The ever changing..evolving{?} philosophy of game collection.

As I sit once again and look at games that:

a. have not been played

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SCS played all of these, or in the process of playing. I have not really played Ardenne, Afrika 2, Gazala however (I have those unboxed).

b. have been played and enjoyed

c. played and derided

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Owning these for some reason….WotR is for memories.

d. played and left unsure about

e. bought for a reason long forgotten…

I am once again in two minds about keeping versus collecting. Playing and discarding vs playing and treasuring.

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TCS ’cause one day….. FF for trade bait and cool maps, Airland Battle…WTF? Won by Sword and EiA…right.

Where do we draw the line on keeping a title you wont play again, but love it due to the fact it is a ‘classic’. Does a digital copy suffice? – If you really love it you can print the parts and play again or play on VASSAL?

If I sell CityFight because I wont play it solo, should I also sell EiA?  The question boils down to preferences today for games versus what I might like at a later date. As of today I lean towards bigger monster games, that are more involved. Tactical games across eras. But with titles in the Napoleonic era, how often will I replay The Gamers Austerlitz? Likely never. Will I invest the effort to really try to understand A Most Dangerous Time? Is Where there is discord destined to be like every other solo game purchased – sold off?

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Lots of played and want to play games here, where to draw the line. Should there be a line?

Or am I in a funk and should just chill out and not make a rash decision? First world wargamer problems. Perhaps it is time to just buy some storage boxes for the excess.

7 thoughts on “The ever changing..evolving{?} philosophy of game collection.

  1. I’ve also had to cull the herd and am somewhat successful (a 1,000 titles have “left the building” in the past six years). But as the collection once again overflows past 2,000 I need to do this again. Some games have been easy to part with (VG’s AMBUSH series I auctioned off as once you play the missions, the paragraph system makes them less replayable). Others that I played–even enjoyed–I let go of because I knew I’d never play them again (most of my old–and huge–SPI collection). I’ve let go of games I haven’t played if the reviewers I respected weren’t crazy about them or other subsequent games seem to have superseded them. PrezCon is coming and I will have four boxes of games and supplements/expansions that I’ll likely auction. But I look at my shelves with so many unplayed games and think of the following:

    1) I really have way too many WWII tactical wargames systems/series. I should cut back to those I play a lot of and want to play more of. So…maybe it’s time to get rid of ALL my punched and unpunched ADVANCED TOBRUK SYSTEM games. I’ve got a lot of them. After that, maybe my old PANZER LEADER and PANZER BLITZ games and West End TANK LEADER series. Since I seem to be beholden to PANZERGRENADIER series for platoon-level actions, why not unload PANZERBLITZ: HILL OF DEATH, FIGHTING FORMATIONS, and NATIONS AT WAR games?

    2) Game magazines. Do I really need to keep all those old AH GENERAL magazines? Especially when I have them electronically in PDF? How about old WARMER, CONFLICT, GRENADIER, EUROPA, CANADIAN WARGAME JOURNALS, and others? Doubt I can part with the complete S&T, MOVES, and COMMAND collection. But how often will I really re-read those back issues? And I’ve got many unpunched magazine games! I could clear out a LOT of space if I just auctioned off the collections….

    3) EUROPA series. With the joys of the OCS, will I ever go back to this? I also have the WW I series and Pacific GLORY series that are related. With MMP’s WAR OF THE SUNS, would I ever play WAR OF THE RESISTANCE? Why not auction these off as well? While I’m at it, I’ve got SO MANY WWII strategic games, more than I could ever possibly play. They are all good, but let’s face it, I am 55 and won’t have time to get to them all. I can keep a few and just part with the others…but will I? What would happen if I find some opponents for AXIS EMPIRES: TOTALER KRIEG and DAI SENSO? Won’t I regret parting with these?

    At least I’m not buying quite as many games now. Normally I’d be so seduced by additional games in various series, but I think twice now and am even passing a few of them buy. Can’t play all the games I’ve gotten so far, so why get more?

  2. I recently sold my long owned copies of The Longest Day and Highway to the Reich. I knew I had moved on to other games and wasn’t going to play them. When I look at my collection I really think in terms of what is likely to get played. I recently sold and traded around 25 games and added around 40 or so using the funds from the games I sold. My collection is at about 270 so I don’t have size of problem as others. I really have decided not to hang onto games that won’t get played or are bad games. However, there is nothing wrong with holding on for nostalgia or collection reasons.

  3. If I’m getting an urge to buy a game, and I get many such impulses, more and more I find myself asking two key questions:

    • will I have the time?
    • will I find/have an opponent?

    These days, often the answer will be no, but I’m still occasionally looking back and realising I still give way to the ‘must-buy-game’ urge.

  4. Tupperware storage bins are your friend?

    Got doubts about a game? Pop it in the bin. Find a cool, dark space for said bin and stash it there. Then months later, when that inevitable pang of nostalgia strikes, get the bin and see if those old games hold up to the memories. Plus, that keeps all the stuff you want to learn, play, and enjoy front and center.

    Beats buying back stuff on ConsimWorld any day.

  5. I play solo almost exclusively. I am 61 so I have to consider the question – If I purchase this game will I live long enough to play it? For years I was a tabletop miniatures gamer. I resisted the urge to buy games like Tide of Iron. I thought I would turn into a crossover miniatures/board gamer, ignoring my miniatures collection. I bought Tide of iron three years ago and I was right. I then purchased all of the Command and Colors series (which are also pretty much to be considered miniature board games). Part of it was that, for some time, I didn’t really have the dedicated space to play minis. I do now having recently moved.

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