first cabinet.

In my case I've started to dump most of my consoles, and selling off most of my games in the process. I do most of my newer gaming on my gaming PC and since prices on most console stuff has shot up, (earthbound is $200-400 Really? lol) It makes it very easy to sell most of it off, and I'm glad to dump this stuff and have more room for things I actually want.
I will probably only keep my Retron 3, PS2, Original Xbox, and Commodore 128, I customized those so they are special to me, but everything else that's left is up for sale or parts fodder..... I would much rather have more money and space for arcade cabs.

Also, I haven't bought a new console for myself or a new game since the ps2/xbox days. the wife has a Wii and a 360 and I hate them, they are kept only for the kids to use at this point and I have zero interest in the current console generation. I'm thinking that I'm over consoles, and I doubt I will regret moving on.

my advice, consider dumping what you don't have emotional connection to and focus on your cade  you will probably be happier ;)

ive been collecting consoles for over 30 years. the only ones I give up are spares.
we didn't hit a wall, the market did.  its not like it was in 1992 anymore when games were being released in steady streams
of goodness , and blockbuster rented carts .
I now own 18 arcade machines.
Ill never stop being a gamer.

I have collected console games since I was around 12 and I'm 39 now. I had most of the NES, SNES, N64, NEC, Atari Jaguar, etc. My collection was for the most part stored away until last year when I sold almost the whole collection. Although I loved all my old console games, I kept most of what I had when I was a kid, I sold everything else. I haven't looked at prices lately, but when I sold mine the market was up....way up. Prices will probably be high for a while and then drop off. I have the Xbox one instead of the PS4 and I'm kinda with you on not liking it. Console gaming has gotten very expensive. Games are at least $60 and most times another $20 or so for map packs or expansions. The One has more glitches about it than it really should. I play Advanced Warfare, Ghosts, Halo, and Titanfall, but it seems it is losing its luster. Maybe I need a new crew. Most of the guys that I teamed up with back 5 years ago don't get to play at the same time I do anymore. Multiplayer is more enjoyabale. I guess my point is if you are going to sell now is most likely the best time to do so. I have a few arcades and these guys on here have made it very fun. I have gotten tons of info from these guys. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

in 1980 , there wasn't too much out there to collect lol.
you kinda only was able to buy one system if you cut enough grass or shoveled enough snow.
I recall a few machines that use to run on D cell batteries . Big motherfuckers that had a screen built in.
sorta like the vectrex but ran on batteries and played something else.

Wanted one of these so bad when I was a kid:

(http://www.ohnomoregames.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Entex-AdventureVision2.jpg)

Never got one.  Today they're rare as hell and just as expensive.  I think only four games were made for it.

way bigger than that, it sat almost 3 feet off the floor..

Havent bought any batteries for the mini pac man in a while..
(http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb392/turbografx/CAM00606.jpg) (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/turbografx/media/CAM00606.jpg.html)

I'm personally taking a break from console gaming.  I ran a very large Xbox fan site (xboxaddict.com) for 15 years, and I'm burnt out in general.  Arcades/retro gaming is the what's keeping me interested. The only thing I have currently is a MAME cabinet, sadly.  But, currently restoring an older Dynamo HS-5 cabinet with my son into a light gun MAME cabinet.

I got the boys back together a few years back.
(http://www.camerongraphics.com/images/pac-mans.jpg)

don't make me go digging through that closet lol.. I have a lot of old game stuff.
That stuff stays packed away in the closet in case my son wants it when I am long gone.

The last console I owned was a Nintendo. Once I got my 486Dx PC and never looked back. You could do so much more and even thou I was in DOS, it still had better graphics. Started to dial out, started a BBS, tons of free games and online play!

Yeah I bought all those old computers too, bbs. Irc. digital press, turbocompendium and so forth. but it never stopped me from shelling out the cash for a nice neo geo AES or a turbografx.

Shit to this day,, I still use my old consoles ,some are out, some are put away even with the arcade machines and the macs and pc's.

That's like saying the PS4 is better than the xbox one.. and vise versa.. well I wouldn't care because I bought both.

What im sayin is , if your into arcade machines chances are you own a home console .. and if you don't and you happen apon
a tag sale with a box full of sega genesis stuff cheap.. pick those bitches up.