I spent years watching other people talk about old games (Usually American YouTubers talking about NES Games), I discovered websites where you could play the old games along with emulation, but it was probably another 5 or 6 years before I actually started retro game collecting.
My History of Retro Game Collecting
Back in the 1990s I had a nice collection of systems that I had built up from the 1980s onwards. I had gone from a British home micro computer to a mega selling 8bit home computer know across the globe and then on to the dominant Sega and Nintendo consoles with a dip back into computing with an Amiga 600. At 18 years old I purchased a PlayStation (the original) with my own hard-earned cash and from there I didn’t buy another system until the GameCube landed (my Brother got an N64, DreamCast and PS2 of which all I played as I still lived with my parents).
So, when I list the systems, I actually owned back in the day I had the following:
- Acorn Electron
- Commodore 64
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Sega Master System
- Sega Mega Drive
- Nintendo Gameboy
- Amstrad GX4000 (I bought it off a mate)
- Super Nintendo
- Commodore Amiga 600
- Sony PlayStation
- Nintendo GameCube
- Atari 2600 (a Vader that I got around 2000/2001 off eBay)
Quite a collection that to this day other than a few of the above I don’t know what happened to any of these.
Retro Game Collecting Posts:
- Is Retro Game Collecting Worth It?
- How To Get Started With Retro Game Collecting
- Why Are Retro Games So Expensive?
- Why Are Retro Games So Popular?
- The Highs and Lows of Retro Game Collecting
- Retro Game Collecting Burn Out
What Went Wrong with My Retro Games Collection?
Basically, I was an idiot and when I purchased my first home, I only took my C64 and GameCube with me as I didn’t think we would have the room to store too much stuff. To be fair if had taken everything it would have ended up in the loft like the C64 and GameCube did for quite a few years. Leaving everything else behind with my parents was ok but when they downsized their home and moved that where everything went missing. As far as I’m concerned this is my own fault as I could have made the effort to go looking for the stuff, but I didn’t as at the time building a retro gaming collection was the last thing on my mind. So, most of it was gone.
How I Started Retro Game Collecting
Back in late 2013 we moved into a larger house where as I have written before once we got settled in the C64 and GameCube came out of the loft permanently in 2014 (they would come out now and again previously, but I had nowhere to keep them). The years of emulation and watching YouTubers along with my discovery of all the great retro gaming content on Twitter finally got to much and I started thinking seriously about getting back some of the systems I had back in the day.
Building Up a Retro Games Collection
In early 2015 I won a Sega Mega Drive bundle on eBay and then my Wife found a retro console bundle for sale on eBay which consisted of a Sega Master System 2, N64 and another Mega Drive plus some games. I was getting started and soon I would add a modded Xbox with Coin Ops 7 to allow me to play a lot of retro arcade games from back in the day. I was off to a good start.
From there up to the present day I would start replacing all the systems I listed earlier on in the article along with other systems I had not originally owned. This took time as everything costs money even if you find a bargain but as they say its all about the journey. I still need to get an original Gameboy and an Atari 2600.
My journey through building up my collection again has been a lot of fun and it’s not over yet.
Is Retro Game Collecting Worth It?
The Retro Gaming Community
The term the Retro Gaming Community is a bit of a generalisation but from talking to people across social media and listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos I have learnt so much that has helped me to build up my collection. From advice on certain things to look for that I didn’t know about to people offering me deals on items they were willing to part with, it has all helped me along the way.
Retro Gaming Expos and Events
At Expos and events, you can try all the systems you haven’t been able to acquire yet and discover some new ones too. You can talk to traders and possibly do deals on systems and games and you can chat to fellow collectors too which is always useful if you have any questions about a specific system. Expos and events certainly helped me along the way with my retro games collection.
You can find my article on why I think you should go to a Retro Gaming Expo here.
Retro Game Collecting on Facebook
You can still find retro gaming bargains on Facebook, but you need to be quick to snap them up which means sometimes you need to get lucky. With the rise of Facebook market place, it is easier for everyone to now see what is for sale, whereas when I first started all you needed to do was join loads of local sales groups and if something good did pop up you would normally have a reasonable chance of securing it. Facebook is still a good place to find bargains, but it is not as easy as it used to be. I have found some great additions to my retro games collection, like the Sega Genesis Bundle in the video below.
Retro Game Collecting at Car Boot Sales
The golden days of turning up to a car boot sale and finding a host of cheap Nintendo and Sega games are long gone. I have heard the tales from friends who were collecting at the turn of the century and picking up games was so cheap. You can still find bargains, but you need to be dedicated to have some success.
I get to my local car boots sales early (as do many other people, most of whom seem to be resellers) and you must keep going. Some days you will find some really cool stuff and most of the time you will find a wide range of PS2 games, possibly some PS1 games. The thing is you never know when you might find that person having a clear out and just wants to get rid of stuff like the time in 2017 when I found a Nintendo Entertainment System with games and an arcade stick for £8. Car boot sales have helped to build my retro games collection.
Retro Game Collecting on eBay
We all know about eBay and a lot of people hate on it but sometimes to get specific games or systems you just must use eBay. I have added so much stuff to my collection that has come from eBay and I consider myself to be quite tight at times (I don’t like paying OTT prices for anything) so you don’t have to spend a fortune, but you do have to use the right tactics.
I have learnt a lot over the last four years with regards to eBay and collecting in general and you can find out a lot more by checking out my Retro Game Collecting Tips Series on YouTube.
My Retro Games Collection
It has been a fun few years building up my current collection. It is sad I lost a lot of my original stuff years ago that I could have kept but hindsight is always a wonderful thing but never very helpful. The collection continues to grow and I’m glad that I did eventually start it. If you have a passion for something sometimes it is best to go with it and see where it leads. You don’t have to go mad it could be just one system and a small selection of games that you played growing up, possibly a single arcade cab as long as it means something to you that’s a great starting point.
More Retro Collecting…
What is Considered Retro Gaming?
Video Game Collecting Burn Out
Keep it retro.
Daz.
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