That Old Game Stench

Before I start, I will mention that while it's great that people put in links to various things in their posts, I just can't summon up the gumption to go quite that far. I figure if you are interested in something, you'll do the legwork to learn more about it. However, I have included a link to KC and Chris' new game company site Sunriver Games (in context, you'll have to read the column to get to it) as I think it is well worth your attention. In general, I will limit links to things that I feel are particularly worthy and less well known, so take the time to click on the link when you see it. Now on to the show.

Last week I talked about how much I like the acquisition part of gaming, from the purchase to the point where the game actually gets played (or not). However, there is a dark side to this rush, and that's when you realize that you have to put the damned thing somewhere and you are about out of shelf space.

Everyone has their neuroses, and I've got more than my share. Of course, it has been said that your neuroses tend to block your psychoses, so I tend to embrace them if they aren't too onerous. Sadly, one of those neuroses is my unwillingness to give things up once I have them. Yup, I'm a packrat. Not with everything, I manage to give books away all of the time now (especially paperbacks), but I still have software that I bought for my Mac c. 1997 that is unlikely to run on a modern OS and it is tough to give it up.

The worst for me, though, is games. Outside of the commercial stuff (largely dreck) that I had in gradeschool, I've saved almost all of the games I've ever bought. A few exceptions: when I got out of college I traded a lot of the old AH chestnuts such as Blitzkrieg and Battle of the Bulge to a comic book store, which was my drug of choice at the time. I did the same with a lot of the not-so-great stuff I had from high school (John Carter of Mars, for example - great in concept, but every battle felt exactly the same with the weak graphics). Since then, I've reaquired most of the AH titles via e-Bay, especially when AH went out of business in 1998. It was pretty obvious to me that I was going to be hanging on to most of my games after that. I'll note that the first wargame I bought (Panzer Leader, way over the head of this 12 year old) is still in my collection, and always will be.

Until now, when I have filled the second bedroom closet with games that are at best about 50% hits. I understand that I need to get rid of some of them, but it is very hard for me to do. Mike and KC have generously offered assistance, as both of them have been very active buying and selling things on e-Bay and other channels. Still, every warning bell in my head goes off when I think of divesting.

Maybe part of it has to do with my mother forcing me to get rid of my comic book collection when I was 13. Including, I might add, a Giant-Sized X-Men #1 and an Uncanny X-Men #94 (the first regular one with the "modern" lineup). While part of my disappointment in getting rid of these is that they are now worth quite a bit of money, I have to admit that I would almost certainly not have sold them. When I started collecting again in my early 20's (and continuing into my early 30's), I've bagged and boxed everything I got, even the dross. Ten long boxes share space with my games, with no sign of movement (although to be fair, these will be much more valuable in about 20 years).

Giving up a game feels like giving up on an investment in some ways. I bought the damned thing, so it should be worth keeping. If not, I made a poor decision originally, and I hate doing that. Also, there is something about a whole closet full of games that feels somewhat comforting in a world where our leaders have abandoned all pretense of caring about anything but votes and money.

Still, it's time for a good chunk of these long-time friends to hit the road and find new homes. I'm sure, as my father would have said, that it will build my character (although at 42, I suspect it will be more like new linoleum on the floor of my id, but Lord knows it needs it). So once KC gets back from Essen and showing off his great new game Havoc, I guess I'm going to start getting rid of games for the first time in about 20 years.

I hope it feels better when it's over.