13 replies to this topic

[akator]

So... we're moving 160 miles away. I'm packing everything. Half the place is packed and 50x 18 gallon containers are filled. We bought another 36 containers tonight.

I can't help but look at the 20 containers filled with classic games and computers, the 5 computers monitors, the 5 CRT TVs, and think -- WTF is wrong with me? Moving all of this stuff has made me seriously reconsider collecting.

The CRTs especially have me in doubt. Seriously, these things are cumbersome, heavy, and suddenly seem not worth it. I know that acquiring decent ones is more difficult that it would seem, yet I am considering getting rid of them instead of moving them.

I have collected these things because I enjoy them and know that they will provide many years of future enjoyment. For example, we don't play 2600 often but when we do we have a blast. Same for the other systems. I have these things as an investment in happiness.

Even so, I can't help but have doubts about the collection. It seems so extreme. Even worse, I'm only about half-way through my collection goals. I am stunned by the difficulty in moving only half of what I want my collection to be.

Has anyone else encountered this?

It seems so much easier, though not a pure, to go with emulation. But if I was happy with that, I wouldn't have all this stuff.

What about the CRTs? Does anyone have a good solution for not having all of them? Is there a decent, modern CRT I could buy after the move that has enough inputs and works with light guns?

Obviously, the stress of packing and moving has me in second-guessing myself. Any advice, either way, would be appreciated.

[fiddlepaddle]

I know what you mean; I've moved several times, each time with more boxes of stuff than before. After moving some boxes that hadn't been opened since the last move, I decided I'd make some compromises.

I gave up light gun games. If I get the urge, I'll go find a CRT. LCDs are just so much more efficient, space-wise.

I don't buy stuff just because "I don't have one of those" anymore. I stopped buying extras/doubles (mostly). I don't keep broken stuff anymore unless it's very rare AND I think I might try to fix it sometime. I don't keep anything I don't like to play with (except certain carts since they don't take up THAT much room). I'm still overstocked, but at least all my stuff fits on one truck, albeit a big one.

[Mirage]

I understand completely!!!! I moved my entire collection from Illinois to Wisconsin. Then from WI to Virginia. Then from Virginia back to Wisconsin. Then from the Wisconsin apartment to our new house where it all sits in a pile of crates in the basement as I type right now. Each of these moves was about 1.5 years apart.

So... I've been there and I thought the same thing each time.

All I can say is ... it's worth it. Well, it was to me anyway. You have to ask yourself how important it is to you. Are you going to be moving a lot, or are you staying where you're going for quite some time? If you're in the military or something, then probably go emulation, but if this is a permanent move, I'd just move it and keep it.

You're probably also stressing out about it all getting damaged in the move. At least, I did. If so, just pack everything decently, tape all the crates shut, then load them all top load in the truck as much as possible so they don't get crushed by heavy things, then strap every few rows of crates in so they don't shift much. Pack smart and everything will be fine. Mine was all fine (I unpacked everything then repacked to move again this time).

That's all I can really say. A bigger issue for me was moving dozens of boxes of books (I have a book problem). Books are flippin' heavy, wow. I did get rid of a lot of books, but nothing significant in terms of retro gaming stuff.

The CRT's, I don't know. I have a few Commodore monitors for everything, I moved those. And one 22" CRT TV. So, it's a tough call on those. I'm not so picky about what they're displayed on though.

If the retro stuff is important to you, I think you'd regret letting it all go though. They're not making the stuff anymore, and it's all getting harder to find. Easier to move it now than replace it later.

Let us know how it goes.

EDIT: I just read fiddlepaddle's post... I've changed in the same ways. I now regularly pass on gaming stuff in thrifts if it's not something I really want to play or need to fill a hole. I don't collect doubles (leave them for the next guy who may not have them), don't buy broken stuff, pass broken/parts stuff on to others who can use them, and I'm even thinking of getting rid of some stuff that isn't that meaningful to me (e.g. am I ever really going to have a large NES collection? No, so why do I have 40-50 random NES carts? No reason.) All those self-imposed rules really does help get your collection under control for the future. In other words, focus as you go on and then it won't seem so out of control and pointless.

Edited by Mirage1972, Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:56 PM.

[akator]

My wife told me to bring all of the CRTs and stop worrying about it. I guess she likes light gun games too much

[Mirage]

Well, there you go then. Wife support goes a LONG way, don't take that for granted!

[Video]

akator, on Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:02 PM, said:

The CRTs especially have me in doubt. Seriously, these things are cumbersome, heavy, and suddenly seem not worth it. I know that acquiring decent ones is more difficult that it would seem, yet I am considering getting rid of them instead of moving them.

Most of it I'd say is well worth it, but with CRT's, your right, their big, heavy, and not worth much. It may be cheaper depending on how far you go, to just drop them at a goodwill or sell them (leave them on the curb) and pick up a new CRT/s once you get to where you're going.

50 boxes, and another 30....damn, and I thought I had a lot of shit last time I moved (still over 20 and half a dozen CRT/monitors, but damn)

[jferio]

Ive just got two CRTs right now... worth the effort of moving so that I can still play Duck Hunt, which is the only lightgun game I play at all right now. One's in the computer room for games, the other is in the living room for 'entertaining company' video viewing, and is by all rights the 'backup' unit.

The rest of the video game stuff is a bit bulky, but I can manage when it comes time to move it. I only try not to by everything in sight because I have a limited amount of space to keep it all.

[opeygon]

for the crt tv's just pitch some of them and get a switch adapter. here are some pictures of the setup i have in my game room





i have 8 systems and need only 2 tv's for them. i could have daisy chained them to one tv but i didn't want to do that. you should be able to get the switch boxes at radio shack of some other electronics store. they have ones for av and ones for coax.

so in light of that, i wouldn't worry too much about having too large of a collection. it's totally worth it...you said it yourself, it's an investment in happines

[Seob]

If the wife says oke, then pack every thing and move. My wife isn't to happy with my collection, thinks i have to much, compared 2 some of you guys i only have a very very small collection, but if i keep it in hand it's oke. So i only collect stuff for consoles and consoles that where for sale in my country.

[Video]

I guess that's opne thing. I have a bunch of cheap ass CRT TV's taht I've literally gotten from places when people upgraded their stuff. Those aren't worht particularly much, but sometimes, you run across an awesome gaming CRT (lots of inputs, great picture, maybe a 6 color or trinitron type tube or something) I'd keep a TV like that. But if I move again, likely a lot of the CRT's (which most of are packed away at the moment) will probably not make the move with me.

Sad thing is, I told myself I wouldn't let the collection go unorganized again like it was before, and now, I think it's even worse, and worse still, I have half the space I did befor, and twice the shit in it And a crapload of those boxes, that are half or nearly completely empty, cause I can't get my ass to put stuff back when I'm done with it. My game room is a real horror show, it woulda probably blended in with the sewers on the "matrix"

[shadow460]

I only have two CRTs I play games on. One is this 19 inch Gateway monitor and the other is my C=1701. I have moved the C=1701 from San Diego to Seattle, to Oklahoma City, to Maine, to Norfolk, Virginia, to Kansas, to Colorado, and back to Oklahoma where it's been moved twice more. In most of those moves I had my entire collection. At some times it was 500+ games, many with dedicated controllers.
I live in a 450 square foot apartment with my wife and my game collection. The collection is 750 games or more, the two screens, a computer, perhaps a hundred controllers ranging from the tiny Amiga Power Sticks to the hulking Saturn Twin Stick and two Driving Force wheels. There are 22 systems all total, ranging from smallest to second largest (only the Halcyon is bigger than any of my systems, and it makes the 5200 look like a PocketStation). It gets crowded sometimes, and I've been thinking about where I could store the wife once I get more games. Serious, though, I've got gaming related stuff in the oddest places. I've got two shelves that I've had to add to to store it all, I've got a pile of systems set up around the C=1701 (including both the 5200 and the LaserActive), and where you'd expect to find pots and pans in my kitchen I have a truckload of controllers stored. I've got manuals stashed in a thick briefcase that can be found in various places.

Isn't collecting great?

[Rev. Rob]

Quote

All of this stuff... is it necessary?

Yes, it is. Don't question it. Just know it.

[swlovinist]

About four and a half years ago, I moved 500 miles north with 90 FULL boxes full of video games. It was about 105 degrees, and it SUCKED. I had a ton of help(including Lord Thag from this forum). I then a year later moved it another time and it was about 100 boxes.


It is totally worth all the hardship of moving all the stuff, but I have the game room for my hobby, passion, and not as an investment. I love having my game room, and am willing to move it if necessary to a new place. I would only part with it if I had to. I now really pick things up at a slower pace, but find myself enjoying more of what I have accomplished. Everyone is going to be different on this matter. I recommend that any decision that you make on it be thought about throughly.

Edited by swlovinist, Sun Nov 22, 2009 11:56 PM.

[akator]

After reading replies and talking with my wife about it over the weekend, we agreed to even bring all of the CRTs. It's more trouble finding decent ones than it is to bring them, even if they are beasts.

Once reason we're keeping them (for now) is that new CRT TVs, even digital ones, seem to have disappeared completely from the market. I know that in stores last year there were plenty in the 25" and under range, with lots of inputs, but those have been replaced by LCDs. After we move I'll re-evaluate things, but right now it's just easier to bring them and cover all bases