I can think of quite a few: -Current prices for retro games -Shelf space and storage -Condition of retro games (how bad/ damaged is acceptable) -Restoring retro hardware (cosmetics) -Warnings for retro hardware (Faulty hardware, capacitors, high fail rates) -Original copies vs. reproduction (whether it be reproduction cartridges or discs you burn yourself) and when it is or isn't acceptable (whether it be too expensive for a legitimate copy or any other reason) -How to avoid getting scammed/ being able to tell if you're buying real copies There's probably a ton more.
1 year ago | 18
Finding a neat way to organize dozens of wired controllers without tangling them up. I just have plastic drawers for each system
1 year ago (edited) | 5
Shelving gets tricky once's you've collected a several hundred games. The only media shelves that can hold my collection have a pretty poor build quality to them. The best, but still not great alternative is to build your own shelving in the wall.
1 year ago | 15
Something that is really frustrating is all the fake carts being sold online trying to pass as authentic. It's very very hard to tell with pictures online and there's a lot of deception. The places that are reputable are often overcharging for used retro games. Makes it frustrating when you are someone that just wants to play some good games.
1 year ago | 8
Finding nice, well-cared for carts. It always amazes me how many people used their game cartridges as doodle paper or doggie chew toys. Games are expensive, you’d think people would care SOME!
1 year ago (edited) | 1
This is in no way related to your question, but I would love to see a return from Xbob. Platsatsean, nintendrew. An xbob video would be the holy trifecta
1 year ago | 4
One of my biggest issues so far is managing a moderate game collection while living in a college dorm with a roommate or in my case, Boyfriend. I essentially have to keep my game collection split with 3/4 of it in my parents house, 1/4 in my dorm. It’s rough for organizing properly and having access to things.
1 year ago | 0
I've already left another reply, but for shelving/ TV stands, I've come to trust one particular store. Home Depot oddly sells a variety of shelving and TV stands. I can't for the life of me find any physical store that sells regular media shelves for DVDs/ books/ games near me, but Home Depot's website tends to sell the same products you'd find on other websites, but for cheaper. I got a TV shelf that can support one of my 27" CRT TVs that weighs 79lbs for far cheaper than what I've seen on other websites. I forget the exact name of it, but the brand was (I think) ASSA ABLOY and was around $89 when the same kind was going for almost $200 elsewhere. It supports up to 150lbs, which was really what I was looking for. Most TV stands support barely any weight these days, so that's my suggestion.
1 year ago (edited) | 1
Reproduction Carts. Drives me insane when I get duped. The only time I actively sought out a reproduction cart was for Mother 3 Fan Translation, understandably.
1 year ago | 1
Finding ways to have better picture of older consoles on newer televisions. Let alone even finding work arounds to play them at times since current televisions need an AV composite adapter and would probably outright remove the option entirely. Finding stuff like an AV to HDMI adapter box thing for example and how they’re not always the most reliable.
1 year ago | 0
For me, it's shelving space primarily as we all don't own large rooms or bookshelves to show off our treasures. Other than that, I personally don't like the old paper boxes of the N64/GBA etc. era so I like getting plastic replacement cases from the sites you've recommended in the past. The problem is that they don't keep up with every case, and waiting years is a pain.
1 year ago | 0
Honestly, it's the psychological trap that you can fall into when collecting. I started trying to get almost every major console from the third generation onwards, along with many of their most popular games, and I spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on a quest with seemingly no end. I forgot that I got into collecting for fun, and instead started collecting for bragging rights, to fill out a sort of gaming history checklist. It doesn't help when you see so many social media posts and videos of people with insanely huge or impressive collections, ones that make you envious. Now, looking at the myriad of systems and games I have piled up, I feel a sense of guilt for my greedy tendencies. I own a lot of things that I don't use or don't really care about. So I'm rethinking my collecting strategy. I'm only gonna collect the games I really like or want for the systems I really like or want, and sell the rest. It'll halve my collection, but I feel like it'll help me not be overwhelmed with my backlog. I think I'll learn to truly appreciate my game collection more. It's not about quantity or monetary value, it's about having fun and forming an emotional connection with games and consoles that impact you.
1 year ago | 0
Finding a game with all of its manuals and original inserts. More often than not, I find near mint condition copies of a game only for it to be missing all of the associated paperwork. It might only be a minor inconvenience, but it's a major pain having to track down more stuff after a game's already been bought.
1 year ago | 0
Moving and packing large collections is a gigantic pain, but moreover I think a lot of times people buy to buy rather than thinking about things they want to play. I have dozens of games I bought that I planned on getting to that are just piling up.
1 year ago | 0
Storing and protecting them are my biggest. Also trusting what you buy online is difficult/risky. Whether it be the risk of the item being exactly what's in the pictures listed, or having the item be shipped without damage.
1 year ago | 0
Prices and space. My game room is small so I have to be thrifty on what I collect. My main focus is PlayStation stuff and Nintendo switch and I pretty much have all I want as far as older games go. My switch library just keeps growing though
1 year ago | 1
shelf space without a doubt. once my game collection overflowed the bookshelf i was using, i ran into the issue of literally not having space for another and having one of the most scuffed displays of all time hahaha
1 year ago | 0
Shelving and boxes. I’ve been getting cases for all my cartridge based games from Custom Game Cases. They make awesome products, but the price does add up when you really want all your cartridges to be on your shelf. Then shelving all those games takes a lot of space too.
1 year ago | 0
Nintendrew
For all my retro gaming enthusiasts friends out there: What are some pain points and/or difficulties you've experienced in the game collecting space? I'm thinking about spinning up a regular series about the current state of the hobby, and would love to hear your stories!
1 year ago | [YT] | 132