Selling (mostly) up for MiSTer - I feel like a traitor.

[kryss]

Yep, yep, all good, everyone keep selling up their collections and I’ll just keep on buying them

I’m still yet to dabble with a MiSTer, but even if I do bring one into the setup for practical reasons, I’m still going to want to carry on having a library of physical games that I like looking at and having as well as just simply playing - even if it’s not a thing I can regularly commit time to. I am definitely running up against the issue of space (London flats are hardly known for their wealth of storage options) but that just means needing to get creative.

I'll just send you a list.

[speedlolita]

Looking forward to the PlayStation additions to your sales thread.

[buzz909]

I think people should do what they want to do but I think it's a big mistake selling all your retro systems. The OP had the right idea in keeping his favourite systems

The same thing happened when systems like the SNES/MD/Neo Geo were finally being emulated perfectly (or what was thought perfect at the time) around the late 90s and early 2000s. But most of those people who sold off all their hardware and games - they regretted it later and came back. They ended up paying a lot to recreate their collections

There is a lot of beauty and art in game boxes and hardware. Just looking at games on a shelf will evoke pleasure and memories.

I think MiSTer is great but you got a system where you can play any game - so you just don't value individual games as much. It's not the same. Better to buy one or two systems and buy games for those and value them more

[dataDave]

Just looking at games on a shelf will evoke pleasure and memories.

I think MiSTer is great but you got a system where you can play any game - so you just don't value individual games as much. It's not the same. Better to buy one or two systems and buy games for those and value them more

There're a lot of factors at play, most of them psychological. The problem is that the dopamine hit you get from buying stuff leaves you with a shelf full of games that you don't know what to do with.* Hence, why this thread was created. That said, all the power to those that can keep collections relatively small and genuinely cherished - those are like the people that can casually do heroin once in a while without becoming junkies.

* Personally, I've been around that big expensive house about twenty times now. Glad those days are behind me.

[Max P.]

It’s not really just the MiSTer factor that has made me sell, more really a ‘I have to one day’ and there are perhaps a lot less days left than there are gone and now just seems the time to sell. Yes, I love the whole possession of actual hardware, boxes, manuals and the nostalgia is super strong and the hunt was awesome but the truth is for 95% of the time I’ve owned them they have sat in a self storage unit in sealed boxes never seeing the light of day.

Anyone in the same position will know it’s a lot easier every five years to sort through and remember the joy and then be daunted beyond words with the colossal task of disposing of decades worth of purchases so you just shut them away for another five years but one day you have to bite the bullet.

Others have written far more eloquently than I can, especially the post about things turning to dust. However, without getting morbid I have to face the facts that I’m never going to want to invest the time conquering all 96 levels on SMW, attempting a Megalopolis or saving six fellow passengers from a sinking Septentrion. And that’s only SFC. Yes, I have the time but I’d rather be riding my bike, going for a hike or sitting by the beach having a coffee and watching the world go by with Mrs P.

It’s a thin line always between collecting and hoarding but I’m enjoying learning all about MiSTer, planning the build and making a new joystick. And YouTube is always there to enjoy seeing others handling and talk about the original hardware that I’ve enjoyed for so long.

Just sorting everything this last month is hard I have to admit, but we’re only ever custodians of this stuff and the messages from grateful new owners ease the loss.

And I’m not giving up everything, a few select titles will remain with my gaffer taped US SNES as will my Core Grafx and a box of Hu’s.

Yet again to say though, this is some f’ing community on here, blown away by the loyalty and thoughtful contributions. ��

[Max P.]

Well, just to kind of go full circle; DE10 arrived this week, not as long as expected given pessimistic lead times on the net - a few weeks wait only. Managed to set it all up and put together a Daemonbite for a SFC controller.

Have to say it's a hugely impressive box of tricks - one of the biggest surprises was how crisp the audio is. For example on the PC Engine I've never heard Nancy at Chase HQ so clearly!

[Asura]

I think this is the year I finally sort this out. I need to sort the TV out next though.

[Max P.]

Yep, that's the biggest headache for sure. I still don't know what's best. My 21" Panasonic CRT owned since '91 died on me. As much as I love CRTs they are just a PITA in so many ways and it really has to be a flat screen to wall mount and easily TATE but it would have to be at least 32" as you lose so much running 4:3.

Just wish someone would start making 4:3 circa 27" or so LEDs.

I've just been setting it up on an old HP monitor and the CRT filters are not so bad but there is a heck of a lot of parameters you can tweek in MiSTer display settings to try and get your head round...

[speedlolita]

TMNT:

Also the creator of the PS1 core is working on a cycle accurate software emulator for N64 which he then intends to port over to MiSTer.

[buzz909]

There're a lot of factors at play, most of them psychological. The problem is that the dopamine hit you get from buying stuff leaves you with a shelf full of games that you don't know what to do with.* Hence, why this thread was created. That said, all the power to those that can keep collections relatively small and genuinely cherished - those are like the people that can casually do heroin once in a while without becoming junkies.

* Personally, I've been around that big expensive house about twenty times now. Glad those days are behind me.

Sorry for late reply! I don't understand that. I'd rather have a shelf full of games in beautiful boxes AND be able to play them. Maybe some people go too far with it. I'm sure that's right. That's more of a self-control issue really though. I say if you are happier the way you do it now then you are doing the right thing *thumbs up* but for some people it could be a mistake they regret later

[Strider]

I’d love to go down the Mister route, but I love my physical games too much. I have ODEs for the dreamcast and gamecube, but I rarely play them, which suggests I’d be the same if I just had a Mister.

[dataDave]

Have to say it's a hugely impressive box of tricks - one of the biggest surprises was how crisp the audio is. For example on the PC Engine I've never heard Nancy at Chase HQ so clearly!

I must have missed this, but just like HDMI blocky pixel video out it’s possible that the raw audio is too clear if not adjusted, and not presented as intended. CPS-1 audio especially is headache inducing. Be sure to try out the low pass filters in the audio menu for shaving off variable amounts of high-end if you want things sounding closer to the real thing. Final Fight with the 4kHz arcade LPF sounds absolutely threatening.

[Max P.]

I may as well come back on this now to update how I felt after a very short while.

Basically I sold the MiSTer a week later...

Yep. Just a combo of overload of games, flat screens, menu choices, etc etc and being conditioned via 40 years of buying actual physical hardware and software and all the joy the objects, sourcing, handling (and the actual gaming) brings. I was quite pleased with the purge I made but I did not go all the way - thank goodness I came to my senses before it was too late. This nearly happened to me with my records ('vinyl') and cassette tapes from my circa '79 to 90 odd music buying days. Just as popping an actual cart into an actual console bring joy so does sticking an LP on my 40 year old Rega or an original cassette tape (recorded from RJR pirate radio in my bedroom as a kid) in my 1982 Sharp Boombox. It is different and it sounds different and it is very tangiable.

But - purge I did, so out went the entire DC, Saturn, N64, Gameboy, Mega Drive, PSX collection and all the 'collectable' accessory bits that I really did not need.

Leaving me with my without a shadow of a doubt (IMHO!) three greatest all time systems - the SNES, PC Engine and Neo Geo.

So, I have kept the US SNES I got in '91, the Core Grafx II and my NG 4 slot. All the spare consoles and extras have gone. What I did do thought is sell a lot of the excess (bought for collection sake) SFC games and I have sold many of the more valuable SNES carts and very happily replaced them with AliX repros which have blown me away with the quality - the modern SNES carts being 99.9% identical and the repro boxes are not far off. I even got the guy in China to put me some special carts together for Final Fight and Tintin collections.

So, a good compromise and I've gone down from perhaps 8 boxes of 'stuff' to 1 1/2!

Thin it out guys by all means but think really hard before you go all the way...