Unless you live in a sparsely populated area or one that just doesn't have that many collectors, you are going to need a decent network of connections if you want to get anywhere in this hobby.



I've had an Ocarina of Time 3DS system since it launched on Black Friday about 4 years ago.  Once the 3DS XL was released, I knew that I wanted one, I just didn't want to give up my Ocarina 3DS.  I had a theory back then that Nintendo would eventually release Majora's Mask on the 3DS and they would release a Zelda-themed 3DS XL to go with it.  When A Link Between Worlds was announced, I thought that if they released a 3DS XL bundle, I would maybe get that instead.  Once I saw the system, though, I knew it wasn't for me.



It wasn't too much longer until my old theory was confirmed.  Nintendo would release Majora's Mask on the 3DS and not only would there be a Majora-themed system, but it would be a new upgraded system.  Awesome.  I went to Target and Gamestop the day the system launched but surprise, no dice.  I was told by both locations that the hardware was in extremely limited supply.  Crap.  I was going to need to put some feelers out.

This is where connections come in.  I put the word out on RF Generation, to a couple of local collectors, to my Collectorcast co-hosts, to the owner of my local retro game stores, all the folks who make this hobby so great.  Despite all of those feelers, by the time I was ready to leave for PAX East, I was still XL-Less.

At PAX East this year, I felt like the only person with a regular sized 3DS.  I was teased a little by all of the XL owners and I told them "I'm not worried, I'll get a Majora's Mask 3DS XL eventually."  They usually responded, "Yeah, for like $600."  I believe that if I am patient enough, I can find what I am looking for with a good network of connections. 

Last week, it happened.  I got a text from one of my local connections.  A guy named Dan who runs a couple of Facebook retro game collector groups.  He said that a manager friend of his at Gamestop told him that she was getting a few systems in the next day.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get off of work that day so I told him thanks for the info, but I couldn't make it over to that store.  So do you know what he did?  He drove, almost an hour, to the Gamestop in question, bought it for me with his own money, and delivered it to me the next day.  What a freakin guy!



Connections work both ways

A good collector should feel a responsibility to help out other collectors, especially the ones who help others out on a regular basis.  For example:

Over a year ago, JohnnyNintendo noticed that I was looking for a CIB Metroid for the Game Boy Advance.  He just sent it to me and asked me to let him know if I come across anything cool that he would be interested in.  He is on my hunt list every time I go to a flea.

Singlebanana shot me a text asking if I would be interested in a CI copy of Bases Loaded 4 for the NES.  Of course I would, how much?  All he wanted was what he paid for it, which was a good deal.  Nanner gets the next copy of Panic Restaurant that I find in the wild. 

Techie413 has a habit of putting things aside for me and adding gifts to almost every purchase that I make from him.  I recently commissioned a retro artist to put something together for him and I just got word a few days ago that it is ready.  I hope that Techie likes it, he's earned it.

That's really just a few of the many examples of the benefits of having connections and being a connection for others, and that is just from RF Generation.  There are tons of other examples of this type of camaraderie from all over this site and others, it's really one of the best parts of collecting.

For helping me out with scoring a Majora's Mask 3DS XL, I will be presenting Dan with this little guy the next time I see him.

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