Could I walk away? Sure, with an arcade game strapped to my back after the divorce.... JK. Or am I? But seriously, if I had to, I could downsize... ok, fine. It's just a hobby, so yes, if the circumstances were such.
I check Craigslist everyday unless the wife says I am cut off....of course if there is a game she wants then I will look for it. Currently I have no room until the next stage of our basement is done.
I buy games that are cheap and that I want. Sure, I want a Tapper, but I'm not paying $1000. But if it popped up for $300 you better believe I'm going to go get it. I'm still new into this hobby so I'm at the stage where I am just trying to get games and will take the free and broken game in hopes of getting it working.
Arcade collecting is improving my life and keeps me at home. Seriously. Sure I go out and get games, but prior to this I could be found at the bar 2-3 times a week. Now I'm there once or twice!
If my spouse game me the ultimatum...well at first it felt like I was getting one after every other game pickup. Then, like Netropolis, my wife likes to tell people at work what I'm doing and then somehow earns the credit for it....what the heck?! But if she gave me a serious ultimatum, we would come to a compromise. I understand that I will never fit 40 games in my basement....well I could, just not with her in my life. I will try to make a modest game room out of 10-13 games and rotate them as needed.
Every hobby in my life has come and gone. I keep tabs in some of them and others I let go completely. Video game collecting has been going on for almost 20 years. Sure it hasn't always been arcade games, that's just the next level. Other hobby's like RC airplanes have come and gone pretty quickly. It was fun and I think about it, but I'm not rushing out to buy another setup.
For the record, we have all dedicated cabinets for: Ms. Pacman, Avengers, Final Lap, Pole Position, NBA Jam, Space Invaders (cocktail),
(cocktail), Virtua Cop, Atari Badlands