This ^

I keep hoping that eventually I'll stumble onto a cart filled with drug money. They say they're out there, and I'ma keep tryin'.

I had some poor trade-in experiences early in life ($5 for Super Metroid, $15 for an NES console with a dozen games) so there came a point where I started to hold onto all the quality titles. There's merits to having a supply on hand too, much less pressure to go out and buy a new game.

That's what I was wondering about... I'm also into playing as many games as possible and finding the hidden gems.

I collect games so I can eventually blend them one at a time and help everyone else's collection go up in value.

I really wanted a gamecube when they came out but they were too expensive for me at the time, and I realized, damn for the price of a gamecube I could get like 50 NES games at the flea market or yard sales. I started doing it because it was cheaper than buying current gen games and systems...too bad those days are over!

I don't see why everyone keeps pmsing about how they're other threads like this.. If newer guys want to try and contribute on these boards then let them. Not everyone knows how to look back and see what we posted in the past. It's cool to read other people's views on collecting.

So true robby. We collect,play and talk about 20+ year old video games (I'm generalizing here) so eventually the same topics are gonna come up. No big deal. Just contribute or shut it.

I collect to play

I had a snes when I was a kid, but I sold it when I got a 64, and the 64 was sold when I got a gamecube, and so on and so on, until I got to the current generation of consoles. But the whole time I missed my snes.. And then one day a couple years ago I got a serious, heroin-like craving for some Super Mario World, so I quickly checked on the local classifieds and wouldn't ya know it, someone posted a snes for sale 14 minutes earlier - with a copy of SMW. So I went and picked it up and got thrown right back to 1997. I was enjoying it even more than I did in '97! Probably because weed is much harder to find when you're 8 years old. I enjoyed it so much that I beat the game in a couple days and immediately started thinking about what other games I used to love. So, knowing ZERO about snes, I grabbed a $20 bill and headed out to pick up a copy of Earthbound.. After scouring the city, I finally came across a copy at the flea market. "Are you out of your damn mind?!? Who's going to give you $80 for a copy of Earthbound?!" So stupid. I still don't own it. "These things are getting more collectible everyday!" flea market guy explained. "Collectible you say? Well I can't afford that. How about I just give you 20 for street fighter and that mega man?" I was familiar with mega man x at the time, but this one had a weird label.. "Mega Man x..3? Never heard of that before.." and what a sweet surprise it was when I got home and googled it! It was the first time I ever got that game chaser feeling in my stomach, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Exactly!! Thanks for the support robby808....

I also love the input from ehhitskp.... I did the same thing, when you speak of trading up. We traded our NES for the SNES, SNES for 64 and so on... Awesome score at the flea market, too!! Any Mega Man game is great to have just to play, never mind it's "value"...

I love the hunt.... seeing old video games stacked on a thrift store shelf, or a pawn shop is like looking at gold for me. Well, actually it's not... because I don't give a crap about gold. Give me all the classic video games!

I feel you on this one... after a couple trade ins where you get jack squat, it just feels better to keep the stuff.