Post by wafflerevolution on Sept 7, 2013 19:23:55 GMT
Subject: SonicBoom713, member of CCU since October 2006
The Basics
Number of Systems: 21
Number of Games: 850
When did you start collecting? 1996
What was your first system? Nintendo Entertainment System
What was your first game? Either RBI Baseball or Super Mario Bros / Duck Hunt
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
In 2003, I started going to EBay for the specific reason of finding rare games that I either sold as a kid or that I always wanted. Within a few months, my collection practically doubled and I had a top-loading NES, Virtual Boy, Dreamcast and Genesis added to my collection. I felt like I was a collector before, but during those few months, I felt I became a hardcore collector.
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?
My goals as a collector are to have a well-rounded collection, consisting of both retro cIassics and whatever new games come out that I want. Over the years, I've found so many great games that I passed up when they first game out, such as Act Raiser, Secret of Evermore and Dragon Warrior just to name a few and I think that being a collector I should try and play as many different games on as many different systems as possible. For me, every game tells a story about the day that I bought them or things that were going on in my life when I was into them. When I look at my collection, I like to think that I'm looking at a reflection of myself in a way. As far as my progress towards that goal, I think I'm getting there, even though I don't have a PS3 yet.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
Please tell me who wrote this question so I can smack them across the face. As long as technology keeps improving and games are out there, I will be buying them.
Uh that was a question from gmsnpr, our former leader, so that'll terminate the interview... Okay one more chance. What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
I've had plenty of them, but in all honesty, getting my hands on a Virtual Boy was pretty damn sweet, but getting my hands on a Top-Loading NES is a very close second. That system provided the foundation for what I would eventually become as a gamer and collector and being able to still play the games I grew up on today is a great feeling. However, I consider the Virtual Boy one of the biggest disasters in gaming history and being able to look at it and play it whenever I want, especially for the occasional laugh, is extremely gratifying.
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
Being suckered into buying the hard drive for the PS2. I mean c'mon, was that thing not a joke or what? I still remember getting so hyped to play Final Fantasy 11 and not being able to get online and listening to Sony give me excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't. I can't begin to tell you how fumed I was, just that the Dead to Rights promo I had in my room was never the same again.
Amongst your non-gaming friends are you proud of your collection or is it something you don't bring attention to?
I love talking about my collection and showing it off. I think it's half the fun of having that many games. Sure, my room and den resemble those of the 40-year old virgin and my g/f still tells me how shocked she was when she first saw all my games, it's well worth it and I love gloating about it. As hard as I work,[that pic is of me interviewing David Wright] I think having that many games and a hobby that truly relaxes me is the key to my success. The fact that I own so many games I think shows that I'm also a success in my career. So yeah, I love bringing attention to that.
What's your favorite part of your collection?
My PS2 collection. I think about a quarter of my games are PS2 and to me, that system will always be my personal favorite, despite my new love affair with "Layla," my X-Box 360 [she's got me on my knees!]. Anyway, the PS2 games I have really show my multi-faceted nature as a collector and range from games like Baldur's Gate and Frequency to Zone of the Enders and Metal Gear Solid 3 with a ton of RPG's, Sports Games and other stuff thrown in for good measure. Other systems have never lived up with that kind of game diversity for me, well maybe the PS1. But anyway, I feel that that system and its games demanded the most out of me as a collector and that's why it's my favorite.
What would you like to improve in your collection?
I'd like to get some more NES, SNES, Genesis and Master System games. I think my collection has way too many PS1 and PS2 games, when compared to the other systems I own. However, since I explained my love of the PS2, it's obvious why that happened. Nonetheless, over the next few months, I'm going to be going retro game shopping once a month, in an effort to pick up some of the gems I don't have on those old systems. A game like Kings Bounty immediately comes to mind.
What would you like to get rid of in your game collection within the next year?
When I started collecting seriously, I made a promise to myself that I would never trade or get rid of anything that I buy. So I think I'll definitely be investing in some more shelves in the next few months.
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?
I've gotten so many awesome deals that it's hard to just name one. To me, part of being a collector means finding great deals for the games that I buy. In NYC there is a great store named Video Games NY that has everything you could ever want in a video game store and if you're willing to sift through dusty crates of games, sometimes you find games for incredibly cheap. However if I had to name a few, getting secret of Evermore for five bucks a few months ago was pretty damn sweet, but getting A Link to the Past for SNES for five was probably the best deal ever.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
I think the Virtual Boy or the Top Loading NES are probably the rarest things I have and in all honesty, I think the Top Loader is probably what I consider the most valuable. I think it's a shame those things didn't catch on in the US because it could have gave the NES another year or so of life. Also, the system is a great thing to have around when I have company. Playing Gauntlet or Super Contra with some buddies every once in a while is a blast.
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?
I paid a dollar for a copy of E.T. for the Atari 2600. Considering the legend that there are millions buried in a desert in the Midwest, I think I got ripped-off.
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
A wireless samurai sword for the Onimusha games. When I first laid eyes on it, I knew I had to have it. When my friends see it, they think it's real, until I take the cover off and they see the plastic blade.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?
(Laughs) I was just having a conversation about. To this day, I have no reason to explain why I don't own a copy of Contra for NES. Before I started collecting, I had a copy and my father [in his infinite wisdom] traded it in with a host of other NES games like Operation Wolf, Side Pocket, Punch out and other CIassics when we got the SNES and he wanted Super Battletank 2. That game is one that will be on my hit-list for a long time to come.
Where/how do you store it all?
In my room on a host of shelves that I have to turn over once a month so they don't morph into bowl-shaped slabs of wood. [That picture is from a while ago]
Is there anyway you'd ever stop collecting?
Again, smack whoever asked this question. Like I said before, as long as there are games coming out, I will be collecting
Umm, you asked that question in the post i made about these interviews. So Smack yourself. No, not like that , put that away. Do you have a funny story about your collection?
I was once asked why I didn't have a car and I said because I play video games. When the person finally saw my collection they understood what I meant.
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like?
Oh man, it was such a disaster. I put my PS2 games in a suitcase and then tried to put each system and the games for it in one box, so this way I wouldn't misplace anything. Luckily, I didn't, but the boxes were so heavy and I was so scared of dropping them and breaking anything. Note to self, next time I move, pack lighter boxes.
If you're significant other told you no more games, what would you do? Or does your significant other collect as well?
She knows what I would say...I think anyone who is in a committed relationship should be able to accept someone for who they are and not change them. My girlfriend luckily knows this better than anyone and has been awesome about it. Plus, she has quirks too. She's 23 and listens to Hanson. My girlfriend is amazing and has even helped me in adding things to my collection. I wouldn't have gotten a Wii or a 360 as early as I did if it wasn't for her, she bought them for me.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Probably only a handful. Freedom Fighters, Devil May Cry 3, NHL 96 and Super Star Wars are the first ones that come to mind. If I buy a game, it usually gets at least a week or two of my time and then I move on.
What percentage of your game have you actually played? Completed?
Sadly not as much as I would have liked. The RPG's, fighting games and action games are the ones that I really try my hardest to finish, but I can't tell you how many first person shooters I have that I've never finished. When I wasn't doing that good financially, I'd finish pretty much every game I had. Now, I tend to just play games until I'm bored of them. However the 360 and the whole achievements thing has made me take things like completing game much more seriously now and in the future.
The Basics
Number of Systems: 21
Number of Games: 850
When did you start collecting? 1996
What was your first system? Nintendo Entertainment System
What was your first game? Either RBI Baseball or Super Mario Bros / Duck Hunt
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
In 2003, I started going to EBay for the specific reason of finding rare games that I either sold as a kid or that I always wanted. Within a few months, my collection practically doubled and I had a top-loading NES, Virtual Boy, Dreamcast and Genesis added to my collection. I felt like I was a collector before, but during those few months, I felt I became a hardcore collector.
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?
My goals as a collector are to have a well-rounded collection, consisting of both retro cIassics and whatever new games come out that I want. Over the years, I've found so many great games that I passed up when they first game out, such as Act Raiser, Secret of Evermore and Dragon Warrior just to name a few and I think that being a collector I should try and play as many different games on as many different systems as possible. For me, every game tells a story about the day that I bought them or things that were going on in my life when I was into them. When I look at my collection, I like to think that I'm looking at a reflection of myself in a way. As far as my progress towards that goal, I think I'm getting there, even though I don't have a PS3 yet.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
Please tell me who wrote this question so I can smack them across the face. As long as technology keeps improving and games are out there, I will be buying them.
Uh that was a question from gmsnpr, our former leader, so that'll terminate the interview... Okay one more chance. What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
I've had plenty of them, but in all honesty, getting my hands on a Virtual Boy was pretty damn sweet, but getting my hands on a Top-Loading NES is a very close second. That system provided the foundation for what I would eventually become as a gamer and collector and being able to still play the games I grew up on today is a great feeling. However, I consider the Virtual Boy one of the biggest disasters in gaming history and being able to look at it and play it whenever I want, especially for the occasional laugh, is extremely gratifying.
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
Being suckered into buying the hard drive for the PS2. I mean c'mon, was that thing not a joke or what? I still remember getting so hyped to play Final Fantasy 11 and not being able to get online and listening to Sony give me excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't. I can't begin to tell you how fumed I was, just that the Dead to Rights promo I had in my room was never the same again.
Amongst your non-gaming friends are you proud of your collection or is it something you don't bring attention to?
I love talking about my collection and showing it off. I think it's half the fun of having that many games. Sure, my room and den resemble those of the 40-year old virgin and my g/f still tells me how shocked she was when she first saw all my games, it's well worth it and I love gloating about it. As hard as I work,[that pic is of me interviewing David Wright] I think having that many games and a hobby that truly relaxes me is the key to my success. The fact that I own so many games I think shows that I'm also a success in my career. So yeah, I love bringing attention to that.
What's your favorite part of your collection?
My PS2 collection. I think about a quarter of my games are PS2 and to me, that system will always be my personal favorite, despite my new love affair with "Layla," my X-Box 360 [she's got me on my knees!]. Anyway, the PS2 games I have really show my multi-faceted nature as a collector and range from games like Baldur's Gate and Frequency to Zone of the Enders and Metal Gear Solid 3 with a ton of RPG's, Sports Games and other stuff thrown in for good measure. Other systems have never lived up with that kind of game diversity for me, well maybe the PS1. But anyway, I feel that that system and its games demanded the most out of me as a collector and that's why it's my favorite.
What would you like to improve in your collection?
I'd like to get some more NES, SNES, Genesis and Master System games. I think my collection has way too many PS1 and PS2 games, when compared to the other systems I own. However, since I explained my love of the PS2, it's obvious why that happened. Nonetheless, over the next few months, I'm going to be going retro game shopping once a month, in an effort to pick up some of the gems I don't have on those old systems. A game like Kings Bounty immediately comes to mind.
What would you like to get rid of in your game collection within the next year?
When I started collecting seriously, I made a promise to myself that I would never trade or get rid of anything that I buy. So I think I'll definitely be investing in some more shelves in the next few months.
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?
I've gotten so many awesome deals that it's hard to just name one. To me, part of being a collector means finding great deals for the games that I buy. In NYC there is a great store named Video Games NY that has everything you could ever want in a video game store and if you're willing to sift through dusty crates of games, sometimes you find games for incredibly cheap. However if I had to name a few, getting secret of Evermore for five bucks a few months ago was pretty damn sweet, but getting A Link to the Past for SNES for five was probably the best deal ever.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
I think the Virtual Boy or the Top Loading NES are probably the rarest things I have and in all honesty, I think the Top Loader is probably what I consider the most valuable. I think it's a shame those things didn't catch on in the US because it could have gave the NES another year or so of life. Also, the system is a great thing to have around when I have company. Playing Gauntlet or Super Contra with some buddies every once in a while is a blast.
What item in your collection do you feel you overpaid for?
I paid a dollar for a copy of E.T. for the Atari 2600. Considering the legend that there are millions buried in a desert in the Midwest, I think I got ripped-off.
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
A wireless samurai sword for the Onimusha games. When I first laid eyes on it, I knew I had to have it. When my friends see it, they think it's real, until I take the cover off and they see the plastic blade.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?
(Laughs) I was just having a conversation about. To this day, I have no reason to explain why I don't own a copy of Contra for NES. Before I started collecting, I had a copy and my father [in his infinite wisdom] traded it in with a host of other NES games like Operation Wolf, Side Pocket, Punch out and other CIassics when we got the SNES and he wanted Super Battletank 2. That game is one that will be on my hit-list for a long time to come.
Where/how do you store it all?
In my room on a host of shelves that I have to turn over once a month so they don't morph into bowl-shaped slabs of wood. [That picture is from a while ago]
Is there anyway you'd ever stop collecting?
Again, smack whoever asked this question. Like I said before, as long as there are games coming out, I will be collecting
Umm, you asked that question in the post i made about these interviews. So Smack yourself. No, not like that , put that away. Do you have a funny story about your collection?
I was once asked why I didn't have a car and I said because I play video games. When the person finally saw my collection they understood what I meant.
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like?
Oh man, it was such a disaster. I put my PS2 games in a suitcase and then tried to put each system and the games for it in one box, so this way I wouldn't misplace anything. Luckily, I didn't, but the boxes were so heavy and I was so scared of dropping them and breaking anything. Note to self, next time I move, pack lighter boxes.
If you're significant other told you no more games, what would you do? Or does your significant other collect as well?
She knows what I would say...I think anyone who is in a committed relationship should be able to accept someone for who they are and not change them. My girlfriend luckily knows this better than anyone and has been awesome about it. Plus, she has quirks too. She's 23 and listens to Hanson. My girlfriend is amazing and has even helped me in adding things to my collection. I wouldn't have gotten a Wii or a 360 as early as I did if it wasn't for her, she bought them for me.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Probably only a handful. Freedom Fighters, Devil May Cry 3, NHL 96 and Super Star Wars are the first ones that come to mind. If I buy a game, it usually gets at least a week or two of my time and then I move on.
What percentage of your game have you actually played? Completed?
Sadly not as much as I would have liked. The RPG's, fighting games and action games are the ones that I really try my hardest to finish, but I can't tell you how many first person shooters I have that I've never finished. When I wasn't doing that good financially, I'd finish pretty much every game I had. Now, I tend to just play games until I'm bored of them. However the 360 and the whole achievements thing has made me take things like completing game much more seriously now and in the future.