HOW to collect a library?

[noiseredux]

so as some of you may have noticed I've been focusing pretty strongly on my Dreamcast collection lately. And I'm just kind of "thinking out loud" (what is the internet version of this phrase?) about how exactly to approach collecting.

So my question is this: when you guys aim to collect any library sub-set (like in the example, US Dreamcast games) how do you go about it?

-Do you make a list of the games most important to you regardless of price and just start there?

-Do you go for all the cheap commons first in an attempt to quickly accumulate a lot of games?

-Do you go for all the rarer/more expensive titles first to get the more challenging stuff out of the way?

Discuss.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

I go for whatever I can find locally. If I really want a rare and don't expect to find it locally, I'll keep an eye on eBay or another auction site and snipe it when I feel the price is right.

[noiseredux]

OK, I should say in my instance there's only one store that carries DC stuff. Usually less than 30 games at a time. Most of them are sports titles and all of them are above eBay prices. :\

I do find some DC games at yard sales, but that's a rarity. Say less than 6 of them per yard sale season. So I really can't count on local finds for this collection.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

In that case, I try to pick them up from forum members or friends in lots. Or, you could always try Goozex for a cheaper route, since you can trade DVDs towards it.

[noiseredux]

so then you don't really focus one way or the other (cheap commons vs rarer titles) initially? Just kind of whatever-finds-you-first?

[Shadow Kisuragi]

so then you don't really focus one way or the other (cheap commons vs rarer titles) initially? Just kind of whatever-finds-you-first?

Unless there's a particular title that I really want to play, I find it more interesting to do a grab-bag approach. That way, when you get the games, you never really know what you're expecting, and you can get some games in those lots that end up being hidden gems. If you focus on everything you want initially, or focus on getting all of the rares initially, it takes away some of the motivation from getting the rest.

[noiseredux]

agreed. And that's kind of been what I've been doing so far. Which is basically, what's the cheapest stuff I can find any given moment. I think for now that's a good way to stick with it, as I have already been discovering games I'm really enjoying that I would'nt have grabbed otherwise.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

agreed. And that's kind of been what I've been doing so far. Which is basically, what's the cheapest stuff I can find any given moment. I think for now that's a good way to stick with it, as I have already been discovering games I'm really enjoying that I would'nt have grabbed otherwise.

That being said, feel free to knock out all of the shmups. Gunbird is awesome.

[noiseredux]

Gunbird isn't on DC. Gunbird 2 is.

But yeah, I have Gunbird 2, Mars Matrix, Last Hope, Dux uh... that might be all so far.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

I meant Gunbird 2 - I know the original isn't on DC.

Bangai-O and Giga Wing are enjoyable as well.

[slackur]

When it comes to collecting sub-sets, it all depends on establishing your parameters.  What is the total you want to spend, on the collection and on personal highly-desired specifics?  Then, stick to your guns and occasionally adjust if what you originally shoot for is unrealistic.  And, as is commonly quoted about this hobby, be patient.  What you are looking for will very likely pop up on b/s/t forums such as Digitpress, Racketboy, and our very own RFG.  What you find in the wild is just extra gravy.

Me, I take a completely scattershot approach; I know I would like to pick up anything for the right price (pretty cheap) and my biggest focus shifts from one year to the next, with the biggest emphasis on pre-PS2 era.  I just make regular visits to anywhere that may hold video games, track down classic game stores when I travel, and keep up with the b/s/t forums.  I keep track of my budget, and I've established personal preferences that determine value. (Loose carts for games with paper boxes are fine, boxes for games that have them in plastic, CIB for optical media, stricter limits on anything I want more for system collection completion as opposed to interest in playing.

All in all, develop a system, stick to it, and make sure you're still having fun in the collecting as well as the playing, or the point is lost.

[techwizard]

i agree with some of what was already said, especially what slackur said about sticking to your goal and having fun doing it. it really helps if it's a system you love too, i could imagine the goal seeming less enticing to go for if you don't care that much for the system.

as for what order to collect in, i usually keep an eye out for the rare ones all the time, and when i have money in paypal to buy online they're the first i look for. in most cases i end up buying cheaper ones anyway, but i always think it's a good idea to at least check for the rare ones first. you would be kicking yourself later if you missed out on a really good price for something that's normally expensive. i also like making an attempt at the rare ones first because then the hunt just gets easier the farther into the library you get.

if you really wanted to be able to have something to look forward to at the end instead of just a bunch of commons you could always leave a few of the rarest to the end so you'll finish on something more impressive.

[Duke.Togo]

Personally, I tend to look for titles I enjoy or have nostalgia for first. After that it becomes more of what can I pick up at a decent price. It's really about what is most valuable to me, and of course other titles are sprinkled in as good deals happen.

I'd also recommend arming fellow forum members with a list of items your looking for. Using a sort of crowd sourced hunting can be pretty effective. I go to stores that have lots of DC games all the time, and I'm sure others here do to.

[Crabmaster2000]

I like to grab lots early on and make sure the is at least 2-3 uncommon/valuable games included with every lot I pick up at that stage. Once your about a third or more into the library and pretty confident you still want to pursue your goal of a complete set I'd suggest picking up some of the rarer more expensive titles when you get the chance (I treated myself to a copy of Little Samson for my birthday a few years back for example). I've found that by doing this even though I'm now nearing the end of my NES set, the stuff I have left to track down isnt nearly as overwhelming as most people's final games lists.

There are always a few games I REALLY want to try that I actively watch out for, but for the most part I just picked up lots as long as they met the criteria above. There are so many games I havnt tried that I might enjoy that I dont see the point in putting the nostalgic/classic/iconic titles any higher on the list then the games I have barely heard of. I love collecting for an entire set so that I can play all the stuff I most likely never would have otherwise and it sounds like your in the same boat.

[noiseredux]

Yeah definitely. As you can see from my recent blog post, it's really fun to be playing games that you'd overlook normally (Frogger 2) and find out that they're really fun.

Good call on crowd-sourcing too Duke. I'll have to keep that in mind as I come up with specific titles I'm after.