How do you prepare your other half for your collection

[A8scooter]

When they want to get the apartment or house and they know your a gamer and all yet the moment they finally realize it was cute when you had your space but now you and ALL you gaming stuff is coming with you to the new place. How do you prepare the special someone for it. ( not just games but that whole collection plus your other hobbies and collections and things. )

Any ideas on that?

My girl knows I game, and says shes cool with it and itll be ok when we move in together one day. But Im just thinking and looking around and even though ive cut back in areas tossed some stuff out and sold some stuff. Theres gonna be alot of gaming stuff from me and alot of Matchbox/ Hot wheels collectible diorama and cars coming along ( man loves making dioramas and getting his game on here).

Just thinking even though shes prepared how to really prepare her cause I dont think she really has a grasp how much stuff there really is.

[techwizard]

i would assume if you'd be moving into a smaller space you wouldn't have much choice but to downsize more, unless you get really creative with storage. or rent a storage locker, but personally when it gets to that point it's gone too far, and it's time to scale back.

[bombatomba]

I don't think there is a good way to do it.  Sometimes I don't really think my wife understands that the stuff she sees in the basement while going to do some laundry or whatever is over six hundred pieces of gaming fun.  Even if she did I don't think she'd give a damn anyways, quite frankly.

Just ease her into it is all I got.  Talk about it occasionally, maybe show her individual parts of it.  If she really digs you she'll eventually accept that it is that it is.  Time is your friend, here.

I don't want to sound like a dink, but I think you have a much harder job of this than I will ever have.  I didn't start collecting heavily until after we were married, so in her eyes it build up slowly (relatively, anyways).  At this point my wife and I are in a committed relationship, used to each others eccentricities and foibles, so even if we moved she wouldn't likely wouldn't do anything worse than rib me for taking up too many boxes or something.  Actually I think as long as I don't present a fire hazard she's pretty much good with anything.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

There have been a few horror stories around this for some forum folks, but it's not something that ever came up for me. My wife was the one that restarted my interest in collecting by coming by work, telling me not to shoot her for spending so much money, and showing me a 3DO w/ 40 games that she picked up for $200. She even got a tattoo of the Atari logo, where we had to ask one of the vendors at the flea market for a Pac-Man Atari 2600 cart for art reference.

She's not a hardcore gamer, but she loves collecting the hardware and Atari titles. She's also the one that wants to get the gaming room setup so that everyone can sit and play. She's a lot more comfortable playing on a controller without an Analog Stick, so it's easy to pull out an SNES or Genesis title and have her play.

[singlebanana]

If your girlfriend really knows you, she knows your hobby. If you are already a collector, this comes with the package and she's just going to have to accept it, or you will not be happy in the long run. I know that sounds a bit harsh, but my wife and I just let each other be who we are and we are very happy for it. My wife is not a gamer, does not like pinball, but respects me enough to know that these things make me happy and therefore, me being happy makes her happy. If you guys had already moved in together and then you wanted to start collecting, I would say that the both of you would need to have a serious discussion about your collecting and how that would impact you both financially and space-wise. 

My advice is that you still need to sit down with her and have a conversation about your collecting and let her know that this is an important part of your life that makes you happy. This will avoid conflict in the future and you can go back to, "Well, we talked about this," if things ever get heated. You will want to let her know that you need space for this hobby and that you will need to have an area where this hobby can grow. After you decide on a space in the new place, do right by her and limit your collection to that space, do not take up any of hers.....ever! If this means streamlining your collection, then do it, but most importantly, show respect for her space and your shared space. I think you will find that you will keep her happy by self-policing your collection if you feel it ever gets out of hand. My wife never nags me about my collecting and ironically, I am more self-conscious about what I bring in for this reason. I feel like if she constantly confronted me about it, I'd be more apt to overstep my bounds. Must be some sort of Jedi mind trick. Like they say, "Happy wife, happy life."

[Shadow Kisuragi]

The very mantra I live by...

[A8scooter]

The banana has made some key points.  The positive thing is my gf missed out on the "old collection" when it was 2500 games and 33 systems. and walked in to my life when i had only 90 games and 2 systems. I guess the 2  will grow together. Weve talked and said Ill have my own room. Till we have a kid and its gonna need that room. She wasnt sure in that scenario where my game collection goes then. Im sure there will be a place still someplace for my items. That dreaded K word scares the dickens outta me. A mini me going around earth  * shakes *

[Izret101]

Just be prepared to make the decision between your collection and the woman.
Doesn't always happen as evidence by other comments.

But if the decision has to be made make sure you choose right.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Just be prepared to make the decision between your collection and the woman.
Doesn't always happen as evidence by other comments.

But if the decision has to be made make sure you choose right.

They can both be replaced, right?

[slackur]

Everything either serves as a vehicle to a purpose or the end of a pursuit.  I include relationships and physical items in these two categories.  In the end, one will serve the other, because if they are both the end goal, they will compete, and you will lose. 

Yes, I just took the convoluted route to say a man cannot serve two masters. 

You just have to decide beforehand which will serve the other, and live accordingly.

Incidentally, the same applies to 'the dreaded "K" word.'

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

You just have to have a member bigger than your collection.

[singlebanana]

You just have to have a member bigger than your collection.

No wonder my wife never complains.....

[Shadow Kisuragi]

Explains Leon's small collection.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Explains Leon's small collection.

[img width=480 height=360]http://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/clapping/citizen_cane.gif[/img]

[Missionfailed]

I told her day one what kind o guy i was. she loved that i expressed myself and thought it was cool. She plays too and is a big Resident evil fan. So i lucked up, she encourages me to build as she has an insane Movie collection with most of them being horror/J horror movies