Well, we all know Zetas feelings on collectors, as he showed it often in the past on sale threads that had good prices even. Especially his opinion on TG collectors, what he seems to generally consider to be idiots. I mean,you can even look at his collection list on Tats site, its mostly nickle and dime PCE buys so to speak. Hes like a poor granny scouring garage sales for the cheapest deals. Not many real amazing games there in his collection. The thing is though Zeta, yea the PCE has alot of good to average titles for 20 and under, and its great you're happy with building up a collection of 60 average to good titles, but not having the best titles really hurts, and you are simply missing out on alot of stuff.
Seriously anyway, if you can afford Dracula X, and are willing to buy it, then whats the difference in buying it at $100 or more then buying a US Dynastic Hero at $250 or whatever. Its just cash, and cash doesn't entertain most folks on its own merits. If you can afford Drac X, you can ,if not right away, eventually afford a US Dynastic Hero, or Might and Magic 3 even. Some people have enough money to buy simply whatever they want, really, who f*ckin cares, other then you Zeta???
Really, if $250 is that big a deal, then try this new method for buying games. Its called saving up, and not spending your electric bill cash. Regret free money,regardless of the amount. You're well past the $100 mark either way on stuff like Dracula X, or do you consider $100 "cheap" and anything past not so cheap. Really, I mean,whats the standard you hold on this "cheap" and "not cheap" game buying habit of yours? Seriously, the US stuff is not as common anyway, and there are plenty of nice perks to the later US stuff that ensure a high dollar value and a better resale amount down the road in case you need to. English text being the main perk especially. Believe it or not, a lot of collectors actually do want to know what the f*ckin story to a game is more often then not (Exile 2, Vasteel, Might and magic 3, and Dynastic Hero for example), and don't care to just yank it from Wiki or Gamefaqs faqs in order to know it.
The other perk, the later US titles had good box and manual art. And man really, if all you are into is nabbing games at 20 bucks and under, you're in the wrong hobby regardless. Go collect Beta tapes on ebay instead or something. Game collecting, esp when collecting the best or uncommon games, is going to cost good money either way, regardless of the format, 3DO, MVS or AES, TG or PCE, Mega Drive,Saturn,Jamma,ect....
For that matter, if you want cost controlled gaming like the average,casual gamer on a budget,then admit that that is what you are, a casual gamer, stick to modern systems where titles stay mostly at $50 and under, or simply keep your sweetly stupid mouth shut on these types of threads. Otherwise, you're bitching and whining about what others are paying is just exposing you for what you really are, a poser/small fry liek Nintega way out of their league trying to hang with the big boys of the hobby, or dissing them for what they can have that you never will due to your own issues.
Seriously, guys, there's nothing noble about spending a shit-ton of money on one game. You're just pissed because someone pointed it out. Not everybody has a "collector" mentality, and to be perfectly frank, that mentality ISN'T healthy. It's your money, and you're free to do with it as you please. The KLF burned a million pounds, you guys throw a several hundred away on one game. You're free to do it, but don't delude yourself into thinking it isn't wasteful, even forgetting all the actually noble things you could be doing with that money. This will never make sense to anyone who doesn't share your "unhealthy" obsession. There's no amount of whining about free will, collectability, or "I wanna play it"-ness that is going to convince someone else that's it's a good idea to spend $200-500 on a piece of plastic, particularly when it's only true value is for collection purposes. It's hard to fathom how someone would spend $200 on Panzer Dragoon Saga, but at least in that case it's a game that you can't get anywhere else by any other means.
I'd be willing to bet there are collector attitudes that piss you guys off as well. The person that has to have all sealed games or the guy that buys up ten copies of that incredibly rare title just to stick it on the shelf. The deeper you get into collecting, the stranger the behavior looks from the outside. Justify it to yourself, but it isn't ever going to make sense to anyone else. That's because it really DOESN'T make sense, and if you could step back and take a look at it objectively, you'd see that. What difference does it make whether it appreciates in value or not. You're not buying it to some day resell it at a higher value. And if you never buy it, it's not any great loss, so who cares what price it's at in some hypothetical future? The only person who cares about these things is the person who's goal it is to resell.
Please realize, I'm not actually knocking any of you guys for wanting this game, or for shelling out the cash for it. I just think that your rationalization is a bunch of b.s. It sounds more like you're trying to convince yourselves than anyone else. You're the alcoholic claiming you don't have a problem, trying to explain to sober judges why there's nothing wrong with your drinking. It really doesn't matter in the end, tho. We all have our addictions and our vices. Just don't think you'll convince anyone that it isn't a vice.
Same applies for you mobiusclimber, if you feel its wasteful, then stop collecting games and go donate your money to the Goodwill, Peace Corps, Red Cross,or whatever. Stop buying shit period, because its all wasteful then, whether its 2 bucks or 300 bucks, its all wasteful meaningless plastic. Better yet, since your on a personal good will tour for mankind, go volunteer for free, do it till your hearts content. Give give give like there's no bloody f*cking tomorrow. Personally, I mean, in that stance you make us out to be selfish bastards, and if that's the case, who cares, so be it. So Im a selfish bastard that likes to own lots of nice things. In the same regard, how is this collecting hobby unhealthy? It makes me happy. I fail to see how being happy is unhealthy unless I fail to pay my bills, provide for my kids, and buy food in the process. I am entertained, which again keeps me happy. I have some pride in the things I own, which is materialistic, sure, but who cares. The only way to not be materialistic is to live naked on a deserted island.
Till you do that, and the other things mentioned above, shut the f*ck up with that nonsense. For that matter, others show pride in the homes they buy, the cars they buy, is that unhealthy too? Others pride themselves in sport f*cking (while using protection). Do you rag on them too, and offer sad apologies afterwords also? Isn't that in and of itself unhealthy too, ragging on others who don't live up to your standards, or follow your ways??? Or is the Religion of being a Self Centered Dickhead a healthy one?
Seriously, everyone has their own vices and manners of which they bring pride upon themselves, and I don't know who the f*ck you think you are to make any types of judgments here on it, on others, but I seriously got to tell you, other then Zeta, you are going to quickly find yourself all alone here, as the vast majority of us here, 95 percent or above, are hard core collectors that you are burning bridges fast with, by spouting out "Holier Than Thou" lecture shit like that upon us. For that matter, as you made the comment on how we may appear strange for the outside world, why the f*ck should we care what others think about our hobbies. Who are we trying to please here, others or ourselves? That in itself is unhealthy, you or others so pent up and worried what others think that you have to be a conformist, not a individualist. Screw that shit. That kinda mentality is for dedicated Wal-Mart workers and habitual church goers who yell the good word 7 ways from Sunday.
