Do you buy games mostly to collect them, or mostly to play them?🤔

I collect mint condition examples of games I have played and loved enough to preserve forever. I think in my mind, I'm trying to recapture that first moment I was introduced to a game I know I would go on to immensely enjoy, like replaying the past over and over. It's probably a psychosis.

When I started collecting video games, I wanted to play every single game I got. But it didn't take me long to realize, it's just not fun. Some games are bad, some games just don't interest me, and some games are fun to play but only one time. Over time, I became a shelf collector, because of the thrill of the hunt. And then, over even more time, I realized I just don't care about hoarding games, so I got rid of tons I didn't care about (though I still have easily over 1000 games right now). Nowadays, I am VERY selective with which games I buy, and when I do want to play retro games, I use an Everdrive instead of the actual game. Collectors go through phases, and anyone who doesn't believe that simply hasn't been collecting long enough.

I won’t lie, I am a shelf collector..for the moment. I have several video games that I have never played but always wanted or heard great things about. Many collectors are adults who have full time jobs like myself. I can’t play every game as much as I want, so it’ll get shelved until I have time to play it. I don’t feel guilty for it because these games aren’t expensive and have hundreds of copies still in circulation. Even my graded games I have separate CIB copies of, just so I have the ability to play it when I want to. Great video.

It amazes me how some people willfully fail to see the obvious: there are hundreds if not thousands of different ways to interact with video games. Imagine the man who has played Bionic Commando (NES) non-stop on original hardware for 20 years and finally decides to move on to other games. Is he allowed to buy a sealed and graded copy of the game as a memento to put on his shelf? What if your father passes away and you go out and buy a sealed and graded copy of any SNES game he ever bought for you as a way of remembering him? What if you emulate games, and choose to buy sealed and graded copies of any game you really love? On the flip side, why do people who say games are meant to be played own anything beyond cartridges? The boxes are just marketing and manuals are now available online, so why are any CIB collectors telling anyone else they don't understand that games are meant to be played? You literally are collecting marketing materials that have nothing to do with playing the game. People just need to shut up about how others live their lives and recognize that human experience is impossibly complex and nuanced.

Love to see retro bird support!😁 This was definitely an interesting video. It kinda reminds me of something ive heard pokemon card collector smpratte say: collectors cannibalize other collectors. Its just the nature of collecting. One collector having means another cant have. The fact that there isnt just an infinite supply of everything to go around-- that theres some challenge-- is part of what makes collecting so fun and interesting. Im personally someone who collects games to play, but i could see the allure of collecting sealed if my collection ever got to a point where i have everything i wanted to play. Id probably try to collect graded sealed copies of games that were really important to me

Nice video! It's fascinating how much of a 1st world problem this lol. People complaining about what other people 'shouldn't' be doing with their own property. Too bad more people aren't complaining about this to the companies who produce and own the rights to these products (maybe some do?). The greater video game community doesn't need to love graded games, but they don't need to hate it either, it's unwarranted. P.S. online discussions are just prone for poor communication. I wonder how the conversation would go if people communicated verbally or in-person, on these matters.

I needed this rant. My sentiments exactly!

imagine judging somebody for collecting children's media cartridges/discs differently than you enjoy your games and shut up lmao

I heard a similar thing with vinyl records: I bought some cheap colored vinyl to put on the wall as a display and people got mad that I was displaying it and not listening to it (and therefore, I assume, not "enjoying it properly"). 🙄

I have a fairly large collection amounting to 500+ games on 7 different consoles. I gather some friends to my place 1-2 times a year, for an evening to experience some nostalgia, explore new titles and have fun together. Between the sessions I have everything packed away in storage, including the consoles. I could not care less what others think. We all have our busy lives, working hard at work, caring for our families and so on. Still, we enjoy a great time together every time we decide to host an evening to hook up some consoles for a game session.

Sounds like people need to stop being so bothered with what other people are doing with their games. These games were all made in the thousands & millions of copies. People play. People collect. People collect & play. People collect, play, AND emulate. And 90%+ flips and resells. I usually chalk it up to jealousy at the end of the day. Proud shelf collector over here! Who cares? lol

Im not a huge collector but im more of a shelf collector (just stuff I like). The reason is that when I do play the games I loved to death, there is a huge difference of the enjoyment I have playing now vs when I was a kid. Sometimes its downright disappointing. I tried firing up some gameboy today and holy crap those games were lackluster but then again, I appreciated the sound (especially with earphones). This is why I like shelf collecting.

The problem I see is the graded game community is realy tiny and mostly consists of investors and speculators and with that comes manipulation, not collecting. Theres nothing wrong with graded games at all, the hobby just needs to grow and become more public rather than hide in private groups.

I think the mindset of the own-to-play collector is to accumulate a library that they can always access to play later if they want to. Or insure themselves against a particular game never being re-released due to licensing issues. But those folks need to grasp that shelf collectors see novelty in displaying some marquee games as historical / cultural artifacts that are honored by being preserved in mint condition.

I know a guy who buys switch games. Never plays them, doesn’t collect them he just got enough switch games to fill a shelf. They’re basically decoration

I said this 100x before and I can say it again: I started with gaming back in 1991 and saw bins filled with NES boxed copies of mega man, zelda, mario etc which people didnt even pick up in the mid 90s. when SNES and GENESIS (...mega drive in Sweden) was out you could have that dream NES collection - and everyone who visited gaming stores in the 90s know this AND CHEAP. And when ps2 came out you could find insane ps1 copies for cheap. Same with gamecube games, I literally saw, here in sweden games like skies of arcadia, luigi mansion, fire emblem, double dash, smash etc for 50 kr on sale ( 5 dollars ) when the wii was out. So everyone has been able to afford the last generation if they wanted to be a "collector" you could get a mint/sealed NES collection back on the SNES era (16 bit), and a SNES collection back on the n64 era and a gamecube back on the wii so you just didnt care until they got expensive and rare- if you are mad now. OR you jumped in too late (maybe because of age) and guess what, that wasnt your "era" or childhood anyway, so bad luck but it is what it is. I have no issue with shelf collectors either, but thats what they are "shelf collectors". They are no gamers and never will be. EVen a person like Pat the nes punk said he hardly touched the n64 and now writes a book about the n64 so the retro community lives in lala land and worship false idols ;) oh he has a complete nes ecollection then he clearly must be the king of SNES and N64 and need to write and be listened about it!!!!! right retro community? oh you will buy his n64 book, we all know it! sorry for long post, but quez finally got back from vacation and quez gonna reply! oh I almost forgot to add, now is a great time to get that ps4 collection its cheap and has some tons of cool and rare and ofc great games to buy for- and get your switch collection not now, but when switch 2 is out for the "price dumps".

Greg you nailed all this. People just like to assume the worst in everybody else. If you collect sealed games you’re just an investor, etc.

Somewhat serious answer, it's essentially sour grapes. If they could, all redditors would own a 200sqft gaming room and glass cabins of the rarest games in the nicest condition around. If they truly didn't care, they wouldn't respond (and many do), but seeing others enjoying high-end items evokes class anxiety. Buying graded games is like buying luxury handbags and never using them, but for some reason fewer people get angry at some rich guy stacking watches, because it's not pushed in their face on their favourite downdoot website.

Absolutely love, love, love this! I have seen so much ugliness in this hobby its crazy, it's like the Jobst video people used to justify their feelings and really piled on even though lots of his accusations have been refuted. Thanks Greg for this video!

It’s so funny how the CIB market acts like the sealed market doesn’t exist 😂😂😂

it's to me that anyone would care this much about what i do with my luxury possessions. livin rent free, baby.

I have many many games from the last 25 years that I have gotten from an obviously incredible deal ($5 And $10 clearance, black Friday etc.) And I buy them fully intending to play them *at some point* but then life happens and it becomes a shelf warmer and sometimes becomes worth a crap ton of money so why would I open it at that point instead of just re-acquiring it used and cheap should I decide I want to play it?

This calls for a Scott the Woz collab

This video is 100% a result of all the toxic game collecting subs on Reddit. There needs to be a graded games sub.

I know some games have been sitting there for decades that I own and not played. But when my parents moved house they gave me my SNES games and console back. I replayed a couple of games and was searching for this ONE game (PLOK) but then remembered I gave it to a friend when I was like 10 and didn't get it bay - anyday now. Sue people keep their games and may not play it, but there is that one day that you may want to play it again. And when you feel the urge that 'shelf' item can be useful

I am a mix of both, and there is nothing wrong with it. I am a completionist, collector, and gamer. I can't play every single game I collect, but I play the ones that interest me. The honest truth (in my opinion) is when you collect games that you don't play, you are collecting for other reasons. For instance, I collect not only because I like to play games, but also because I am interested in the history, the artwork, the signifiance in pop culture that game has had on our society. If you appreciate the historical value of something you can still collect it without continuing to use it for it's primary purpose. It's not JUST about playing it, it goes a LOT deeper than that.

You can’t say it’s dumb to buy an original game to play it. Emulation is not perfect especially when it comes to 3d games. Many games are not even playable. Owning the original game with the box and manual is fun and doesn’t require you to have internet etc. But your good, just collect how you want

I collect to play as well as Archive my collection. I used to be the type that disliked shelf collectors when I was younger. But as I got older, I just see us all as collectors as a whole. We all find joys in our hobbies in different ways, I say give it time and everyone might be on the same page.

I have 3 parts to my collection. Stuff that I’m nostalgic for because I played as a kid, but now sits on a shelf. Stuff I keep because I know it’s worth something and now sits on a shelf. The largest portion is the stuff that I tell myself I will play one day, but now sits on a shelf. Guess I’m a shelf collector!

I do both! I buy the special /deluxe/limited edition for my sealed collection and when it get cheap, the standard edition to play it, it's the perfect combo for me because standard edition always get cheap with time while the premium version always get more expensive!

Great video. You made a lot of good points. I don't usually have a problem with shelf collectors but as someone who is trying to recollect a lot of the games I played in my childhood with a limited budget, sometimes seeing people with enormous collections who don't necessarily have a personal connection to a lot of the games they own or people who own multiple copies of a rare and valuable game can be a bit disheartening. The prices of retro games continue to get more and more ridiculous. I can see why it causes some people to act irrationally.

The annoyance with shelf collectors is that they raise the prices for everyone. They are the reason scalpers and game stores can charge 10x as much as these games should be worth There are very few examples of items in game collecting that are actually rare. Almost anything that is "collected" can just be obtained at anytime on the internet or at some store. Now things like greg's mario rpg banner, thats unique. Thats collectible. Thats unique. Maybe im wrong but i couldnt just spend 10 minutes on the internet and buy that.

Spot on m8 I agree totally with you. I'm collecting to show in the future a library for reference so you know what an authentic item looked like and not fake etc. I will play some just for fun but it will only be for "lets play a game on a get together night like mario kart etc"

I wonder who messaged you on Discord at 6:02 while you were recording lol.

It’s funny, because the whole time I was thinking most Pokémon Card collectors don’t even play the TCG 😅 and then you said it. Great video as always

It seems to be the new trend for people to put down and try to control people who basically do anything different than them. It’s disappointing. Just ignore them.

@getthegreg I submitted a sealed Mario kart 64, smash bros 64, and Mario world that I bought back in 2013 into WATA a year ago and they said they were resealed. I just resent them into CGC for a second opinion. If they also find that they’re resealed, would you be interested in doing a video on them? I’d be happy to know what the tells are, they looked really good to me.

Pretty much spot on. I’m largely a shelf collector; I have thousands of games and if I spent a couple hours with each, I’d have no time for a life. There are always a few games I play regularly. My city’s newspaper ran a big story (with photos) on my collection and the subsequent online hate I got was insane. Mostly the problem was jealousy, which you might consider a bit more. The haters wanted my cool stuff, but they don’t have the collecting skill and/or enough money and/or they came too late to the game. I don’t think a few loud haters speak for the entire gaming community, though. Most gamers are in fact fine with shelf collectors. They understand that collecting is fun. Every single (duplicate) game I’m going to sell at the upcoming convention can easily be played free through emulation. But there will be thousands of people there and I’ll sell zillions of games. And btw, the thousands of people never argue/fight about this stuff. Food for thought?

I know Greg you don’t collect present video game consoles, but I Never can afford cards or packs that are now expensive, which I’m hunting for signed limited cards. So I stopped buying cards a long time ago and decided to collect present day switch and ps5 consoles for grading. I enjoy them and hopefully when I pass them to someone they can help them value wise. But I know that this can be a bust also, so I don’t think about the value for my benefit as I just enjoy the grading aspect of it. Again I will still have this with me till I pass, then just give to someone else. Thank you for your time sir.

The problem with demand is its skewed. The demand should be based on "i want to play rhis" or "i may never see this again" or "this is a good price". Thr demand should not be based on hype or "my social media will be impressed if I have this". Obviously you cant control how people feel and spend their money, but these misguided reasons for demand are common among new collectors and the longer you collect the more you realize how its a quick way to wasting tons of money and overpaying for everything.

Great video! My thoughts align exactly. Each person should enjoy games the way they want to.

I think the difference is if you HAVE played your games or plan to. Theres a difference between buying games you want to play and also collect, and purely buying games for display. Like obviously there's a difference between someone who has 50 ps1 games that they've played at least once, and someone who has 50 ps1 games because they're rare and popular titles that they don't plan to play

Honestly, I buy most of my games with the “intent” to play them. If I don’t end of playing some of them within a certain period of time, I’ll probably just end up selling eventually. The only exception are things that I have a personal attachment to or games I grew up with. Those can sit on my shelf forever and I’m happy with that, whether I still play them or not.

I find the concept of "hoarding" retro games to be a very funny thing to do.

Now i totally get that everyone collects differently, i collect a number of things, MTG cards, warhammer minis, video games and old school fantasy novels. Yet i still really don't get people who just put them in these graded boxes, to put em on the shelf. Not saying it is bad in any way, just... odd to me. It's like deciding to collect power saws without the intention to ever saw a single inch of wood, jut doesn't make sense. And yes I played every video game I own at least once and I am still not gonna resell them (unless it becomes financially necessary) because I like having the option to replay them whenever I like. Same with my MTG cards, I don't use each one equally, but I love having the option to include them in the decks I build. And yes I even re-read novels from time to time. And when it comes to the animosity towards shelf collectors, I can somewhat understand where it might come from. With the outrageous prices some of these collector's items have, it is understandable that people who just want to pick up a copy to play, feel a bit miffed if someone else gets it just to lock it away behind clear plastic. They most likely think "I could have used it so much better, than this dude who just lets it sit around and collect dust" hence the "they are made to be played" argument. Again, I am not trying to say it is bad, but maybe this helps clear up why some people are so bewildered about shelf collecting.

I got no issues because I don't shop at any retro game stores, I don't buy from scalpers at cons and GameStop is bringing back old games. Plus, I'm lucky to find rare games for cheap.

You spent too long on Reddit today, didn't you? You looked too long into the abyss, my friend.

I do both, whats the issue? 😊

Nothing but love for messages like this

People have to learn that, if you own it, you do TF you want with it.

Other hobbies that I have been a part of don’t have nearly as much trouble allowing all forms of collecting. Never have I seen a comic book collector, TCG collector, coin collector, antiques, etc., shame another collector for not having the same use-case of the collectible as its original intent as a product. From my limited interaction with folks of this mindset, my impression is definitely one of willful ignorance.

I collect most of my games digitally, the handful that I collect physically are usually "killer apps" of retro consoles, like Sonic on Sega Genesis or Halo CE on Xbox, or I collect exlcusives physically, like I have a stack of like 20 PS4 exclusive games. But generally I don't collect physical games. It's a waste of time and money. Best way to preserve games is digital, best way to play games is digital, best way to afford games is digital. Unless you collect just to collect, there's really no point.

Absolutely nailed it in this video :-)

I think my thoughts on this have been expressed many times on this very channel. Edit: But I’ll repeat my view. Back in the day, you basically had to have a collection if you wanted to play games. I can’t speak for others but the reason why I never sold them was because, gasp, I would replay them. In addition, the return on investment was so bad, I simply couldn’t sell my games without feeling awful (especially when a lot of my games were bought by my family… who didn’t have much money at the time). However, as time moved on, there has become so many ways to play games that has made “owning” them not necessary. And guess what happened? My physical collection stopped growing at the same rate it once did. But the reason I’ve been critical of shelf collectors is a more general problem with our culture: materialism. Personally, I am torn between loving the things I own and wanting to pile it all up in the street and set it on fire. I think, in the end, it’s kind of a values question, which people never want to address. The reason? People don’t like the idea of materialism being a “bad thing”.

I collect games that I used to play and I’ve been real big into switch collector editions lately.

I collect games and also a shelf collector but the only thing i don't like about this hobby is the negative mindset some people have towards different ways of collecting if that makes since

As a reseller myself, I'd like to remind people that for some collectors the ONLY way they're getting games is via online resellers. I'm in BC, Canada and so many of the addresses I mail to are rural routes, Northern addresses, and TINY communities. Also, a lot of people don't realize that a significant minority population of this country have terrible internet and so downloading emulators and roms is an actual challenge for them. So trust me when I say that to someone living on a Ranch in the middle of the prairies, or to someone living in the Yukon or to someone in a town of 600 people in Newfoundland resellers are a 100% requirement and the feedback I receive from these people is incredibly grateful and happy. Have you hugged a reseller lately?

I collect cib, i play all my games, i beat all my games to the end credits roll, and then I review them on my Instagram. But it stays in my collection forever, for the memories, and for reference in later reviews for other games. That’s how I collect.

I only collect graded games I’ve actually played and beat. I have to have a personal attachment to the game to collect it but I don’t judge.

It’s 2023, people are still struggling to understand what it means to have perspectives. There’s no “correct” way to collect. Everyone does it differently. The only difference is the amount that’s left in the bank account.

Excellent take. A+ video. I couldn't agree more.

I don't understand the argument "you can't play the game if it's graded" The 1 copy encased in plastic that I have won't prevent someone or myself from playing one of the millions of open copies

If you've played the games. Even on an emulator or multi-cart you'll be a better investor in the long run, because you'll know what's likely over and undervalued.

the only people I get grumpy at are the speculative investment bros who saw it as a fad to corner and monopolize. how am I going to get mad at someone who collects because they like the games? nothing wrong with owning a copy to play and a copy for the shelf. and people who are investing, but aren't rich monopoly finance bros - probably not the easiest or smartest investment, by a large margin, but I'm not gonna get mad at someone for wanting a retirement. if you just want to play, there's plenty loose to go around. and the games that are crazy expensive? well, there's repros. it's not like the devs are seeing money from the 2nd hand market. just mark it clearly, and don't try to fraudulently sell it again later. it's no worse than emulation to own such things. imo. and other people might not like that opinion, but there's room enough for them, too.

I still have lots of comic books that I haven't looked past the cover. I may read them one day or I may not.

You make an excellent point. Part of the fun is in collecting itself. I just think the price of old games should be waaay cheper than it is. If backwards compatibility was an industry standard and oir digital purchases were 100% ensured and accessible offlome at all times, that would be ideal.

Ah yes my favorite piece within Greg's collection, 🔥HITOKAGE🔥

Remember, if you own a graded game, you can legally emulate it! And, as we know, that is the ONLY way to emulate…

Great video

This video soothes my soul.

Collecting is just hoarding with extra steps. 😋 I am a retro game collector myself and enjoy the hobby, but sometimes It feels like the above statement is true.

“Stamp collectors aren’t licking their stamps” 😂😂😂

I love some folks are still trying to pretend we are buying stadium events to play it 😂😂😂

VERY interesting!!

Reddit is garbage. Reddit is the absolute worst place to frequent if you are a game collector. The general “I’m better than you because I play my games” attitude the majority of posters have steers me away from participating there anymore.

Collecting games and not playing it is just as understandable as collecting cards and not playing them (pokemon). I seeno problem with either

I collect comic books! I play video games! I keep the ones I love and sell or trade the ones I don’t! Been doing it since 1982! Even before if you count Pong! I wouldn’t even call myself a collector really!

Games are only technically in circulation when USPS is on their way tonyour house, then they go out again 😂

I really feel the people that say you have to play the video games no matter what are the people that came way too late to the Hobby and are just jealous of people that have factory-sealed games that they bought maybe even originally when they came out for a small price or like me once the Next Generation came out grabbed a bunch of the older generation games that I've already played and the ones I really loved I bought factory-sealed brand new thinking maybe one day they'll be worth some money and it's really cool to look at them unopened like when you went to the store for the first time and saw the game so I got haters were going to hate and usually they're just jealous of collectors or shelf collectors as you call it LOL I'm on gamer that likes to play games but I'm also a shell collector good example I have a factory sealed NES Swamp Thing graded VGA 90 and I don't have a copy anymore to actually play as I sold it but I can still play the game on emulation so I don't need to open up the original to play the darn game which would be stupid but most of the people that say you have to only play the game no matter what they are pretty stupid in my opinion😂

I started buying sealed games to grade, because I seen your KZfaq channel.

I met a couple in Japan on a trip 10 years ago where this guys girlfriend was asking me about my collecting of Neo Geo games, her boyfriend just kept saying "you know you can just download that game, right?" me and his girlfriend just stared at him for a second like wow. Needless to say, she left his ass months later and we are still friends. Its fun collecting cool games

Overall, I agree. it's just weird that people care so much about what other people do with their money in a hobby that, no matter how you do it, is just collecting cardboard and plastic and maybe-maybe-not playing the game on the cart/disc. lol

I just like knowing I own a good condition copy of a good game. A lot of the games I’ve played before. A lot of them I have beaten. And most of them I haven’t gotten to yet. But for sure I have plenty of ways to play those games if I ever want to. No need to open my nice copy for that

I only collect what I will occasionally play I’m not here to make silly wall stands with complete collections and silly Mario posters I just want a decent assortment of games il play , if I want to try something nes il use my everdrives and decide if I want to get that game usually if it’s any good its expensive I find but you get them obscure ones sometimes for peanuts that are right up your street like wolfchild for sms was a few pounds and I found it a great addition and decent classic gameplay

I own thousands of games. I can only play 1 game at a time. I buy games I think ill enjoy and possibly play. I keep them because I enjoyed them. Have spent a ton of money but have no regrets since buying and selling games have paid for my collection. Hunting , playing and displaying are all parts I enjoy of collecting. End of the day as all long as people are spending their own money why care.

“Omg a sealed game! You have to open it and play it!” Such a silly argument some people love to make. As if you can’t play an nes game a million other ways. You MUST open this pristine sealed copy or you’re not a “real” collector or “gamer”. Haha. So stupid. By that same logic a person with a slabbed Action Comics #1 needs to crack it out and read it regularly. I collect games largely due to nostalgia and because I am an avid enthusiast of video game history, not necessarily to play them all (Although I do play lots of games!)

Agreed it’s crazy how much much others care about other collectors… who cares!!! If it doesn’t impact you and they are enjoying something let it be!!!

I say let people do what they want and collect how they want. BUT let's not pretend collecting sealed mint copy or graded games is viewed as normal when its like 1% of the gaming community. I would say the majority of gamers buy to collect to play. They view "greedy only care about money reseller/collectors" that buy games to collect sealed on their shelf to sell in the future as not real "gamers" because gamers should want to play games they own, if not why would they buy them. Also gamers keep games they enjoy and mostly sell games they hate and keep games they played and love. Also the sealed collector mint copy shelf collector behavior is frowned in other communities too. Movie, Book, Comic Book/Manga and Music fans have a majority that laugh at people that buy a sealed VHS or Vinyl of a classic loved movie or album. They are all like why aren't you gonna watch that movie or listen to that album? But I see both sides and I do a little of both. I'm maybe 50/50 shelf collector of mint or sealed games and then have my half of the collection of games I play and love :)

Here's a hot take: I play AND collect My video games. Boom. 🤯😂 Cheers Greg 🍻

Can’t we all just get along. At least we’re not collecting sports cards 🤷‍♂️

Video game devs when you dont play the game they sweat making 😢

Wait my cards have words on them?

I couldn’t agree more with you :) I collect under a slogan: PlayCollectRepair. I collect and play my games and I repair Nintendo consoles. I have a lot of fun doing it! No one will take that away from me and no one should take away fun and joy from our life. They should mind their own business 😎

Gardening has a lifestyle and provides for future geberations!!!

Gatekeeping in all forms is lame. Just let people do what they do. I largely do not collect any more. Still grab the occasional N64 game, but I just emulate on the Steam Deck now. Can even run it on my HD CRT if I want that old school vibe.

I stare at my games on my shelve for two seconds and walk away :), game utilization

Great video... Im the worse, I buy games and dont even play them PLUS I buy Pokemon cards and I dont play TCG either... Matter of fact i buy clothes that I dont even wear... the horror

SEEAAALLLED!!!

Great video! I'd say at this point in life where I have very limited time to play, I buy mostly to collect but I am selective with what I buy. I only buy games that I have a nostalgic connection with, or I truly hope to play some day.